Kleros Is Rewriting the Rules — A Woman Producing Her Own Power in Music

My conversation with Kleros started off with warmth and ease. I just knew that moment was special. It had to be done right. Kleros isn’t just any music producer. She’s a woman making bold moves in a male-dominated field, a changemaker with a story worth documenting. And that’s exactly what The Book is about—stories of the ones daring to do, to shift culture, to break ceilings.

The first time I met Kleros, it was at a Guinness world record attempt by a producer and it was difficult to not see the passion in her and how much she knew her stuff. A woman dominating the same room as men.

I asked how life has been for her since then.

“Progress,” she said, smiling. “A lot more connections, a lot more lessons. That whole experience made me grow. I’ve evolved.”

And it shows.

THE SPARK: FINDING HER WAY TO SOUND

Every producer has that one moment when the spark ignites. For Kleros, it happened in secondary school.

“I was playing instruments at the time,” she shared. “But one day, I saw someone using production software on the school laptop—my school guardian. I was instantly curious. It felt like I liked watching how music was made even more than listening to it.”

She would borrow the keys to the computer lab on weekends, sneaking in time with the software. That curiosity grew into obsession.

By 2019, in her second year of university, music production had become more than a side passion. “People kept encouraging me. School felt boring on its own—so I added music to the mix,” she laughed.

ROOTED IN MUSIC, SHAPED BY LIFE

“I’m the last child. So naturally, I was mommy’s handbag,” she joked. Her mother’s love for all kinds of music exposed her to a wide palette. Her older brother introduced her to hip-hop. “Everything they played compiled in my head,” she explained. “That really shaped the diversity in my sound.”

She also mentioned being largely self-taught.

 “I didn’t watch YouTube when I first started. I made a lot of mistakes,” she admitted. “But I’ve always been curious. I watched how people did things. I listened. I asked questions. I learned from their mistakes and from their success too.”

Kleros expressed how she watched people, listened to older people and how she has been a big fan of learning which has also helped shape her Business.

THE SILENT STRUGGLES OF A FEMALE PRODUCER

When I asked about the challenges she faced breaking into the industry, especially as a woman in production, Kleros got reflective.

“Sometimes, it’s hard. Especially when you don’t enjoy the spotlight. But in this generation, you have to put yourself out there,” she said. “I used to find that difficult because I genuinely love my space. But I’ve been learning to show up regardless.”

For about two years, she faced a dry spell—where it felt like she was stuck.

“I had to have a serious talk with my mentor. He told me, ‘Focus on what you can control. Work on your sound.’ And that’s what I did. I stopped obsessing over getting in, and I poured myself into improving. Eventually, things shifted.”

She said this helped her discover her strong points, worked on the quality of music and perfect the melodies.

It was through this she discovered she loved the drums and loves to sample songs.

QUALITY OVER NOISE

When we got to the topic of quality, her eyes lit up.

“To me, quality sound is something you feel. It’s not just loud or trendy. It’s intentional. It’s when you listen to a track and it surrounds you, even when you’re not wearing headphones. It’s balance.”

And what about people saying producers are recycling beats?

“I understand where that comes from,” she said. “But I think the bigger issue is that we, the creators, have forgotten that we set the tone—not the audience. Right now, it’s a numbers game. People are chasing streams, so everyone’s trying to replicate the same sound. But we owe it to ourselves to push boundaries.”

Kleros separates herself from the pack by refusing to make “regular” music.

“My beats always have a fusion. Even if it starts like something familiar, I find ways to evolve it into something unexpected.”

ON BEING OVERLOOKED AND UNDERPAID

One of the most powerful parts of our conversation was her honesty about the industry’s imbalance—particularly how producers are often sidelined.

“Producers are still being underpaid, overlooked. It’s like everyone gets credit—the artist, the video director—except the person who built the entire song from scratch,” she said.

She shared how some producers are given just 10 points out of 100 on a song, and even that feels like a favor if you’re not working with a big name.

“That needs to change. Producers need to start valuing themselves more. Charge what you’re worth.”

ON HIT SONGS AND CAREER MILESTONES

Talking about “hits.”

“Can you predict a hit?” I asked.

“You can feel when a song is great. But a hit? That’s marketing. You can make the best song in the world, but without the right push, it’ll go nowhere. Sometimes the worst songs blow up simply because of strategy.”

And what about her own moment—her first big production milestone?

“That would 2023, Lemon Vinyl,” she said without hesitation. “I created Be there with Remade and mustapha. From the moment we recorded it, I knew it was special. The audience it pulled was unexpected.” She pointed out the song felt through to her artistic nature and satisfied who she is as a producer.

On her creative process she talked about something she picked up from a masterclass earlier in the year which was every single creative idea should be taken down as there are no mistakes and when you’ve maxed out you can take a rest go back and work on it technically. “Lay it down first”

Kleros loves originality and has a way of balancing it with different artistes which is the power of convincing especially when dealing with artistes who do not understand the uniqueness of one’s own sound or are yet to develop “Make it seem like it’s their idea” and another method for her is to not force it.

BEAT-MAKERS AND PRODUCERS

For Kleros, what tells them apart is the ability to tell a story through their creations.

“A producer can structure the song and then communicate it. It’s in this case the producer can help the artiste create the song.”

For Kleros “to whom much is given, much is expected. I like the responsibility” she disclosed that at the start of her career she didn’t think she was an inspiring person but now people reach out to be taught by her. “Last year, I taught a beginners production class with about 6-10 students for about two months.”

She shared that she is enjoying the whole process and giving back. “I like that people can see me as an example.”

The vision for Kleros five years from now is to have made a lot of inspiring music.

“I want a couple of Kleros productions on people’s playlists. I want to have won a couple awards too. I want to have introduced the world to new sides of Kleros and I pray for them to be received well.”

She announced that she has started Djing. And she hopes to have her own shows.

Her message to emerging producers, that young girl sitting in her room and playing with sounds unsure of the world of music and how to break in:

“Keep showing up. Don’t worry about how you will break in. If you are meant to, you will.” She shared that she believes in purpose and no knowledge is ever wasted.

“Don’t feel intimidated, there’s time for everything. Pick up skills as you go.”

Interview conducted and written by Andrea Andy.