Limoblaze: How 'God's favorite baby' is using Afro Gospel ...

Gospel hip-hop songs are fast becoming the in-factor in Nigeria and the realm at large. Limoblaze is one of the key drivers making that ensue.

The previous few months were dark for the world. The entire Earth has not been herself after she obtained hit via the Coronavirus pandemic. The streets at some point grew to become empty and the area needed to live at home. Many say that this loneliness and idleness have given the world time to reflect on how tons damage it is passing via with racist assaults, rape, and high-level theft instances stealing the headlines. besides the fact that children, none of these chaoses appear to be getting to Limoblaze, everyday Afrogospel, and concrete Christian rap artist as he describes these past few months as probably the most ideal instances in his life thus far.

"The loopy thing is that this season has been the best part of my existence. God's love actually blows my mind as a result of I'm mind-blown, bro!" he pointed out to me that evening after a very demanding day. He had spent the total day granting interviews and attending press conferences. Nights are the handiest hours he gets to be through himself and make extra magic through song. I stole a bit of this 'me-time'.

here is Limoblaze for you – the hardworking classification, all the time inclined to do a bit further. The increase of his profession since 2016 with three albums is awfully a lot evident within the reception his track has been getting these days. It's an important credit to how difficult he has been working as an impartial artist to push out his song into the Nigerian gospel area. His "little extras" are definitely paying off and intensely well too. It's been about a month in the past since he launched Blow My intellect, a sequel to his Afrobeats, Rap, and Jesus album from last 12 months. to this point, the track has been doing very neatly. He tells me that he wrote this music to tell the total world about how a whole lot love God has proven him in this attempting time.

"So a lot of people haven't had a great file about this season. team #cancel2020 (laughs), however the most fulfilling things have happened to me during the past three, 4 months. I'm God's favourite child."

Amongst these 'ultimate issues' is ARJ hitting four million streams throughout mainstream platforms. For an independent gospel artist in Nigeria, this is a extremely massive feat. some thing many non-mainstream acts can best dream of.

"Itty, americans adore it! Having to peer people love your work as a creator gives a fresh feeling of pride."

This interview with the rap superstar most effective provides to the checklist 'clean emotions'.

think about you have been a new instructor in a brand new faculty and also you needed to introduce the area 'Limoblaze' to your students. How would you go about that?

Limoblaze is an urban Christian artist. He loves God, loves music, loves interacting with people, and is large on group construction. i really like impacting my generation, and song is the existing tool I'm the usage of to make that take place.

Has it at all times been tune for you? I suggest, starting to be up as a child.

right from being a kid, music has all the time been an immense part of my life. however yeah, at some aspect, i believed i was going to be a doctor. i am basically a educated biochemist; i assumed i used to be going to be a physician, but I changed my intellect eventually because of track. I knew if i ended up as a doctor, track changed into no longer going to determine; at least now not as effortlessly as it is understanding now. I obligatory whatever that wouldn't take my lifestyles for the leisure of my life – in case you be aware of what I mean (laughs). I act too I've been in a couple of movies. I'm really massive on performing however I took a pause for certain very own causes which i'll return to in the future.

At what point in your existence did you cease desirous to be a physician or a biochemist?

I didn't stop wanting to be a biochemist. I'm already one, I'm just now not training and i don't think I intend to each time soon. but the dream of being a physician eased down in my senior secondary years once I all started getting an even bigger mental graphic of what being a clinical medical professional entailed and that i realized it become going to take loads of my time in life. It wasn't the existence I predicted for myself both. So, I spoke of to myself like, 'you comprehend what? I'm now not gonna do that anymore'.

I determined i was going to examine Pharmacy but one issue ended in an extra and Pharmacy didn't determine on my first trial. So the 2d trial, i thought, 'what's the closest issue to Pharmacy?' That's Biochemistry. So the plan became to do Biochemistry and get a grasp's diploma in Pharmaceutical Biochemistry. but none of that came about anymore. presently, I'm working on my 2d degree as a enterprise manager. That path has fully shifted.

Most instances, artists coin their stage names from their real names or an experience that took place of their lives at some aspect. but I don't seem to find any 'Limo' in 'Samuel Onwubiko'. How did 'Limoblaze' take place?

My name is truly Samuel Imo Onwubiko. So the Limo has 'L' from 'Samuel', and then Imo. Blaze is barely some thing burning with nothing deep to it. people commonly are expecting my name to have some deep spiritual revelation and interpretation, nevertheless it doesn't.

