Bari Bentley: I don't like to do copy and paste music

Listen to Interview

In this interview, I had the great pleasure of having a conversation with Bari Bentley, who is an independent artist based out of the US, but originally from Nigeria. And in my conversation with Bari, we dive a bit into his background. He talks about how he got started with music and the role that his childhood played in his eventual interest in pursuing a career in music.

Bari grew up in Bariga, a district in Lagos, which he describes as the “trenches.” He spent most of his childhood in the church, an institution that played a key role in helping him discover his overall interest in music. During his time in the church, he became the drummer for the congregation furthering the development of his musical identity. He recalls how during power outages, Bari and his friends would spend their time outside writing and singing songs. 

King Sunny Adé and Awilo Longomboa were his childhood music idols, helping to define his love for cross-cultural genres. 

After dropping out of college in 2020, Bari Bentley began his official journey into the music world by spending time learning about music production and song creation at his friend’s studio. Since starting his music career, he has spent the past five years honing in on his craft by releasing various projects, working with the Supreme Band to develop his live performance skills, and bringing along a team that includes a stylist, creative director, producers and more to assist in his artistic development. 

Bari’s sound is an amalgamation of various genres, including Afrobeats, funk, high-life, R&B, and more. As he said himself, “I don’t like to do copy-and-paste music.” You can be sure to get a unique sound that will traverse your musical experience across cultures, continents, and time. 

Be on the lookout for his upcoming project, Boze. In the meantime, listen to my interview with Bari Bentley and check out his 2024 project Protagonist. 

Listen to Intervew