Growing up between New York and Enugu, and now living in LA, their diverse background has shaped their innovative sound. Their name itsENJ is short for “it’s enjoyment” encapsulating their aim to infuse their music with joy and positivity.
‘Añurika’, which translates to “joy is greater”, is a vibrant five-track EP that beautifully reflects itsENJ’s African culture and heritage. Recorded in the heart of Lagos in January, the EP captures their roots and global exploration journey.
The EP is produced by itsENJ themselves with ElvisBeatz and Mykah (Ozuna, Davido), blending afrobeats, hip-hop, disco, and dancehall together for itsENJ to share their truths about themes such as love, identity, adversity and triumph.
How does the AÑURIKA Ep relate to the previous project you guys released this year?
Añurika, as our second EP of 2024, builds upon the foundation laid by Dappa Way while taking our sound and storytelling to new depths. While Dappa Way focused on themes of confidence, ambition, and navigating the hustle, Añurika dives deeper into our cultural roots and personal experiences. This release is more reflective and spiritually grounded, drawing heavily from our Nigerian heritage and the challenges we’ve faced. Musically, it blends traditional elements with modern influences more seamlessly, showing our growth as artists and our commitment to evolving our sound.
What’s the most important message and vibe of this new EP? What do you want listeners to come away with?
The title “Añurika” holds deep conceptual significance, because it represents our journey from adversity to grace. In Igbo, *Añurika* can be interpreted as “joy is greater,” symbolizing the joy we face after overcoming a worthy ideal through resilience. It also represents the joy we feel when making our music and we yearn to spread this joy globally. This EP encapsulates that essence by exploring themes of perseverance, faith, and cultural pride. Each track reflects our personal and artistic growth, capturing the joy and strength we’ve found through embracing our roots and overcoming challenges.
Why do you think it’s so important to unite the African diaspora and what does that really mean to you?
Uniting the African diaspora is crucial because it’s about reclaiming our shared identity, history, and culture. The African diaspora spans continents, with people of African descent scattered across the world due to the forces of history—colonialism, slavery, migration. Despite the physical distance, there’s a deep cultural and spiritual connection that binds us together. For us, uniting the diaspora means creating spaces where our stories, struggles, and triumphs are celebrated, and where we can reconnect with our roots and with each other.
This unity is not just symbolic; it’s a powerful force for change. When we come together, we amplify our voices and our influence. We create opportunities to uplift one another, to preserve our cultures, and to share them with the world in a way that is authentic and true to our experiences. It’s about building bridges between the past and the present, and between the different communities that make up the diaspora. We try to show this unity through our brotherhood and family connection, to promote the message that African men can and should continue to work together.
What was the recording and creative process like for this EP?
The creative and recording process for Añurika was a deeply collaborative journey, one rooted in pure inspiration and mutual trust. Often, a song would begin with one of us—perhaps sparked by a moment of inspiration—crafting a melody or beat. From there, it became a shared experience, with the other stepping in to help shape and complete the vision. Sometimes it started with a beat one of us made, or even one we stumbled upon online. Other times, it was a simple, catchy melody hummed in a moment of spontaneity, inspiring the other to build an entire soundscape around it.
Our writing process was equally intimate. We encouraged each other to journal, to pour our most vulnerable thoughts onto the page. It’s from these personal reflections that many of our songs were born, each one a glimpse into our innermost emotions and experiences.
We recorded these songs between Los Angeles and Lagos, Nigeria, and the combined experiences have been nothing short of extraordinary. The result is an EP that is not just a collection of tracks, but a profound expression of our shared journey, creativity, and connection.
How does being siblings affect or influence your creative process?
Our shared history gives our music a unique depth because we’ve experienced so much together. Our memories, both the joyful and the challenging, serve as a well of inspiration that we can draw from when creating. When one of us is struggling to express a particular emotion or idea, the other often knows just how to bring it out because we’ve seen each other through so many different phases of life.
Being siblings profoundly influences our creative process in ways that go beyond just sharing a familial bond. There’s an inherent understanding and unspoken connection between us that allows for a level of collaboration that’s both deep and intuitive. We know each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and creative tendencies, which helps us push each other to new heights while also providing a safe space to explore vulnerable ideas.
Who are some of the most important African artists or records that have influenced you guys?
Growing up we were exposed to legends like Bob Marley, Lucky Dube and Michael Jackson. However, African music became a thing for us after we heard 2 Face, Flavour and Burna Boy. Seeing these artists achieve international success made us feel like this is something we can do as well, they made us feel represented.
These artists and their music have not only influenced our sound but have also fueled our mission to create music that unites the African diaspora and brings African culture to the forefront on the global stage.
How do you think itsENJ is redefining the sound of afrobeats music?
We’re transforming the sound of Afrobeats by blending it with a rich mix of genres—R&B, hip hop, highlife, Latin music, dancehall, kizomba, kompa, soca, reggae, classical music, and more. Our vision is to take Afrobeats to the farthest corners of the world, reaching countries and regions that have never experienced our music before. We’re especially excited about the possibility of touring in South America, where we believe we can deeply connect with the African roots in places like Brazil and Colombia.
Beyond the music, our mission is to promote the values of family and brotherhood. In an industry often driven by ego and profit, we believe in the importance of being your brother’s keeper. Through our music and brand, we aim to inspire a sense of unity and shared responsibility.
How would you describe the main purpose of your music to someone who doesn’t know you?
The main purpose of our music is to spread joy, make people think and reflect, and to bring people together. We live in a world where negativity tends to spread fast and we hope to use our music to counter that by spreading love, and promoting the values of family and brotherhood.
