Remy Baggins is a young Nigerian artist, whose creativity has no boundaries—producer, rapper and singer extraordinaire. Remy explains his passion for music, his conscious decision to be “not afraid” and embrace life as a musician.
In this interview, Remy digs deep, breaking down his experience growing up around music, playing instruments as a kid, the anime influences on his art—and much more.
49thStreet: Can you tell us about yourself? Who is Remy Baggins?
Remy: Simply put, I’m a god lol. I think I’m a really simple guy. I’m a sucker for good music, good movies/ series, good anime, good stand-up comedy and Pringles. Dazz eet.
49thStreet: We all know you as a badass producer and songwriter, can you tell us about how you started making music?
Remy: I started actively making music after I caught an Eminem video (Not Afraid) on TV. I’ve always been a ‘musician’ though. I was playing instruments from a young age and that song kinda challenged me ‘cus it sounded like what I could write and what I could produce. So, I started writing lyrics, got FL studio, started making beats, started performing…and here we are.
49thStreet: Can you recall the music you listened to while growing up? Do you think it has influenced your choice of music in any way?
Remy: My dad played a lot of Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton, Tina Turner, Mariah Carey, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, King Sunny Ade and Yanni. The MJ and Yanni influences are very evident in my music.
49thStreet: It’s easy to see music means a lot to you. Can you tell us how music feels—your personal experience with music? We’d love to hear about that.
Remy: Omo. It’s a way of life. It’s my imaginary friend. It’s therapy. I’m a man of few words but I hardly hold back when I pour my heart into songs. It’s an escape, I guess. I don’t think there’s a perfect answer to this.
49thStreet: So, let’s dig deeper still, what kind of music do you think you make?
Remy: I make whatever I feel like. Whatever I’m making is determined by my playlist at the time, which is determined by my mood at the time. So, it’s all about my mood. I know I’m more known for R&B/Soul, but that’s just one of my moods. I think listeners should keep an open mind whenever they see “new music” alerts from me.
49thStreet: It’s been 4 years since you introduced yourself to us with the beautiful VIV. What did that project do for you as a creative?
Remy: Wellllll, for one, it got me in a lot of trouble at home ‘cus it was featured in a newspaper and my parents weren’t having it. That aside, it put a lot of eyes on me and made me known as an artist because people only knew me as a producer.
49thStreet: With 2 EPs and 2 albums out after VIV, tell us about your experience in the industry so far.
Remy: Actually, it’s 3 EP’s and 2 LP’s. It’s been a hell of a ride man. I’ve taken L’s, celebrated W’s, lost friends, made family. It’s a constant learning curve. Streets are rugged, bro. Not for the faint-hearted.
49thStreet: Talking about your new project, Amaterasu, tell us what motivated you to bring out the rapper in you?
Remy: I started out as a rapper, so that part has always been there. There were certain stories and emotions I wanted to convey and rap seemed like the best way to translate those feelings.
49thStreet: On “808 Therapy”, you talked about your idol telling your friend you would never blow. How do you deal with criticism and negative energy as a budding artist?
Remy: Criticism is part of my process. I’m an over thinker and a bit of a perfectionist, so I’m my own biggest critic. Before I put anything out, I make sure I send it to some of my trusted guys for their comments, so I can tweak if necessary. As for negative energy, I try to detect it as early as possible and stay far away. (My superhero name is The Bullshit Sniffer 💀)
49thStreet: Your projects are named after Anime words; what’s your top 5 anime?
Remy: Attack On Titan, Hunter x Hunter, FMA brotherhood, Naruto, One punch man.
49thStreet: You do a lot of things. Do you think you are too talented?
Remy: I actually don’t think I’m talented enough for the things going on in my head, lol. I have a long list of things to learn so the more items I tick, the more “talented” I can say I am. But forget o, mo bad gan. When I get opportunities to do what I really want to do, you’ll understand.
49thStreet: Can you take us through your creative process—how do you come up with these new sounds?
Remy: Curiosity and constant tweaking. Most times, I hear a song I like and I go, “I wonder what will happen if I bring these chords here, borrow these drums from this other song, play some synths here and throw some sexy 808s on it”. Other times, it’s just pure emotion.
49thStreet: What other interests do you have apart from making music?
Remy: Watching stuff, reading, sucking breast (if you remove this one, we’ll fight I swear).
49thStreet: What’s a controversial thing you have to say?
Remy: I’m sicker than all of your faves, and lil’ booties matter.