Courtesy.
As Afrobeats spreads across the worlds, artists with distinct sounds and stories are booming onto the music scene and singer and songwriter [WurlD](https://www.instagram.com/thisiswurld/) is there amongst them with a massive contribution. Born Sadiq Onifade in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised between his native country and Atlanta, WurlD has established himself a unique but necessary future in the Afrobeats game.
WurlD is responsible for a sub-genre of Afrobeats—which he’s dubbed “Afrosoul”—a culmination of R&B, soul, and Afrobeats. WurlD plays with colorful sounds and mixed cultures that flows smoothly through your ears and reaches deep into your spirit.
WurlD’s very essence is that of artistic expression, from his high fashion looks to his signature blue fade. His nature is sweet and soft, but behind each word is a power used to provoke love and truth. Starting out as a songwriter, the rise of Afrobeats in the US has given WurlD a leg up in the game. His latest EP, _Afrosoul,_ released in May of 2020. “_Afrosoul_ is me reliving my childhood,” he explains. “I learned how to create music in Atlanta but I was born in Lagos, Nigeria. For me, being African first, it’s Afrobeats fusion with R&B and Soul music. I really felt like it was a necessary sound I wanted to share with the world.”
Ready for what’s next, WurlD debuts his latest video “Wayo”—a sultry culmination of two distinctly different cultures, with a twist of jazz to mellow the ambiance. Full of color and contrast, we caught up with WurlD for a conversation, where he shared his passion for music, fashion, and individuality.
**So based on your upbringing and travel, do you spend most of your time in Lagos or do you spend it in Atlanta, or is it like an even mix of cities?**
It’s an even mix. It used to be mostly U.S., America, LA. I've been living in LA since 2017 to like 2019, but I'm in Lagos a lot these days because I'm staying closer to the community because of the work that I'm doing with the music and the connection with the absolute soul part of my journey.
**How do you stay grounded within your African community so that you make sure that aspect of you always remains?**
You know what, it's by default. I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and was raised here until a teenager. For me, that aspect, that spirit - that lives with me. It almost shapes the amount of things I do and that keeps me grounded without forcing it. I think people in general, whether in America or in Africa or wherever you’re from, they love authenticity.
**That's awesome because there's a lot of things I can change throughout the world that could potentially change the way we are as individuals.**
I'm learning every day. I’ve been observing, I'm learning people. I think it's very important to travel and see places and meet people. To me, I've been privileged to be in different places and live in different cities. It helps me understand and respect people, \[and\] communication. My work is communication. My music is communication. It's communicating with different people from different parts of the world. I'm just blessed and grateful.
**When you saw Cardi B and Offset dancing to your song “Mad” what did it feel like to know that two big American artists had got a reach of your music and were acknowledging you and giving you credit and love for what you're able to produce?**
You know, that was special. That's one of the special moments for me, because like I said music is communication. Knowing that people in Africa are listening to my music and enjoying it and appreciate it. Knowing that like Cardi B and Offset represents a large number of people as well. It just makes me realize I'm on the right path. I'm just so grateful for those moments, and you know that's reassurance honestly.
[](https://www.instagram.com/p/B9khgJoBkUt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)
[No stress on you 2 @iamcardib @offsetyrn Official Remix? 🤷🏽♂️🧞♂️🦋 #MAD (song link in my bio). Bembelembe wave 🚀 #MadChallenge](https://www.instagram.com/p/B9khgJoBkUt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)
**With your latest album AfroSoul, what are you most excited to share with the world?**
I'm sharing good music, I'm sharing my truth. I’m sharing inspirational music. I’m sharing music to uplift people in this time. I'm hoping to share love. I hope to inspire people in different parts of the world through the conversations. I take my lyrics, my conversations very very serious, because besides the rhythm and the dance, of all of those things I want people to be inspired. I want people to apply some of these songs, hope to inspire, hope to motivate especially in these times. I hope that my music shines light where it matters the most. I'm looking to celebrate life.
