Our Reporter 

Fast-rising 22-year-old Afrobeats musician Kelly Bran has continued to gain prominence in the music industry. About two months prior, Kelly released his latest single, an exciting record titled “20 Years” which features Hotkid.

Kelly Bran simply describes his music as Afrobeats, as opposed to whatever fusion of names that’s the trend in the Nigerian scene. This is actually a great way to perceive his music, as ‘Afrobeats’ is a catchall term for a sound that includes Highlife, Juju and other kinds of indigenous music. Among the musicians channeling the genre, the iconic Wizkid stands out as he’s shown his quality and consistency for over a decade.

“20 Years” is built from lively drum elements, setting a mid-tempo vibe for Kelly Bran to consider the motivation for his relentless hustle. “I just wan’ feel myself,” he sings with the passion of someone whose tasted the lows and highs of life, and choosing the latter.

Many people are known detail their idea of prosperity by painting flashy pictures about flexing, but Kelly Bran, like the serious artist he is, wants them to consider the demands it must have taken for people who have been around for twenty years. Hotkid’s verse is cut from a similarly aspirational cloth, singing “even for my sleep, I still dey chase my dreams.”

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Of course, Kelly Bran has run a good race to get here. While we speak, he references his early days growing up in Benin, the capital of Edo state which is very popular for producing creative talents. Kelly Bran was born in 1999, just before homemade music became the go-to sound for the majority of Nigerians with the likes of 2Face Idibia and P-Square becoming global stars barely five years later.

As a young man, music was all around him—different genres, he tells us. His parents worked as building engineers for over 15 years, though they were also lovers of music. When growing up, D’Banj and the entire Mo Hits crew were loved in the household and “Fall in Love,” especially, was a record he always listened to. On this afternoon, he excitedly breaks out into the song’s chorus, recalling the simplicity of those times.

Along with his friend Austin, Kelly Bran would go around music circles in Benin, singing and dancing at carnivals, street jams and bars, learning the ropes of performance. Prior to this period, Kelly’s love for music meant he always sang in school, and sometimes he and some friends would host rap battles, doing it for fun with little eye on personal development. But today, all these experiences are fused together in Kelly’s artistry.

When he’s asked to mention some of his favorite Nigerian musicians, Kelly takes a deep pause before admitting that he learns from every one of his colleagues. Of course, the popular guys inspire his zeal for attaining greater heights. He mentions some names however: Naira Marley, Flavour and Dagrin, the late king of indigenous rap whose street credibility Kelly Bran might aspire to.

He lights up when he discusses his work in progress. “I’m working on a new project, ‘Welcome to Reality,’ that’s my new EP, it’s on the way” he affirms. “By God’s grace, I’ll be done before you know—but I’m certain that before the year ends I’m gonna drop the EP.”

The forthcoming project, Kelly Bran says, will have five songs. The records will have ‘different characters’ he says, suggesting that it will be a versatile tape, covering the breadth of his interests. It’s clear he plans on delivering just that.