Ayo and His Nightmares

So, I went to a concert this past Friday and listened to my fellow Wolverine and Nigerian brother named Ayo the Nigerian Nightmare. Back in our college days, I remember wondering,  "Why is this guy walking around campus calling himself a nightmare?" I pretty much got the answer on Friday night. He was foretelling the kind of musician he would turn into: a beast.

The concert was titled "Daydreams & Nightmares" and took place at Free Candy in Brooklyn, NY. Ayo's lovely background vocalist, Maricela, was gracious enough to open the show with a number and then led the crowd to chant Ayo's name with a pattern that went something like "Ayoooooooo. Ayo-yo-yo-yo." On one hand it felt like bringing in a boxing champ, on the other hand it felt appropriately ritualistic.

As I eagerly waited for the new sounds he might bring, I was also intent on finding his influences from musicians Lupe Fiasco and Bob Marley. In his newest album, also titled "Daydreams & Nightmares", they are certainly there. When Ayo stepped onto the stage, he opened with a song that made his Marley influence loud and clear. Being that Ayo is from Nigeria, it was a strong reminder of how far Marley's reach was across the African diaspora and not just in the United States. Later in the set, I found Lupe on the track "I Spit Hot Fire"as the words came at me like the hits in a video game. In the song's intro, Ayo made a comparison between New York City and Lagos, Nigeria, bridging the gap between two major world capitals.

Ayo's Nigerian accent is so interwoven in his flow that he doesn't have to try to be a unique MC. You hear it and you're forced to listen closer, something he has to his advantage in a city filled with aspiring rappers who all fall into the trap of imitating some other rapper we're already familiar with. He also creates the luxury of taking a pause between sections within a song, emphasizing how much control he has over his creativity. When rapping, Ayo's accent adds an extra layer that may be hard for some to cut through, but it presents an opportunity to be mesmerized. Strangely, his accent became clearest - yet truest - when performing the track "Yemoja", a piece in the style of spoken word and dedicated to an imaginary (or not so imaginary) woman that caught his attention and had him enraptured.

Not long after, Ayo unabashedly invited an African drummer to play on stage and he let his feet do some talking for awhile. He could use a refresher on some West African moves, but how often will you see a rapper share the stage with an African drummer? Incredible and yet so sensible given the tied history between rappers, griots, and the beat of the African drum. The drummer added a fresh and unexpected element to his act, accompanied of course by some salsa steps from Maricela.

Close to the end of the night, he took us into "Bad Men", a piece that might beheard as a lyrical confrontation with the notorious dictators in Africa's history. I had a short chat with Ayo before the show and as he said, "There's no way you could listen to his music and not know that he is Nigerian." Ayo is not afraid to match the realities of his hometown Flint, Michigan, Lagos, Nigeria, and New York, NY and its for that reason that people of various backgrounds tune into his music , hoping to find some universal truth.

I'm looking forward to seeing Ayo grow with mastery over his band arrangements and will be curious to hear what else he weaves into his lyrical content as the world becomes more globalized every year that passes. Quite frankly, I can't wait to see "the beast" grow so big , we're too afraid not to listen.

To read more, view the chat below.

To learn more about Ayo's music, visit these links:
Free Album:  http://ayoinmotion.bandcamp.com/album/daydreams-and-nightmares
Official Website: http://www.ayoinmotion.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ayoinmotion
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ayoinmotion or www.twitter.com/weareINMotion
Booking: info.ayoinmotion@gmail.com or 215-588-3488



With fellow Michigan alumni at the concert

Chat with Ayo The Nigerian Nightmare for SPEAK!

S: When did you come to the U.S.?
A: I was 14.

S: Did you get into rap and hip hop immediately?
A: I fell in love with hip hop at the age of 15, but then got into poetry and started doing slam poems at the age of 16, my freshman year in college.

S: How has being a Nigerian affected your artistry?
A: It affects my artistry in many ways. I don't hide being a Nigerian. It's in my songs and in my passion. Nigerians are used to struggle and music is the same thing.

S: What specifically in your music is tied to your "Nigerianess'"?
A: It's in my attitude towards making music. It's in the way I was raised. Nigerians are used to struggle. You see them working things out whichever way they can and music requires the same thing. If that's not Nigerian, I don't know what is.

S: What about Lupe's music has influenced you?
A: Lupe is very versatile and he allows himself to go to many places. His content really inspires me and there are a lot of messages behind it. I met him last year when we were both speaking on a panel and, after some disagreeing, he met me backstage and said, "Yo, bro, I appreciated a lot what you said." It resonated with me.

S; You mentioned struggle before. How was your struggle in Lagos similar to your struggle in Flint?
A: Struggle, to me, is not getting what you need to get. Lagos and Flint are similar. No one hands you anything. It's a place where everyday people work hard...and that doesn't always mean they're going to get it.

S: What specifically about Fela's music do you like?
A; I like the motion behind his music and I care about the things he talked about. My brand is "in motion" and I want to move people in many ways.

S: About your flow. What have your peers said about your flow or even your accent?
A: I thought a lot about it in the past. Now, I don't feel that I have to make it different, but just make sure that it's clear so people don't use it as a crutch not to listen to me.  But, I don't lose my accent for anybody.

S: Last question: What will happen with your music in relation to Nigeria?
A: I have huge confidence in myself. I'm going to take my music to mega stardom. I feel like my message is something people should hear. I want to be one of the people who take Nigeria to it's highest level. It's not just enough to make music; I want to be part of change.

S: Any collaborations that are possible with Nigerian artists?
A:  Definitely. If I feel people's music, I'm always down for collaboration. I think I've been focused on me for so long. I think I'm finally ready to step out of my zone, so look out for that in the future.

S: Last, last question: Do you identify as a Nigerian, an American, Nigerian-American...?
A: I identify as both Nigerian and American. I spent the last 8 years here, so it's impossible to act as though there's no influence of America in me. When you listen to my music, you get both.

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