One of the most intriguing voices to come out of Nigeria's capital in the past ten years is ODUMODUBLVCK, born Tochukwu Ojogwu, who was raised in Abuja and was born in Lagos.
In addition to being the first Drill musician in Nigeria, he also performs under the umbrella of the Hip-Hop subgenre known as 'Okporoko Rhythms,' which draws inspiration from Grime, Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, and Progressive R&B. His profound, introspective lyricism, which dominates every song and stage he performs on, is influenced by this musical background.
He is the only person in recent memory to have premiered the video for his single 'Picanto,' which features Zlatan and Ecko Miles, at the Silverbird Cinemas in Abuja.
Odumodublvck, a rising Nigerian star who fuses drill, hip hop, highlife, and afrobeats, and who also happens to be the December cover of Pulse Nigeria's Future Sounds playlist, talks about the music industry, his ambitions, and his belief and faith in God in an interview.
The Capital Story:
Odumodublvck narrates how he entered the music industry in 2016 with the intention of becoming his friend's manager, an artist who dropped out of school to pursue a career in music. He claims he (Odumodublvck) had no interest in music because football was his first love, only to fall in love with it as he works his way through the industry behind the scenes.
Odumodublvck has released five albums in the last five years after the release of his first single in 2017.
Talking about the secret behind his consistency, he said "[Music] is everything I've got. It's not a game. It's not a hobby. It's my job. So like, bro, that's it. That's enough to get me going."
"I don't insult police [on my songs] because I want to insult police." He continued by acknowledging that his altercation with the Nigerian policemen and the horrific events he describes in his songs are all aspects of the realities of a young boy like him making his way through the streets of Abuja. "You get me, my reality. What you hear in my songs are happening, it's my reality," he added.
According to the musician, his choice to remain in Abuja despite being born in Lagos, Nigeria's entertainment hub, he said "Like is the capital of Nigeria, the biggest like the number one country in Africa. That's the capital you get me. And Nigeria is literally the capital of Africa, and Africa is literally the capital of the world. So I'm opportune to be in this place where people have not really dug to find the gold mine."
The Industry:
Odumodu claims his signature cap, dubbed "the okpu agu" or "warriors cap," is part of his scheme in his battle against the industry.
"The music industry. The film industry. [The] industry because it's a shitty place. The entire room when niggers win, niggers say they fuck at you and when you enter [they are] looking at their shoes, hoping that you come and greet them first. So I wear this cap. So. See, I don't shoot you when you say you look your shoe in your mind, your spirit is going to trouble you say I did it sitting."
Odumodu is known for tweeting and posting captions on Instagram in capital letters. When questioned about the reason, he said, "I got that from Tyler The Creator, back in 2015 because I'm a huge Tyler fan. He's the person that gives me that dark elements in the music. Like Tyler is kind of guy that I'll say, I ripped a pregnant bitch and told my friend I had the threesome. Like, what the fuck you say? It breeds. this is strategy is part of my branding. If I tweet in small letters, people know everyone."
"And those tweets are not just tweets, they are declarations. You cannot make declarations with small, small letters. I cannot say my album is going to be number one in small letters. I cannot see Jesus Christ in Lord is Lord in small letters. I cannot say that I'm going to conquer In small letters is a proclamation, is a declaration," he added.
Best Song:
"So 'Dog Eat Dog,' that's a song. [It is the ] best song in the world."
"And if you check if you check out, I wish I could bring out some tweets where I tweets I tweeted out if as dog eat dog is out. Now, if you say it's not the best song, that's like blasphemy."
" It is my song. When I recorded it, I listened to it at least 30 times a day," he said while talking about his 2022 hit single 'Dog Eat Dog.'
Project 2023:
The goals for his next project, which is set to be released in the first quarter of 2023, are "greatness, prosperity, and breaking the shackles of poverty for me and my guys," he says.
"This project is going to change all that. This album is going to help my kids, my children. I'm going to be able to pay the scholarship for my gateman's kids."
"My music will bring people together. It will bring about peace and reunite divorcees," he added.
Talking about his soon-to-be released album Odumodublvck confirms Santi, Ajebo Hustlers, AQ, BOJ, Magnito, Replay, Zlatan, Blaqbonez, PsychoYP, Payper Corleone, and others are all on the project.
Watch Full Interview Below: