Reekado Banks: AI Music Takes Away From The Experience, But I Am Not Scared Of The Technology

Reekado Banks says AI music takes away from the experience of making music but insists he is not scared of the technology.

Nigerian singer and songwriter Reekado Banks has said artificial intelligence (AI) can take away from the experience of music, although he embraces the technology and is not afraid of its growing influence on the industry.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Saturday, the singer said AI-generated music was distinguishable by its polished sound, which he believes can affect the listening experience.

“When you hear AI music or AI enabled stuff, you can tell.. It’s very smooth.

It’s very non-problematic. And it takes away from the experience, if I’m being honest.”

Despite his reservations about AI-generated music, Reekado Banks said he recognises its usefulness in the creative process, particularly in writing and production.

“It helps with writing, it helps with production, it helps with seeing the end picture of a thing. So that’s very useful, but, you know, it’s just enjoyable to use, you know. It makes the work easier, but, like, I’m not scared of anything, to be honest.

“I haven’t yet been scared of anything concerning AI. Not at all, So no worries, to be honest.”

The singer explained that he uses AI to research subjects when developing ideas for songs, rather than relying on it to generate music entirely.

“Sometimes I have an idea that I haven’t exactly written about before. So I do not have enough knowledge about what I’m about to write.

“So I use AI to gather knowledge and then go on from there.”

The singer also spoke about his development as an artist, saying his experiences with record labels and management had taught him the importance of taking responsibility for his career.

He said he had gone through different stages, including working with a major record label and relying on management to help him navigate the industry.

“So I’ve been through many stages in my career, a stage where I was backed by the biggest label.

“Being away from that, I’ve worked with management that I solely relied upon for certain roots and reaches in my career. But everything has come to or has boiled down to understanding that nobody really can be there for me the way I can possibly be there for myself.”

According to him, the experience has helped him develop in different areas of his life and career.

“And I’m very confident of how much I have grown, how much I will grow, where I am. And, you know, I just want the world to see that because it’s special to me. It’s probably going to inspire somebody else.”

He added that he now has more knowledge about navigating the music industry than he did when he began his career.

“So I always say this recently, especially I’ve said that if my child were to ever make music, if he listens to me, he would have it really nice. He would navigate very smoothly.

“I know a lot now that, you know, it would take three days course for him to learn and just be able to digest everything that I know.”

Reekado Banks said he enjoys performing live more than recording in the studio because it allows him to share his music directly with audiences.

“I enjoy performing live more than in the studio. Because first of all, it’s a way to get to share myself with the people.”

He said live performances also offer practical benefits, including payment for shows and opportunities to travel.

“Most times when I’m performing live, it means I’ve been paid. So these are like good reasons for me, at least. Performing live includes, you know, dressing up and looking nice, which is interesting.

“You know, travelling sometimes. It’s a little bit makeup for what performing live means to me.”

However, he stressed that his preference for live performances did not diminish his enjoyment of recording music.

“This doesn’t take away anything from my experience in the studio.

“I enjoy myself in the studio very, very, very much.”

The singer is scheduled to perform at a concert on November 14 at Terra Culture Arena in Lagos. He described the event as an opportunity to deliver a complete entertainment experience, combining live music with dancers.

“So even starting from the parking, the welcoming the guests, to finding your seats, to your refreshments, yeah, up onto the entertainment that we’re going to be providing. It’s definitely me with the live band, me with a bunch of talented dancers. It’s really pure music and entertainment, really art and expression.

“That’s what we’re trying to convey with this concert.”

He said the show would also feature creative and political expression.

On the Discussion Of Faith And Musical Evolution

The singer said his relationship with God had deepened in recent years, influencing the way he sees himself and his music.

He traced the development of his personal faith to 2024, when he received an invitation to attend church after a long period away.

“Yeah, I think my relationship or like knowledge of, personal knowledge of God started to happen from, I think, two years ago, 2024. Just a random invite to church after a long time from going to church. And I felt this, I felt some sort of, I felt joy.”

He described the feeling as different from the happiness he had experienced previously.

“That was the word. I had been feeling, you know, moments of happiness in my life.

“But like there was a certain joy that, it was like happiness plus peace. It’s like a year that I felt that I felt like, if I could get this one time from one experience, maybe if I did it a lot more, I’d find more. And I definitely am finding more.”

Reekado Banks said his music had expanded beyond the subjects of love and his immediate experiences.

“There’s so many topics. I’ve expanded myself, especially beyond love or beyond what I see every day. There’s like, I know God personally now.”

He said his approach to music had always centred on creating melodies that appeal to listeners, rather than attaching a specific label to his sound.

“No, I haven’t called my music or tagged my music any name or anything.

“What I’ve always wanted to create since I was Ayo and Spicy was…

“My brother used to call it sweet and sellable music.”

He explained that he remained comfortable creating music even when he struggled to identify a specific purpose for a song.

“So everything else is more essence, more purpose on top of what you are creating. So when it’s toughest for me, when I do not feel like I have a purpose to be in the studio, I just go in there and I’m comfortable with the fact that I’m making sweet and sellable melodies.”

Singer Says Nigerians Are Tired Of Fighting For Change

Reflecting on the #EndSARS protests of October 2020, Reekado Banks said he believed public enthusiasm for collective action had diminished.

He said the generation that once criticised its predecessors for failing to stand up for their rights risked repeating the same pattern.

“I don’t think anybody feels responsible anymore. And I feel like the same way this generation blamed the previous one for not sticking up or being idle, it’s the same way we’re about to go about it as well.

“Because, yeah, I feel we’re tired. I feel like as we tried that one time, we didn’t really find out the way we wanted it. Everybody’s now just out fighting for themselves.

“So that’s, I believe that’s where we are at. And that includes the entertainers as well.”

The singer said the experience had left many people feeling that participating in protests might not produce the change they wanted, particularly when they still had to find ways to earn a living.

“It’s just like, tired. When you go do that, you have to come back and eat.

“I might as well stay home and find ways to eat, isn’t it?”

Although he said his forthcoming music did not contain political messaging, Reekado Banks identified public infrastructure and civic responsibility as issues that mattered to him.

“I’m very, very passionate about what the Nigerian people communally use. Our roads. Our cleaning system.

“The trash system. Just, you know, traffic laws. I’m very, very, very passionate about those.”

He called for better road conduct and public sanitation, including the provision of adequate waste disposal facilities.

“So if I was to talk about anything, it would be what we communally use. Learn to drive properly. Give way to the person that’s supposed to have a way.

“The knowledge of that. You don’t know who is supposed to… We don’t have this basic knowledge. Trashing your bins.

“You shouldn’t just throw your stuff out of the car. Or they should create proper binning systems so that it is available everywhere. Simple as… And the culture of not peeing outside.”

The singer also addressed the problem of artificial streaming, which involves manipulating streaming figures to generate revenue or inflate an artist’s popularity.

He said streaming fraud remained a concern in the music industry, although he believed the practice had been more widespread in previous years.

“I feel like it was very high maybe three, four, five years ago. These days we have found our way around marketing better and getting the numbers that we desire.

“Or rather, farming is still terrible. I think that’s that.”

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