Being an outlaw is a philosophy Victony has lived by since he dropped his first hip-hop mixtape, 2017’s The Outlaw King—and one that he’s used as the foundation of his career ever since. Inspired by his idols Kendrick Lamar and Drake, he stretched into R&B, trap and Afropop, while lockdown granted him a sense of freedom that allowed him to incorporate more singing into the mix, with 2020’s Saturn EP delivering earworms like “Jó Riddim” and “Space & Time”. (This was all while he pursued a bachelor’s degree in engineering. “Balancing music and studying has taught me how to prioritise,” he explains.)
The reasoning behind his unrestricted approach became even clearer for him in April 2021, after a severe auto accident claimed the life of his friend Doyin, and left Victony and three others severely injured. In the months that followed, he used his music to process, and explored deeper, more profound themes with singles like “Pray” and “Holy Father”, the hit collab with Mayorkun.
“If I had died in that accident, life would’ve gone on, and everybody would’ve forgotten about me,” Victony (Anthony Victor) says. “My music would live on—but life goes on, right? So, why don’t you just do what makes you happy and just be you—because at the end of the day, man, you’re going to die someday. So, just do what makes you happy and just be you to the max.” Victony embraces that sense of freedom on his first LP, 2022’s Outlaw, a showcase of his versatility and his ability to translate his headspace into melody underscored with witty lyricism.
Listen to the beautifully crafted body of work below and share your thoughts with us.
