Victony opens up about his rap inspiration

Nigerian music star Anthony Ebuka Victor, known as Victony, has opened up about his rap inspirations.

In a recent interview with Sway Universe, the “Soweto” singer, who began his career as a rapper before exploring other genres, listed global rap icons Kendrick Lamar, Drake, J.Cole, and Meek Mill among his influences, alongside Nigerian artists MI Abaga, Odumodublvck, and Shallipopi.

Victony explained, “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 visualization and the way he presents it to his fans. That made me a strong fan of Kendrick.

“I also like 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.”

He also expressed admiration for MI Abaga, saying, “MI Abaga inspires me too because he was one of the rappers that popularized the genre in Nigeria and made young artists believe 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.”