NTS regular Obongjayar has been hosting a show since 23 August 2018. NTS aired an episode dedicated to the music of Obongjayar on 12 January 2025. Obongjayar has been played on NTS over 40 times, featured on 39 episodes and was first played on 17 December 2016.

Steven Umoh grew up in Calabar, Nigeria. He was raised by his grandmother; his mother had moved to the UK to escape Umoh's father, who was abusive. Early in his life, Umoh primarily listened to bootleg rap, particularly Eminem, Usher, Nelly, Snoop Dogg and Ciara.

Umoh moved to live with his mother in England at the age of 17, but stayed active in the Nigerian music scene. He grew up a devoutly religious Christian, but became less so after he attended university in Norwich. In college he sang primarily in an American accent, influenced by his childhood spent listening to American hip hop music, but he transitioned to singing in his natural Nigerian-British accent before embarking on his professional career