Notes8Beats: Producers to Watch in 2025

As African music acts continue to dominate global charts and shape the soundscape of modern pop culture, the producers behind the music are stepping into the spotlight. These maestros, each with a unique touch of their own, are driving the evolution of African music into a new era. Here’s a look at the producers set to define 2025.

GodOmarr

Starting his journey at the age of 16 playing drums in church, godOmarr transitioned to producing beats still as a teenager, largely inspired by his creative environment and his friend at the time Yazeed. “I’ve always known the software, but I used to just mess around with it. Watching my guy, Yazeed, use it gave me the ideas I needed,” he shares.

Fast forward to 2024, godOmarr’s portfolio now boasts Falling with Lojay, Visa with Reekado Banks and notably Letting Go with Lojay off Fireboy’s Adedamola. Recalling the session with Lojay and Fireboy, he said, “I wasn’t even sure about playing that beat, but as soon as it came on, the magic just happened. It was all vibes.”

godOmarr is intentional about making music that stands out from most and with his eyes on delivering more projects in 2025 as he tells us, God’Omar is set to be a name we’ll hear a lot more of. As he puts it, “The journey’s just getting started. More stuff coming more stuff coming.”

FreshyVibez

With nothing more than an iPhone 7 and GarageBand his musical aspirations kicked off, Freshy’s journey began when a beat he posted on Twitter blew up, gaining thousands of retweets and comments. “It was so overwhelming,” he recalls, “but it was also the wake-up call I needed.” That wake-up call led to his first beat sale, which he used to buy a laptop and dive deeper into music production.

By late 2021, His big break came when he offered Tekno a beat in the comments section of an Instagram post, leading to connections with names like Simi and Ruger. One of his most notable tracks, “Make Way” by Ruger, even caught the attention of Wizkid, who posted about it and invited Freshy to a studio session.

But despite his growing success, Freshy remains focused on growth. “Most times, I feel the need to do better,” he says, “but when I look at how far I’ve come in less than four years, it inspires me to aim higher.”

TrillXoe

Dabbling with Fruity Loops as a start in high school was where it began for him, Trillxoe’s path as a producer blossomed. “Discovering FL Studio was a game-changer—it became my playground,” he shares. His ability to blend worldwide sounds like trap, and Amapiano while maintaining his Nigerian afrobeats identity has become a unique quality of his. “Whether it’s trap or amapiano, I always infuse my roots. It’s about honoring the originators while adding my twist,” he explains.

Trillxoe’s growing discography now includes standout credits like track 7, Do, on Minz’s 2024 album – By any Minz featuring Blaqbonez, and Odumodublvck’s 2023 mega-hit, Declan Rice. Additionally, collaborations with top-tier artists such as BOJ headies winning (Money & Laughter) and Prettyboy D-O’s (Living in Bondage). His explains that his approach is largely about understanding his collaborators as a fan first. “I study each artist’s strengths and style. With BOJ, it was about pushing him outside his comfort zone while keeping his essence,” he says.

As a founding member of 44DB, alongside Tochi Bedford and Johnson IP, Trillxoe has created a collective that thrives on collaboration. “Music is fun, but the industry is tough when you’re solo. 44DB is like a hydra, tackling challenges as a unit,” he says.

His most recent work, an emo-inspired EP called Damage Control which dropped on December 6th, is out on all music streaming DSPs.

Dawie

Starting out as a DJ during his university days, Dawie’s pivot to production and music engineering began in 2016 and took full flight in 2018 after completing his NYSC.

His breakthrough came with Maxi’s Breakfast, a viral track that introduced his production skills to a broader audience. Since then, Dawie’s credits have included Jehovah with Bella Shmurda and Jeriq, hyce_thegreaat and davido’s ogechi remix, Ice’s Vanilla, and extensive work with Praise and QDot.

“I’m not just a beatmaker; I’m a producer who builds songs from scratch, layering melodies and crafting complete musical stories,” he explains.“Consistency and resilience have been my guiding principles,” he shares. “Even when things didn’t make sense, I stayed the course, knowing persistence opens doors.”

