Unpacking the Creative Genius of FirstKlaz
From Abuja to the World: FirstKlaz’s Unique Approach to Music and Art
Last year, I had the pleasure of interviewing FirstKlaz, and I can confidently say it’s been nothing short of inspiring to witness his meteoric rise since then.
For those unfamiliar with him, allow me to introduce an impeccable creative genius and versatile artist—FirstKlaz is undeniably one to watch.
His journey has been fascinating, marked by his groundbreaking social media content, out-of-this-world storytelling techniques, and the development of genre fusions that seem almost unimaginable. His prowess is unmatched, and it was a privilege to delve into the mind of such a visionary artist.
Our conversation began on a light and friendly note, with FirstKlaz exuding positive energy and a contagious spirit. We even shared a moment reflecting on what had been a particularly stressful week for both of us.
If you know FirstKlaz, you’re likely aware of his controversial social media presence and the lengths he goes to promote his craft. I asked him how he manages the demands of this. “It’s a lot. Most people don’t know the amount of work that goes into bringing those contents to life. It’s crazy, but I can’t complain,” he revealed. And guess what? We might someday get a masterclass on content creation from FirstKlaz himself—fingers crossed!
FirstKlaz has released several tracks where he introduced fresh sounds, such as Gen Z Fuji, Gen Z Fuji II featuring Terry Apala, Gen Z Faaji featuring Joeboy, and Gen Z Arewa. Notably, in promoting Gen Z Fuji II, he spotlighted Aunty Ramota, a move that was as endearing as it was clever. When I asked what inspired these tracks, he explained that he wanted to blend old-school genres with new-school melodies and lyrics that resonate with Gen Z, hence the recurring title. How did this idea come about? “To be honest, I’m a deep thinker. I feel like while everyone around me sees things with their normal eye, I have a third eye. I like to be green while others are red,” he shared, offering a glimpse into his unique creative process.
It was clear that thinking outside the box was second nature to him.
We discussed how he managed to collaborate with artists like Terry Apala and Joeboy. “I’ve known Terry Apala for close to a year now. I made a freestyle and promoted it by mimicking bigger artists like Olamide, Burna Boy, and Jeriq. The first one I did was of Terry Apala, and it blew up. He then reached out to me, saying he was impressed. So when I did Gen Z Fuji, he reached out again, asking me to send him the beat, and that’s how Gen Z Fuji II came to be. With Joeboy, it was a similar story. We’ve known each other for about a year, and he’s surprisingly mentioned me in some interviews. I was just doing my thing, and people were watching.”
FirstKlaz recounted how he and Joeboy became acquainted. “When I posted that freestyle, he reposted it on his story. We eventually connected, and when I dropped the first and second verses of the song, Joeboy told me he liked it. I was in the studio when he sent me that message, and I was like, ‘Big bro, can you please give me a verse?’ and he said, ‘Why not?’ In less than two days, he sent it.”
As we delved deeper into who he is as a person, FirstKlaz opened up about where he draws his inspiration. “I like to do things the way I feel in that particular moment. I don’t drink or smoke, but if I want to be in that zone, I can be there without any influence. Sometimes I feel like I have a talent for zoning out to any zone I want to be in.”
He also spoke about his motivation and background. “Where I come from and my family. I grew up in a crazy part of Abuja, Yanyan,” he explained, likening it to a box. “There’s an OG every youngin wants to become. It’s like we didn’t know any life outside the box. I thank God for the secondary school I went to, where I mixed with the rich kids. My parents spent all their money on my education, and that’s when I realized there was more to life than that lifestyle.”
He fondly recalled a particular girl he met during his secondary school days, Amanda “She changed my mindset.”
Folks! there you have it the person who inspired the name of his popular signature piece, his doll ‘Amanda’.
FirstKlaz recently debuted a new hairstyle, inspired by none other than Frank Ocean. “I was on my Afro and didn’t know what to do with it. The day I was thinking about going to the salon to cut it, I saw a picture of Frank Ocean, and then I told my neighbor to help me plait my hair like that.” This ties back to something he’d mentioned earlier: “I like to do my things organically.”
When it comes to handling critics, FirstKlaz maintains a positive outlook. “If everyone loves everything you do, then you have a problem. A lot of times when I post stuff, I get hate comments, but when it starts blowing up, the same people who criticized come back praising the song.”
Looking ahead to 2025, FirstKlaz has big plans: “I’ll be everywhere, not just Nigeria or Africa—I’ll go global.”
In an interesting revelation, FirstKlaz shared that his real name is Justice Elsa Joseph—a detail he tends to keep under wraps (though I might just be the first to document it!).
During our chat, he spoke about how his family motivated him, especially his older brother, who was the first to believe in his craft and sees him as a global artist. “He made me start believing it more.”
Fun fact: FirstKlaz loves to draw, paint, and has a passion for fashion. And here’s something new—he’s a fan of toys, particularly his fidget spinner and action figures.
But his journey hasn’t been without struggles “There was a point when I was feeling like nothing, I started doubting myself and everything I was doing.” This brought him to share a story of when he put out a freestyle to a song and it blew up. He’d shown his friends and nobody liked it but he put it out like that and it took a few days but it blew up all of a sudden “I saw my phone vibrating. That was the first time I saw my phone like that, getting that amount of buzz. I was using one iPhone 6, and half of the screen wasn’t working. I wasn’t even seeing anything with half of the screen so I had to turn the phone to check what was happening”
He talked about how he felt before putting out that freestyle “When I put it out and didn’t get engagement I felt bad somehow because my friends were like ‘I told you this stuff was not mad’ but still I said Omo I don’t have anything to lose, I wasn’t concerned with engagements and I was just doing my thing. The freestyle was everywhere and the artist had to do an open verse for the song but he didn’t post my version though.”
As for his future collaborations, FirstKlaz dreams of working with Kanye West, who he feels shares a similar mindset, Frank Ocean, and in Nigeria, Rema and Asa.
He left a powerful message for other emerging artists: “Be yourself, walk with God, and don’t take no for an answer. I got a lot of no’s, but I kept moving. People told me to my face that I would never blow, but I just kept moving.”
As our conversation drew to a close, I asked FirstKlaz how he felt after reflecting on his journey. “I thank God for where I’m at today, but I still feel there’s a lot I need to do. I’ve not even started; I just need to keep the fire and keep it going.”
FirstKlaz’s love for music shines through when he speaks about the songs that resonate most with him—Rema’s Calm Down and Burna Boy x Jorja Smith’s Gum Body.
As he continues to push boundaries and redefine what it means to be an artist in today’s world, one thing is clear: FirstKlaz is just getting started.