Issue 01: Outlaw x Stubborn

Victony’s transition from rap to Afrobeats, his dark steep curves, glorious re-entry, and evolving identity in the music industry.

Outlaw x Stubborn 

Victony’s transition from rap to Afrobeats, his dark steep curves, glorious re-entry, and evolving identity in the music industry.

—Ajayi Oluwabukunmi and Adedeji Adebusuyi 

 Nowadays, being an Afrobeats artist requires more than just the talent. It demands an identity—a bold persona with a striking artistry that deviates from the waves of norms and fleeting trends. This is a credence, especially in Nigeria. A country that is historically regarded as home to the pioneer of the Afrobeats sound—Fela Kuti. Over the years, it has produced global stars like Tems, Davido, Rema, Burna Boy and Wizkid who influenced the amassed reception of the indigenous sound at the forefront of music culture globally. 

"The Music Scenery is Notoriously Ruthless to Artists Stuck in the Repetitive Loop of a Style, Sound or Flow."

    While the music scenery is notoriously ruthless to artists stuck in the repetitive loop of a style, sound or flow, paradoxically, it is unusually generous, rewarding with its handprints gently gesturing onwards few artists who do otherwise to the global stage. These are artists who dared to defy the norms and had a significant mastery of dynamism, versatility of sound, meticulous lyricism, memorable catchphrases and a unique identity that command attention and set them apart.

    They craft their stories in genuine sounds and 

styles. They unashamedly outlaw the rules—flexible but stubborn enough to face and overcome the challenges in their musical journey. Their identity of defiance, resilience and artistry sometimes becomes a welcoming initiation into their musical universe of “Show, Don’t Tell”. 

    “The King of Outlawville” is one of such kind. Anthony Ebuka Victor, known to the world as Victony, was born in Ojo, Lagos State but his family roots trace back to Orsu, Imo State. The 24-year-old Afrobeats star coined his artist name by merging his last name “Victor” with his first “Anthony” resulting in the now “Victony”. He was raised in an Igbo family where his passion for music was considered a distraction—an unnecessary dent in his viable future—to his educational career at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) where he studied petroleum engineering. However, he had the support of his sister, Elo, who not only funded him with cash while living apart but also provided early bus rides to talent shows and fueled his early pursuit of music when it mattered most. 

"The Outlaw EP Basically Signifies the Moment of Change in My Career Where I Transition Into a Proper Singer," He Says.

   On numerous occasions, Victony has described “Outlaw-ville” as an alternate universe for his unbridled self-expression. A place where everything is possible. In the universe exists an imagined character. Tredax. A character—also Victony’s alter-ego, tatted on his left arm—with two pointed elfin ears, blue skin, short pink braids, and short antennae on its forehead lives there. It was created in collaboration with visual and graphic artist, Bolt, to depict Victony’s unique identity. 

    In an interview with Teen Vogue, he explained: “This is Tredax…He’s just a citizen of Outlawville.” “He’s not an alien,” he insisted. With that statement, Victony blurred the lines between fiction and reality and also left room for subjective interpretation of the character—a figurative reflection of the world Victony has crafted for himself. 

    Victony began his musical journey in 2017 as a rapper while still in school. He released mixtape covers of Burna Boy’s “On the Low”, Cardi B's “Bodak Yellow”, Tems’ “Try Me” and Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA”. These artists marked his early influences. 

    By 2020, during the early COVID-19 lockdown, he transitioned into the Afrobeats scene with the release of his first EP, “Saturn”. A transition—unsmooth at first—marked more as an experimental foray than a definitive statement of artistry. Yet, that very chal-lenge expanded his versatility. The genre transition also changed his initial comparison of Afrobeats to rap, with the latter genre viewed as the more demanding. He later admitted that Afrobeats required as much creativity, metaphorical statements and emotional connection as rap. 

   Shortly after the release of his second Afrobeats project, “Outlaw EP,” Victony reflected on his transition in an inter-view with F Word Magazine, hosted by Gracey Mae. “The Outlaw EP basically signifies the moment of change in my career where I transition into a proper singer. I’d released the Saturn EP, but that was my first attempt at trying out the whole singing thing. With this EP, I’m letting everyone know that I’ve mastered the craft,” he lets out. 

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