From Enugu to Nigeria’s Biggest Records: The Quiet Rise of CJ Obassey

In a music industry often driven by loud personalities and viral moments, CJ Obassey’s journey has unfolded in a different, more deliberate rhythm. Born CJ Obassey in Enugu State, his entry into music was never accidental. He grew up in the home of the late Reverend Patty Obassey, one of Nigeria’s most revered gospel pioneers, and Evangelist Esther Obassey, herself a performing gospel artist, making music not just a distant dream but a lived reality shaped by rehearsals, church ministrations, and long hours observing excellence being practised, not announced.

That foundation was tested early in 2012 when he lost his father at the age of 11, a moment that marked both a personal and artistic turning point; but rather than retreat from music, he leaned into it, choosing discipline over display making the followed years built on quiet development, away from the spotlight, as he immersed himself in understanding sound at its deepest level. After such a long time growing into the passion for music, he became fluent across multiple instruments: electric and bass guitar, drums, keyboards, clarinet, and recorder, building a technical and emotional vocabulary that would later make his work instantly recognisable, even when his name was absent from headlines.

CJ Obassey’s rise has been defined less by self-promotion and more by presence within Nigeria’s mainstream music ecosystem, with his guitar work and musical direction getting to appear on some of the country’s most influential records. His contributions span projects by Omah Lay, Ladipoe, Odumodublvck, Yemi Alade, Ajebo Hustlers, Niniola, Jaywillz, CDQ, Kaestyle, Wizard Chan, and others, records that have shaped conversations, charts, and culture. In 2024, his work on Hallelujah by Ladipoe earned him the Lyrics of the Year award, a rare public acknowledgment of a craftsman whose impact is often felt before it is seen.

Stylistically, CJ Obassey occupies a space of musical honesty with roots in Afrobeat and R&B but deeply informed by blues, jazz, soul, and indigenous sensibilities, making his sound resist trend-chasing, to prove that his electric guitar is not ornamental; it is narrative. Influenced by the emotional truth of artists like Ray Charles, the expressive freedom of Jimi Hendrix, the stage command of Michael Jackson and James Brown, and the spiritual depth inherited from his father, Reverend Patty Obassey, CJ approaches music as both art and responsibility: a space where truth and melody must coexist.
Beyond his work as a collaborator, CJ has steadily shaped his voice as a solo artist with releases such as Live My Life, One Lege, E.M.M.A 1&2, Love Language, and Pass Me the Liquor, alongside his Sleeping Giant EP, which have revealed an artist intent on documenting lived experience rather than chasing validation. His performances, including the Sleeping Giant Live Concert, reflect the same ethos: controlled, powerful, and grounded in musicianship rather than excess, with each release adding another layer to an identity still unfolding, but already defined by depth.

From Enugu to Nigeria’s biggest records, CJ Obassey’s ascent has been quiet but unmistakable, especially in an industry often obsessed with immediacy, but he represents patience, legacy, and intention. Carrying a storied name yet refusing to be confined by it, CJ Obassey continues to build a body of work that speaks for itself; one chord, one record, and one truth at a time, and more of his prowess will be evident in his upcoiming project called Sleeping Giant The Album.