Nigerian songwriter and rapper Laycon has recently released his highly anticipated sophomore album titled BIOBA. In this interview with thelagosreview.ng, Laycon shares that the album was inspired by his personal experiences over the past two years as an artiste and as a human being who wants to grow. He says he was very hands-on with the whole process of the album, both the creative process and release, making it his most vulnerable album yet.
Congratulations on the release of your sophomore album, BIOBA. Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind the album and what it means to you personally?
Thank you, well the album was inspired by my experience for the past two years, as an artiste and as a human being who wants to grow. It’s my most vulnerable album yet and I was very hands on with the whole process of the album, both the creative process and release. So it means a lot to me personally.
The album features collaborations with notable Nigerian artistes such as Peruzzi and Oladapo. How did these collaborations come about, and what was it like working with them?
Shouts out to Peruzzi and Oladapo for blessing this project with their talent. Shouts out to everyone who actually worked on the BIOBA project. After I created “Late Nights,” “Early Days,” Oladapo came through to the studio and created the hook. For Peruzzi, I played him the song and he said he loved it and I asked him to jump on it, and he did. Working with both of them was actually fun and seamless.
BIOBA offers an intimate glimpse into your personal journey, highlighting your experiences, struggles and triumphs. What was the creative process like for this album, and how did you decide on the themes and messages you wanted to convey?
Yes, you’re right about that. The theme sonically is a mellow one, mid tempo rhythm. For the story, I tried to express my emotions on every song and also convey the fact that as an artist, you can’t take away my versatility and the diversity in my sound. And this conveys the overall message of the album, which is that, even if I haven’t figured out my life, I’ll still live it and grow while figuring it out, as opposed to waiting to figure it out before growing.
BIOBA, no doubt a significant milestone in your career, comes after your debut album, Shall We Begin. How do you feel your music has evolved since your debut, and what can fans expect from this new project?
Well, the evolution is evident in the project, I mean, even as a person, there’s been immense growth in everything concerning me and that translates into the music itself. And not just as a artiste anymore but much more than that.
Would you describe Shall We Begin as a huge success considering what you planned to achieve with it?
Definitely, definitely, it was a statement and it changed a lot of things, it opened a lot of doors and it created a lot of opportunities. BIOBA would be much much bigger though.
You’ve been quoted as saying that you rap, sing and play instruments. Did you incorporate any live instrumentation into BIOBA?
Yes, I rap and I sing. On songs like “Marathon,” “Ze Roberto” and “Shine,” live instrumentation was incorporated into the beat making.
What message do you hope listeners take away from BIOBA, and how do you see your music inspiring others?
I want listeners to enjoy the music and connect with it, find a bit of themselves in each song. But most importantly, the message of the album is clear, you can’t wait to figure out your life before you start trying to go for what you want, start pushing now and don’t be scared to fail.
How different was making BIOBA from working on Shall We Begin?
Very, very different, with BIOBA, I was more involved in not just the music creation but the production side of things (when I say production, I don’t mean beat making). I recorded myself on most of the songs, I influenced the sounds and song arrangement of each song and it was a wonderful experience. I created the album while I was studying for my MA degree, too, so the whole experience was different and I enjoyed every bit of it.
You’ve achieved so much in your career already, from winning Big Brother Naija to releasing two albums. What’s next for Laycon, and what can fans expect from you in the future say five years from now?
Expect more music, more diversification and more growth.
You’ve been involved with Fiercenation Entertainment Company, which is known for discovering and promoting raw talent. How has this experience influenced your own career?
It has influenced my career positively and I’m happy for the growth and experience I have gotten on this journey.
During your time on Big Brother Nigeria, you gained a large following and became known for your music. How has this exposure impacted your career, and what advice would you give to aspiring musicians looking to gain a similar following?
The platform is one I’m grateful to have gone through, and the advice would be to be intentional about what you want and make sure you don’t deviate from it. Most importantly, do not lose yourself trying to fit in.
There’s talk about another edition of Big Brother Naija. As someone who has won the competition, what strategies can you share for those getting in the house and hoping to win?
Good luck to all the contestants.
