FirstKlaz, Young Don.

FirstKlaz, also known as Young Don, born Esla Justice Joseph, is a 24-year-old multi-talented artist from Nasarawa, Nigeria. He grew up listening to legends such as Fela Kuti, 2Face Idibia, Majek Fashek, and others.

FirstKlaz is steadily writing his name into the history of African music, having worked with the likes of ODUMODUBLVCK, Terry Apala, Joeboy, Zlatan, Jeriq, and more.

Dubbed the “New Gen-Z King,” FirstKlaz released his debut project, Déjà Vu, in 2025. The 7-track collaborative project with Iliya Entertainment Music spawned standout records such as “Lili” and “Gen-Z Arewazobia.”

Creative Direction: Dammy Prince for cosamote.

Photography: Manuel Michael

Styling: Damilare Afolabi

Studio: Acadarri

BTS Videography: Sulaiman Farouk

Production: Dammy Prince

Production Assistant: Kambai Joel

Post-Production: cosamote.

Wording / Interview: Dammy Prince

Tailor / Brand: Brass NG

FirstKlaz (helicopter boy) pulls up to Acadarri Studios at 13:03 in a HighFashion tee and camo jorts, looking fly. He is accompanied by his producer, Monstersoundz.

PK: Hey Firsty, how’re you doing?

FK: I’m doing great, What’s gucci, How’s your work?

PK: Blessed man. We stay pushing.

PK: Where’s your doll, and what’s her name?

FK: She’s chilling in my backpack, her name’s AMANDA.

PK: Do you remember the first song that made you think, ‘Yes, I want to be a musician’?

FK: Actually, yes, I do.

PK: who’s your biggest musical inspiration?

FK: Michael Jackson. That man really redefined what it means to be a gblobal artist. So yeah, MJ.

PK: What was it like growing up in Abuja?

FK: Crazy, because I didn’t grow up in the ‘sexy’ part of Abuja. I grew up in Nyanya, which is pretty much the trenches if you’re familiar with the capital city, so I had to grind my way up.

PK: That’s rough tough.

FK: Really roughhh (laughs)

PK: Are you a morning person or a night person?

FK: Hmm, 80% of my activities really happen at night, so I’d say I’m a night person. I’m really active at night.

PK: Okay, tell me what a normal day or night looks like for FirstKlaz.

FK: My normal day is boring, trust me. But I’m always listening to weird music or watching stuff on YouTube.

PK: What comes easier for you: Recording or Performing on stage?

FK: Recording, but performing is the favorite part of my job for me.

PK: In one word, how would you describe your career so far?

FK: BLESSED!

PK: You’ve gone viral multiple times. if it’s not ‘Doll,’ it’s ‘Hyena’ or something wild. How do you come up with such concepts? Or is there a creative behind that?

FK: Haha, I just create whatever I’m feeling at the moment, and thank GOD it’s doing what it’s doing for real.

PK: Can you guess my favorite FirsKlaz song of all time?

FK: Gen-Z Fuji right ?

PK: (Laughs). No, ‘Sacrifice.’ I also love ‘umi’ with wordsofAzia. How did the record come about?

FK: It’s a beautiful song. I overheard Monstersoundz creating some dancehall stuff, and I hausarized it. Right then, I knew Azia was the right person for the song. I even met her at a Spotify event last year, and she’s such an amazing person. God bless her.

PK: Let’s talk about ‘DéjàVu.’ What inspired the project, and why did you decide to work with Iliya Entertainment, a group of grown-ups who aren’t in the same age bracket as you?

FK: I’ve been having that feeling of Déjà vu for close to a year now, and I decided to make a project out of it. Iliya Entertainment Music felt like the best fit because the collaboration between me and the old men just felt like the right way to explain Déjà vu musically, especially with the old samples on the project.

PK: What’s your personal favorite track on the project?

FK: Maria.

PK: How many songs were initially recorded for the project?

FK: More than 30songs.

PK: Impressive work rate! How well do you think the project was received, say on a scale from 1 to 10?

FK: I don’t really pay attention to the reception. there’s something I needed the world to see: to build a vintage, Déjà vu world and the project did that. That’s what’s important to me.

PK: A piece of advice for a 7-year-old firstklaz?

FK: Stay with GOD

PK: Name one male and one female act you’d love to work with.

FK: Kanye West, Doechii.

PK: What’s one song you wish you had written?

FK: Wande Coal’s ‘Again’. Amazing record right there.

PK: I’m sure you weren’t expecting this, but what happened to the ‘Nostalgia’ album?

FK: Haha, trust, it’s still coming! Nostalgia album 2027, pure bliss!

PK: How about the other 3-track project that included a song with EESKAY & REEPLAY? What happened to that one?

FK: We are humans, and we grow every day, so I guess I grew from it.

PK: Do you consider yourself a workaholic?

FK: Yes, I work as twice than a robot trust me.

PK: So, what’s next? What should we be expecting in 2026?

FK: ore singles, more features, more collaborations… I actually have a collab with Khaid that’s dropping sooner than expected (that’s exclusive right there) — laughs.