Hey, I Have Some News
December 2022 was my last month as Editor-in-Chief of Zikoko.
I joined Big Cabal Media in December 2020 as a Senior Editor at TechCabal. Eight months later, I transitioned into a new role that challenged me in more ways than I thought possible. That said, leading the team at Zikoko was a job I enjoyed immensely.
There’s something about having a role that welcomes all your gifts. Whether it was my love for storytelling or my experience as a musician, being EIC meant that all my skills were useful somehow. I don’t imagine that this is an easy thing to find in a job, so you must believe me when I say that leaving at this point wasn’t an easy decision.
At Zikoko, I had the opportunity to tell stories on a scale I never had before. I’d always loved Zikoko’s stories. They held up a mirror to society — something I strive to do with my own stories and songs. And they took various formats — we worked on videos, podcasts, flagship columns, and newsletters where we told the most impactful stories about people. Stories that moved others to take action and some that just made people laugh and encouraged conversation. This is and has always been the ethos of Zikoko — come for the fun, stay for the culture.
These stories are important. They show us that we’re not alone. That the world is large and full of people who share the same struggles and feelings that we do. This was my job. To lead a team of brilliant creators who told these stories every day. And I absolutely loved it.
A leader is only as good as their team. In my time as EIC, I worked with some of the brightest minds in content creation. There were days when I wished I could live stream our brainstorming sessions. It was back-to-back hilarity. This will perhaps be one of the things I’ll miss the most. My team. Best in team.
There’s a lot coming from Zikoko in 2023, led by very capable hands, and I can’t wait to see them out there.
I’d like to pan to the future a little, and tell you about all the exciting things I have planned for myself — hopefully, without a pandemic playing God. So I’ve structured the rest of this like an FAQ page to give you the full gist.
Why are you leaving?
Short answer
I’m making music my main gig. I still plan to create in other ways, but I can’t devote time to the music in the way it demands while maintaining a full-time role. It worked for a while, but I’m now at a crossroads, which many creators dedicated to their craft get to at some point, and I choose music.
Long answer
Since I put out my debut album “Heavy Heart” in 2018, creating music was always ‘the other thing I did’. It wasn’t paying my bills, it wasn’t paying for itself. It was doomed to be the side gig.
Fast forward four years later and my view of music (and creating as a whole) has greatly evolved. Music can now do a lot of the things it couldn’t in 2018 and for this, I am eternally grateful to my friends, team and fans.
I should add that this isn’t me ditching everything for music. It’s creating space to explore more things — but especially music.
I still want to work on other exciting projects with creative individuals and brands. I want to create films, podcasts, series and what have you. There are many concepts we came up with at Zikoko that I would love to see come to fruition. But I want to do all these things while being able to dedicate time to some of my musical projects.
And finally, I want to give my fans a good year. I know this sounds like I have it the other way around but I mean it. A lot of my music remains unreleased; I’ll be refining and releasing them. I have many ideas about shows and creating experiences for my fans. I want to tap into that this year.
What’s next for Dwin, the Stoic?
On this front, I have some exciting news. I started an independent record label. It’s called St. Claire Records and it’s named after my late sister who loved music and whom I miss dearly.
Starting a business is something I’ve always been deathly afraid of. But I understand that it’s something I want to do. I want to create a space for music like mine. I think that what the Nigerian music landscape has to offer is vast, and I want to shine a light on all the genres on the fringes. I want to be a part of a system that helps musicians earn a living whether or not they’re ‘A-listers’.
My 5-track collaborative EP “Love Lane” with Rhaffy will be the first official release from St. Claire Records, and I can’t wait for you to hear that. It has some of the most amazing music I’ve ever made — and that’s saying a lot.
St. Claire Records officially launches in March, so prepare yourselves.
I will be taking a brief hiatus before all of these exciting plans take effect. But you’ll hear from me again very soon.
Until then,
All my love,
Edwin ‘Dwin, The Stoic’ Madu
