The 49th sits down with Lexxy, one of the finest young talents in Afrobeats. Based in the USA, Lexxy takes us through the journey so far and what is to come for and from him as an artiste.
When did you start making music? How did you get into it properly?
Lexxy: Brother, I always used to be all about games. I was into content creation on YouTube for a while because Call of Duty live was a big deal when I moved to the United States. That was in 2009, when I got into secondary school. But my parents wanted me to be something else. I later got to study pharmacy, but switched to Computer Science and then informatics, but school wasn’t just working for me, so I just quit it. In 2019, I released my debut and I haven’t backed down from music since then.
How did you come up with your stage name? Is there a story behind that?
Lexxy: It wasn’t difficult. People already used to call me Lexxy because Alex is one of my names. I added the “boy” simply to make it sound cooler. I love how it feels when I’m called that too.
What artists have actively influenced your sound growing up and now?
Lexxy: Because of the kind of environment I grew up in, the range of variety of the kind of music I listened to while growing up is quite large. At some point, we lived in Agege in Lagos and when things got better, we moved to Ogba area. Both times, we listened to Fuji guys like King Wasiu Ayinde, KSA and then Beautiful Nubia and 2Face. When I moved to the US, I started listening to Hip Hop. So, I’ve had the best of both worlds.
Where do you come from, and does your background reflect in your music to any extent?
Lexxy: I’m a proper Yórùbá demon oh, haha! I’m a Yórùbá boy from Osun state. And I think my music is influenced a little bit by the Yórùbá language. That’s why some of my slangs are in Yórùbá or pidgin. It’s just a way for me to connect to my roots because I don’t want to lose my culture simply by living in another man’s land.
What’s the greatest moral lesson you’ve learnt through your journey in the music industry thus far?
Lexxy: Above the many other lessons I’ve learnt, I have learnt to collaborate. Music is all about collaboration and this is where the saying that ‘no man is an island’ comes into play. And when I say collaboration, I’m talking from production to songwriting to art direction and everything in general. People will always have new beautiful perspectives to add to your own point of view.
What constantly drives and keeps you motivated in the game?
Lexxy: It’s just seeing how much success people who have been in the game before me are getting and how Africa is getting properly represented on an international level. I get motivated to put in work on my own end too.
What’s the recording process like with you in the studio? Walk us through it.
Lexxy: I always love to say that I love having women around me when I am making music in the studio. I think of them as my A&R. I let the ladies listen to the music and tell me what they think because more than half the time, they are right.
Have you recorded any visuals for any of your songs, or looking to do one soon?
Lexxy: The video for “Paid” got a lot of buzz when it was released. So far, that has been my only major visual, but definitely there’s so much more to come. So much more. In time, everything will be unveiled.
What was the most challenging track to write out of all your releases?
Lexxy: It has to be “Dangerous”, produced by Cracker Mallo. It took me about four days to be able to deliver the song properly. It was probably my first time making a slow tempo record and I felt connected to the song. I meant it. It was a personal song for me, so I paid a lot of attention to it. It’s a very unique song, I promise.
What’s next for you? What milestone are you focusing on now?
Lexxy: My EP is in the works! It’s set for next year. Major. There’s also plans for a ‘Kowole’ remix, possibly with Mayorkun but it’s still in the works. So many cool things ahead, but let’s begin with the EP.