How e2e’s authentic storytelling vibe pushes creative boundaries in music, fashion

* ‘We come from different musical spaces, but that diversity is our strength’

By Anote Ajeluorou

NIGERIAN-BORN music duo and twin brothers whose stage name is e2e – Ozone Patrick Otuu and Joseph Ezechinyere Otuu – are rapidly becoming one of the most dynamic and visionary acts on the creative scene. With roots deeply embedded in soul, R&B, hip-hop, and experimental soundscapes, their collaborative journey is a tale of resilience, innovation, and uncompromising authenticity. In an interview with TheArtHubNg, the pair traced their musical evolution from childhood fascination that would later morph professional artistic grace.

“My mum will always say I’m the source of the music,” said Patrick, whose stage name is OzoneLayer. “I’m called OzoneLayer on stage because I lay lyrics like eggs. Songs drop out of me even in my dreams.” His brother Joseph, who’s technically inclined and produces under the stage name, OzoneDeWizard, echoed similar sentiment, when he said, “I’m called OzoneDeWizard because of my wizardry in song production. Once I hear a voice, I drop the corresponding beat and that becomes magical.”

Despite their raw talent, their journey has been anything but easy as is mostly the case with newcomers, with Patrick admitting, “Our journey has been tough but steady. Not finding any help in the industry is the major challenge we face. We do it ourselves and push. Meanwhile, we have followed the path of shared voice through contrast. We come from different musical spaces, but that diversity is our strength. Whenever I’m writing and singing from my paper, Joseph jumps in from nowhere with a Rap that will blend perfectly, and I keep nodding. Though the talent is inborn, it has taken years of listening, experimenting, and building trust.” Joseph added, “We did a song with Burna Boy in 2009 called ‘Blackboard’. That song never moved anywhere because there was no money then to push it. Now, Burna is big and everywhere, yet the song was left behind.”

e2e’s sound is deeply collaborative and genre-fluid, as Patrick acknowledged, saying, “We have followed the path of shared voice through contrast, with Joseph explaining further, “We now see music as storytelling; our sound is a conversation between raw and refined elements, melody and rhythm.”

On choice of music as a career path, Patrick said it was an inborn but “it became clear when I was 9 years old and started writing songs that actually moved people. When strangers would tell me how a melody or lyric made them feel something, I knew this wasn’t just a hobby, it was purpose. In my primary school, I will transform lesson notes to lyrics and sing them during break. While other pupils would enjoy the songs, my teachers would always scold me.”

e2e on stage performing

Joseph said he was always seeking moments of solitude just to write songs in his primary school days. When they got to secondary classes, their musical interest intensified. “I would always use two pencils to make beats and OzoneLayer and I will start singing into the beat to the happiness of even the senior students that would peep through the window,” said Joseph. “But we would always end up being flogged for disturbing the school. Once we finished secondary school, I started producing and realized I could translate emotion into sound, and I knew I was building more than just beats. It was about connection, about truth. That was the turning point.”

e2e twin duo has had their fair share of challenges navigating the music industry while developing their unique art form, with Joseph acknowledging, “one of the biggest challenges is knowing when to stop adding ideas into a new song. I will write and feel like I should not end this. My twin brother will step in and we would argue and argue. Also, as a producer, I can get caught in layers and complexity, but sometimes the most powerful thing is restraint.”

Creatively, there’s always a tension between pushing boundaries and staying emotionally honest, Patrick noted, adding, “We co-write everything, so we have to constantly negotiate our ideas without letting ego get in the way. As DeWizard said, we argue most times before agreeing. But we’ve learnt to argue for the song, not against each other.”

The turning point in their career came with their track ‘Bolanle’. A track that was formed when Joseph was building what he termed a somewhat dense, glitchy beat, and Patrick sang a simple melodic line over it. Suddenly, all that chaos had meaning,” and the song caught the attention of Classic FM’s ace Benjamin Okoh (Benjy), who generously aired their music freely. It was through Benjy that they met their first sponsor, BESTOB Entertainment.

“That was how we made the first money in our career,” said Patrick, a smile brightening his face. “We had dropped a lot of songs in the past” that amounted to nothing, recalled Joseph. Patrick also recalled that moment as the first time Joseph encouraged him to freestyle over a beat that felt completely unfamiliar, and “that moment pushed me to let go and trust the process. ‘Bolanle’ shifted how I approached my vocal performance entirely. And it yielded fruit as the song went viral on the streets of Nigeria because of the financial push given to it by BESTOB Entertainment and MegaLectrics broadcasting company in all their radio stations.”

e2e’s creative process is rooted in intuition, spontaneity and mutual trust, Joseph explained their music process, adding that it usually starts with “a beat or a sonic idea I’m messing with. Sometimes it’s a sample, other times it’s a synth pattern or even a voice memo.” Patrick took the idea further, saying that “we sort of riff. I’ll sing over loops, sometimes freestyling melodies before we even get to lyrics.”

