“Music is everything I know, It’s the risky path I chose,” Llona chants on the pre-hook of what is not just my personal favorite record — “Billion Paper,” — on his debut album ‘Homeless,’ but the record that most captures the essence of Llona, his story and the message he brings to the world through his music. “Why this particular lyric?” you may wonder. Well, it’s not everyday you meet artistes who are completely and utterly consumed by their dedication to their art to the point where it becomes unbelievable that they exist for any other reason than to create. Llona is a 1 of 1 talent.
Born Michael Ajuma Attah but popularly known as Llona is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and recording artiste whose music has become the voice of reason for those who struggle to find their footing in the world. When Llona made his debut into the scene a few years back, he kicked off his career as a rapper under the name TooClassiq, following in the footsteps of people he looked up to such as Olamide and MI. As time passed by, the now pop singer reintroduced himself to the scene in 2022 as Llona, releasing the record “Nobody.” This record gained him the attention of listeners and helped him begin to build his community one new fan at a time. In 2023, Llona released more music and with every track released, he continually created safety and security for the regular Nigerian youth battling with the day to day struggles of life. This came off the back of his signing and artiste development with KVLT — a creative agency and talent management company with a speciality in nurturing African creatives and platforming them on a global scale. KVLT is responsible for discovering acts like Victony, Layefa and more. With Llona, the case is no different. Llona, Badmanmide (his manager) & the KVLT team are dedicated to making sure his brand message is communicated very clearly.
Doing things out of the norm has become a template Llona and his team follow and instances have shown that doing things out of the ordinary might not necessarily be a bad thing, provided it's effective and for the Kogi-born Afrobeats star, that’s what works for him. His moves are bold, they’re daring, they’re LLONA.
In July, 2024, Llona made a statement, his first bold statement. He shared with the world his debut album, ‘Homeless.’ Llona is one of the new vanguard of Afrobeats artistes delivering emo-pop like you’ve never heard and across 13-tracks, he weaves his life tales with melancholic melodies, delivering one of the best albums of 2024 and one of the best debut albums of all time. While the album is ironically titled ‘Homeless,’ it creates a home for myself and many others, offering comfort and solace through a 32-minute run time. When I say many others, I mean the fans and Lloners coming out in numbers across many different cities in Nigeria to watch Llona perform. From Zaria to Calabar, Llona is currently on a mission to spread the ‘Homeless’ gospel and in the flesh.
In a country such as Nigeria where insecurity is at an all time high, the chances of seeing anyone embarking on a Nationwide Tour are extremely low; it simply doesn’t happen anymore. The likes of Asa, Lagbaja etc have walked this same path but in recent years, possibly in the last decade, the dynamics have changed drastically. For his second and most recent big statement, Llona announced and kicked off his Homeless Nationwide Tour. Llona’s commitment to sharing his music is every bit as inspiring as the creative work itself and this commitment is the reason why he is in the conversation today. The 21-city live experience is a way for him to directly connect with real fans in real time and with his art being centered around authenticity and realness, this tour serves as a representation of what that may equate to — real fans singing lyrics to records that may have helped them deal with mental health struggles, depression, anxiety and so much more, at some point, in some way.
“This tour means everything to me, even before the fame, I’ve always wanted to tour my country and being able to do this and seeing the love and support live is everything I truly dreamt of, I’m blessed” - Llona on what this tour means to him
To make a statement such as my initial quote, [“Music is everything I know, It’s the risky path I chose,”] a certain level of introspection must have been attained. In a now expired Instagram Story post, Llona shared: “Air+Land+Boat #HomelessNationWideTour” while on a boat on the way to his most recent show in Calabar, laying emphasis on the level of commitment it takes to bring these shows to life. It’s one thing to commit yourself and your time to pulling off something as tedious as a Nationwide Tour in Nigeria but it’s a whole different ball game when this is being done independently, without any external support. Llona may say he’s homeless but the truth is, Llona’s home is wherever the music takes him to. Home they say is where the heart finds the most joy and for Llona, that’s where the music is, because that’s all he has to offer his fans — strength, positivity and peace, through the music as he also continues to figure out life for himself.
The Homeless Nationwide Tour is a testament to the endless opportunities Afrobeats can create. It’s important to understand what Llona is doing and why this is necessary. Relying only on international validation is not a sustainable strategy to create exportable stars. The need to connect with the home base fans is very necessary, not just for the artistes but for the fans, the home audience that’ll support these artistes when platformed on the global stages. The growth of the economy will with no doubt take form if more artistes take the initiative to play more shows across the country. More shows equals more job opportunities for show producers, promoters, stage managers, food vendors and more.
Nigeria is the home to one of the most popular genres in the world right now, and new artistes like Llona keep the sound evolving before it spreads worldwide and for being the first to take such a bold step for the first time in many years, eyes are on Llona. Llona is not just traveling across the country, performing his music, he is creating a template for the next generation of Nigerian stars who need to understand the importance of catering to their immediate audience. This tour matters because it strengthens Nigeria's music ecosystem, empowers new talent, and keeps Afrobeats fresh before the world adopts it. A nationwide tour isn't just about the music, it's about cementing legacy, shaping culture, and proving that the future of Afrobeats belongs to those who connect with the people first. For Llona, this could be the defining step towards becoming Nigeria's next global superstar because if he can connect with fans locally, representing the culture on a global scale should be light work, right?