You know “Jugular Jugular.” You know “Tinbake.” You know “No Turning Back.” You know “Your Way.” You probably have a favourite Prinx Emmanuel song too.
But do you know the very first songs these artists released?
Before the big collaborations, viral songs, concerts and albums we know them for today, there was a beginning. So we went digging into the catalogues of five familiar AfroGospel artists to find some of their earliest songs and, more importantly, what they were singing about.
Greatman Takit — Ain’t Nobody
Greatman Takit released “Ain’t Nobody” in 2011, making it his first official single. The song already showed the rapper’s desire to combine his hip-hop influences with his faith. Rather than simply introducing listeners to a new artist, Greatman was making it clear that his relationship with God would be part of his music.
Limoblaze — Memories
Limoblaze’s beginning goes even further back. According to biographies of the artist, “Memories” was his first song, which he dedicated to his classmates after secondary school. While the song is difficult to find on today’s major streaming platforms, it remains part of the story of where Limoblaze’s music journey began.
Moses Bliss — E no Dey Fall My Hand
Before Too Faithful became one of the songs that introduced Moses Bliss to a much wider audience, there was “E No Dey Fall My Hand.” Released in 2017, the song is built around a simple but relatable declaration of confidence in God: no matter what happens, God will not disappoint him. The title itself is Nigerian Pidgin for “He won’t let me down.” The song would later appear on his 2021 “Too Faithful” album.
Gaise Baba — Follow Follow
Gaise Baba’s “Follow Follow” appeared on his 2011 debut album Gaisebaba. Interestingly, the song was already tackling the subject of influence and imitation. Gaise explained at the time that the song was about the things we do simply because we see other people doing them.
Prinx Emmanuel — Brother Nwachukwu
Prinx Emmanuel’s first song was “Brother Nwachukwu,” released in December 2016. The song uses a character named Brother Nwachukwu to address fear, low self-esteem and a lack of confidence. Its message is essentially: if you know you are a child of God, live like one.
And there you have it.
Long before “Jugular Jugular,” “No Turning Back,” “Kumama Papa,” and all the songs we now associate with these artists, there were these beginnings.
Sometimes, going back to an artist’s earliest music is like opening an old photo album. You can hear the rough edges, the experiments and the early ideas — but you can also catch glimpses of the artist they would eventually become.
Which of these songs have you heard before?
