Veteran Nigerian rapper Jude Abaga, widely known as MI Abaga, has shared the story behind the year-long search that led to signing the enigmatic singer Brymo to Chocolate City.
Speaking on Vbyz TV Cartel, MI explained that after the commercial and critical success of his own albums, alongside projects from labelmates Jesse Jagz and Ice Prince, the next step was to expand the label’s roster. “I wanted to bring a singer into the fold to round out the group,” he said.
He recalled how he first stumbled upon Brymo’s voice, describing the process as a meticulous search. “It took me a year to find him. We were ready, and the rest, as they say, is history,” MI said. “My album did really well, Jesse Jagz dropped an album that also did well, and Ice Prince followed suit. I’ve always had this mindset of expansion, so I knew we needed a singer to fill out the group.”
MI also shared that he had tried signing other talents at the time. “I tried to get Yung6ix on board, but the deal didn’t work out—he went to Storm Records. Shaydee also didn’t work out and ended up at EME. During that period, I met a young Wizkid and featured him on my first album.”
Then came Brymo. “One day, I heard this voice and immediately asked, ‘Who is this kid?’ It took about a year to track him down, and once we did, he joined Chocolate City. That’s how the Choc Boys, the foundation of the label, came together.”
Born Olawale Ibrahim Ashimi, Brymo signed with Chocolate City in 2010 and rose to fame, particularly after featuring on Ice Prince’s hit single “Oleku.” He left the label in 2013 but remains a defining figure in Nigerian music.
