A Conversation With Rohees: "My Mind Be My Weapon"
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| Nigerian artist Rohees |
To understand the meteoric rise of an artist like Rohees is to understand the velocity of modern fame. In a matter of months, his single "Extraordinary" has become a fixture on playlists across the country, its introspective yet aspirational lyrics resonating with a generation navigating its own set of complex realities. We were invited to meet the man behind the music, to have a conversation about his process, his journey, and the pressures that come with being one of Afrobeats' most talked-about new voices.
We meet Rohees in his sparsely furnished Lekki apartment. The blinds are drawn tight against the afternoon sun, casting long shadows across the room. He is coiled on a sofa, phone in hand, which buzzes intermittently. He doesn’t answer it. "I need to keep my mind sharp," he says by way of greeting, tapping his temple. "My mind be my weapon I keep all sharp. On the road to the future I’m on the fast track."
His mode of speech is intense, often blurring the line between conversation and poetic declaration. When asked about the pressures of the industry and the constant demands on his time, he leans forward, his gaze fixed on a point beyond the walls of the room. "I hear ma phone ringing, I can’t even pick it," he says, his voice low. "Shey na devil shey na God abeg who dey call me." He seems to view every opportunity, every incoming call, not as a simple business proposition, but as a potential spiritual battle, a test of his focus and resolve.
This profound sense of spiritual weight permeates his worldview. The journey, for him, is not just about achieving fame or financial success; it is a high-stakes existential quest. We ask him about his ultimate fears as an artist, a question that often elicits answers about creative stagnation or losing relevance. His response is more visceral. "I don’t wanna die you know seeing is believing," he states plainly. He speaks of death not as a distant, abstract concept, but as an immediate concern, his belief in the future seemingly contingent on his own physical survival. It’s a stark reminder of the mortality that haunts the lyrics of so many great artists, from 2Pac, whom he references in his song, to the present day.
This intensity also shapes his view of the competitive music landscape. In an industry built on collaborations and alliances, Rohees describes a more solitary path. When we touch on his relationships with his peers, he becomes guarded. "No friends no foe, I’m steady on the go," he explains. He doesn’t appear bitter, but rather, deeply pragmatic, as if seeing the entire industry through a tactical lens. He elaborates on this self-reliant philosophy with a line that feels both like a warning and a mantra: "I believe in myself mi o phor fun anybody / If you like make you halla aku bow fun anybody." (I am not scared of anyone / If you like keep shouting, I can’t prostrate for anyone). He describes a solitary, almost paranoid journey, expressing a deep-seated distrust for the allegiances and hierarchies that define the industry.
Leaving the apartment, one is struck by the all-consuming intensity of Rohees. His art is not a performance he puts on; it is the raw, unfiltered output of a mind in constant motion. His mind is indeed his weapon, as he says. He is sharp, focused, and unyielding in his vision. But one can't help but wonder about the toll of wielding such a restless and razor-sharp blade every single day.