MEET THE ARTIST: MUS

“So the music has everything. I want, when you listen to it, for you to feel all the emotions. You know. I focus on my melodies a lot—like, I like to use melodies that’ll definitely stick. I just always like to keep people coming back for more.”

That’s how Mus describes his music—an experience designed to linger.

From trying to balance medicine and music in Russia to moving back to Lagos, Nigeria, to fully focus on this passion, Mus talks about this experience and how it has shaped him today.

With a catalog of nearly 400 unreleased tracks—which he firmly believes are all hits—he is prepared, self-assured, and ready to unleash, patiently waiting for that big break in the game that’ll propel him to the very top of the scene. Right now, his discography (from Swé to Stabilizer) is like an undervalued stock—quietly holding immense potential, and just waiting for the perfect market shift to skyrocket.

NoteSphere: In your own words, Who is Mus?

Mus: Mus is an Afro-soul artist, a rapper, and a doctor living in Lagos, Nigeria. That’s the summary. That’s Mus.

NoteSphere: Were you always into music, or did you initially want to pursue medicine? What sparked the transition from being a medical student to doing music?

Mus: I’ve been winging medicine and music together for about 10 years now.

NoteSphere: 10 years? So it has always been like that?

Mus: Yeah, it’s always been like that. The only difference is that earlier, it was medical school and music. Now, it’s being a practicing doctor and music.

NoteSphere: Okay, interesting. What song of yours would you tell me to listen to right now? If I wanted to put someone onto your music, what song should I play?

 Mus: Very dangerous question because we’ve established that I don’t know my best song. But the song I’d probably tell you to listen to—the one everybody likes—is “Swé.” Personally, though, I’d tell you to check out “Wa,” “Encore,” “Pull Up,” or “Boogey.” Yeah. But for my people’s sake, I’ll say listen to “Swé.”

NoteSphere: Which one was released first? 

Mus: “Swé” is more recent compared to “Pull Up,” “Wa,” and the rest of them. See, it depends. It depends on what you like. I have songs that will probably fit any mood, but I’d say listen to “Swé” because it’s the song that has done the most numbers and gotten me the most attention.

NoteSphere: When you were abroad in Russia, how did the changes in your environment shape your music and artistry?

 Mus: Russia was a very, very important part of my career—both musically and in life in general. Being there allowed me to explore and learn more about myself, how I function, and what works best for me. I had the space to focus on music without the constant worries that come with being in Nigeria. I realized that I make better music when I’m alone, in my own space. That’s where I really developed my sound and my craft—I made so many songs there. So yeah, shout out to Russia. That’s forever my home.

NoteSphere: When did you move back?

Mus: It’ll be three years in August. I came back in 2021.

NoteSphere: Okay, so that’s been a while.

Mus: Yes it has.

NoteSphere: So from your experience now, coming back to Nigeria and seeing the music scene, how would you describe it? It’s very competitive now for sure, and for an emerging artist like yourself, what have been the biggest challenges, or maybe things that have worked out for you?

Mus: I mean, it hasn’t just been challenges—there have been advantages to coming back home as well. But let’s start with the challenges. The biggest issue is that everything is overpriced here. It doesn’t even make sense to me, honestly. If I tell you it’s cheaper to shoot videos, record, and take pictures abroad than it is here, you might not believe it. But the prices I’m getting here are ridiculous. I’m even considering getting my own camera and shooting my own content because of how expensive everything is. And I don’t blame them here—it’s just how the country is. That’s been my biggest challenge as an artist in Nigeria and also having to do almost everything myself. I record myself. The only thing I’m doing right now is sending out mixes to people to help mix and master. I take my own pictures. I shoot my own videos. It’s crazy.

But the advantage is linking up with crazy producers. You know, back in Russia, they’d have to send me beats, and we’d have to be going back and forth.

NoteSphere: I saw on your new song “Who Dem Be” that you worked with Victony’s producer, Ktizo.

Mus: Funny enough, that was actually when I was in Russia. I recorded that song back in 2019. I have very solid records that I keep close to my chest and release when I feel like people deserve to hear them.

NoteSphere: So do you have a lot of those? Like, solid records that people are yet to hear but you’re keeping?

Mus: I don’t know my best songs, but yes, I have close to 400 songs.

NoteSphere: So you’re recording in the studio every day?

Mus: Yeah, but not in a studio. I record myself. I have my own setup, so I just record on my own. And yeah, to me, all of them are hits o. But from the people I’ve shared my songs with, let’s say like 250 are hits out of the 400.

