How I Learned That Passion Alone Will Keep You Broke
AfropolitanPlay episode
Show notes
Chopstix: The Grammy-Winning Producer Behind Burna Boy’s “Last Last” & Chris Brown’s “Nightmares” | Afropolitan Podcast From the streets of Jos to the global stage, Nigerian producer Chopstix has built a career rooted in passion, resilience, and pure creativity. In this unfiltered conversation, he reveals the battles he’s fought for ownership, the science behind his sound, and how he turned sampling into global smashes. We talk Grammy wins, the making of Last Last, the politics of credit in African music, and the creative brotherhood that shaped a generation. Whether you’re a music fan, artist, or entrepreneur, this is a rare masterclass on building legacy in a cutthroat industry. 💡 What you’ll learn in this episode: Why owning your masters is the ultimate game-changer The untold story of “Last Last” and the Tony Braxton sample How a chance encounter in Jos changed Chopstix’s career forever Why many African producers don’t get the credit they deserve The art of making timeless music in a TikTok era ⏱ Chapters (adjusted for 2:10 intro) 00:00 – Intro 02:10 – One truth about the music business that can change your mindset 04:00 – Why you must own your masters (and how to do it) 06:50 – The six-year fight to reclaim his catalog 09:30 – The essential team every artist needs before releasing music 11:10 – Why the Grammy was never the goal – and how he won one anyway 14:00 – The night Chopstix found out he’d won a Grammy 16:00 – How the Grammy changed his career overnight 18:00 – Seeing sound: Chopstix explains his creative superpower 20:30 – Life in the legendary Jos music scene 24:10 – Sampling origins & building a personal sound library 28:50 – Early rejections that fueled his rise 31:50 – The making of Burna Boy’s “Last Last” 36:40 – Why some songs sit unreleased for years 39:20 – Chopstix’s unreleased albums and perfectionist process 41:40 – Are African producers getting their flowers? 45:00 – The credit problem in African music 50:00 – Why scarcity mindsets are holding the industry back 52:10 – Building artist development systems for the future 56:00 – The worst contract he’s ever seen 1:00:00 – Visa struggles and working globally without leaving Nigeria 1:03:40 – How Chopstix connected to the U.S. market 1:06:00 – Closing reflections 🎧 Listen to more Afropolitan Podcast episodes: YouTube link - https://www.youtube.com/@afropolitan Spotify Link - https://open.spotify.com/show/6YwRlkSOq8e35xU6bOp9pU?si=b3a132f9afb3459f&nd=1&dlsi=32c01e3224ac4c64 Apple Link - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afropolitan/id1808954585 📌 Follow Chopstix: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chopstiiiix/?hl=en 📌 Follow Afropolitan: Instagram: http://instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Twitter: https://x.com/afropolitan Website: https://www.afropolitan.io/ Want to connect 1:1 with Africa's boldest thinkers? Book a 15-minute convo on https://convo.vip/ with leaders like Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Asa Asika, and more.
