Today we’d like to introduce you to Oluwatimilehin Oyelude.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Oluwatimilehin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always been an artistic person. At about seven years old, I already had my own collection of comic books drawn and written by me. It had already been established that I had an eye for art but I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to be. I mean, I was only seven years old lol. Alongside my artistic abilities, I was also the house handyman when it came to electronic gadgets and small appliances which earned me the title “Engineer toh bad!” a Nigerian slang to emphasize how good a person is at something. I started to wonder if Engineering was actually my calling and so I took a chance on it as my course of study in college.
While in school, I made a lot of new friends, particularly ‘Kuddi’ who was interested in music video production at the time. On one boring lazy day, we borrowed a camera from a nearby friend and decided to make a short film. We came up with the story and theme right there and then and I acted in it. Something simple and dropped it on YouTube but it got a lot more traction than we expected. We started making more with more people in the area starred in them. From there, I started producing music videos and promotional videos for brands like Trend Savvy and Min Apparel. One of the music videos got featured on Grm Daily, one of UK’s big music platforms. I took a long break from these activities to focus on my mental health.
About a month later, I left the UK on an impulse decision and made my way to Los Angeles to study “Producing” at the New York Film Academy, LA and subsequently, worked with big industry names like Wale, Jovian Wade, Young Chrisnt, Guapdad, Rick Ross and other names. I have my own production company now and working on other things that will be ventured into in the nearest future. Stay tuned!
Has it been a smooth road?
The road to Greatness can never be smooth. If it is smooth, then your goals are not big enough. Being African from African parents, you probably know where this is going. You have three options in an African home; being a doctor, lawyer or engineer. My option was to be an engineer, and I hated it. It kind of messed with my mental health, to the point I stopped going for my classes and started sneaking into my friends’ classes because they study media. But I fought my way through it and did not give up on my dreams. And now, I am fully watching my dreams become a reality. My advice to everyone out there, if you have a dream and believe in your dream. IT WILL HAPPEN. You create your reality!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a storyteller, I use several means of expressing myself such as writing scripts, photography and visuals of all kinds. KHULULA has a sub branch called “Inner thoughts…Production” that is the film and music video aspect. KHULULA is also a creative agency, where we bring creatives of kinds together. KHULULA means Free spirit, we give creatives the freedom to express themselves to the fullest. The greatest aspect of KHULULA is that we have worked from Nigeria to United Kingdom and now Los Angeles, it is safe to say we are worldwide. KHULULA has some other ventures in the works, they’re not ready to be disclosed. Stay tuned!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
With how diverse I am, due to the constant moving from countries. 5 – 10 years from now. KHULULA will become a powerhouse of trends globally. We will bring African culture to America and other parts of the world, for Black people that want to reconnect with their roots, and also for other races that want to learn more about Africa. Because Africa is the motherland for trends, Black people create trends and black people are Africans. So it is bound to come back to the roots.
Contact Info:
- Website: khulula.world
- Phone: 818-355-6147
- Email: michaeloyelude@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khulula_timi/ https://www.instagram.com/khululaproduction/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KhululaProd https://twitter.com/Khulula_timi
Image Credit:
Timi Oyelude
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
