Keys the Prince on Fuji, Faith, and Bridging London and Lagos — A Beats of Africa Exclusive

This Keys the Prince interview Lagos exclusive happened during Detty December 2025. We caught the London-born, Yoruba-rooted artist at a moment of genuine inflection. His first time in Nigeria for December. A new single blending Fuji traditions with modern production. And an exclusive announcement: two full projects dropping in 2026. For an artist signed to 5K Records — an imprint of Sony Music UK — who broke through with the viral hit ‘Left Right’ and its Mayorkun-featuring remix, the next chapter feels both intentional and overdue.

From Church Keys to Centre Stage — The Origin of the Name

Every artist name carries a story. For Keys the Prince, the story starts in two places at once. The ‘Keys’ came from playing keyboards. He started in school and then in church. People shortened his identity to the instrument he played. The ‘Prince’ carries deeper roots. It comes from the Yoruba word ‘Omoba,’ meaning child of a king. His grandmother, mother, and father all called him that growing up. He merged the two halves — the musical identity and the cultural inheritance — into one name.

That duality defines everything about him. Born Oladotun Olubi in Euston, North West London, he grew up navigating multiple cultures simultaneously. Grime on the streets. Kirk Franklin and Yinka Ayefele at home. Gospel in church. American hip hop on his headphones. His music now absorbs all of those influences. Moreover, the fact that he produces and writes all of his own material — including ‘Left Right,’ which sampled Ayefele’s iconic chorus — gives him creative control that few emerging artists possess.

His First Detty December — And What It Meant

This was his first December in Nigeria. He said it plainly: coming home in December means everything. The experience connected him with people from the diaspora, from the mainland, and from countries around the world — all gathered in Lagos for the season. He described it as the best way to connect with people who love and appreciate Nigerian culture.

Performing in Nigeria felt different too. He was honest about it. Nothing compares to performing back home, he said. The love is different. The feeling of experiencing your own people is unmatched. For an artist who has built his career primarily in the UK market, that emotional connection carries real creative significance. Furthermore, it explains why his 2026 plans lean so heavily into the Afro sound. Lagos did not just host him for December. It redirected his artistic compass.

The New Single — Fuji Reimagined for a Global Audience

Keys the Prince revealed details about his latest single during our conversation. He described it as a reinvention of traditional Fuji music. He even coined a term for the approach: Fujiristic — futuristic Fuji. The track takes a sound he grew up hearing on long car journeys to family events and filters it through contemporary production. He wanted something familiar from childhood that could also feel new and connect with younger audiences.

When asked to describe the sound in three words, he chose nostalgic, refreshing, and global. Those choices reveal his ambition clearly. He is not making Fuji for a niche audience. He is making Fuji for the world. His approach keeps the authentic elements — the talking drums, the melodic structures, the rhythmic DNA — intact. Then he adapts lyrics and instrumentation to give the track a modern edge. The result bridges tradition and innovation without betraying either side.

Fuji music shaped his childhood. His father played Fuji legends on repeat during those three-hour drives to aunties’ birthday celebrations. At the time, he did not fully appreciate what he was hearing. As he grew older, the artistry revealed itself. That delayed appreciation now fuels his creative direction. He wants to honour the masters while introducing their tradition to audiences who might never have encountered it otherwise.

Two Projects in 2026 — The Exclusive

Then came the announcement that will get industry ears twitching. Keys the Prince confirmed two projects for 2026. He framed it as a return. It has been approximately three years since he truly delved into the Afro sound. Three is his favourite number. Consequently, he feels the timing is right to give the world a full project — and then follow it with another.

He kept collaboration details deliberately vague. Expect big names and up-and-coming talent, he said. He likes to work with quality regardless of profile. Then he added, with a grin, that you might even hear Beyonce on his project. While clearly a playful exaggeration, the confidence behind it speaks volumes. This is an artist who believes his moment is arriving — and he plans to meet it with maximum output.

Bridging Two Worlds — London Boy Meets Yoruba Heritage

We asked how living between cultures has changed the stories he tells through music. His answer was definitive. He is now completely committed to showing the Nigerian-London experience and giving it to the world in a unique, relatable way. That positioning matters. The UK Afrobeats and Afro-fusion space is increasingly crowded. Artists who can articulate the specific emotional texture of diaspora life — the push and pull between two homes — hold a competitive advantage.

When we asked him for his ‘Beats of Africa’ — the phrase that captures what connects him to his roots — he answered without hesitation: bridging two worlds together. Showing that London boy energy alongside that Nigerian heritage. Blending the worlds. And taking it global. For an artist who started making comedy skits with friends, tried various career paths, and nearly accepted a corporate job before a TikTok post changed everything, the statement carries earned conviction.

What Keys the Prince Wants You to Feel

We closed with a simple question: if someone presses play on your music for the first time, what do you want them to feel? His response was genuine. Music is beyond just being heard, he said. I want you to feel something. I want to evoke an emotion. And I want you to come back for more.

For Keys the Prince — a.k.a. Omo London, a.k.a. Oladotun Olubi — the mission is clear. Two projects. A Fuji reinvention. A diaspora story told with precision. And a faith-rooted confidence that none of this is happening by accident. Watch the full interview now.

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