Interview: Nigerian Artist Johnny Benzx Reveals Why He Joined Team Black Market Records

By Isaac Tugume

Nigerian musician Johnny Benzx, a very talented new kid on the block’,  is now part of the ever growing Black Market Records music family tree!

Johnny Benzx is currently pursuing a degree in nursing at one of the prestigious universities in the country.

During an exclusive interview  with our write over the  weekend, Johnny Benzx revealed all about his music career and why he decided to team up with Black Market Records; here are the excerpts from the interview;

Qun: Can you please tell us who you are and where you hail from?

Ans: My real name is John Napon Tali, born October 28^th, although I’m popularly known by my stage name Johnny Benzx. I was born in North Central Plateau State, although I grew up in Abuja and that was where I also  had my early education.

Qun: What schools did you attend in Nigeria?

Ans: I studied primary school at Adom International School, then later joined Government Science and Technology College Kwali,  where I did my vocational training.  Currently, I am pursuing a bachelors degree in Nursing at Victoria University.

Qun: How do you juggle music with your studies?

Ans: It’s not easy but I have to create time for both. I endeavor as much as possible to ensure that I balance  the time for music and my studies, so that I don’t lag behind in either of the two.

Qun: When did you start doing music?

Ans: I’ve been doing music for the greatest part of my life, having started singing at 12 years. At the time, I used to sing with the choir at Church Of Christ In Nation (COCIN). However, years later, I switched from Christian music and started singing secular songs. I can  ably assert that I kicked off my professional career in 2019.

Qun: Have you recorded any songs before?

Ans: Oh yeah, I’ve some songs I’ve recorded, although they are yet to be released via Black Market Records; they include ‘Define’, ‘Go Down’ and ‘Bad Man Do’.

Qun: There are many record labels in Uganda, why did you choose Black Market Records?

Ans: I’ve been following the label’s operations for some time, checking out the music and artists working with the company. So I got convinced that it’s the right team to work with if I’m to take my music career to the next level. And because of that, my gratitude goes to Mr. Cedric Singleton, who saw the potential in me and decided to bring me on board.

Qun: What are some of your future plans in the industry?  

Ans: I’ve started out small but I want to make it so big, to the extent that I hope to be a household name within five years from now. And I  am sure that with Black Market Records, that will be possible.

Qun: What’s your music style and what audience do you target mainly?

Ans: Although I’m a versatile artist, my style is mainly Afro-Ginger.   As an artist I’m targeting the international market and because of this, I sing mainly in  English and Pidgin, so as to reach out to a global audience.

Qun: What really makes you happy in life?

Ans: The only thing that makes me really happy is music, especially because it has the power  to heal souls and make people smile.

Qun: Who inspired you to pursue music as a career?

Ans: I was inspired to do music by my uncle called Boby 50, a long-time local musician in Nigeria

Qun: When you are not singing and burying yourself in books, what else do you do?

Ans: I enjoy chilling with buddies and having nice moments with my friends during my free time.

Qun: Any last words for your fans out there?

Ans: all they should do is watch out for new music from me because I’m soon dropping some great jams on YouTube and digital platforms. So, don’t hesitate to hit me up on Instagram: johnny_benzx and Twitter: @JohnTali6