In this episode of The Afropolitan Podcast, we sit down with Gaise Baba, one of the most important voices shaping Afro Gospel, to unpack the real story behind how his song “No Turning Back” became a global movement before it was ever officially released.
From organizing free concerts while broke, to navigating criticism from the church, personal grief, and long seasons of obscurity, Gaise Baba shares a raw and honest journey built on faith, discipline, and conviction.
This conversation explores how preparation meets purpose when nobody is watching.
We dive into:
How “No Turning Back” went viral on TikTok and Instagram before release, and why timing mattered more than strategy
The real economics of gospel music in Nigeria, and why African artists are quietly out earning Western counterparts
Faith versus logic in creativity, business, and decision making
The backlash around modern gospel music and how Gaise Baba stayed rooted through criticism
What it really means to build while broke, unseen, and underestimated
This episode goes beyond music.
It is about identity, discipline, legacy, grief, and cultural influence.
If you are a creator, artist, founder, or someone navigating purpose in a noisy world, this conversation will stay with you.
Welcome to The Afropolitan Podcast, where African stories are told with honesty, depth, and pride.
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00:00 Why 82 percent of viewers don’t subscribe and why it matters
01:05 Growing up a church boy and choosing faith
03:52 The controversy that almost ended his career
05:45 Handling criticism without losing conviction
07:43 Building quietly during broke and unseen seasons
09:50 The birth of Light Out and lessons in discipline
10:06 Organizing a concert with no money
12:13 Reaching students across schools and universities
13:29 The Aramanda Festival breakthrough
14:27 Preparing for visibility through unseen work
15:36 The invisible roots of success
16:50 How No Turning Back went viral before release
18:22 Mobilizing thousands through WhatsApp
20:09 The Lawrence Oyor collaboration story
21:19 When virality forced the release
24:05 Recording the video inside a church
26:20 Why the congregation became the performance
28:13 The moment that defined the song
30:08 How the remix really came together
33:40 Spiritual preparation behind the song
36:21 Almost missing the remix moment
38:38 Publishing masters and artist rights
40:28 The economics of Afro Gospel
43:10 Nigeria as a global worship capital
47:20 Faith versus logic in business
50:14 Lessons from the miracle of the 5,000
52:21 Scaling Aramanda with discipline
55:12 Why most Christians fail in business
57:40 Contracts transparency and legal protection
01:00:07 First label experience lessons
01:02:32 Guardrails for creatives
01:04:21 Entering culture without losing light
01:07:19 Soldiers versus spectators analogy
01:10:43 Navigating grief during breakthrough
01:13:32 Spiritual stamina and preparation
01:16:30 Advice for young men searching for meaning
01:20:00 The future of Afro Gospel
01:23:44 Rapid fire questions
Learn the strategies behind tech and crypto within the African diaspora. We demystify the pathways to limitless value creation within these emerging technologies and the communities around them.
