Having already staked his claim to rap royalty in Nigeria with his impressive single run spanning a number of years in the industry, Psiv has peaked at a point where his compositions; a fusion of mind-altering lyricism and heady instrumentals, offers so much more than the promise of the rise of a new subgenre of Hip-hop in the Nigerian music industry and even more nuances than his narratives seem to include as the rapper realizes the weight of his words and the rise of his persona trumps these implications. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Psiv mirrors the vibrant energy that characterizes the buzzing city where he has spent most of his life. A city full of thrill that is better experienced than described, he aims to relay the energy Lagos embodies by tapping into the intricacies of drill to deliver a mix of hard truths and jumpy one-liners that encapsulate the wholesome reality in all its glory and gore on his debut project, Welcome to the 234 paints the Lagos experience and the paradox of frustration and excitement that runs across its consciousness, especially amongst the youth.
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The five-track Welcome To The 234 arrives at a critical time in the country. Following the nationwide #EndSARS protests against police brutality in Nigeria last year, the government has made attempts to silence Nigerian youth. The hard-hitting energetic EP encapsulates this awareness while charting a new era for the country’s dwindled hip-hop scene. A pioneering EP, Psiv through Welcome To The 234 presents a genre-defining moment for Nigeria’s gradually rising drill music scene. It also details the wholesome Lagos experience using the rawness of drill to capture the mixed feelings of frustration, angst, and excitement.
In the coming weeks, Psiv will visualize these narratives through even more vivid imagery.