Ego Competition Affects Musical Collaboration, Joeboy warns

Afrobeats singer Joeboy has identified ego and unhealthy competition as major barriers to effective collaboration within the Nigerian music industry.

During a joint interview with colleague Wizard Chan on Cool FM Lagos, Joeboy argued that many artistes approach joint projects with a mindset of outshining one another rather than creating a cohesive piece of art.

The singer noted that he prioritises working with artistes with whom he shares a cordial relationship to avoid such conflicts. “It is easier for me to collaborate with artistes that I am cool with or friends with because there will be no ego or inner competition,” he stated. He further questioned the logic of the competitive approach, adding that he expects a featured artiste to bring their best to a track.

Supporting this view, Wizard Chan criticised the tendency of some artistes to micromanage their collaborators or alter their verses out of insecurity when they feel a featured guest has delivered a superior performance. He emphasised that the primary goal of any collaboration is to introduce a different creative dimension to a song, rather than treating it as a contest.

Both artistes urged their peers to focus on the creative value of partnerships to foster a more supportive and productive environment within the industry.