2SHUUS

For 2shuus, becoming a producer began as a manager but in an effort to cut production costs, 2shuus invested in his own equipment during a Black Friday sale. However, fate had different plans. When the equipment arrived in Ghana, the artist he was managing decided to quit music. As a result, this prompted him to explore other possibilities in music, which ultimately led him to YouTube tutorials on being a producer.

2shuus believes strongly in working closely with emerging talents to create fresh, groundbreaking music. “I’d rather build something new with an artist whose vision aligns with mine than chase big names,” he says.

This mindset sparked after his first production credit, which came through a collaboration with Ghanaian-American artist Dede Speaks. While the song was a success, he reflects on those early days: “I thought production would be a walk in the park because of my network,” he admits with a laugh. “But those beats… when I listen to them now, I cringe. It was a humbling experience, but it pushed me to grow.”

This birthed the unique approach to his career. Rather than chasing “big” names, 2shuus shifted his focus to collaborating with emerging artists, building something authentic and special along the way. A recent inclusion in his portfolio is producing seven tracks on AlorG’s Down I’m a Rebel, adding to the body of work he’s already built working with many more talents.

YoAuxxi!

Since selling beats for just 10,000 naira to make a living, Yo Auxxi never imagined he would go on to produce arguably one of CKay’s best songs, “Felony.” “Felony is my best song. That song became big because of the time it dropped, the December phase. It was perfectly positioned.”

However, despite this success, Osagie (Yo Auxxi) wasn’t satisfied with just being a “beatmaker.” He wanted to be involved in every aspect of the music production process. His perspective on the difference between producers and beatmakers is clear:

“In Nigeria, people mistake producers for beatmakers. A beatmaker just makes the beat, but a producer has a vision for where the track is going.” leading him to transition to a hybrid A&R role at chocolate city to also mentor upcoming artists while doing production duties.

Also expressing an interest in expanding into film since his work on sound production for Ashluxe’s Fela fashion film, Yo Auxxi is open to many career opportunities in sound design. 

“I feel like the possibilities are endless in this industry. I want to create something that has longevity, something that generations can revisit, not just something quick that people will move on from.”

IbkSleek – Adebajo Ibukunoluwa

Getting convinced to learn music production in 2015 was the best thing to happen to IbkSleek, Sleek’s first professional breakthrough finally came in 2020 with Buju and Ejoya’s Mind Games, a track that marked his industry debut. “It was mad. That song was my biggest hit at the time—I guess because on the charts, it did well, at least to an extent.” he reflects on that period.

Since then, Sleek has worked on a growing catalog of over 50 songs, collaborating with talents such as Mohbad, Berry Tiga, Dandizzy, Rotimi, and even his elder brother who’s also a producer “Niphkeys”. Sleek shared that creating music with Niphkeys is particularly special: “The song he dropped recently—we worked on it together. Many don’t know we’re brothers, but it’s fun creating together.”

Looking Ahead, Sleek’s vision for his future in music is equally promising, with plans to expand his collaborations and release his own project in 2025. The producer, based in Lagos, has his eyes set on working with the very best international artists like the Drakes and Kendrick Lamars. “I’ve always wanted to work with different people and make good songs, basically. Just expect more music from me.”

SaszyAfroshii

Despite the challenges of being a female artist in a male-dominated industry, Saszy Afroshii stands strong as a trailblazing music producer in the Afrobeat space. In a conversation with Saszy, we learned that her journey began as a recording artist, during which she produced tracks for herself. This experience ultimately inspired her transition to becoming a producer after she realized her unique talent. “I just thought I was actually good at it,” she recalls.

Saszy developed her skills by actively participating in studio sessions, often directing other producers. “Even when I was in sessions, I’d say, ‘Let’s try this here, or play it like this,’” she explains. 

Saszy’s major breakout moment came in 2020 with her work on tracks such as Ceeza Milli’s featuring Wizkid in “Shayo” and Barry Jhay’s “Under the Duvet.” Since then, her career has flourished, including her recent collaboration with Tiwa Savage on the soundtrack for the film “Water and Garri,” which she described as a “very amazing thing to do.”

Saszy later teased “something iconic” on the horizon, hinting at more exciting projects in the pipeline. Driven by her passion and dedication, she represents the vibrant underdogs of her craft.