Phyno

Nigeria rapper Phyno just released his fourth studio album, ‘Deal With It.’ The act instantly embarked on media promotion of the new work which took him to the studios of Cool FM radio where he was interviewed mid week by presenter, Do2tun.

During the chat, Do2tun asked Phyno how he felt about being pigeonholed as ‘just an igbo rapper’ by asking, “Music is universal. But they try to box rappers like, ‘He’s a rapper from the East (of Nigeria). Do you like that?”

Replied Phyno: “Trust me, I think it’s a box. I should be proud of where I’m from, right? But then again, making it feel like my music is just meant for people in that region is a box already”.

After Do2tun then said he knew Phyno had been trying to change it.

Said Phyno: “Anything you put your energy in drains you. That shouldn’t be my problem, but then again, it’s a box generally, trust me. It’s not something I should be feeling good about. I’m a musician, I’m a rapper doing what I know how to do best, how I want to do it.

“But if you want to start judging from how people see you and put things in their heads, then you’d see this is already a box and it will be difficult to get out of it. So, just do your thing.”

Phyno further explained why the ethnic diversity of Nigeria will forever influence how people respond to music they can understand.

Said he: “Nobody says Tekno or Patoranking, the boy from the East, but they’re from the East. (They) probably (box me) because I make music in Igbo…

“But then again, Wiz does music in Yoruba whether you like it or not. Davido does music in Yoruba whether you like it or not. So why box only Olamide?”

When Do2tun was stunned, Phyno then said, “exactly. It’s your native language. Speak it, be proud of it. Don’t box anybody for what they do. Do you really think I didn’t go to school or that I don’t have my certificate at the end of the day? This is how I know to do my music the best way I can”.

Before the chat ended, Phyno said that he thought South African rapper should be responsible with his tweets. However, the Nigerian rapper said he never had a problem with AKA’s tweets in the wake of South Africa’s loss to Nigeria at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

On the album, Phyno excellently again raps in his native Igbo tongue – even Davido joins him to speak Igbo on the track entitled, ‘Ride For You.’