Executive of the Week — Morin Oluwatobi
Breaking through to the top is never easy and in Blaqbonez's case, he did it in brilliant fashion. "Chanel" with Asake became a defining moment in Blaqbonez’s career as it debuted atop the chart with 7.17 million on-demand streams and 64.20 million radio impressions.
Blaqbonez is no stranger to the success story of Nigerian hip-hop. From his rap challenge days to signing with Chocolate City and becoming one of the genre's most committed and recognisable stars. His album catalogue reflects his contributions as ‘Young Preacher’ (2022) debuted and peaked at No. 5 on the Official Albums Chart, spending 23 weeks on the chart and earning 22 million on-demand streams. ‘Emeka Must Shine’ (2023) debuted and peaked at No. 2, spending 37 weeks on the chart with 69 million streams, while ‘No Excuses’ (2025) debuted and peaked at No. 4 with 35 million streams and 31 weeks on the chart.
For singles, "Chanel" stands as Blaqbonez's first-ever No. 1 record, although his highest-charting song before that was "Bling," which peaked at No. 3 in 2021. Beyond "Bling," "Back In Uni" and "Despacito" both reached No. 5, "Louder" peaked at No. 6, while "ACL," "Like Ice Spice" and "Follow Her" all climbed to No. 8. "HALLELUJAH" and "NYEM EGO" reached No. 9, while "Everlasting Taker" rounded out his Top 10 entries at No. 10.
The chart performance of "Chanel" has earned Blaqbonez's manager, Morin Oluwatobi, the Executive of the Week title. As an artiste manager and key music executive at Chocolate City, Morin has played an important role in Blaqbonez’s career.
In this exclusive interview with TurnTable, Morin describes her journey managing Blaqbonez, their working relationship, his marketing creativeness, the campaign behind his fourth studio project and the lessons learned from sustaining success in an increasingly competitive music industry.
TTC: You’ve been managing Blaqbonez for as long as many fans can remember. What has the experience of managing a hip-hop artiste in Nigeria been like?
Morin: Honestly? It’s been everything…the highs, the lows, the beautiful chaos of it all. Managing a hip-hop artiste in Nigeria is not for the faint-hearted. The industry moves fast, the audience is incredibly sharp, and the margin for error is small. Hip-hop in Nigeria has always had to fight for its seat at the table in a landscape dominated by Afrobeats, so every move we make has to be intentional. Being deliberate shaped me as a manager. It’s taught me to think creatively, to build narratives, and to never underestimate how culturally literate Nigerian fans are. They see through anything that isn’t authentic. So we’ve had to be real, consistent, and always two steps ahead. It’s been a ride, but I wouldn’t trade it.
TTC: How would you describe your working relationship with Blaqbonez? Has that experience influenced how you approach managing current and future clients?
Morin: BlaqBonez and I have built something that goes beyond a professional relationship. There's genuine trust there, and that’s rare. He’s one of the hardest-working and self-aware artistes I’ve ever encountered. He’s not someone you have to convince to work; if anything, you’re sometimes trying to get him to breathe. What that’s taught me is to really listen to your artiste, to understand their vision before you try to execute it. Some managers want to lead the creative, however, I've learned that my job is to protect the creative and give it the best possible runway. That philosophy now shapes everything I do. Whether I’m thinking about a new signing or a campaign, the first question I ask is: what is this person’s authentic truth, and how do we amplify it?
TTC: You’re our Executive of the Week following Blaqbonez’s “Chanel” with Asake debuting at No. 1 on the Official Nigerian Top 100 chart just a week after release. As Blaqbonez’s first No. 1 on the chart, what does this achievement say about the work he has put in over the years?
Morin: It says everything. For me, that number means more than just a chart position, it’s validation of years of showing up. Blaq has been in rooms where people doubted whether a Nigerian rapper could do numbers like this. He never let that shake him. He kept building his craft, kept expanding his sound, kept trusting the process. So when I saw that No. 1, I wasn’t surprised, instead, I was emotional. Because I know what it costs. Not just him, but the whole team. This is the result of years of intentional work, and he deserves every bit of it.
TTC: Aside from its chart performance, “Chanel” has been praised for its creative direction, particularly the featured artiste, visuals and overall campaign. Can you share some insight into how that vision came together?
Morin: Blaqbonez thought of Asake, sent him the record and he was down. Zero struggles, zero stress. Shoutout to Asake \\\\\& his team. We wanted someone whose fanbase is massive, but whose sound is also complementary, not competing. Asake made sense creatively and commercially. So yes, the numbers were in our mind but more importantly, the record sounds like both of them genuinely wanted to make it. That chemistry translates. The video was also highly considered, it was directed by Christian Saint and Edgar Esteves and it is the most-watched video on YouTube Nigeria this week because the visual world matched the song’s luxurious and confident energy. Everything had to feel premium, because the song demanded it.
