Pekeys

n to a Nigerian father and Ghanaian mother in Sabo Oniba Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria, Pekeys describes his upbringing as tough with many trials. His father was absent during the vital stages of his childhood, leaving his mother to care for him and his siblings. Pekeys had a close relationship with his mother and describes her as a driving force in his life. Pekeys’ elder and younger brothers pursued music professionally, but their father strongly condemned musicians. He wanted his sons to focus on their education. Pekeys was at odds with wanting to honor his father and exploring music. With his love for music masked, Pekeys secretly watched and mocked his brothers. He realized just how talented they were, but this wasn’t enough to outwardly express how impressed he was. Through his brothers, Pekeys was introduced to the sounds of BB King, Sizzla, and 2Baba—unintentionally developing his taste in music. Taking into account his father’s wishes, the thought of becoming a musician was far-fetched. Delving into Reggae and Afrobeat, Pekeys grew into a music fanatic. Discovering new aspects of music inspired him to write. Pekeys didn’t understand metronomes or how to count bars, but writing came with ease. He hid in a closet to write because the thought of his brothers finding out meant that embarrassment would follow. His cover was blown when his younger brother caught him writing and although Pekeys was slowly aligning with his calling, he respected his brothers and didn’t want to overstep. Adding to his influences, Pekeys was introduced to the electrifying sounds of instrumentalist and pioneer of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti at age seven by way of a security guard who was a huge fan of Fela. Upon first-listen, Pekeys was moved by Fela’s demeanor, the way he spoke, and his unorthodox approach to music. Fela’s “Basket Mouth” was the first song of his that Pekeys fell in love with. Pekeys was well on his way to fulfilling his heart’s desire—creating music. In 2010, Pekeys grew an interest in music production. His elder brother introduced him to music producer, Mikkyme Joses—who was producing Brymo—and would soon take on an apprenticeship under his guidance. One year later, Pekeys—known as Peres Pimeh at the time—recorded his first single, “Today” at Nastymix Recording Studio, kick-starting his career as a musician. Pekeys began polishing his skills and learned how to freestyle, write, and sing with support from Tru South. Pekeys built a relationship with sound engineer, Nasty Mix and spent time in the studio as an errand boy, learning and recording. In 2015, Pekeys released two singles, “Voodoo” and “Mo Trips” under Flash Records and went on to release music throughout the year. Pekeys signed a one-year management deal with Bag Management in 2020 and released two singles, “Yo Coco” and “Stop Shebe”. Pekeys’ career is ever-changing as he has been navigating the music industry, exploring his sound, and working towards solidifying a well deserved spot amongst the greats. With a renewed mindset and clearer vision of the journey ahead, Pekeys is set on releasing music that is a reflection of himself—authentic, non-conforming, and influential. As Pekeys states, “Hear the man say… listen up!”.