Al’Hassan Gimba, popularly known as GIMBA, is a fast rising star in the Afrobeats music scene. After honing his skills at the Sarz Academy, Gimba has set out to carve his path. His debut EP, Amince Da Tsari—meaning "Trust the Process" in Hausa—reflects not only his journey as a musician but also a philosophy he lives by. In this exclusive interview with Deeds Magazine, Gimba shares insights into his creative process, the life-changing experience of Sarz Academy, and how his debut project tells his story. Join us as we explore the music and mindset of an artist focused on authenticity, patience, and the belief that his journey is just beginning.
Deeds Magazine: How has your diverse cultural background (Wazobia) influenced your musical style and themes?
GIMBA: For me, music is a way of expressing myself and what happens around me. Growing up, I used to go to my mum’s church where they preached and sang songs in Igbo. I'm around a lot of Yoruba people, and at my dad's house—although he doesn't speak it to us—the intonation and everything is there. In general, music is how I express my reality on a personal level. Consciously or unconsciously, it's just a part of me. I could sing in an Igbo way, I could sing in a Western way; I can express myself in any way I want. But I don't sit down and say, "Oh yeah, let me sing in this particular way." I'm just expressing myself.
Deeds Magazine: Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process? How do you translate personal experiences into your music?
GIMBA: Generally, my songwriting process depends on some factors. It depends on the producer, where I am, the energy. Some of my songs are vibes; some of my songs just come naturally. When I went to Sarz Academy, I learned how to freestyle without thinking too much because you have limited time for a session. You're just mumbling, and then you write; you put words where you feel like words should be. In some parts you feel like words should not be, you just leave it like that. But sometimes, if I'm feeling really bad and I want to write, I will just express myself in the form of lyrics. Sometimes it might be fun; sometimes it might be sober. It just depends on the mood, where I find myself, who I find myself with, and so many other factors.Â
Deeds Magazine: What inspired the title "Amince Da Tsari," ( Hausa for "Trust the Process,"), your debut music EP and what message do you want to convey with this project?
GIMBA: The project is my first-ever project. I've never actually dropped a song before in my name. That was the first song that I was ever going to be doing, my first project. It's kind of personal to me. The way my career has been going from the onset—not just my career, but my story leading up to this particular stage that I'm in—my life has taught me to just trust the process, trust my own process. I feel like everybody should trust their own process, regardless of whatever it looks like at that point in time. Just trust that everything happens for a reason.
For me, it's my story. I didn't expect to be where I am right now; I didn't even plan it. My life is the definition of "everything happens for a reason." Every room that I've ever entered, everybody that I've ever spoken to—there's a reason why. It's all leading up to this moment. It's a surprising thing for me, and I just felt like I should try to pass the message through my first project, so I called it "Trust the Process."
Deeds Magazine: Could you discuss the creative process behind the EP and any challenges you faced during its production?
GIMBA: The project is like a roller coaster of emotions. About 50% of the project was a result of pressure and a lot of thoughts, and the other 50% is my personal life—personal stories I just want to tell, like love and everything. There's no one particular emotion I'm trying to convey. I wasn't going through anything specific, but I did feel pressure at some point. If you listen to the project, the first song there is "Nightmares," and that song represents the pressure that I faced.
This project reflects different phases of my life combined into one phase that I put into a project. All these things I'm thinking and feeling are what make me who I am right now.
Deeds Magazine: "Only You" is a standout track on your EP. Was it inspired by a specific person or experience in your life?
GIMBA: I was heartbroken when I made "Only You," actually, and it's one of those songs. I was writing from a heartbreak point of view, but for me, it was an "I miss you" point of view, you understand? I recorded "Only You" in 2022 at the Sarz Academy, so it's kind of over a year old. That was just me going through heartbreak, missing the person I used to like then, and I'm like, damn. I was just making a bunch of songs, and I was very excited about the Academy, so I wasn't singing from a "Oh, I'm heartbroken, I'm sad" perspective. It was like, well, it used to be only you, but let me just sing it in the present tense.
Deeds Magazine: How did the collaboration with Olamide on "Tingrado" come about, and what was the experience like working with him?
GIMBA: I didn't expect it. Shout out to my manager and my team. I really like Olamide—not just for the fact we made a song together, but just that he could know that I exist, you get? When I met him, I was already done recording; the project was supposed to be only me, a solo project. Then when I met Baddo, the moment he saw me, he recognized me from "Blessings." He was just so nice. The people around him also kind of recognized me as well, so he just opened his arms and showed me love.
He hadn't heard the song then. I met him at a video shoot, so he invited me to the studio the next day. I went to see him at the studio, and I played him the project. The moment he heard the song hit the chorus, he was like, "Oh, I should just open a verse," within 20 minutes—it was done. I wasn't prepared for it, but it happened like that and he blessed Tingrado with his verse.
Deeds Magazine: Personally, which song was your favorite to work on in the EP? Was it "Tingrado" or any of the other songs?
