“I have a story to tell, a story I know everybody would love to hear or relate to, and I can’t tell that story if nobody knows who is telling them this story…”
For the 23-year-old Lagos-born rap prodigy, rap wasn’t necessarily the first choice for him but as sure as magnets attract each other with the right placement, Chukwudalu Okoli found his love for rap, and after listening to his 2015 tape – Daddy Knows Best, it’s not hard to understand why Chuks Profound the rapper is such a big deal.
He says that as far back as when he was 9, his love for Chris Brown’s music
started him on the journey towards a career in music and entertainment. He states that he initially thought he was going to be an RnB artiste but that didn’t seem like a good fit until he heard Chris Brown (rapping as he occasionally does) on “I’m Illy” well over a decade ago, he was inspired to put words together in rhyme the way rappers do. His idolization of Chris Brown explains the next person who he claims to have looked up to at some point.
Chuks says he looked up to frequent Chris Brown collaborator – Tyga. The next artiste he found as a source of inspiration was a drastic detour from both Tyga and Chris Brown. As rapping became the central focus of his life and career, Chuks started listening more to North Carolina MC, J. Cole. This polarity in sources of inspiration is very evident in Chuks’ ability to blend his more introspective or deep side with the upbeat and fun side of his nature into his music, something that many that listen to him can confirm makes him pretty special.
Chuks Profound doesn’t just give you deep and insightful, he also gives you buoyant and exciting in the right mix. It’s an art he’s pretty much mastered now. He carries a lot of, well… profound stories and experiences in his lifetime of barely over two decades and he considers rap music to be a conduit through which he can share these stories, especially to the
people he feels need to hear them.
According to him, rap as an art form is a very powerful tool for
expressing relatable content. Chuks Profound wants to tell you these stories but he wants you to know who he is and what he’s capable of, hence the title – Before We Proceed.“There’s a lot of personal messages in this project”, he adds.
For fans of socially and culturally conscious rap music that you can actually enjoy and relate with simultaneously, this preamble tape is quite likely a breath of fresh air in a Nigerian music industry that is beginning to take more kindly to rap music (as seen with the chart topping drops from both Blaqbonez and Ladipoe as well as the exploits of Lagos rap duo – Show Dem Camp).
The resurgence of rap music as a form of entertainment and a channel for relatable storytelling, and this young rapper is seeking your attention to do just that with his music. He believes that the value of his music is embedded in his ability to tell stories about life, love, passion, hope and everything that falls in between. He sees it as what sets him apart and makes his music relevant and necessary today.
With a style and cadence like his, it’s going to be hard to not give him a shot at greatness. With a release date set for the 28 th of May, it’s would be advisable to prepare for this new project by listening to Chuks’ older projects for a glimpse of what is to come.
Lsten to BEFORE WE PROCEED now: