Rapidly emerging Nigerian artist, Leczy ended 2023 on a high with his EP, ‘THE GENESIS‘. Get to know him via this VIPER interview…
What five words define your sound?
Motivational, relatable, replay-worthy, timeless, fun.
Tell me something unique about your creative process
I actually write music before I record. Many people hear the beat first and then get motivated to start writing. With me it’s different, I’m always writing so when I hear a beat, I go to my archives to find an already written song and then place it on the beat.
Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?
I would say ‘Brace For Takeoff’ because it’s my biggest song till date and I think if people listen to that song more they would understand the growth from that to the other songs.
What inspired you to make that song?
‘Brace For Takeoff’ was recorded when I was going through a tough period in my life and career. I’ll put it in a song one day because that’s how I express myself better, but that inspired me to tap into the lives and struggles of hustling Nigerians trying to make things meet. The first line of that song is almost everyone’s reality, our mothers really do hold us down.
What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music?
‘Testimony’ forced me to tap into different emotions and perspectives, I had to dig deep into not only my life and my experiences but also the experiences of my collaborators into the song. It got me to understand myself more through them.
What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?
Best experience was performing my song ‘Brace For Takeoff’ at my EP launch and every single person there sang along, word for word. Worst experience, my pants tearing up on stage and in another incident, falling off stage, I’m glad it was backstage and there were no cameras, no evidence 😂
What is your favourite song to perform?
With the release of the EP, I’ve discovered new favourite songs to perform, mainly ‘Another Day’ with my brother King Perryy and ‘Temptation’. Different types of songs, different reactions from the audience, a great response overall.
Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?
D’Banj, Wizkid and Davido made it look ‘do-able’, like it was possible to start from the bottom and find your own path, your market and to dominate globally. Them amongst others inspired me to make music and to take all the obstacles, critics and naysayers as motivation to succeed.
What’s the meaning behind your name?
My stage name Leczy is taken from my name Olamilekan meaning “my joy has come,” Lekan derived from my name Leczy. Leczy sounded cooler 😂
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?
I studied computer engineering so I was either going to pursue a career in that field or be a full time business man. Back home I used to have fish farms and betting shops. I’ve always been about the hustle.
What’s success to you?
Success to me is sleeping peacefully every night knowing that my family is well taken care of, my supporters finding inspiration from my music and seeing my friends flourish.
What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?
Being a father forced me to change direction. Being a parent makes you look at life differently because all the choices and decisions I make are not only for myself but will have an impact on the present and future of my child. Makes me work even harder.
Where can people keep in touch with you?
@official_leczy on all social media platforms and Leczy on all digital streaming platforms.
