After winning the music category prize of 2015’s Sprite Triple Slam and sharing the stage with one of his hip-hop inspirations, Vector, Kxng Nero has gone on to collaborate with a UK artiste and developed his sound.
Emavwoyan Oghenero Ubokor was born on the 15th of June, holds an Economics & Statistics degree from the University of Benin, and this is his JJC.
The interview has been edited for the sake of clarity.
Background
I was born and raised in Benin City. I got influenced by Bob Marley and Lionel Richie by my dad. Then R&B singers and later on 2Face, P-Square, D’banj etc.
Your First Encounter with Hip-Hop
Music was my escape route in my early teens. I used music as a form of expression. Growing up, I was labelled a noisemaker or a wild mouth because I wanted to say how I felt. I used to be a fan of R&B and soul music, but the moment I heard Mirror by Lil Wayne and Bruno Mars, I was hooked immediately, and I started writing rap lyrics from there
Writing Hip-Hop
I started writing rap lyrics at age 13, just basic rhymes. I can’t remember what it was, but I’m sure it was whack [laughs].
Hip-Hop Head to Emcee
The artistes that inspired my rap were Lil Wayne and The Game (because of his attitude). Locally it was M.I – Mr Incredible. He was a big inspiration to me in making rap music that Nigerians could vibe on. Then there’s Ice Prince, and later Vector Tha Viper.
Currently, I’m looking to the UK Hip Hop Culture for inspiration; Dave and Stormzy.
Your Most Underrated Song/Verse & Worst Song/Verse
[Laughs] Funny enough, I don’t have a good or a bad verse. I only have a collaboration with Trigga The 24 from the UK, and I delivered the same with my singles.
Plans
My plans are still underway. I’m still working on my sound and growing my fanbase. I hope to drop my songs in 2023, jump on more collaborations, and also performing on different stages.
