MUSIC: Jeriq Coming With New Wave Of Sound From The East

Exploring the theme around the struggle, hustle, and street lifestyle in the East, his music comes across as very relatable among youths in the South East.

Breaking out in the music industry is a daunting task, even with all the money in the world. PR and talent may not guarantee your success in the industry.

Jeriq, the ‘Iyoo Cartel’ King, seems to have overcome this while going ahead to create a strong niche and a cult-like following for himself in the industry.

There is hardly a young person in the East without Jeriq’s track in their playlist.
Jeriq started his journey in the music industry at Nkpor, Anambra state– a boy with dreams and a love for music raised by his mother, before he moved to Coal City, where he worked with Quincy, Tidinz, Bennariki and other talented guys in Enugu City.

In November 2020, Jeriq left the underground when he sealed the signature with KOD Music Records which opened a new chapter in his music career.

His first single “Junky” got a lot of traction with so many street slangs associated with him like Sambalitual (a name of his friend in the industry), “Iyoo” a street name for Onitsha city.

Jeriq didn’t take anything for granted as he continued to make his impression on every Hip Hop fan in the East. His highly anticipated six-track EP titled ‘Hood Boy Dream’ shook the streets, with tracks like No Cap, Oh Lord, Remember, Amen, Stucc in The Grind, and Dreams. 20 million views later across streaming platforms, Jeriq certainly has come into his own.

His decision to remix Remember with Phyno was a killer move as the hitmaker brought his ‘A’ game and delivered on the track. This was also complemented by a fitting music video.

His fan base, “Iyoo Cartel”, has continued to grow with many groups on Facebook, Telegram, WhatsApp propagating his music and style.

Jeriq’s popularity was made manifest at the Enugu Carnival 2020 when fans, in protestation, demanded that organizers invite him to perform on the stage, even when he was presented as a sidekick on materials for the event promotion.

The organizers were left with no choice but to bring him on stage following the protestations; Jeriq seized the moment and brought bedlam upon the stadium with his electrifying performance as the crowd sangalong to his tracks- word for word.

Jeriq has since continued to headline shows in the East with little or no noise as his army of loyal fans has increased and steadfastly turned up for his shows and tours whether in Enugu, Nsukka, Owerri, Oko, Onitsha, Awka. A dedicated mass of fans that ensured that every one of these locations was sold out!

There is no gainsaying that Jeriq has unlocked the key to the street in the music industry in South-Eastern Nigeria. While national, intercontinental and international collaborations are still in the pipeline, the next step for the Iyoo King seems, naturally, to be surfing into the national discussion.

The Iyoo king is about to drop a 5 track EP with Dremo in April titled East & West which explores genres such as Rap Music, Afro Beats, Trap and Amapiano, produced by virtuosos like Fresh VDM, Benjamz and Jayswaargs.

Jeriq journey to fame is inspiring. He crawled from the underground to become King in the East. Iyoo CARTEL is about to get bigger!