TTC: From “Best Rapper in Africa” (2019) to “Bling” (2021), ‘Emeka Must Shine’ (2023), and now “Chanel,” Blaqbonez has consistently found unique and creative ways to promote his music. How important has creativity been to his success, and how does it contribute to the team’s approach to every release?
Morin: Creativity is the whole thing. Without it, we’re just another act. Blaq has always understood that in a market this saturated, the music alone isn’t enough, you need a world, a conversation, a moment. “Best Rapper in Africa” sparked a national debate. ‘Emeka Must Shine’ was a character arc people could follow. These campaigns work because they’re rooted in something true to who he is: provocative, self-assured, and witty. The team’s role is to help him build the architecture around the idea. He’ll come with the spark, and we’ll figure out how to turn it into a fire. He’s known for being the hardest-working marketer in the industry, and that’s not hype, that’s who he is. Every campaign we do starts with one question in mind: what will people be talking about, and why does it matter?
TTC: “Chanel” isn’t Blaqbonez’s only current chart success. ‘No Excuses (Deluxe)’ debuted and peaked at No. 4 on the Official Top 100 Albums chart. The title itself displays confidence. What mindset was Blaqbonez in while creating the project, and why did he choose that theme?
Morin: He was in an incredibly focused place. I think after years of navigating this industry, the praise, the criticism, and the noise alike, Blaqbonez arrived at a point of clarity.
“People only care if you win, no excuses” is essentially the album’s closing statement, and that line captures his entire headspace during that era. He wasn’t making music to prove anything to critics. He was making music to prove something to himself, that he could deliver a project with range, depth, and commercial weight.
The ‘No Excuses’ era is about accountability and ambition, he used the project to double down on his no-nonsense approach while also showing glimpses of the vulnerability and humour that have made him a fan favourite. The deluxe was just him saying, I have more to say, and I’m not done.
TTC: There’s no mentioning the success of a project without the rollout strategy. What was the team’s approach to promoting “Chanel,” and what was the reaction to how the project was received?
Morin: We were very surgical about it. Within 24 hours of release, “Chanel” secured prime placements on Spotify’s New Music Friday Afrobeats and Hot Hits Nigeria playlists, boosting its algorithmic momentum. That doesn’t happen by luck, it happens through preparation, relationships, and timing. We knew the record was strong enough to move on its own, so our job was to make sure it landed in the right places at the right time and that the world knew it was coming. The reaction honestly exceeded even our expectations. Holding onto the top spot is often harder than reaching it, especially in a market as competitive as Nigeria’s where new releases arrive almost daily from some of Africa’s biggest stars and “Chanel” has done exactly that.
For the team, the feeling was just relief mixed with pride. You plan everything, but until the people respond, you never really know.
TTC: Having spent years navigating the music industry, what qualities or experiences have helped you stay motivated and committed to the work?
Morin: Honestly, it's belief. Belief in the artistes I work with and belief in the vision we’re building. When you genuinely believe in what you’re doing, the hard days don’t break you. I think being a woman in this industry has taught me to be relentless. You have to earn your space in ways that men sometimes don’t. I’ve sat in rooms where I had to be twice as prepared to be taken half as seriously. That experience doesn’t make you bitter, rather, it makes you unshakeable. And I think that shows up in how I show up for my artistes.
TTC: In broadview, Blaqbonez has evolved from being viewed primarily as a rapper to becoming one of Nigeria’s most versatile mainstream acts. From a managerial perspective, what do you think has been the biggest factor behind that transformation?
Morin: Intentionality. BlaqBonez has never been afraid to grow in public. He remains one of the few artists who can successfully balance being a troll on social media with being a beast in the recording booth. That duality is his superpower. He’s funny and charismatic enough to go viral, but the music is always serious. And over time, as the records got better and the features got bigger, people who maybe dismissed him as “just a rapper” had to sit up and pay attention.
The transformation happened because he kept showing up in different sounds, different spaces, different conversations without ever losing the core of who he is.
TTC: What should the fans be expecting beyond the horizon for Blaqbonez in the coming days?
Morin: I can’t give too much away, Blaqbonez would kill me. What I will say is that the energy around this moment is different. The fans have been incredibly patient and incredibly loud, and we hear them. Just know that Blaq is always working, and whatever comes next will be worth the wait. As he himself said “ no excuses”.
