The journey
Born into legacy. Built behind the scenes. Now stepping out.
Chapter 01: Born into music.
CJ was born into a home where music was not something you discovered. It was simply life.
His father, Rev. Patty Obasi, The Sower, was a pioneering Nigerian gospel musician, guitarist and music evangelist whose recordings became part of the musical memory of generations.
CJ grew up watching music being made. He watched rehearsals. He watched performances. He heard guitars. He heard voices.
He watched his father stand before people and turn music into something bigger than entertainment.
He was learning before he even understood that he was learning.
Chapter 02: Then, in 2012, everything changed.
2012
CJ lost his father at just 11 years old.
The music remained.
The man was gone.
Chapter 03: Then came the guitar.
One night, CJ had a dream.
He saw a man standing in the distance, surrounded by people. The man seemed to be performing.
He was shining, surrounded by light so bright that CJ could not immediately see his face.
CJ moved closer. And as he came nearer, he realised who it was. His father.
CJ moved closer still. And his father gave him a guitar.
Then CJ woke up.
He went looking for his father’s guitar. And that was where something changed. The guitar was no longer simply an instrument.
- A connection.
- A language.
- A responsibility.
- A beginning.
Chapter 04: One instrument was never going to be enough.
- Guitar
- Bass
- Drums
- Piano
- Clarinet
- Percussion
Each instrument taught him another way to understand music.
Rhythm · Harmony · Melody · Arrangement · Space · Dynamics · Feeling
Eventually, the electric guitar became his most recognisable voice. But the guitar was never the whole story. CJ learned to hear music from the inside. That is why his contribution to a record can be felt even when he is not the person standing in front of the microphone.
Chapter 05: The musician your favourite artists call.
Before stepping forward as a recording artist, CJ built his reputation quietly.
In studios. At rehearsals. On stages. Inside sessions. Behind records.
His work has connected him with artists including Davido, Odumodublvck, CKay, Ladipoe, Larry Gaaga, Ajebo Hustlers, Chidinma, Morrelo, Kaestyle, Rozzz and others.
Guitar · Bass · Production · Songwriting · Arrangement · Musical direction · Live instrumentation
The names became bigger. The records became bigger. But CJ remained behind the music. Until now.
See the credits
Chapter 06: Afro Panda. The spirit behind the sound.
The panda represents a different kind of strength.
Calm. Observant. Patient. Unshaken.
That spirit lives inside CJ’s music.
The musician. The producer. The player. The builder.
Chapter 07: Then the man behind the music stepped forward.
CJ officially began releasing music as a recording artist in 2021 with Live My Life and Ama Ndi, released the same day. Then came:
- One Lege
- Victory Ahead
- E.M.M.A
- Love Language
- P.M.T.L. (Pass Me the Liquor)
- E.M.M.A 2
- And then came Sleeping Giant.
Chapter 08: The father and the son.
Some legacies are not inherited. They are carried.
CJ did not become his father. He became himself.
But something crossed that distance between them.
A love for music. A respect for the instrument. A discipline. A responsibility. A sound.
The father planted. The son carried the seed. And now the son is stepping into his own light.
The Sleeping Giant is waking.