Johnel

Nnamani Chimaobi John (born 11 April 2006), known professionally as Johnel, is a Nigerian singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer. He gained popularity following the release of his solo extended play, "Galactic Theme" in 2024. His music style has been described as being mainstream hip hop, R&B, afrobeats and pop music. He is the CEO and founder of "Nnamani Music Group".

Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, John began his career as an independent artist in 2020 under the name Johnel NG. He began his early production career at his early teenage, creating beats primarily for upcoming local artists in the Lagos area. He started recieving credits when he produced all 7 tracks on "Galactic Theme".

Early life
Johnel was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He started pursuing his music career in 2020, while he attended high school in Lagos. He is from Enugu state.

Career
In 2023, Johnel released three extended plays "Conversations with Myself", "Happy Story, Sad Reality" and "Painting Pictures" via ONErpm. He collaborated with American rapper Daine Steele on a hip hop single "Mercy" following a release of the music video. Johnel won the Emerging Rising Star at The Next Star Awards. He was also among the TNMA nominees. In 2022, his afrobeat single "Kolo" reached number 5 on Anghami Afrobeat songs chart which was also released through ONErpm. People have described Johnel as a "jack of all trades". On 26 January 2024, Johnel released an R&B single titled "Wake Up, It's Daylight" which was featured on This Day newspaper prints. In February 2024, Johnel and his sibling Nnamani Grace Odi launched a music publishing label "Nnamani Music Group" to support independent artists and rights holders. In April 26, 2024, Johnel released another solo extended play consisting of seven tracks titled "Galactic Theme" portraying a futuristic outlook. It was published under his label Nnamani Music Group.

Nnamani Music Group
Nnamani Music Group is a Nigerian independent record label founded by Johnel and his sibling, Nnamani Grace Odi in 2023. It is distributed by ONE Revolution People's Music.

Based in Lagos, it was initially designed as a platform to support independent artists and rights holders globally. All rights of the works are retained by the artists themselves. In addition to the catalogued releases, Nnamani Music Group has assisted artists with digital music promotions and other released projects. The label was launched in 2024.

In April, 2024, the label released an extended play titled "Galactic Theme" by Johnel. This Day Newspaper called it a compilation that "portrays a futuristic, outer space outlook." The Lagos Review described the label as "A new era of opportunities for indie musicians and labels.

Influences


Johnel has stated that he “was captivated with the swag and how great I would feel while watching (them)”. Growing up and listening to artists like Drake, Wizkid and Lil Wayne influenced his decision to pursue his music career full time.

Musical style
According to the South Carolina-based magazine, Sheen, Johnel tackles a variety of genres. His music style has been described as being mainstream hip hop, R&B, afrobeats and pop music with their distinctive features in each song he has released, including his "Galactic Theme" long play. Instruments such as Synth, Saxophone, Pianos, Samples and Dubstep are mostly used in his music.

The Herald also stated that Johnel is "Melding urban influences with mostly soul and pop elements, his sonorous voice easily earmarked him as a force to reckon with within the annals of African music".