music & Fashion
STYLING
JUSTIN RAMIREZ
PHOTOGRAPHY
NIHAT ODABASI
WurlD, otherwise known as Sadiq Onifade, is an electric Nigerian-born singer and songwriter. The artist has written songs for BOB, Trinidad James, Akon, and Mario. At thirty four years old, the afrobeat musician strives to connect with people through his unique sound, garnered him a dedicated and loyal fan base. WurlD’s creation of new-age sounds fused with substance and emotional depth intoxicate audiophiles and casual listeners alike. “It’s easy to follow trends and play safely in a world where being original is not celebrated as much anymore. I just want to connect with people while staying true to my art and my brand,” He says.
Read WurlD’s interview by Mago below.
Total look STUSSY, necklace DALMATA, earring JOHN HARDY, bracelet DAVID YURMAN.
Pants and shirt STYLIST'S OWN, necklace and earring JOHN HARDY, rings and bracelets DAVID YURMAN.
Total look STYLIST'S OWN, necklace and earring JOHN HARDY, rings and bracelet DAVID YURMAN.
Mago __ Hi WurlD, I understand you are from Africa. Could you share some of your experiences adjusting to life in the United States?
WurlD__ was born in Lagos, Nigeria. I moved to the United States for college, and the first city I ever lived in was Chicago. I couldn't handle coming from the heat to straight cold and snow. So I went to my uncle's house in Atlanta. He invited me to come to visit and I never went back to Chicago. I later went to college in Atlanta to study computer science. Sixteen years ago, having a stronger accent, learning new ways to interact, and having a different name made things difficult. When the teachers said my name out loud I almost always had to correct them. In terms of understanding and learning about people, it's important that we travel. In my experience, it took me several years to adjust. I had to learn new ways of doing things. I had to learn new values. I had to learn what was right and wrong in a new community in America. And it was a journey. It's been a learning process, from being interested in music to spending my nights at talent shows being booed on stage in Atlanta. I remember in my first set of shows, there was a really well-known radio personality named Wanda Smith. I remember the song that I performed the first time was the Danelle Jones record, “Where I Want to Be.” I was so confident that I was going to nail this and they didn't even allow me to finish the song. It was heartbreaking. I went back the next week, and the week after, and the week after that. I kept going consistently. Persistence is the story of my life. I promise this is not going to be a boring interview.
Mago __ Laugh] I’m sure! You’ve already started with a bang. How did you come up with your name WurlD?
WurlD__ So when I first started creating music, I met this producer named D Smith and I was a songwriter at the time. He said directly to me, “I like your voice… I think I can create a vibe for you.” He had the vision to create some Bon Jovi-type vibes, so we started messing around with some sounds. The first few records that were created, I shared with friends. Every record, peers, and friends would say, “this sounds very worldly.” At first, I was scared. I'm not going to lie, it felt so much bigger than me. It was originally spelled W-O-R-L-D. Shortly after that, I realized it was going to be hard for things like search engine optimization.
Total look STYLIST'S OWN, necklace DALMATA, earring JOHN HARDY. Opposite: Shirt STYLIST'S OWNNecklace DALMATA, earring JOHN HARDY.
Mago __ I mean, technology is everything right now.
WurlD__ You are absolutely right. So I changed it. The “O” in “World” became a “U.” It's my world with you in it; a world with you.
Mago __ When did you get into music? I know you started off as a writer. Were you ever trained classically?
WurlD__ I fell in love with music at nine or ten years old. I was living in Africa then, and I was amazed by all of the foreign artists — for example, Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey. I would sing around the house and think to myself, if I ever want to make music, it would have to be at this level. When I moved to America was when I actually started to create music. My background is R&B and I am not classically trained. Everything is just by ear and repetition, with the natural ability to sing. Songwriting was something I picked up in Atlanta because being African at the time, the perception was different for me. I would walk to studios and people would not allow me in because they didn't think I was good enough to create an army record or to be part of a process. Writing songs was the way of being inside studios because producers needed songwriters and labels for the new artists.
Mago __ It's like the limo that brought you to the party.
WurlD__ Exactly! And I would write songs without music, without instruments, and just create a whole piece.
Mago __ I'm sure our readers would like to know — what’s your work process like?
WurlD__ It's everything. I create music based on experiences; everything that I've seen, everyone that I've met, every story that I've heard, every move that I've made. I love creating human-like music with real emotions. That's a key thing for me because I understand the idea of community through emotions and feelings. I just follow the path of what feels right. Sometimes I create music at the early stages. Does it mean that my music is in great form? No — I had to learn how to communicate, and that took several years of trial and error for me.
Mago __ Where do you draw your inspiration from?
WurlD__ I still draw my inspiration from everything around me, but I've been blessed to be able to travel and perform. Some of the previous releases that I've had have been successful across Africa and Europe.
Total look IN OFFICIAL, necklace and earring JOHN HARDY, rings DAVID YURMAN and JOHN HARDY.
Mago __ Where are you today as a person with your music?
