Jeffrey Benson‘s energy is electric. Even through a Zoom call from Toronto, you can feel the current — he’s the kind of artist who seems to be juggling a thousand ideas, with never quite enough time to explore them all. As he begins to share his story, his journey from Lagos, Nigeria, to Toronto unfolds with layers of personal history and an insatiable curiosity that have informed his genre-blending sound. Benson’s music, a dynamic mix of afro-fusion rhythms and contemporary influences, resists easy categorization. Yet, it’s distinctly his own, a product of the vibrant worlds he’s inhabited and continues to create.
Reflecting on his upbringing and musical influences, his eclectic sound makes perfect sense.
“I grew up in a lively, full house, surrounded by my parents’ brothers, each with a unique taste in music that shaped mine,” Benson recalls. “One of my older brothers was all about UK garage and grime, blasting tracks by Skepta, while another leaned heavily into the legends of American hip-hop, like Biggie and 2Pac. My sister brought ‘90s and early 2000s R&B into the mix, with favourites like K-Ci & JoJo and Destiny’s Child. My dad, on the other hand, had a deep love for classic Nigerian music — Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, and Ebenezer Obey — yet also admired global icons like Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.”
Approaching music with a restless DIY ethos, Benson’s work feels like rifling through a treasure chest: each track a heartfelt surprise, touching on love, identity, and survival. His latest project, Afro6ix Takeover, amassed half a million streams within a week of release, layering Afrobeats, dancehall, and hip-hop over a core of vivid storytelling.
“Music is therapeutic for me,” he admits. “No matter what I’m going through, I find peace in creating. It’s how I express the chaos, the joy, the everything.”
But Afro6ix isn’t just a collection of songs; it’s a blueprint for something greater. Benson envisions an ecosystem for emerging artists — a self-sustaining community.
“The vision is way bigger than just the music,” he explains. “With Afro6ix, I want to build a platform where artists can get everything they need: mixing, mastering, understanding publishing, even the business side. It’s about support and longevity, not quick wins.” He’s even thinking about grants and government funding, resources he wishes he’d had early on.
A week before we met, Benson dropped a fresh double single, “Non Stop/Go Low,” and both tracks spotlight his genre-hopping flair. “Non Stop” is a kinetic, dance-floor-ready Afrobeats anthem, buzzing with the joy of life’s best moments. Its companion, “Go Low,” leans into a sultry, dancehall rhythm, inviting listeners to melt into the night’s carefree magic.
“These are songs for celebration,” he says. “’Non Stop’ is about keeping the vibe high, never slowing down. ‘Go Low’… that’s for when you want to let loose, just feel good and be free.”
Even while embracing familiar sounds from his upbringing, Benson isn’t recycling old formulas. His newer tracks come with a sharper sense of self and a deliberate evolution from the DIY days in makeshift studios. It’s clear he’s plotting a long game, aiming for a career built on thoughtful artistry and creative growth. And in a world that often prioritizes instant fame, Benson is proving that the slow, deliberate burn is where real artistry lives.
You grew up in Lagos and later moved to Toronto. How have these two places shaped your musical style and creative vision?
Honestly, the place that really shaped my musical style and made me who I am is actually Cyprus, not Lagos or Toronto. Lagos influenced me, but Cyprus was where everything came together. I moved from Lagos to Cyprus for university, and Cyprus was completely different. It was almost like living in a small world outside of everything I knew. It exposed me to people from all walks of life — people from Europe, the UK, Kenya, and so many other places. It was like a melting pot. After finishing my university studies, I moved back to Lagos during the COVID era. That’s when I released my first album. The borders were closed, so I couldn’t move to Canada as planned, but eventually, I made it here.
That’s interesting. So how do you feel about the music scene in Toronto since you got here?
I’m still navigating it. I came in with so much excitement and high expectations. Initially, I was enthusiastic and tried to connect with other artists, but it was tough. Many people here are focused on survival, and I had to learn that not everyone has the same opportunities. It took me some time to understand why it’s hard for some people to fully invest in music. I was fortunate to have a soft landing, staying with a relative for a year when I came. Many others have to fend for themselves from day one. Once I understood that, I realized the challenges they face. Now, I feel a responsibility to change things and create opportunities, and that was why I created Afro6ix. Even when it gets tough, I remind myself that someone has to pave the way for the next generation. We need to create a better foundation so people don’t have to keep telling the same story of struggle.
Let’s talk about your new singles. Themes of love, attraction, and connection pulse through “Non Stop” and “Go Low.” How do you approach writing about these emotions, and what inspired you to explore them in your recent releases?
I don’t hold back when it comes to that. That’s why I start with freestyling, which captures the raw, unfiltered emotions. When I hear a beat, I instinctively know if the song will be about a breakup or something emotional. However, I do want to explore writing lyrics without hearing a beat first or working alongside a producer to create something from scratch. That could open up more creative possibilities.
But for now, I’m limited to the beats I find, and I have to go with the emotions they evoke. So, I’ll listen to a beat and immediately pour my emotions into a voice memo. If you heard those raw recordings, it would probably sound like gibberish to anyone else. But I understand the feelings behind those sounds. Later, I shape those raw ideas into words. It’s not about trying too hard to be profound; it’s about translating the emotions I initially felt. Music, to me, is deeply spiritual, and I stand by that.
What has music revealed to you about yourself over the years? How do you feel you’ve evolved as an artist since you started?
Music has shown me so much. I’ve realized that I really have a deep love for love itself—whether it’s telling stories about heartbreak, the progression of love toward someone, or celebrating it. My music is a true expression of everything I’ve gone through. Each song acts as a time capsule; I can recall exactly how I felt when I created it and why. Everything has meaning—there are no songs I made purely for the sake of it. Listening back, I can track how I’ve grown and changed. Creating music also taught me how much we, as people, internalize things without fully realizing it. Sometimes we think we’ve moved on from past events, but when we express ourselves through art or poetry, those buried emotions resurface. Music has revealed that there’s a lot within us that we often overlook, but when we express it, it comes to life.
As you look to 2025, what’s on the horizon for you? What are your main goals, and how do you plan to continue evolving?
2025 is going to be a game-changing year for me. I keep telling everyone that it’s my time to make an impact on the global stage. This is when people will know me as Jeffrey Benson, the artist, and I’ll be able to share my music and talent with the world in a big way. 2025 will mark my first live performance, and I’m planning to organize shows—definitely some within Canada. It’s all about building my brand and gaining the exposure I need to make deeper connections. I’m also aiming to start collaborating more next year. Interestingly, I have four projects out right now, and none of them feature collaborations. It wasn’t intentional—it just hasn’t come together yet. So, in 2025, I’m excited to finally work with other artists and see where that creative synergy takes my music. By God’s grace, next year will be the year where everything comes together, and the world will see my vision unfold.
