”I will tell you my album is the number one hip-hop album out there now,” Hotyce says.
The talented rapper who made the move from Abuja down to Lagos in 2016 has progressed from just dropping freestyles every Friday to releasing his debut album, ”RedHotyceCold Vol 1.”
In a visit to the Pulse office to promote the album, Hotyce spoke about the inspiration behind songs on the album, working with Jesse Jagz and his plans to embark on a nationwide tour next year.
Let’s take it back a bit, how did you come about the name Hotyce?
Hotyce
”Hotyce represents a paradox and I definitely believe I possess those qualities.
For the album title, I just wanted to make it more personal, like two extremes, cos if it’s hot, this guy will be red hot and if its cold, I will be ice cold. So I decided to make it ”RedHOTYCECold” to tell my story.”
The rapper who emerged on the scene with the record, ’10 O Clock in VGC’ recounts how he was shuttling between Lagos and Abuja and on his way back to Lagos, he decided to create a story about his experience.
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”I decided that when we get to Lagos, we will make a track and name the track the actual time we touched down in Lagos.
We called my producer [Emmeno] and we got to the studio at 10 and decided to make the song and talk about the whole things happening in my life during the period. We were being prophetic at the point.”
The recent years have seen a lot of rappers take to singing or even making Trap music and Hotyce admits that he has been faced with such pressures but he only wants to rap.
”Yes, I feel it is very important to feel fulfilled in anything that you are doing as Jesse Jagz told me ”happiness is something that can’t be measured”
On his relationship with Jesse Jagz
Jesse Jagz performing with Hotyce at the Industry Nite edition of his Odysseus listening party
”He was introduced to me by my in-house producer [Emmeno] and on meeting Jesse Jagz, he made it clear to me that he had known me since.
He took me to his crib and we shared deep chemistry musically and we couldn’t wait to hit the studio. Which led to the birth of songs like ‘Dirty’, ‘Red Light’ and we have another song that will probably be on Volume 2 of my project.”
On what sets him apart from other rappers
”I always try to make sure I come in a way nobody has come before and if you listen to me rap, you can definitely tell that I am fearless behind the microphone.
I am proud of being a rapper, so many Nigerian rappers don’t like the tag ‘rapper’ anymore, that’s not me.”
If he feels he came into Nigerian rap at a wrong time
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The new generation of Nigerian rappers are seemingly facing the genre’s toughest era with fans apathy and under-appreciation, but Hotyce feels the time works in his favour.
