According to Sesan Adeniji, publisher of Mystreetz magazine:
‘If the Nigerian music industry is a football team, arguably, Phyno is one of the standout playmakers. He has continued to contribute to the success of the music industry right from his days as music producer. This musician is one you can’t put in a box.

The unfolding success story of Phyno is one that needs to be studied by several aspiring artistes in the country. The odds were stacked against him and history was never on his side. Several Rap artistes from the east have found it difficult to navigate the Lagos market effortlessly but Phyno has gone beyond breaking that jinx. He’s continuing to break records and re-write history. Phyno does not only understand the rudiments of music production but he also has intimate knowledge of all the intricacies of the business. He proved that in September 2012, when he teamed up with one of the rising music forces from the west in the person of Olamide. From the moment ‘Ghost Mode’ was released, the music industry has never remained the same.

With that singular move he successfully pulled down the wall of language barrier in the industry; but that is the least of what Phyno wanted to achieve. Not to talk about his various endorsements and the success of Phynofest, to think that he could release various songs from different genres of music that is not Rap and still score all as hits is unimaginable. ‘Fada Fada’ is one of the success stories of 2016. With ‘Connect’ and ‘Pino Pino’, Phyno is proving to be not just a successful Rap artiste but also a thorough musician. His latest album ‘The Play Maker’ is also a testament to the fact that this guy is in a league of his own. For him, it’s not about what the critics say or how the fans cheer, it’s down to what he believes is right for his career.

From a successful music producer to a standout Rap artiste that can switch into other genres, the evolution of Phyno as a playmaker is still ongoing as he continues a pull a Drake on all of us. You just can’t put Phyno in a box.’

Cover photograph by Paul Ukonu for Phyno’s Library.

Cover art design by @trans4mazfotography