**Where did most of your inspiration from the album come from?**
My inspiration came from life, my life experiences. My friends, other people's experiences. This time, everything is happening around me as well. From being born in Africa, listening to Afro Beats Music, and Fuji music. To falling in love with R&B music at a young age, hip-hop music. I used to listen to a lot of Boys II Men. I listen to a lot of Michael Jackson till today Kanye West Jay-Z, everything. I'm a student of the art of music and listen to everything, my inspiration comes from everywhere. So I give credit to everything that I've been exposed to as a kid from Lagos, Nigeria, to live in Atlanta, or going to college in Atlanta to LA, New York, London, everything you know. My inspiration comes from everywhere.
We then spoke about his time at Georgia State University, which he remembers as a culture shock but also the timeframe that gave him the confidence needed to balance two cultures and usher in a new genre of music. He sites the amount of no’s as the reason he goes so hard and to this day, walks into those same people who once said no, with goals of getting just one yes. That same confidence also shines true not only in music but his physical appearance, a tool he uses to inspire people to do exactly what they please.
**I actually, for Flaunt, went to Davido’s concert at the Wiltern and I remember seeing you there because I was like, ‘His hair is cool.’ It’s funny because you literally like walked in, I think you had like a leather jacket, an all-black outfit, and your hair was bright blue. So speaking of your confidence, how did you come up with your style and your fashion sense, even just to have the blue hair. What makes you want to just be like, I don't want to look normal, you know, I want to be my own?**
I've always been that way. Even with all my music. I believe my music stands out. That's just me overall my by default. As a kid, I never wanted to be normal. I never wanted to wear the same things everybody was wearing. I remember when I went to the tailor to get my uniforms, I wanted my stuff to be slightly different in style. I'd get in trouble for it and certain things were not acceptable as a kid. I remember the blue hair thing, my favorite color is blue and I don’t own a lot of blue clothing actually. But I love what watching the blue color does to me, the feeling. When I decided to change my hair color, I remember one thing I wanted to do was I didn't want to go from blue to red to yellow. When I made a decision I wanted to stick to one color and for me, I knew that I was going to be keeping for a long time. I was confident in my music, but one thing I was like, ‘You know what I want to do color. I'm going to choose blue; this feels right.’ I looked in the mirror and it looked great on me. I felt good about it, even nowadays. This has been like four years blue.
**So how do you describe your style overall?**
I feel like I've always had this unique thing like I've always had this thing where when people see me, they remember me, even before I had the blue hair people said they like my look or my face or whatever it may be. My style is very natural simplistic but still edgy. Simple and edgy at the same time, it's very subtle but edgy enough to catch your attention. I love dressing how I feel. It’s all about how I feel. If it feels right, I'm good.
**How do you fuel your fashion sense or your style to connect it to your artistry in a way that it’s always intertwined?**
My music, it's a feeling. So blue at the same time, is a feeling. I'm blue most of the time, right, because I'm too aware of my surroundings and my feelings and too aware, like very compassionate. If you listen to my music, you hear a lot of emotions in it. For example, a song like “Ghost Town” I released recently, there's so much compassion, so much truth in that song. Passion in the way I'm singing the records and really, I feel like everything happens naturally. When I do my visuals, surprisingly, and without forcing it, everything comes handy with the look as well matching with the music. I'm very, very specific. I co-direct a lot of my videos. I'm very hands-on. It makes it easier for people to work with me because I understand my art. I understand how I want to look in certain scenes. I understand the mood I want to share. It makes everything work easy. I have a clear vision of what I'm trying to share with the world because I don't want the music to not match the emotion that's been put out.
**So with you understanding your artistry if someone asked who you were, what would you tell them?**
I'm human first, I'm human. Just like you. I want to add this, honestly, so important; I feel like we all have a light, we have to find our light. Every single person has a light. You have to find your light.
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