Creativerse – Crayvelli(24k)

Among the youths in Nigeria and across Africa, talent and creativity still thrive amidst the chaos and perhaps are one of the only things bringing value these days. Many individuals stand out as beacons of artistic prowess, and in today’s segment of Creativerse, we are here with one of these individuals who goes by the name Crayvelli (24k). A master of multiple fields, Crayvelli seamlessly balances his talents as a DJ, designer, and creative director into one. His multidisciplinary approach to artistry makes him very valuable in the world today, and we thought to have a sit-down chat with him before January ends.

Hi, can you introduce yourself to our audience?

Crayvelli: Hi, I’m Giwa Babatunde David AKA Crayvelli(24k), I’m a DJ, Designer and Creative Director

Your art as a DJ is so impressive. When was the first time you felt drawn to music and realized you could DJ?

Crayvelli: Thank you! It goes way back as well, and the story is kind of long, but I’ll be brief. My first introduction to music was through my dad, bless his memory. He was a DJ at heart because he would play all genres of music on our stereo set depending on his mood, although he loved Hip Hop. Additionally, the house where I grew up in Anifowoshe, Ikeja, had an Art and Signs shop and a Barbershop. There’s a saying that Barbershops have the best selection of music. Our landlord’s son was a DJ, and during school holidays, I would follow him to gigs sometimes, and I picked up the skill from there. I’ve had my DJing skills since I was 15/16 years old.

My Condolences. It seems like your surroundings while growing up helped shape your art?

Crayvelli: Exactly! Subconsciously, to be honest, I didn’t really think of that until later last year!

What was the first show or event you played at?

Crayvelli: A birthday party at Somolu, Lagos. The landlord’s son had two gigs scheduled for the same day, so he graciously allowed me to play at one while he attended the other.

Oh wow that’s generous of him

Crayvelli: IKR

Saw your performance with CloutAfrica as well while scrolling through your IG. You’ve played at many cool events including Mainland Block Party?

Crayvelli: Oh yeah, that was fun. Yes, I was also one of the resident DJs at Mainland Block Party for 3 years

That’s impressive man , that’s like one of the biggest youth parties we have in Lagos

 Crayvelli: Yeah Block party is a lifestyle, it’s more than a party, shootout to Alhaji Popping for the opportunity

When did you start getting into designing?

 Crayvelli: From childhood actually, I used to make my own version of anything that I fancied like basketball nets, toy cars, helicopter, storybooks, etc. I could draw from childhood, but my first graphic design was on Microsoft paint, I used a teacher’s laptop in school when I was 14.

That’s Interesting. What’s your most recent design work? I remember seeing something you worked on with ThirstyLabs and Zlatan.

Crayvelli: Yeah, I designed a belt buckle for Thirsty, Zlatan’s logo, and a Titanium reaction jersey for DJ Titanium.

Can we see the design for Thirsty?

 Crayvelli: The Thirsty designs, I can’t share yet because they haven’t dropped officially.

How did you get the name “Crayvelli”?

Crayvelli: I and my Cousin would add O’Cray to our names….my stage name was DJ O’Cray for a long time…after my dad passed, I thought of him as the coolest person I know and he loved 2Pac…adding “Velli” to Cray was my own way of commemorating him.

Seems like you put a lot of thought into it?

Crayvelli: Yes I did

So being a Dj, Designer and creative director all in one. How do you balance it all?

Crayvelli: It was exhausting at the start, but I began to see myself as an artist, and DJing became just another medium for me to showcase my artistry, so I Dj under the name Crayvelli and I make art and design under the pseudonym “24k”, much like Skepta, Virgil Abloh, and ASAP Rocky, who excel in multiple fields such as fashion, music, and more.

Would you consider this people as individuals you look up to?

Crayvelli: Yes including the likes of Pharrell Williams and Niyi Okeowo

You’ve worked on design projects and played at many events. Can you highlight a particularly memorable project or collaboration?

Crayvelli: I have worked on quite a number of projects and played at several events, but some projects stand out. For designs, they include Davido’s Timeless Album merch collection, Zlatan’s ZTTW collection that includes the logo, a collaboration I did with a brand called Darkagys in 2022, and almost all the projects I worked on with Straffitti at Thirsty Worldwide. For events, I would say Blood Civillian’s Bash, PsychoYP’s live show where I was the DJ, and the Scorpion Kings Party with DJ Maphorisa and Kabza.

Hmm, that’s a pretty interesting portfolio, for someone like Davido who’s arguably the biggest music star from Africa, how was it like working on his project?

Crayvelli: It was surprising when I was called to work on the project; the process was exciting because I got to work with Davido’s creative director, Tycoone.

Could you share a bit about your creative process, what tools/techniques do you use to create?

Crayvelli: I am mostly inspired by pop culture, nostalgia, my role models, and happenings in my daily life. I use that as a reference for most of my work by employing a three-step approach in my creative process, which includes research, sketching/moodboarding, and execution. I spend most of my time on research. For execution, I use a bunch of software depending on the medium. For music, I use Serato DJ Pro, Audacity, and FL Studio occasionally. For design, I use about 13 software, but the most important ones are Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Blender3D, Shapr3D, Nomad Sculpt, Spark AR, and Procreate. With DJing, I don’t have to overthink it; I just make sure the audience enjoys it as much as I do.

Looking ahead, what exciting projects or collaborations do you have in store, and what can your audience anticipate from Crayvelli in the future?

Crayvelli: I have a lot of exciting projects I’m working on at the moment, although I am not permitted to talk about some of them right now. Meanwhile, I started a creative collective called ‘TRIADS’ with a bunch of friends, and we’re about to roll out some campaigns, so stay tuned. Also, I just concluded a music camp with Thirsty Worldwide. I was the A&R in some of the sessions. All I can say is that you’re about to listen to some of the most amazing music and artists in the country.

As we reflect on our conversation with Crayvelli, it becomes pretty clear that his journey is just beginning. With a profound appreciation for both music and design and a multitude of exciting projects to come, Crayvelli’s future is bright. Whether you catch him on the dancefloor spinning your favorite tracks and beats or putting out designs, one thing remains clear: Crayvelli is here to stay.