Why Afro hip-hop?

I wouldn't say I selected Afro hip-hop. once I begun making track, i used to be greater of a rapper. As a matter of fact, I have two Hip-hop albums and 4 EP's which are all Hip-hop. So it wasn't like I selected afrobeat. however I'm in a season right now where influencing my generation is all that concerns. and you need the number some times to achieve have an effect on. So, I'm currently doing loads of afrobeat as a result of there's a market tuning to this at this time. The work I've been known as to is bigger than the style, so I'll do what guarantees me a bigger audience to have an effect on and communicate to. despite the fact, afrobeat has at all times been a part of my musical basis. It's as natural to me as some other aspect.

Are you no longer scared that now that you're building a neighborhood round Afro hip-hop for yourself, if you delve into some other genre, you might lose these americans?

No, no. I'm a really progressive artist. although i was going to a further style, i am not just going to demonstrate up in another genre. I'll be very progressive about it. I accept as true with so tons in reinventing oneself.

You've formally put out three albums for the reason that 2016. Which has been your favorite up to now, and why?

I feel ARJ is my favourite; Afrobeats, Rap, and Jesus. For starters, it was a very expressive album for me. I had lots of intellectual freedom creating it. I wasn't putting myself in any box and a few of my favorite songs of all time that I've made are in the album. Let's now not even forget the reception. Itty, americans adore it! Having to peer people love your work as a creator gives a fresh feeling of pride. Plus, ARJ has set the bar up amongst other albums by using some of my pals. It has set a typical for what Afrogospel is meant to be.

Which music is your favorite off the album?

"Your Love." ARJ has had about three million streams throughout a number of systems. basically, the numbers now run over four million.

That's awesome. And "Your Love" is doing amazing as smartly. Do you consider Afrogospel is getting the awareness it deserves?

not yet, however in a count number of time, everyone may be compelled to provide it the awareness it deserves. The numbers received't lie. The comments received't lie. The fruits won't lie.

There's a false impression about hip-hop being a secular style and so many religious outfits agree with this. How do you handle that false impression?

I've under no circumstances actually tackled it as an issue, Itty. americans trust what they believe according to the advantage they're exposed to. So, my job is to provide them with the abilities that they need to alternate their mindsets. Over time, after they see the fruits, they'll have no alternative. I've been in churches where rap track turned into no longer accredited, but I rapped there and even the elders of the church had a metamorphosis of heart since it's a component of searching for the fruits, understanding your viewers, and then serving the dish the way it should still most appropriate be served.

have you ever ever at any factor regarded secular track?

No, I've in no way. when I began making song, I didn't understand there turned into anything else like Christian rap. At that element, i used to be just rapping about random things. however at the moment, I had never totally wrapped my head across the theory of being an artist. It became simply me doing music and making melodies. From the second I determined to be an artist, I chose gospel and i have under no circumstances had a distinct thought. Of route, there have been approaches from people who idea they could "propose" me and issues like that (laughs). but I have never had a second idea.

What's the story behind "Blow My intellect"?

So lots of people haven't had a fine report about this season. crew #cancel2020 (laughs). however the loopy issue's, this season has been the best part of my life. God's love literally blows my mind because I'm intellect-blown, bro! The most advantageous issues have took place to me in the past three, 4 months. Most of my songs are a mirrored image of my emotions per time and if you pay attention smartly satisfactory, you could actually suppose my heart in these tracks.

who are your influences?

i will't exactly say there's this one grownup that influences my tune because I have a really wide range of musical influences. I come from a musical family so I've listened to each genre. Would quite just say the individuals I lookup to are Lecrae and Da' T.R.U.T.H.

tell us about go Rhythm music.

pass Rhythm music became a group I had after I began making track. We had been now not functioning as a group as a result of we had been particular person artists but then we had been making collaborations collectively and planning movements. just like what 116 turned into.

Are your other teammates still doing track? Are there top notch names among them?

neatly, the producer of "Blow My intellect," Cray Beatz, used to be one among us. however he's not an artist now. He's a producer.

So how does all of it make experience to you at the end, Limo? What makes you think fulfilled?

The tales and remarks. when I get messages of people saying 'so and so' music helped them through a definite fight. That's the most efficient achievement I get from this. after which simply being capable of fill a void.

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