WeTalkSound sat down with ODUMODUBLVCK to discuss his BET Hip-Hop nomination & his new found success.
WTS: How does it feel to be nominated for the Best International Flow Category at the 2024 BET HIP-HOP Awards
Odumodu: I feel blessed. It’s a blessing coming from where we’re coming from it’s not easy. I’m grateful to God for putting us there.
WTS: How do you feel about being nominated alongside international artists like Ghetts and Steff London?
Odumodu: Price don go up. No long talk
WTS: Your music combines Afrobeats with a unique lyrical flow. How important is it to you to blend your Nigerian roots with hip-hop?
Odumodu: It’s always important. Anywhere you’re going they must know where you’re coming from. It’s as simple as that.
WTS: Are you aware that you’re the 5th Nigerian to be nominated for this particular award?
Odumodu: who, who, who and who?
WTS: There’s been Falz, Burna Boy, Ladipoe
WTS: You’re the 4th. How does that make you feel?
Odumodu: HIPHOP LEGACY!
WTS: What does this mean for Nigerian Hiphop?
Odumodu: It means a lot for people that want to tap into it and people that see it for what it really is, it means a lot. Like if I was not nominated I’d still be looking at it like “This is a mad p and I’d like to be on that wave.” Like any other person, it means a lot. Drawing attention to what we are doing, you know. It helps other people in my region, for people to put eyes on them, you know as it is everywhere.
WTS: Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming projects or collaborations?
Odumodu: My gang tape is coming soon with the Anti World Gangstars. Name of the tape is “Nothing Changed”. Everybody should watch out.
WTS: It features the whole collective?
Odumodu: Features the whole gang
WTS: I mean a lot of people have the opportunity to blow up and put their guys on and they never do. What’s different for you?
Odumodu: They are my brothers o
WTS: You guys all started together?
Odumodu: Yes. It’s very easy for me. It’s not rocket science. That’s how it has always been.
WTS: Along the line are there people that have fallen off or you’re still with the same gang right from time?
Odumodu: All the artists that I started the work with are still the same people.
WTS: You have fans growing all over Nigeria and all around the world. What message do you have for them?
Odumodu: They should keep believing. The vision is meant for you. When God gives you the vision you’re supposed to move ahead and carry it out cos if you look at what people are saying, you’ll just disappoint not only yourself but disappoint God.
WTS: With your music gaining international recognition, how do you stay grounded with your music representing both your personal experiences and a wider Nigerian narrative?
Odumodu: For me personally, I don’t take joy in stunting for people, so to stay grounded is not something that I try to do. Like, follow come. You cannot be who you’re not.
WTS: Looking back at your earlier work, how do you think your sound has evolved? What experiences have shaped this transformation?
Odumodu: Of course. I think everybody that makes music. If you put 10, 000 hours into something, you would definitely evolve on that thing. But it depends on how much you also really want to evolve. Some people can put in 10, 000 hours in something but they might not evolve, they only mastered it.
WTS: People say you’re the saviour of Nigerian/African hip-hop. Do you think they’re right? Do you think that person is you?
Odumodu: I don’t think it’s me. Other people in the hip-hop space are putting in work. Whenever they release music because I’m a hip-hop artist, I see it as an extension of me. I don’t see it as a competition. Once you see it as a competition, you can never be an extension of me when I drop. That means you’re against me. Do you get what I’m saying? The saviour of hip-hop is not me, it’s everybody. Jeriq dropped a wonderful project. Would I now say because my project had more streams in the first week, he did not contribute anything to hip-hop? It’s not possible.
It contributed a lot and it cannot even be quantified. It’s still so funny how people come out and say I’m the saviour of hip hop. For them to make such bold statements means I’m doing something good but on the other hand, some people think I cannot rap or that the music is not good.
At the end of the day, they say “talk is cheap”. If you say “God is not real” nobody will hold you. Anybody can say whatever they want to say but when it’s time for the shows and people are buying out tickets, people are coming out in numbers, people are supporting this thing. Because you don’t understand it or you have a personal vendetta or you’re jealous.
The era of claiming to be the face of rap or Afrobeats has passed. Now, whatever you say, you must back it up. If you can’t back it up, we’re not listening to you. All your claims are null and void. Do you understand what I’m telling you?Nobody can come out to say that their album is the hip-hop album of the year.
It would be a lie because everybody saw what “Eziokwu” did. It is definitely the hip-hop album of the year based on numbers, impact, the success of the album, the rollout and every single thing. That’s why people can say I’m the saviour but I don’t see myself as that. But people who haven’t even achieved what Eziokwu has achieved want to self-acclaim Saviour. It’s not possible. They want to say that I can’t rap but that’s impossible because it’s on paper.
WTS: In most of your interviews, people ask you what your inspirations are, or guys that you looked up to or still look up to in the music industry. I know you’ve constantly talked about MI and Skepta. Are there other people that inspire you?
Odumodu: Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, Jay Z, Duncan Mighty, Reminisce
WTS: Duncan Mighty because of the melodies?
Odumodu: Yes
WTS: Put us on to some of the emerging artists that you think are doing something that we should watch out for.
Odumodu: To be honest, I’m not listening as much as I should right now but because I’m not listening doesn’t mean there are not people putting in the work or that their work isn’t valid. For instance, there’s Ayo Maff, Qing Madi, and even my guys, Anti World Gangstars.
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