Peruzzi on Losing His Mom, Industry, Making “Assurance” & “Risky” w Davido | Afrobeats Intelligence

“Most of these records I give to people — they couldn’t give them to me if it was them.” In this unfiltered episode of Afrobeats Intelligence, award-winning host Joey Akan sits down with Peruzzi, the DMW star and songwriting mastermind behind some of Afrobeats’ biggest records. From penning classics like 2Baba’s “Amaka” and Davido’s “Assurance” and “Risky,” to shaping his own standout tracks like “Majesty,” “Gunshot,” and “Southy Love” with Fireboy DML, Peruzzi pulls back the curtain on the creative highs, industry pressure, and internal battles that shaped his sound — and nearly broke him. Peruzzi opens up about the moment he realized he was no longer making music from the heart. Though his Huncho Vibes and Rum & Boogie eras produced fan-favorite tracks and expanded his global fanbase, he admits he got lost in the amapiano wave and the financial rush that followed. Chasing chart-toppers and chasing trends began to cloud the original voice that made him special. The fans were dancing. The streams were climbing. But deep down, the music no longer felt like him. In an era of algorithm-driven creativity, Peruzzi shares what it means to disconnect, go silent, and rediscover your core. He dives into why so many Nigerian artists — particularly in Lagos’ competitive pop ecosystem — end up trapped by the very sounds that made them famous. With brutal honesty, he explores how audience expectations, performance feedback, and industry incentives in cities like London, Houston, and Toronto distort the growth curve for African artists trying to evolve their sonic identity. For creatives in the diaspora watching closely, this episode hits home. But beyond the critique, Peruzzi shares deep insight into the craft of songwriting in Afrobeats. He reveals the behind-the-scenes discipline of making hit records, often without credit, and his philosophy on mentoring younger artists in the booth. From spontaneous studio sessions to seven-day songwriting marathons with producer Fresh VDM, Peruzzi details what it was like to live wit