e2e co-write every lyric together with Patrick saying, “even if one of us starts a line, the other might flip it or bring a different perspective,” and Joseph completing the thought, emphasizing how complimentary their production process is, “I might come in with something raw and abstract, then Patrick grounds it in feeling or vice versa.”

e2e enjoys voluntary performances where both the rich and poor get to enjoy their sound. “We love performing in voluntary spaces where people who can’t afford to pay for parties come together to be entertained,” Patrick said. “We love taking entertainment to the street where the poor can also dance and have healing from the therapy our music provides. One standout place we constantly perform is at the famous Zifney gig in Lagos. In one such occasion, we performed ‘Jah Dey’ in an intimate theatre space. It was like a whisper shared with the crowd. We wore muted, hand-dyed linen to match the mood. The experience was pure bliss” that spoke to man’s vulnerability.
Another such performance space was at Ugwuegu Carnival, there duo experienced natural love from the people of Ugwuegu, Joseph fondly recalled.

According to him, “Old women who never attended gigs in their lives were shading tears of joy at our captivating performance. Many ran around for hugs. I felt so loved for the first time that very day. That performance was about energy and visibility. And, of course, a third was at an experimental art festival, AbakalikiFunfest, where we integrated visuals and sound in one installation-like performance. Each opportunity came from community, people who believed in what we do and gave us space to show it.”

The studio as production space, according to e2e is the ultimate sanctuary for the birth of sounds, with Joseph saying, “I love the studio for its control and intimacy. It’s where ideas take shape, where I can get technical,” while Patrick regards “the studio as sacred. That’s where energy becomes collective. But I love writing in open spaces, nature clears my head. But when we are done writing, we get into the studio and record.”

They also spoke about their inspiration and musical icons, with Patrick naming his source of inspiration as legends like Sam Fender, Adele, Burna Boy and Rema, adding, “These are artistes who lead with soul and truth.” For Joseph, however, “it’s Stormzy, Little Simz and Rema; artists who’ve redefined sound and space. We also grew up listening to what our parents played; Afrobeats, gospel, and highlife which still shows up in subtle ways.”

Their stage presence is also of interest, with Patrick acknowledging that he experienced stage fright in his early days: “I’ve learned to treat each performance as a conversation rather than a presentation. Once I connect with the feeling behind the song, the nerves fall away.”

“We also spend a lot of time crafting the experience, not just the sound,” Joseph offered. “That includes how we dress, how we move. Preparing for stage is about grounding ourselves in the story we want to tell.”

e2e

Beyond music, the brothers are also fashion designers, creating garments under their own brand, TUFF Fashion. “Sewing is part of our creative expression,” said Patrick. “The clothes are an extension of the music, another kind of language,” with Joseph adding, “we’re storytellers, and that story doesn’t stop at the sound.”

e2e’s distinct fashion, like the music, is created achieve collaboration contrast, Joseph said, adding, “I might start with a rough shape or construction idea, like deconstructed tailoring or something sculptural and Patrick will soften or balance it with draping or colour.”

And for Patrick, “We treat clothing like we treat music: structure meets flow. We’re asking, How does this move with the body? What emotion does this colour or hemline carry?”

Their style choices are deliberate acts of resistance and identity, as Joseph summarises it, “We both come from places where self-expression wasn’t always safe. So now, fashion is liberation. We make what we couldn’t find, what we weren’t allowed to wear.”

“Especially as two Black artistes, sewing our own clothes is reclaiming time, skill, and narrative,” Patrick emphasized, noting, “we don’t just wear the work, we are the work!”

Their ultimate plan is to merge their music and fashion even more deeply, and, according to Patrick, “they’re working on a capsule collection now, garments that respond to specific tracks. Think wearable liner notes,” and “we’d love to do an exhibit where the music, clothes, and visuals live in the same space. No separation between medium and message,” Joseph finished the thought.

For young creatives, their message is bold and expression, as they push the boundary of what is possible: “Don’t wait for permission,” Patrick advised. “If you don’t see what you need out there, make it yourself, even if it’s imperfect,” and Joseph added, “Build your world from the inside out. Whether you’re stitching a hem or layering a beat, it’s all part of the same truth. Just keep telling it.”

Looking ahead, the brothers have ambitious goals, as they envision “expanding our fusion of music and fashion into larger immersive experiences, with exhibitions, wearable art, and live installations,” Patrick explained, and for Joseph, “we aim to collaborate internationally, develop a signature aesthetic that reflects our narratives, and use our platform to empower other creatives, especially those marginalized or coming from underrepresented backgrounds.”

What is self-evident is that through their music, fashion, and unshakable sense of purpose, Patrick and Joseph (aka e2e) are reshaping the narrative of what it means to be complete artistes in today’s world; fearless, fluid, and profoundly human.