From Port Harcourt to The Gobal Scene: The Early Years of Nigerian Producer Dr Roy

It’s been said that no great man or woman pops out of nowhere, there’s always the build up stage that develops into the much celebrated personality we see.

David C. Chike, professionally known as Dr Roy, was born on 1 January 1994 in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. He grew up in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he developed his music skills and established his career base.

After finishing secondary school, Dr Roy attended Abia State Polytechnic and then turned to music full-time in the mid-2010s while still in his early 20s.

By 2016, at age 22, he was already recording and releasing his own gospel music while producing for other artists in Port Harcourt. Early credits include his 2016 single “Even If” and the 2018 track “Idara”, both released under the Dr Roy name.

In the late 2010s Dr Roy ran a small independent studio in Port Harcourt that doubled as an important training space for young producers and artists who lacked access to bigger facilities in Lagos. The studio provided hands-on mentoring to several upcoming talents, some of whom later achieved success in both gospel and secular Nigerian music.

Those early years of constant studio work and mentoring built the foundation for Dr Roy’s major breakthrough. In 2018 he linked up with EeZee Conceptz and began producing for Mercy Chinwo, including tracks such as “My Responsibility”, “Incredible God”, “I Am”, and “Omekannaya”. These songs, part of her debut album The Cross: My Gaze and related projects, helped establish the modern Nigerian gospel sound and gained millions of streams and views.

The technical expertise, work ethic, and ability to blend African rhythms with contemporary gospel that Dr Roy honed in that small Port Harcourt studio remain evident in his entire catalogue, from Mercy Chinwo’s early breakthrough records to his own gospel singles like “Everyday” (featuring S.O.N Music) and more recent productions for secular Afrobeats artists.

That same mentoring spirit from his early Port Harcourt days is now being formalised through the forthcoming Dr Roy Academy, where he plans to offer structured training in music production to the next generation of Nigerian gospel and inspirational creatives.

A decade and a half after those humble beginnings, Dr Roy is still based in Port Harcourt and remains one of the steadiest presences in Nigerian gospel production.