From Fuji roots and viral hits to sold-out tours and soulful DJ sets, Nigerian artist L.A.X is shaping a new lane in music. But behind the curated vibe is a story of duality, reinvention, and a quiet determination to do it all—his way.

When Damilola Afolabi, better known as L.A.X, decided to pick up disc jockeying, it wasn’t part of a marketing strategy to promote his music. It was instinct.

“I’ve always been good at curating music and putting quality music together,” he tells me during our conversation.

“Every week when New Music Friday drops, I’m there listening and looking for new artists. I just knew that I had that talent.”

He’s been known to Afrobeats fans in Nigeria and elsewhere as a powerhouse singer. But in the past few months, L.A.X. has been honing his skills behind the wheel of steel, mastering his ones and twos.

The day he decided to add DJing to his bag of skills, he bought a new laptop, paid for lessons, and immersed himself fully in his new trade. “I really enjoyed it,” he says. “It helps my mental health. Whenever I’m sad, I go and DJ, and it lifts my spirit.”

It took Afolabi just one week to become proficient. “After one week, I was already a pro,” he laughs confidently.

That was late last year, but this spontaneous step birthed DJ Rosco, his Afro House-flavoured alter ego who’s already performed at the popular Lagos weekly rave, Obi’s House, parties in London, and a private Lagos rave.

But even as DJ Rosco continues to gain traction, L.A.X remains focused: “Music is my first love. DJing is something I can control fully; it’s on my terms.”

Lagos shaped him, not just as an artist, but as a listener. Fuji music blasted from his grandmother’s speakers, while his aunt favoured Michael Jackson and Shaz.

“Growing up, I remember always just listening to [Fuji music] and also a lot of Sunny Ade too. Those sounds still inspire my music today.”

Fuji music was birthed from traditional were music, which was commonly used as a wakeup call for Muslims to begin daily fasting during the month of Ramadan in southwest Nigeria. Traditionally sung in Yoruba, Fuji has been inching closer to the mainstream spotlight and has provided bags of inspiration for Afrobeats stars such as Asake, Seyi Vibez and Burna Boy.

Despite growing up surrounded by such rhythms, he never envisioned himself as a musician. “I never sang growing up,” he admits. “I just listened and danced.”

It was during the six-month gap after his WAEC exams, while waiting for university, that he first stepped into a studio to record music.

“That was the turning point,” he says. From then came breakout collaborations with Wizkid on Caro and Ginger. The songs exploded, but the sound? It wasn’t quite him.

“When I started, I knew I wanted to make sweet music,” L.A.X confesses. “Chill, mid-tempo songs that feel good to wake up to or drive to.” But the club bangers came first, heavily influenced by his label’s direction and collaborations with Wizkid.

It took the global pause of the pandemic for L.A.X to reset and recalibrate his sound. “During lockdown, I had time to think. That’s when Zaza Vibes started. I just went back to making the sound I genuinely enjoyed.”

That signature sound — calm, vibey, never too slow, never too loud — now defines his artistry. “Even when I make heartbreak songs, you’ll dance first before you realise.”

DJ Rosco didn’t arrive with theatrics, just dedication. Unlike his music career, being a DJ was a deliberate decision. His pivot is timely as Lagos is evolving into a prime rave culture destination. “My producer was learning to DJ, and I just loved watching the process. One day I said, ‘I’m learning today.’” And he did. Fast.

Now, it’s growing into a whole lane. “Since December, I’ve DJed at Obi’s House three times, at parties in Lagos, at DJ Tunez’s gig in London. Every few days, I plan new setlists.”

DJ Rosco is not the only artist who’s gone into DJing. “I thought I was the first to do it until I started,” he says. “I figured out a lot of artists are actually doing it outside. Skepta has a separate brand for his DJ. He’s doing parties.”

His long-term vision? Festivals. His own events. “Rosco will grow separately, but I’ll manage it carefully. I won’t let it clash with my music. I have full control.”

In his early days, L.A.X would jump on any collaboration. He had the energy to burn, a name to make, and new grounds to conquer. But that era is no more. These days, he is more concerned about having a real connection. And his features are more curated now.

“We have to vibe; friendship, musical energy… there has to be a connection before I move forward with collaborating.”

His favourite collaborations include early hits like Caro and Ginger with Wizkid and recent successes such as Options with Ayra Starr, Give You Love with Juls, and Dr Love with Young Jonn. “That one’s special. I took the song from Young Jonn and told him ‘it’s mine now.’ We finished it, and people love it.”

Public visibility brings misconceptions and fame. For L.A.X, this has meant dealing with assumptions. “People think I’m just a rich kid doing music for fun,” he says frankly. “Yes, I’m from a good background, thank God. But the part that I’m not serious about the music is very wrong.”

“I’m waking up every day hustling, going to the studio, working, and trying to put out great music. If I wasn’t as talented as people think, I would have stopped a long time ago.”

Authenticity guides his public persona. “I don’t read comments,” he admits. “What you see is what you get. Whatever I am showing you is not a facade. If I post the gym, I went to the gym. If I post my relationship, it’s real. I don’t fake it.”

While his label, Rasaki Music, currently focuses on managing him, he envisions more, but nothing in the traditional record label mould. “I used to want to sign artists. Now I’d rather support them—marketing, promotion, ideas. I want to help without owning.”

The bigger project is his foundation, Rasaki Children’s Foundation, which reflects deeper personal ambitions.

“Philanthropy has always been part of me, from secondary school. But now it’s structured. I’ve always helped people — in school, on the street. But I wanted to do it properly.”

So far, they’ve paid school fees for kids in orphanages, supported blind students, and provided food for 120 widows.

“Rice, noodles, oil—stuff to last six months. I was there. I spoke with them. It touched me. I want to do it yearly; bigger each time.”

L.A.X’s latest album reflects where he’s been and how he felt, vividly capturing his personal experiences. Recorded in real-time during tours, each song represents a timestamp for memorable moments. “After the last album, I started recording while on tour. If I was sad, I’d record. If I travelled, I’d record. In Dubai, I recorded from the 35th floor of a hotel.”
One of the tracks was born after a dispute with a long-time friend. “We had this huge argument. I went straight to the studio and poured it into the song.”

He doesn’t aim for linear storytelling, just feeling. “The vibe of the song matters more than the backstory. I want people to feel good when they hear it.”

“I don’t want to be boxed in,” he says. “Music used to be all I thought about. But now, I’m reminding myself that I can do more — businesses, foundations, global parties.”

His new album, Nobody Like Zaza, captures his artistic growth and diverse experiences. He encourages listeners to dive in and explore every layer. “The music feels good; that’s always my ultimate aim.”

What’s next? More parties around the world. More music. Bigger foundation projects. “Everything I’m doing now, I want to scale it. But in my own way.”

Not one to chase the moment, L.A.X is building a world where every version of himself — artist, DJ, philanthropist, businessman — has space to thrive unapologetically. Each chapter, each song, and each setlist brings him closer to his vision: a world he defines on his own terms.