The Ghetto is beyond ruggedness and violence – Olamide

Nigerian Hip Hop rapper and YBNL boss, Olamide Gbenga Adedeji professionally known as Olamide has stated that the ghetto is beyond ruggedness and violence as many people see it to be.

The 32-year-old rapper stated this in an interview with the Guardian Newspaper, where he narrated how he survived the streets of Bariga.

The singer stated how poverty in the ghetto motivated him to hustle hard, he  also stated that he wanted to see the whole world and  experience different cultures he saw while growing up.

“Surviving was hard Bariga was not far from the other slums you see across the world, from Mumbai to New York and London – life in the ghetto is almost always the same everywhere. There were days when being able to afford three square meals was a big deal for my family. All of that motivated me to hustle hard – I wanted to see the whole world and experience different cultures from what I grew up seeing,” He said.

The rapper explained how many people have limited  understanding of the ghetto, he said that the ghetto is beyond violence and living dangerous  as many people think citing that it involves being smart with your choices and moves.

“Many people have a very limited understanding of the ghetto. They think it’s all ruggedness and violence. The ghetto is way beyond that. Being from the ghetto is not only about guns and knives or living dangerously, it’s about being smart with your choices and moves.

“If you’re smart enough you can do better for yourself. I don’t want people in the ghetto to feel like they are inferior or in competition with anybody. The important thing is looking out for yourself and trusting your process,” he said.

The rapper also talked about his struggles and growth in the nigerian Music industry, he said that doing indigenous rap came with a lot responsibilities, he also sated that he did a lot of collaboration because he knew he couldn’t just do rap alone.

His words: “Doing indigenous rap came with a lot of responsibilities because we had to come correct,” he says. “I knew I couldn’t do this alone: I was doing a lot of collaborations. A-list, B-list, whatever – I kept collaborating with everyone as long as I felt they were pushing and making good music.”

“At the beginning, I was just making music as a kid: I sang based on how I was feeling at that moment,” “I told myself I was done with rap music and just targeted making club bangers.”

The rapper also exlplained  why he never hustled for foreign collaborations that could break him in international markets like his contemporaries. “I’m never going to be desperate, or make funny moves because I’m trying to be successful,” he explained. “I’m an authentic person and that’s what my brand stands for.”

The Rapper however explained how he tries to stay in touch with people he has known since Bariga. “I go on Facebook and message them, but most times they think it’s a fake account. They just don’t believe it’s me and tell me not to text them again,” he said,

Asked if he has survivor’s guilt from making it out of the ghetto he said:  “Unfortunately, there’s only so much I can do,” he says, and adds that he is planning charitable programmes for people from these disadvantaged communities in 2022.

Talking about the motivation behind his newly released album he said: My priority is to express myself freely like a bird right now,” he says. “If I feel something, I just want to go in there and talk about it as much as I can. It’s back to how it all started for me: just making music with my feelings and however it comes.”