WurlD__ Honestly, I found my path, I know what I want to talk about. My music is my voice. I'm very focused; what a journey that has been. Knowing that I'm blessed to have people that care about what I have to say.
Mago __ What are you working on?
WurlD__ I'm currently working on my first full-length album. This time around, I'm really just diving, you know, putting it all out there. It's going to be a minimum of 13 songs and this defines my name. It's an inclusive album. It's me one hundred percent through this album. I wanted to bring people closer to my world. It's really more behind the scenes of what WurlD is like. I want to show my fans the studio process and things I love to do outside of the music world.
Mago __ What is it like in your world?
WurlD__ I wake up early. I'm up at about 6:00 AM every morning. I love running right before the madness begins, it’s my therapy. Then I would go to the gym for a quick work out and then I hit the studio. I record a lot between the hours of 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. I don't smoke or do anything that would harm my body. For me, I love having a clean and clear mind. Being level-headed helps me to create. It takes a lot to tap into that depth and when you're distracted with the world and everything that is going on, your focus in not all is one hundred, you know what I mean.
Mago __ That's totally a pristine way of approaching creativity. I'm happy to hear that an artist like yourself has such a great regiment. Any love interests?
WurlD__ I have a love for people. I'm a family person and I'm around my family a lot. My brother is usually with me, as he's part of my creative team, as well as my sisters. I love going to the beach and hanging out with friends. It all goes back to the music though, getting inspired, and seeing what's happening in the world.
Mago __ When you go out, what inspires you?
WurlD__ I love hip hop music, man. I love the energy and the rawness of it. That inspires me. I feel like my alter ego was being a rapper. I've been rapping a lot lately, and I can't wait to put these songs out. I've been having a good time with it.
Mago __ Coming out of the pandemic, what can we expect from WurlD?
WurlD__ I think just like everyone else. I feel like I'm ready. I'm ready to really show a different side of WurlD and build a bigger community of family. I call my fans my family because they are my family. I want to try to touch and inspire as many people as I can. That's really where the magic is.
Mago __ What do you think makes your vibes and your music unique?
WurlD__I do what feels right to me and I don't conform to what's happening all around me. I'm sharing what feels right to me and I hope that people will get it. It’s all about building music through conversations — we are all instruments at the end of the day.
Mago __ You're a technical guy so you might understand this a bit more than most people would. How has social media helped you share your vision. Has it been an element of support in your artistry and in your growth?
WurlD__ Absolutely, Mago! I'm not the most efficient with social media, but I'm learning how to maneuver it every day. But you know, a lot of people share my music in the most random places. I feel like a lot of people find me through social media and without social media. That said, it really helped me in bridging the gap between potential fans and people that just hear my music randomly in the most authentic spaces — just really bridging the gap between me and not my listeners.
Mago __ What’s our outlook on personal style?
WurlD__ For me, I view dressing as something that should be unapologetic. It’s really how you present yourself as a whole. I often forget that I have blue hair because I've had it black, which is my normal color, for five-plus years. But, I think my fashion statement is very effortless and a lot of my fans appreciate seeing me just the way I am. They are inspired by my choices without trying too hard. I feel like my personal style is easygoing.
Mago __ Could you please tell us about your upcoming album and projects that are about to be released? We're all very excited to know a little bit more about it.
WurlD__ This new album which is called, “Sonically,” is something fearless to me. I started my journey in Atlanta, creating R&B and hip-hop music. Then I moved back to Africa, to get closer to my community, my tribe, my birthplace — creating amazing music with the new fans. And now, I'm in this space with this album. I feel like I've been to many places with all that has happened. I've seen so many things and I've learned so much along the way, which has inspired me a great deal. I'm fusing R&B music with hip hop and afrobeat and just creating something with two sinuses. And in the simplest form, I've been working with amazing producers and talents. A very good friend of mine, Dr. Genius, is working with me currently. He also works with Kid Cudi, who is also a good friend of mine. I have brought a lot of people whose work I love from all different parts of the world to create this album because I feel like this is a world album. No pun intended. And I can't wait to share this energy — like the way I see it. I'm an African-born artist who creates world music. That's who I am. And I'm just showing that game through this album. I also have a song currently out right now called, "Boss," which celebrates the unapologetic, independent woman that is in control. She takes things at her own pace and is comfortable in her own skin. I'm really excited about this song and it's been doing really well. It’s currently on Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora.
Shirt STYLIST'S OWN, necklace DALMATA, earring JOHN HARDY.
Mago __ What advice would you give to a young man or young woman in Africa today that is interested in music?
WurlD__ That's a great question. When you have a vision of being something, whatever it is, it is your vision. It is your dream and nobody else is there to see it. And nobody cares until you actually do it. So you cannot rely on people to validate you. Also, it is important to keep positive people around that will help you see that vision, and most importantly don’t be timid about it. Just go for it!
Photography Nihat Odabasi Styling Justin Ramirez, Photo assistant Benjamin Shmikler, Videographer Ediz Tiyansan, Editor Cisem Baydar, Graphic Designer Hale Guvenen