Building a Career Without Losing Your Identity

By Snowchild Edge

As an indie artist who immigrated from Nigeria to Canada, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is this: talent alone isn’t enough. If you’re trying to build a career in a new place, especially with a global or genre-blending sound, you have to learn how to translate your story without watering it down.

In Nigeria, the dream was big. I wanted stages, fans, and impact. But when I landed in Canada, I quickly realized the game was different here. People didn’t always get the sound. The references. The energy. So I had to double down on what made me me, and find ways to connect it to the world around me.

If you’re an artist navigating that space, here are a few things that helped me:

1. Own Your Story.
Don’t shrink your identity to fit trends. Whether you’re from Jos, Regina, or anywhere in between, your unique lens is your superpower. That’s places, grant-funded, and on stages I used to dream about.

2. Learn the Business Early.
Music is the heart, but strategy is the engine. Understand your splits. Know how to pitch your music. Look into grants and funding programs (FACTOR, Music BC, etc.). This industry rewards artists who treat themselves like a business.

3. Community is Currency.
Most of my wins came from building real relationships not just online, but in real rooms. Go to shows. Collaborate. Support others. Your network isn’t just your net worth, it’s your creative lifeline.

4. Don’t Wait for a Label to Validate You.
Before I signed with an indie, I had to be my own team, from marketing to budgeting. You don’t need to do it alone, but you do need to take the first step.

This column is for artists like me: navigating multiple worlds, trying to do something meaningful, and figuring it out as we go. If that’s you, you’re not alone.

Let’s build.

Snowchild Edge is a Nigerian-born, Vancouver-based recording artist blending Afrofusion, alt-R&B, and Alt hip-hop.

Website: www.snowchildedge.com