‘Drake, Shallipopi, Odumodublvck inspired me’ – Victony

Nigerian musician Anthony Ebuka Victor, popularly known as Victony, has spoken about his rap inspirations.

The music star, who started his career as a rapper before switching to other genres, said his hip-hop inspirations include global heavyweights like Kendrick Lamar, Drake, J.Cole, and Meek Mill, and his compatriots MI Abaga, Odumodublvck and Shallipopi.

Speaking in a recent interview with Sway Universe, Victony said: “I started [my career] as a rapper. I really looked up to Kendrick Lamar earlier in my career because of his artistry. Kendrick is that one rapper who is not just about what he says but also his visualisation and the way he presents it to his fans. That made me a strong fan of Kendrick.

“I also likes Drake because of his flexibility. He’s one of the first Americans to hop on the Afrobeats wave. I was a fan of Drake before that. Obviously, I listened to J.Cole as well. I listened to some Meek Mill.

“MI Abaga inspires me too, because he was one of the rappers that popularised the genre in Nigeria and made young artists believed it was possible to be successful as a rapper in the country. Now, we have the likes of Odumodublvck and Shallipopi. Odumodublvck just did his US tour. Rap is becoming big in Nigeria. Sometimes, I blend it with afrobeats.”

Victony said he’s also hoping to inspire other Nigerian children to achieve their dreams.

“I am doing this for Doyin. I am doing this for the kids in Ojo. I hope that they look at me and get inspired,” he said.