NoteSphere: What was the particular moment for you when you realized that, yeah, you’ve obviously been doing music for a while—like you said, nearly 10 years—but when did it hit you that, okay, this could actually work out, I could do this as a career for real?

Mus: Yeah, it was when I started getting—not even approval—but when I started getting praise from people I’ve looked up to at some point, or artists I’ve really f**ked with, people who have actually done it and been in the game.

NoteSphere: Like who? Can you name-drop anyone?

Mus: Show Dem Camp, for example. When I dropped my EP “Sounds from Mus”, someone who knew Show Dem Camp listened to it and sent it to them and told them to check it out. They ended up doing an Instagram Live, invited me to join, and played my EP on the live. They were really into it. That was during COVID, and at that moment, I started to feel like, okay, I’m definitely doing something right. And Tee Billz (Executive VP of A&R for RCA Records) also reached out at the time, so that was another sign for me.

NoteSphere: Nice, that must have been enough motivation for you to keep going.

Mus: Definitely, because they didn’t just give me props—they also wanted to work with me.

NoteSphere: Who are some of the artists—whether Afrobeats or outside of it—that have shaped your sound, past or present? Artists that influenced how you sing, rap, or create music?

Mus: So I started off with Lil Wayne and Meek Mill. I was the biggest Meek Mill fan—I didn’t joke with Meek. Like, I was always locked in. I don’t know if you remember those gold headphones he had an endorsement with? I can’t recall the brand right now, but back then, I was saving up to get them. I just didn’t know how to ship them to Nigeria at the time. I was a bit obsessed with Meek. Also, Young T & Bugsey.

NoteSphere: Is it the Monster headphones?

Mus: Yeah, the Monster headphones, like 24-karat or something. But yeah, Young T & Bugsey—you probably know them from “Don’t Rush,” obviously.

NoteSphere: Young T & Bugsey? Did you also do Afro swing?

Mus: Definitely. I have some songs that are Afro swing as well. But yeah, Young T & Bugsey, then Mr Eazi, Runtown—Runtown is like number one when it comes to shaping my sound. J Hus too, like, J Hus is very important for me as well. Obviously, Wizkid—everybody looked up to Wizkid in terms of swag. Like, everybody wanted to be Wizkid—buttoned-up shirts, snapbacks, everything. Yeah, all those guys for sure. Honestly, I’d say everybody in the industry has shaped me in one way or another. I did my research, and yeah, everyone has had some influence on my career.

NoteSphere: What would you consider success for yourself? Do you feel like you’re successful right now?

Mus: For me, success is having a lot of people listen to my music and really understand it for what it is. I want them to experience what I experience when I listen to my own music because, honestly, I’m my own biggest fan. I listen to my songs all the time, and I need more people to connect with them in that same way.

And of course, it would be great for music to become a proper source of income. Right now, it brings in money, but I want it to be on a much larger scale—where I can truly live off what I love doing.

NoteSphere: It’ll definitely work out for you if you keep on this trajectory. Last question—what’s one thing you’d like to see change in the industry for emerging artists?

Mus: Ah, this question… I feel like we need to sit down over drinks to really talk about it because there’s a lot to unpack. But honestly, the way the industry is set up right now, there’s barely space for emerging artists unless you have a crazy amount of money or you somehow go viral. There’s no real in-between.

A lot of artists feel pressured to do things they’re not comfortable with just to get noticed. And that’s dangerous because you can’t compete with massive budgets if you don’t have the backing. Right now, it’s not a fair playing field.

NoteSphere: How do you think things could change? What can be done?

Mus: I think platforms like radio stations, blogs—people with influence—need to dive deeper into the music that’s actually being made. There are artists out here creating high-quality music that deserves to be heard, but instead, the same things keep getting recycled. It’s exhausting.

Also, for us as artists, we need to think outside the box. Be unique. Stop following trends just because someone else did it first—it’s the same formula these days. Either open verses, dance routines, or shooting a certain type of video just because it’s what’s trending. We need to push creativity forward instead of repeating the same formulas until someone finally switches things up again.s out here creating high-quality music that deserves to be heard, but instead, the same things keep getting recycled. It’s exhausting.

Also, for us as artists, we need to think outside the box. Be unique. Stop following trends just because someone else did it first—it’s the same formula these days. Either open verses, dance routines, or shooting a certain type of video just because it’s what’s trending. We need to push creativity forward instead of repeating the same formulas until someone finally switches things up again.