'Finesse' hitmaker Pheelz talks about music, fame & Kanye West inspiration

Nigerian record producer and musician Phillip Kayode Moses, popularly known as Pheelz, is working towards becoming more than just a musician and producer, aiming towards reaching and surpassing the success of American rapper Kanye West.

The Finesse hitmaker is visiting SA for the first time, collaborating with local artists, shooting his documentary and performing at private events. TshisaLIVE got a chance to catch up with him when he attended Showmax’s Real Housewives of Lagos launch on Thursday.

He’s been in the music industry for 11 years working as a producer for Olamide, Fireboy DML and Tiwa Savage among many others, and has nine albums under his belt. But he is now at the forefront, releasing his own music.

“I was born ready for this. I always wanted to be a musician. I’m getting in the studio with Manana and just work and make more music and create,” he told TshisaLIVE.

“I think I’m like Kanye’s lost son in Africa. I see myself that way because I feel like our stories kind of match. I can relate to the story. I call myself Kanye West without the accident and Through The Wire. I’ve been this guy from the beginning. I’m shooting a documentary. I’m just waiting for Netflix to come with the cheque.”  

His first hit single as an artist is what he calls a cocktail of his experiences on his journey to stardom and now he’s steadily found his feet in the industry.

“It feels very humbling to be here. I’m very grateful. What is coming is amazing. The sky's the limit at this point because what Finesse is doing is crazy and the next one is going to be crazy. I’ve been through a lot. Now I’m just enjoying and taking it one step at a time.”

Having started his record label, Recollective Record Label, as “an umbrella for creatives”, Pheelz says he’s looking forward to seeing how far he can grow and find more creative ways to explore his art.

“I’m going into tech, NFTs, the metaverse and art. I want to be remembered as a genius, a musician, an artist in the whole definition of the word. Not just a singer, musician or visual artist. I’m going to be pulling a lot of creative strings as a 3D artist. I have that side to me, the fashion side, entrepreneurial side to me, because I have a few tech businesses that I’m starting.

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