The evolution of social media has changed a lot of the narratives around talented people across the world, especially Gen Z, coupled with the level of competition in the Nigerian music scene, primarily in the afrobeats genre.
Isaiah Omoniyi Oluwatobiloba, better known by his stage name Icepondis, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. His face is already on the digital space, but has only just made its way onto the Nigerian entertainment scene.
He’s an afrobeat artist, with a unique and engaging sound that is heavily influenced by Fela Kuti and Wizkid.
Speaking to reporters recently about how he got his stage name, Icepondis said, “I used to call myself Icebeatz when I first started, but decided to change it to Icepondis due to the controversy that there are many singers and producers with the same name. “
Icepondis is originally from the town of Ore in Ondo State. He attended Community High School in Ore before starting his music career. Icepondis is the first child of his parents. He lost his mother in a car accident a year after graduating from high school, and he couldn’t afford to continue his education as his mother was the one supporting the family of four before his death.
“The loss of my mother almost broke me, being the oldest of four children for my father. Had to take care of my siblings while trying to get people to listen to my demos and mixtapes, finished high school but was unable to continue my education due to issues financial. My dad has another wife and kids, so I decided not to pressure him and focus on my music, â€he explained.
Icepondis started out as a DJ (Disc Jockey) and played in nightclubs before finding his calling in music as a singer and record producer in 2017. He released his first EP “Good Vibe” in 2020, then “Sade” in the same year and in 2021, he released two singles “Nitro†and “Blessed†and one featuring “My Life†which ranked No. 49 on iTunes in Nigeria.
Icepondis started his own label “Africa Boyz Records” to promote his brand of music and a few consistent and talented artists he worked with who couldn’t afford to promote their music.
“Seeing and working with so many cohesive and talented upcoming artists on the streets of Lagos and Ore that not everyone has had a chance to listen to makes me miserable. It’s a total mess to see them keep the song at home without any release or proper promotion so I started a band to help a few artists with that. Later I decided to formalize it and turned the band into a label, â€he said. he added.
His music has been described by fans as catchy, engaging, and unique enough to grab the attention of any music lover. Describing his process, Icepondis said: “After I record a song and when I play it, I turn up the volume, I turn off all the lights, I lie on the floor in the studio and close my eyes; I like to feel the vibration of the music. It’s spiritual.
