The multifaceted artist speaks about preaching street-smarts through his music
When Lil5ive’s ‘Omo Ologo’ proliferated Lagos’ radio airwaves halfway through 2020, the street-hop anthem had already gleaned a sizable amount of plays across streaming platforms, and it was growing in ear-worm fashion amongst the scene’s enthusiasts. The song, which sees Lil5ive deftly meld singing and rapping, plays like a guidebook to navigate Nigerian life, offering streetwise knowledge applicable across different pockets of life with foreboding lyrics such as ‘Ojo dey vex, even for Bible dem catch Jesus’ loosely translating to ‘The police are angry, even in the Bible Jesus was crucified’.
When I meet up with the artist at his upscale duplex in Lagos, I notice a framed collage of stills from the ‘Omo Ologo’ video shoot hanging in the corner of his brightly lit sitting room as well as a certification from when the song surpassed 10,000 streams on Audiomack in less than 24 hours. “When I first putting out music online, you know those days, we never really saw how much downloads we were getting but ‘Omo Ologo’ had 10,000 streams on the first night, and without any promo,” Lil5ive tells me. As for the impressive video, it’s a gritty visual shot in Lagos by visual collective, LLB ( Lex, Ladder & Brooke) and details jungle justice, police brutality and the spartan nature of everyday living in Nigeria.
Born Anthony Osekaje, Lil5ive grew up in the volatile South-South region of Nigeria at an especially murky period, marked by violent ethnic clashes. This meant that he was exposed to the hard-knock nature of Nigerian life at an early age. “Did you ever hear of the Effurun Warri crisis?” Lil5ive asks when I mention his upbringing, and I duly shake my head. During this crisis, at least 40 people were reported dead and the Nigerian military was eventually called in to quell the situation. “I grew up during that time so I am not moved by many things I see. When it got really violent though, we moved.”
An adolescent love for Lil Wayne's music, fuelled by the surrounding brute life, and a need for an outlet of his raging emotions, led to the start of Lil5ive’s music career. After bouncing between Delta and Bayelsa states, Lil5ive moved to Lagos in 2019. “Lagos is where it's happening. I used to make rap music but when I came to Lagos, I realised my Delta kind of rap is way different. We use more wordplay, pidgin English and all that. So, I did just one song, ‘Satiramoni’ featuring Barry Jhay on it, and it did well.”
Off the back of this, Lil5ive was invited to perform at Felabration, the annual festival in honour of Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Unnerved by his growing acclaim, and filled with a longing to freely express himself, Lil5ive stepped up to the plate and went on to record his most successful single yet, ‘Omo Ologo’.
“’Omo Ologo’ is mostly about my Delta origin. Police harassment is a regular thing. But when I first moved to Lagos, on my way to Naira Marley’s show, I also got harassed by the police.” Lil5ive recounts this while parting his locks that briefly shield his eyes away from me. “I was only speaking my truth and people were like, this is what is actually happening.” As he continues, he guides me up the stairs to his in-house studio. “If you listen to the music I make, you might get a life hack from it but it’s just my personal experience. I don’t make music outside what I know.”
“The reason why the project is called Dreams and Imagination is that most of the things that I have done initially start out as imaginations. Imagine if you’re trying to get new dunks like this,'' Lil5ive says, pointing to a bevvy of shoes sitting pretty on a shoe rack in the studio. “You have to imagine how it’ll look on you before you buy it. I am a long-term guy. Now that I have put a tape out, I know a lot of people are expecting more from me but right now I am going through my artist development phase.”
“If you listen to the music I make, you might get a life hack from it but it’s just my personal experience”
Lil5ive explains to me that this involves beginning to learn patois and improving his singing technique. Despite not having any guest appearances on the EP, the indie artist hopes to collaborate with a diverse pool of artists in future. He name-checks Wizkid, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Burna Boy, Blaqbonez and Yemi Alade as artists he feels have forged their own path in music.
The 24-year old artist, who runs his own imprint Wild Life, is acutely aware of how important money is in music but he is not letting it cloud his vision. “Going international is your own bag. I have dreams of working with Lil Durk, but I know if I am wack and my bag is right, I’ll make it happen. Music is always money. I have not really made a dollar from music, but the thing is, the moment you start doing exactly what you want to do, you are fulfilled,” he adds candidly.
Despite being surrounded by insignia of his growing success, Lil5ive is unrelenting. The artist is focused only on music and growing through his own process, bracing himself for the often-tumultuous journey towards mainstream acclaim. “As I am, my only duty is to make good music. I believe if I can make good music, everything else will fall in place.”