Why I Crossed From Secular To Islamic Hip Hop—Fast Rising Act, Lawizzy

Believe it or not, there is arguably no genre of music that is not being exploited and adapted by Islamic artistes today. Just check it out: from Fuji style to Apala to High Life to Juju and to ever flourishing Hip Hop, you can call them out and they would answer you, “I’m present (sir)!” Meanwhile, they are still not resting on their oars by expanding the frontiers as they keep up their efforts to take Islamic music to the zenith of entertainment in Nigeria and beyond.

Hence, one of the young and very enterprising guys representing Islamic music in the Hip Hop circle is talented Gbadegesin Lawal Oladipupo a.k.a. Lawizzy. It would interest you to know that Lawizzy started out as a secular Hip Hop artiste before switching to Islamic Hip Hop. What was the motivation for that? You must be wondering.
“Well, I decided to take up the challenge when I tweeted at a radio station here in Nigeria, not to mention the name, that they should play me an Islamic song one Friday like that and I was told they don’t have the standard they can play,” he said to Saheed Ojubanire Online in an interview recently.

And what step did he take immediately? “When I asked my uncle who works with the Tv station and he said they don’t play Yoruba Muslim songs, so I took up the challenge, and when I did my first single, it was a hit (don’t add back to back please, remember he said his first single. Lol). I now rethink that, as Muslim, whatever talent Almighty Allah has bestowed you with, it’s better to use it in His cause.”

Well, that’s how he switched to Islamic Hip Hop, but how did music per se, start for him as a secular artiste? “It all started in 1999 but I quit for a while for school. But when I won MTN Music Award as a secular Hip Hop artiste during my NYSC in Niger State, that brought me back fully. Meanwhile, I was still doing music underground during the time I said I quit for school. The MTN event where I won the award back then was tagged “NYSC got Talent” and I was given a two year record deal in Kano. But due to the insurgency then, I couldn’t go.

“Meanwhile, I did a birthday song for Niger State governor then, Muazu Aliyu and apart from the song getting massive air play, I was interviewed on most of the radio stations in the state,” he recounted.

Lawizzy who also has a fashion line he recently changed its name from Lawizzy Apparel to Loop Lagos, has since switching to Islamic Hip Hop released four singles, “Noble Prophet”, “Allah Is The One”, “Thank You Allah” and “Azkhar”. And his next single, the fifth, due for release this January and promises to be a hit is titled: “Praise Be To Allah” featuring IshauYau.

You can reach Lawizzy on twitter and Instagram @Officiallawizzy.