After releasing his first Chapter of WENA, renowned RnB artist Kohen Jaycee revealed that he almost lost his faith in music.
The artist and friends embarked on the EP project, which fortunately hit the waves, but the covid 19 lockdown hindered its promotion.
With support from a group of friends and upcoming producers, Kohen recorded EP WENA Chapter 1 with songs he had not yet recorded since 2015 til 2019 shortly after the pandemic happened.
“While at University, I was working on my music because I didn’t want to be the artist that releases one song. Towards the completion of campus, I reunited with a group of my high school friends and formed a group called Bantu Vibes,” he narrated.
The group members supported each other, offering encouragement to one another, which, according to Kohen, enabled him to release his first EP consisting of 8 songs that surprisingly made Number 1 on Apple Music minus a record label.
Even though it was a great success, it created much pressure and confidence for him to produce more music.
“After releasing Chapter one, we thought of what could keep us relevant and stay in the moment. That was when I thought about WENA Chapter Two, which I released in 2021 under a management deal in Nigeria called Republic 54. Republic 54 works with Continental powerhouse artists like Viktoni and Fireboy. WENA Chapter 2 also made it number one. Every time I started doubting myself, the universe would give me a sign to keep going,” he said.
The uncertainty and anxiety that came with producing music got to him. “I had friends with whom we were going through the same challenges, and those who were hoping to do other things during the pandemic, it was working out for them," he recounted.
Eventually, when the lockdown was lifted, Kohen was thankful that he had not given up. He prides himself for now having performed at big stages, such as Ruger and Adekunle’s concerts, and is happy that the audience appreciates and enjoys his music now.
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