GIMBA: My favorite song to work on the EP was actually "F*** You," track two. That sound—I feel like that sound is always bursting my head every time. It's my thing; that was my favorite track. It's the one that I enjoyed making because it was a freestyle. I legit have the voice notes where I freestyled the whole song. I was just singing; I was talking about it like I was singing. So I just did the same thing in recording. It was kind of effortless, and it's like a mature sound, you know? It's African jazz, and it has its own uniqueness to it. It's that amount of confidence—the name—and no one says "F*** You." So yeah, that's my personal favorite.
Deeds Magazine: You've worked with notable artists like Wizkid and Wande Coal early in your career. How have these collaborations shaped your musical direction?
GIMBA: In terms of musical direction, I feel like the people who have shaped my musical direction the most are Sarz and Wande Coal. At the academy I was able to observe Sarz process firsthand—how he makes music and stuff. That helped me as somebody who's a deep musical person. He doesn't like when a song feels mediocre, so having that kind of person around you a lot of the time kind of affects how you perceive music. An artist can make music on a song, and to him, it's like a lot can still be done on the song or the production. The drums can sound better, the keys and the piano can sound better, and I can deliver better.
Being around people like that just kind of makes you take the music more personally. It kind of affects how you process music—I don't even know whether that's good or bad. It's good sometimes, but sometimes because I'm a young artist, I'm not supposed to think too much about it. But because of the kind of people that I surround myself with or God put around me, I just pay too much attention to detail in the music—like too much attention. And I feel like that's how it has affected my music in general.
Deeds Magazine: If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
GIMBA: Dead, I'd say Notorious B.I.G. Alive—Drake.
Deeds Magazine: How did your time at the Sarz Academy influence your development as an artist?
GIMBA: For me, it influenced me greatly because I've never been to a music camp before. That was my first encounter with music on that level. I feel like Sarz Academy, for me and everybody was mostly about mingling with other artists. I feel like that was the most influential thing. Before, I never knew my voice was unique. Sarz Academy made me realize that, oh, my voice is unique. That's what made me realize and also gave me the confidence to be different intentionally. So yeah, I feel like that's what I learned, what I got from the Academy majorly.
Deeds Magazine: Can you share any memorable experiences or lessons learned during your tenure at the Academy?
GIMBA: Every day was a memorable experience for me, to be honest, because something would always happen every day. Today Tiwa would come, tomorrow Wande would come, next tomorrow another A-list artist. One day I'm making more mad songs everybody's feeling; another day, I'm on this collaboration; another day, we're going to leave the house. So many experiences that I cherish. I just cherish the whole Academy, the whole camp rather. I can't pick one moment and be like, "Oh, this was memorable."
Deeds Magazine: How do you connect with your audience, and what feedback have you received that has impacted your music?
GIMBA: I feel like right now my family kind of has an idea of what I'm about on a deeper level. I'm growing my community because obviously, I know for a fact that my music is different. It's not something that you need to crack your brain about and ask, "Is it different?" It's different. So I know it might take a while for everybody to catch on, and I am aware of that. But I'm trusting the process. I know it's not a one-day job to do something different and keep owning it and keep pushing. It's not easy, but I'm willing to trust the process.
Deeds Magazine: How do you handle the pressures and expectations that come with rapid success in the music industry?
GIMBA: To be honest, on a personal level, I understand that it's a process. I understand that great things take time. I might have been blessed to work with the biggest names in the game. But then, like I said, I've acknowledged it as a process. I'm putting in my work, putting the time in the studio. I'm growing my confidence every day. I'm getting better at performances, courage, style, everything—like my brand. It's a process, and I'm just trusting the process. It's just my first project. Everybody might not tap in now. I might drop a second project, and obviously, new people will tap in, and they'll be like, "Oh, I didn't even know he dropped that EP song or that song." Now they may not have felt the guy at that time, but now they like this new stuff.
For instance, I wasn't a initially a Burna Boy fan, but now I've tapped in, now he has won my heart. These guys do the process and right now, he's one of the biggest in the world.
Deeds Magazine: Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you're excited about and can share with us?
GIMBA: We might have new music out or a new collaboration. I also have an event that I'm working on, a live performance event that will branded to my taste and just for my fans. Basically people that I want to connect with and people that want to connect with me. That is in the works before the end of this year. So that's one thing that I'm working on, and you should look forward to it because it's going to be amazing.
GIMBA's story is proof of the power of embracing one's roots and trusting the journey, no matter how unpredictable it may seem. From his multicultural upbringing to his unexpected collaborations with industry giants, he remains grounded in his belief that everything happens for a reason. GIMBA is not just creating songs—he's crafting experiences that resonate with authenticity and passion. As we anticipate his upcoming projects and live events, one thing is clear: GIMBA is an artist who doesn't just make music; he lives it, trusts it, and invites us all to join him in the process. Keep an eye—and an ear—out for this rising star who reminds us that the journey is just as important as the destination.
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