Interview: ‘Hip hop is a culture, not a genre’ — Erigga

Only very few have a reputation like Erigga’s in Nigeria’s rap scene. Year after year, the Aries has consistently positioned himself in a space of relevance through dangerously authentic music, social media opinions and dedication to the rap game. His latest album titled ‘GOAT’ portrays with dogged emphasis his legendary status, built over a career span of two decades so far.

 

“To be Erigga in 2025 is just — nothing is really tripping me anymore. One thing that has kept me going is the authenticity in my brand,” he confesses.

“My music has been centered around my life since I entered into the industry. It’s never been about trying to prove to you that ‘oh, I have got the best punchline’. It’s not based on what’s hot, or what’s trending.”

 

 

Following recent conversations about what African rap music should sound like and how much impact hiphop has had on afrobeats’ journey as a culture, this conversation with an act like Erigga is coming at a golden moment when so many questions are to be answered.

 

“Rap is like water; it takes the shape of anything you put it in.

 

The rapper goes on to answer these questions and more in this chat with Itty Okim. This piece has been edited for length and clarity.

 

How long have you been in this industry for?

 

I’ve been here for the longest, let’s say fifteen years. That’s officially, because I made my first official video in 2010. That’s the first time I made an appearance in the Lagos market but I’ve been doing this in the south-south since 2005.

 

Considering all the years you have been in the industry, describe it in three words.

 

‘This is the beginning’. Those are four, but you get the point. I feel like this is just the beginning because a whole lot is to happen. I was literally there when everybody picked up, but my emphasis has just been to try and spread my message to a whole lot of audiences. So it’s not something that’s going to be hot now and cold for the next generation. But the industry keeps evolving. From the whole Alaba era, and still going down to another era entirely. It’s just been great.

 

Where did the idea for the GOAT album come from?

 

Funny enough, it is me looking back to how far I’ve come. The journey, the downtimes and how I’ve remained steadfast in pushing my p. I have to be the ‘Greatest Of All Time’ because if you look at it, if there’s anybody that is still there and is still here topping charts and still relevant to the younger generation and the older generation, you have to be the GOAT. 

 

When we started this music, it was never about how much money you got, how many houses you got, or how many chains on your neck. It was about the impact on the lives of people. Because anyone could be a star. You fit even carry goat, wear am VVS chain, put am for TV — e go still turn star tomorrow. But where is the impact? That’s what we’re talking about.

 

 

There are conversations about what rap should sound like and what defines a hip-hop song in Afrobeats culture. What’s your take on this?

 

The question I always ask people that come up with that conversation is, ‘what is your knowledge about this genre called rap? Because it seems like everybody now na rap critic. Na so una love rap well well? 

 

I mean, rap has been down for a long time now and these conversations were not there and all of a sudden, the conversation is popping. Why? 

 

The older gees might not agree that what Shallipopi and Odumodu did on Cast was rap because of how the beat sounded, but that’s like you telling me that ‘Delicious’ by 2shotz and Big Lo was not a rap song because it was a dancehall beat. 

 

Hip hop is a culture, not a genre; that’s what people don’t get. It’s a culture.

 

Are you saying that we can have songs that have rap in them, but could be other genres?

 

There’s something about rap. Rap is like water; it takes the shape of anything you put it in. You can give me a slow song and I’ll rap on it. It’s going to be a hip-hop song because rap doesn’t have a definite form. So, for that conversation, I would like them to show me what rap is. You’re showing me something that people cannot relate to, something that people cannot bump their heads to. Rap doesn’t have to be boring; it can be exciting. We make rap exciting.

 

Many of the tracks on your album had these consistent monologues at the end. Was there a reason for it?

 

The album basically is a full movement. Everything is intentional. From ‘Sacrifice’ to ‘DSC.’ When you listen to ‘Sacrifice’ and you listen to ‘DSC,’ it’s talking about how in all of this, I don’t want to lose my mind; I just want to be fine. Because it takes you through the whole journey of Erigga down to this point. From 2012 to 2025. I just don’t want to lose my mind. I just want to calm down. So it was intentional. Everything was intentional. It’s like a script. If you are listening to the album and you’re selecting tracks, you won’t get the whole gist.

 

Today, we see more South-South boys dominating Nigerian music. What do you think has made this possible in a space where more western sounds dominate? Rema, Bnxn, Shallipopi, Omah Lay…

 

The first time I was in Lagos, I was the South-South guy that was just doing my Warri p, and they were trying to change me to who I was not; trying to have me rap in Yoruba or add Yoruba choruses to my songs so that I could blend in.

 

It’s even crazy because the pressure still comes from your people too because all the music was coming from Lagos and they had Yoruba in it. This is me telling my story. You’re telling me to edit my story so it can fit a certain demographic.

 

Then, come 2015, we started having an inflow of a lot of southern guys. The youths that were listening to Erigga’s songs started moving to Lagos, moving to different parts of the world and using it there because it’s like a means of identity to them. They could see a lot of similarity between my stories and their stories. They want to listen to Erigga because that’s who they can relate to.

 

What song was the most stressful to make on the album?

 

The most stressful song on the album to make has to be Sacrifice. Sacrifice for my laptop get like seven recording versions. I even shot a video for a wrong version.

 

Why?

 

The music is so personal to me. At some point I was trying to make sure it was perfect by every standard, but something in me kept telling me, ‘yo, the first one you did has to be the one, because that’s you pouring out your feelings, and you trying to tweak it will make it less authentic’.

 

So which version of the song do we have now on DSPs?

 

The first one I did is the one we eventually put out.

 

Why all this? What drives you, Erigga?

 

Music to me is escapism. To me it’s a safe place. It’s the safest place I know. Erigga’s music is more like an elder brother figure to the fans. Some of them are loners, like me. They’re always on their own, nobody to talk to. So, when Erigga’s music comes on, it just gives them a feeling of, ‘oh, there’s somebody out there who listens to me’. 

 

What keeps me going is when I get feedback from people like, ‘yo, this music touched my life.’ This is what we are here for.

 

What would make you most fulfilled at the end of the day?

 

Hmmm. I feel like it doesn’t stop because if you had asked me this question in 2012, maybe I would have  told you that if I win a Headies, that would be it. But every day comes with new challenges. I just keep going, to see what’s out there for me.