OG Mage opens up about the viral success of his breakout hit “Head of State,” revealing how a simple Instagram reel with a flute sample turned into one of the most talked-about drill songs. He shares the wild story of shooting the music video in just two days with help from his Abuja community, proving that grassroots support can create magic.
The conversation explores his creative process, from his university days coordinating a Christian rap group to collaborating with legendary Nigerian rapper Ill Bliss on “Like An OG.” OG Mage discusses his unique approach to features, his spiritual connection to music-making, and the stories behind his captivating cover art designs.
Beyond the music, he reveals his multifaceted background as a digital artist and software engineer who taught himself to code by writing out the code on paper before he even had a laptop. From working at MTN to his recent role at D Brand, he explains how he finally leapt to pursue music full-time.
Looking ahead, OG Mage teases his upcoming EP “The Calm” and hints at “The Storm” – a major project featuring collaborations with established artists like Skales. Throughout the conversation, his core message rings clear: consistency is everything.
This episode offers an intimate look at an artist who’s building something authentic in the Nigerian music scene, one collaboration and one consistent step at a time.
Samuel Ogaba, known as OG Mage, is an Afro-fusion artist blending hip-hop lyricism with Afrobeats rhythms. His journey began in university with the rap group IHN (In His Name) under WWJD, which he later led until graduation. In 2021, a chance encounter with a music executive at the airport sparked his career. That same year, he relocated from Lagos to Abuja and released his debut EP, Alter Ego. Determined to refine his sound, he invested two years in vocal training, weaving melody into his rap foundation.
Since then, OG Mage has built a reputation for cinematic storytelling and bold artistry. He recorded Anthem Ready during a UK writing camp at Wizkid’s O2 Arena run, which became a hit in Abuja and Bournemouth. He broke out with “The Capital” featuring Reeplay, an anthem across Abuja airwaves. Further releases like Hot Boy and Head of State – the latter dropped on Democracy Day 2024 with a follow-up video on Independence Day – cemented his alias as the “Head of State.”
Most recently, he unveiled Faraway, a vulnerable record exploring emotional distance and resilience, followed by Cast & Bind – a dark, genre-bending fusion of Afrobeat and poetic rap. Released on July 18th, 2024, the single was introduced through The Upper Room, an immersive listening experience on July 20th that blurred the lines between performance, ritual, and storytelling. Cast & Bind is a lead single from his upcoming project, The Calm, the first phase of a two-part body of work. Having shared stages with Rema, Davido, Cavemen, Buju, Blaqbonez, and PsychoYP – and headlined Meat & Greet with surprise appearances by Odumodublvck and Anti-World Gangsters – OG Mage continues to expand as a cultural bridge between hip-hop and Afrobeats, pushing boundaries with every release.