The Nigerian DJ and producer opens up about his jazz EP, his deep roots in Lagos and why he finally decided to share the music he had been keeping to himself for years.
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Sodamola Oluseye Desmond, known globally as Spinall, has spent years shaping the sound of Afrobeats from the streets of Lagos to the stages of Coachella, Glastonbury and the BET Awards. The DJ, record producer and songwriter behind some of the genre’s most iconic records has built a career defined by his signature cap and an ear for music that moves people. Now, with his jazz EP When Lagos Sleeps, he is sharing a side of himself that has existed quietly in hard drives for years.
What does the title When Lagos Sleeps mean to you, and what does Lagos actually feel like in those quiet late-night hours?
Lagos feels like music. In the quiet hours, Lagos feels like a lot of things. Sometimes it’s heavy traffic, sometimes it gets really hot, sometimes it gets super chill. What this EP is about is documenting what Lagos feels like after midnight. From a DJ perspective, I’m coming from a gig, going back home. I get to be on the road a lot around those times, and it’s really beautiful at night. That was what inspired the music behind it.
You’re globally known for your Afrobeats records, but this project shows a softer, more reflective side. What inspired you to explore that space right now?
Jazz is a very essential part of growing up for me, and even for Afrobeats itself. If you really listen to the underlying sound behind a lot of the legendary records I’ve put out in the past, they all have jazz undertone to it. So it’s not something new. It’s just something I’m willing to share now. I’d never been the artist that gatekeeps music. This is more or less me sharing things I usually keep in the hard drives.
Jazz has deep roots in Black culture and history. How long has it been a part of your musical world?
Jazz is in all music, but all music is not in jazz. My mom played music from Alice Coltrane, Sonya Spence, Sade, Salawa Abeni. My dad also played a lot of King Wasiu Ayinde, the early era. You could tell it’s all jazz. These were songs we all grew up with, and yes, they inspire today’s music. Music is created for all seasons, not just a particular season. We should have music we can worship with, music we can chill with, music we can drive to. Music should also be to relax us. Lagos energy is next level, Monday to Sunday. And I hope that at our quiet moments, we can tap in. This is very therapeutic.
Recently, you released Eko Groove, and now this. How does When Lagos Sleeps build on that momentum while still taking you somewhere new?
We’re not trying to go anywhere. We’re trying to just be faithful to music. This is not a strategic release. This is a passion project. It’s like when you book me to DJ and I’m done, the party’s about to end, and I say, let me give you something nice. This is that, for the production side of my brand. I encourage other creatives to share their most passionate projects. Shout out to Jimmy Iovine, Liberty Ross, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige and WizKid. Those were some of my favorite people that I played the song for before it came out, and their spirit encouraged me to put it out. Shout out to my team, Epic Records, TheCapMusic and LVRN, for always letting me just be a creative. We don’t do strategic music. We have a lot of bangers coming, but this is just sharing what we listen to on a regular.
This is a fully instrumental project. How did you approach storytelling through production alone?
It’s basically expressing what you feel from your depth and your core. I played the keys on tracks 1, 2, 4 and 5. I played bass on Impromptu Bend. Shout out to saxophonist who played on tracks 1, 2, 3 and 5. It’s a full band structure from all over the world that I’ve been working with for the last two years. Our first recording was around April 7th last year. We made over a hundred songs. Traditional jazz, bebop jazz, fusion jazz. My first jazz recordings were actually in 2019, about 20 songs that never came out. Every year I’ve made a jazz project that never came out. I have a band in Nigeria, a band in the US and a band in the UK. I just thought it was important to not gatekeep the music.
Talk to us about the role of horns, keys, percussion and space in shaping the sound of this EP. How intentional were those choices?
The opening track is called Last Bus to Obalande It’s a real, true storytelling tale. We were in the studio one night by my studio in Ikoyi, there’s an office literally opposite us, and we see how workers go home and take buses. On one of those nights, somebody was telling me she’s about to leave but there was no bus. We’re watching from the rooftop. If you miss that bus, it’s only Jesus that can come get you. I saved percussions and things I came up with under random names, and while they were narrating the story, I saved it as Last Bus to Obalande. Nigeria has about 300 million people, a lot of young people who are left to figure it out. Whether you’re a writer or a drummer, there’s almost nowhere to explore your talent. Music shouldn’t always be for when we want to celebrate. Music should be for all seasons. But again, this is not a complete pivot into jazz. This is a passion project that I’m sharing.
Lagos is one of the most powerful Black cities in the world. How does it influence this jazz project differently from your Afrobeats music?
My mom is from Lagos. I’ve lived in Bariga, Surulere, Oshodi, Chevron, Jakande, GRA. It’s not just the island, as many people think. From all of my experiences in those places, something just connects the dots, which is that we truly love music. The history also shows us. Even songs from Fela’s era in the 70s, it’s all jazz when you strip everything else out. Some of the records I’ve put out, if you think about Ohema, if you strip it down to the basics, it’s a love letter. It’s very emotional, it’s very traditional, and it’s all jazz.
Touring globally gives you a perspective most people don’t have. How does that translate back into the music you create?
Touring the world is a privilege. It opens perspective to how you see things. Living in Nigeria, growing up there, I understood racism but I can’t say I experienced it. We’re all Black people, so I experienced tribalism, not racism. But traveling across the other side of the world, I’m seeing things better. Sometimes I don’t even know what it is, and somebody else points it out to me. Traveling also lets you see the other side, where people truly love people. I’ve seen people help people out of very bad situations without thinking about the color of their skin. I’ve also experienced how we all have to internally work on ourselves to change the bigger things we want. Nigerians want a greater Nigeria, but you also have to pay tax, you have to vote, you have to be involved. And I hope we truly enjoy music for what it is, without always aiming for genre titles. There are some rap songs you love, some R&B songs you love. It’s okay. It’s music.
What is next for Spinall after When Lagos Sleeps and how can we listen to your music?
The Motion Tour is next, bringing that energy around the world and really connecting with people in real life. At the same time, When Lagos Sleeps is out now. That’s a different side of me I wanted to share. You can stream it everywhere.