At this stage, no one is a stranger to the university-to-mainstream -pipeline that has produced a lot of our Afrobeats stars. For individuals who witnessed it in real time, seeing their favorite artists transition from being emerging talents in college to clinching actual superstardom on the country’s biggest stages is always a romantic story, everyone loves. Like Asake, the superstar Victony featured on Stubborn his lead single off his debut album of the same name—Victony is also a product of the same circumstances.
Asides the fact that stories like Victony’s and Asake’s romanticize the path to fame and success—and acts as a beacon of hope that reinforces the validity of our dreams, it also highlights the resilience of artists like Victony, who haven’t only perfected their craft and honed their artistry to represent their unique identity but have also persevered despite all odds to succeed nonetheless.
Victony’s resounding success has made us momentarily forget the fact that it was only some years back, he was involved in a ghastly accident that would have rendered irreparable damage to almost anyone else. But Victony’s recovery—not only physical, but mental—also gave him extra fortitude to power through his demons and rise to the top. If suffering was a competition like a lot of Nigerians love to indulge in, Victony’s got more than his fair share and that’s probably why a lot of us are rooting for him.
What was the music community in FUTO like? Did it encourage and platform artists, and also foster a collaborative spirit?
Don’t know if there was a music community, or I probably just wasn’t part of it. I had friends that aspired to be artistes as well, and we pushed each other. I developed a fan base in school, sharing my freestyles to other students who lived close.
Prior to school, how serious were you about music and how more passionate did you get when you found a community of creatives?
I was very passionate about the music. But I had passion for other art related stuff like, painting, acting e.t.c I chose music when I got into the uni.
You used to make hip-hop leaning music, before eventually doing more Afro, did the community back at school influence that?
No it didn’t. I really loved rap.
On your album tracklist, you give a shout out to Baddo, who encouraged and advised you to drop your debut album now. What’s that relationship like and your other mentorship relationships in the industry, like Falz and Elo?
Baddo and I are really cool. Falz is like a big brother to me, he was the first to take a bet on me.
What do you feel like you has learnt from all these great working relationships, that were invaluable and have altered the course of your career?
I’ve learnt to always trust my own instinct & be a little more selfish. ‘Cause my purpose is different from others.
As an artist, how do you tune out distractions and lock in? What are the things that keep you grounded, when you’re losing touch with reality?
I always try to remind myself how bad I want it, and if my actions aren’t matching up, I know that I have to go harder.
Your accident was a very tragic one, but thankfully you’re all recovered now and it is behind you. Was there anything that you took from the experience that in someway, shaped you to be a better artist?
I learnt that life happens sometimes, but we gotta keep moving regardless.
Stubborn has gotten overwhelmingly positive reviews from fans and critics, alike. Was that expected or was a bit shocking to him?
Yes it was expected. We really love what we created and we expected the same from the fans.
Of course, the themes of the album commemorates your own tales of resilience and perseverance to the top, which is the quality of being stubborn. How do you remain stubborn now, despite the success and keep the hunger for more alive?
Staying on my path towards self discovery, would forever keep me stubborn.
