Nigerian rapper and hype man, Arinze Oruche, popularly known as AO-Machine is certain that the future of the rap game in Nigeria would be exciting, even as he encourages rap lovers can be optimistic that it will get even bigger.
The rapper disclosed this in an interview with The Nation, while speaking about what the future holds for the rap industry in Nigeria.
His words, “Rap in Nigeria is not for the weak or the meek because the journey will most likely be longer and harder than imagined. But the future of rap in Nigeria is exciting because rappers are gravitating towards some of the sub-genres of rap (like Trap and Drill) that are more commercially appealing lately.” He added.
One of the few hypemen with songs to their credit, AO-Machine states he’s hopeful of what the future holds for him and rap music. “It makes me very versatile and hopeful because the hype-man industry in Nigeria is blowing up really fast, so that means more opportunities for someone like me that is a master at both.”
He has two songs to his credit which include ‘This one loud o’ featuring Dremo, The Flowolf, and Ike Onyema; and ‘Zuzu’ featuring DJ Emmbasse.
Speaking about his lyrics conceptualisation, he said: “I feel I’m a very relatable rapper, that’s why you’ll see me put a lot of words used in everyday conversation, and since my background is that of both Nigeria and the United States of America, I try to keep both sides updated on slangs and lifestyles through my lyrics. ‘This one loud oh’ is simply an expression used when something shocks you or is too much to handle or digest, particularly at that moment.”
