Odumodublvck, the popular rapper also known as Tochukwu Ojogwu, has asserted that Nigerians often do not show proper respect for the hip-hop genre and its artists.
He recently discussed this issue during an interview with the CTRL Room. The “Declan Rice” artist recounted experiences from his struggling days in the industry, including not being offered seats at award events.
During the interview, Odumodublvck also revealed that he rejected a suggestion from his team to collaborate with the afrobeats superstar, Davido, as a means to gain fame. He explained his reasoning, stating that he believed his style aligned more with UK grime stars and the international market they represented.
He shared, “In 2019, someone [on my team] suggested that we go to Lagos and meet Davido. But I thought, ‘What can Davido do for me? Even if Davido takes me to America and puts me on stage rapping my material, his fans won’t understand it because they are afrobeats fans.'”
Odumodublvck continued, “But these guys like Teezee, BOJ, and Sholz are the pipeline to the UK market. They are the artists I sound closest to internationally. So, why not follow that path to reach my goals? I decided that I didn’t need Davido for anything at that moment. Instead, I would follow artists who share my vision.”
He went on to express his frustration with the lack of respect for hip-hop in Nigeria, mentioning an incident where they didn’t have seats at an award show. According to Odumodublvck, this lack of recognition and respect is a recurring issue within the Nigerian music industry.
However, he also acknowledged Wizkid’s controversial statement that “hip-hop is dead” and agreed with it, emphasizing that he was pleased by Wizkid’s assertion, saying, “I was tremendously happy about Wizkid’s statement… Hip-Hop was dead.”
In summary, Odumodublvck highlighted the challenges and lack of respect that hip-hop artists often face in Nigeria and discussed his decision to align with the UK grime genre to pursue his musical vision. He also expressed agreement with Wizkid’s statement that “hip-hop is dead.”
