Young Keta shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Young Keta, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
I’m chasing the version of myself God showed me in silence. I’m chasing peace. I’m chasing purpose. I’m chasing that dream I had as a kid when I saw a crowd screaming my name, not because I was famous, but because I healed something in them through music, through presence. That’s what I’m chasing.
If I stopped?
I’d lose myself. I’d lose the reason I’ve survived heartbreak, injury, being alone, being doubted, being counted out. I’d lose the reason I kept praying when no one clapped for me. If I stopped, there would be no ‘Suru Suru.’ There would be no light for the kid who’s stuck in his room wondering if he’s crazy for dreaming bigger.
‘Suru Suru’ means patience, but it also means pain. It means praying even when nothing changes. It means learning how to wait without folding. It means trusting God when your name ain’t buzzing yet. So nah, I can’t stop. Because if I stop, I lose everything I’ve become by learning how to endure.
And that’s what this song is about. That’s what this journey is about. Not fame. Not hype. Faith.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Young Keta, an Afrobeats artist born and raised in Rancho Cucamonga, California, but deeply rooted in Nigerian culture. My music isn’t just sound, it’s a reflection of discipline, duality, and divine timing.
I started as a D1 track athlete at BYU until a career-ending injury forced me to rediscover who I was outside of sports. Through that loss, I found music and more importantly, I found purpose.
My sound blends the warmth of African rhythm with the grit of West Coast ambition. I don’t just make songs, I build movements. And that’s what ‘Suru Suru’ is.
‘Suru Suru’ is the Yoruba word for patience. But to me, it’s not just about waiting, it’s about trusting God, holding your tongue when it’s easier to snap, and letting your silence speak louder than chaos. That’s the life I live. That’s the brand I carry.
Everything I do, from the visuals, to the way I dress, to how I walk into a room, is intentional. I’m building a legacy that bridges culture, style, and story.
Right now, I’m pushing ‘Suru Suru’ across California and beyond, with a rollout of live performances, street campaigns, reels, interviews, and visuals designed to connect emotionally and globally. I want people to feel seen. I want them to feel strong. I want them to feel Keta.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was just a kid with a wild imagination and a soft heart. I was always dancing, always dreaming, whether it was in church with my family or in the mirror pretending to be on stage. I felt free. But as I got older, I started learning that people didn’t always reward softness or creativity. They respected toughness, silence, or pretending you don’t care.
Growing up Nigerian-American in Rancho Cucamonga, I carried two worlds on my back. At home, I was expected to follow tradition, stay quiet, get straight A’s, be a doctor. Outside, I was this tall, Black kid with big dreams and energy that didn’t always fit into boxes. I started to shrink myself. I started hiding parts of me just to survive.
But through music, I found that kid again, the one that wasn’t afraid to feel or speak truth. ‘Suru Suru’ came from that place. It means “patience.” It means walking your own path with God, even when it’s quiet, even when nobody claps. It’s about trusting your spirit over noise.
So who was I before the world told me who to be? I was already who I am now. I just had to fight to protect him.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely. More than once.
There were days I sat alone in my car, feeling like I lost everything, my friends, my support system, and sometimes, even my will to keep going. I moved away for school, I was a full-time D1 student-athlete, and chased dreams that felt invisible to everyone but me. Then came the injuries. The isolation. The moments where people who used to cheer for me vanished, and the silence got loud.
But even in that darkness… I never let go of why I started.
Suru Suru, patience, is not just a song. It’s a survival mindset. It’s me telling myself:
“Hold on. Breathe. Trust God. Your story ain’t done.”
Every time I wanted to snap, disappear, or quit, I chose to wait, build, and sharpen in silence.
Now, I make music for anyone who’s ever felt that invisible weight, that inner battle, and still chose to stand up again. I almost gave up. But I didn’t. And if you’re reading this, I want you to know, you don’t have to either.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
The truth that very few people agree with me on?
That patience is the flex.
In a world obsessed with rushing, clout, and fast success, I believe the strongest move you can make is to slow down, trust God, and let your energy speak.
That’s what Suru Suru means. It’s Yoruba for ‘patience,’ but for me it’s deeper than a word, it’s a way of life.
When I created this track, I wasn’t just making a banger. I was building a bridge between faith and finesse. Between tradition and now. Between prayer and partying. I’m Nigerian-American, born and raised in Cali, and I grew up learning to move with purpose even when I’m surrounded by pressure.
Suru Suru is what happens when self-control becomes the drip.
My whole rollout is built on this idea, that your power multiplies when you don’t rush. When you trust your timing, your music, your vibe, your team, and your God.
I’m lit, I’m fly, and I’m freezing, yeah. But more than anything, I’m patient. And that’s what makes me dangerous.”
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
When I’m gone, I hope people say: “That man never gave up on himself, he knew who he was and stayed patient with the process.”
The story I want people to tell about me isn’t just about streams or numbers. It’s about how I trusted God when nobody else saw the vision. It’s about how I built something from nothing. It’s about how I moved like a king, even when I was overlooked.
‘Suru Suru’ means “patience” in Yoruba, but it’s more than just waiting. It’s how you wait. Quietly. Boldly. Faithfully. I made this song to remind myself and others that your moment is coming, but it don’t come to those who rush. It comes to those who build.
“I cannot calculate how much ice is on my wrist… I’m freezing.”
That’s not just flexing. That’s discipline. That’s work. That’s late nights editing my own content, paying for my own shoots, showing up even when I’m drained, because I believe in what I’m building.
You might see ice on my wrist, but what you don’t see is the fire in my soul that got me here.
So yeah… when I’m gone, I hope people remember a young Nigerian kid from Rancho Cucamonga who made his name mean something. Who brought jollof rice to the dance floor. Who said “Do your dance,” and meant it.
Not just for the gram, but for your soul.
And while Suru Suru represents the quiet patience of my journey… what comes next is the sound of motion. But what came after really defined me. Run Run is the song that stamped my name.
I’ve got a project coming this fall called KETA — it’s not just a collection of songs. It’s a documentation of everything I built when no one saw me moving.
If Suru Suru is what I survived… KETA is what I became.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.youngketaofficial.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youngketaofficial/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiAzyrMDiw1ik3YVfficr7w
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/youngketa
- Other: Bandcamp (Direct-to-Consumer Purchase): https://youngketa.bandcamp.com/track/suru-suru
