Video: Ikey – “Roslin’s Basement” (Prod. by Blvck Rose)

Following His Green Card EP, Ikey Invites You To A Day In His Life With His Latest Video, Debuted By The Smoking Section

06.03.2015

Critical Praise for Ikey:

“…his strong and deliberate flow that he balances with meaningful lyrics that when combined truly makes him a name to watch in hip-hop.” – Complex

“His delivery is cool and calm with a bite… Ikey takes this shit to the next level.” – Pigeons & Planes

“…continuing to impress hip-hop fans all over the globe with his melodic and confident flow.” – Okayplayer

“A bubbling MC you should definitely keep an ear open for” – HipHopWired

The Video:

With his recently-released Green Card EP, Nigerian-American rapper Ikey became a voice for first-generation Americans. In his latest video for “Roslin’s Basement,” which premiered via The Smoking Section, the D.C. artist invites us to get a glimpse of a day in his life while showing love to the ones who have been with him throughout the grind.

Cameroonian-American friend Roslin, aka Blvck Rose, produced 6 songs on Ikey’s 9-track project, and the room in his basement is where much of the music began to come to life. “The room is a meeting place for a group of friends who make or enjoy music,” Ikey explained of Blvck Rose’s basement, “sometimes we have to cram ourselves inside when all of us are present.” Although it’s not an open studio, Blvck Rose fills the room with an MPC, a keyboard, turntable, mic, and mic stand. “Musicians usually bring their own instruments to jam and create as well,” Ikey adds, as is evident with Ghanaian-American producer Prahdijay playing a guitar solo on “Roslin’s Basment.”

In April, Ikey released his Green Card EP via Complex, who said that Ikey “shows off his strong and deliberate flow that he balances with meaningful lyrics that when combined truly makes him a name to watch in hip-hop.” The project has the prolific rapper dissecting the American dream with his experiences as a Nigerian-American. “Green Card is a metaphor for anything that leads you to your dreams,” said Ikey, who came up with the idea when he was trying to get one for his mother. “To people in Third World countries, a Greed Card means an escape from a life of poverty an achieving the American Dream. Since everyone is looking for that one come up, I felt like they’d be able to relate to this theme.”

Watch “Roslin’s Basement”: https://youtu.be/8vnGvlmdn0g

Check out the Smoking Section premiere: http://smkngsc.tn/1dHMCMl

Listen to Green Card: https://soundcloud.com/any-means-necessary/sets/green-card-ep/s-IclnV

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Ikey.

Ikey Background:

For Ikey, it’s all about the story. Born in New York, with roots in both Spanish Harlem and Lagos, Nigeria, Ike Obioha connected with music at an early age. The diverse palette of his father’s music collection painted a musical canvas that pays homage to everything from Elton John and Journey to the Neville Brothers and Igbo Nigerian highlife singer Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe.

Ikey’s unique, 1.5 generation immigrant experience influenced both the subject matter and creation of his music. Despite pressure to embark upon a more scholarly career, Ikey would ultimately find himself opening for the likes of Big Sean and have his music covered in the Washington City Paper. He balances his penchant for music representing all aspects of the human experience over tracks representative of hip-hop’s golden era while maintaining his unique Nigerian-American identity. “I’m just a young kid straight out of Lagos,” Ikey says. “When I see people like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie being sampled on Beyonce records, it makes me feel people want that true African story. I just feel there are a lot of Nigerian-Americans trying to tell that story, and I’m trying to tell it the right way.” Ikey’s Green Card EP is out now.