MP3: Ikey (ft. SaveMoney’s Kami de Chukwu) – “Lord” (Prod. by Marc Andre)

Any Means Necessary and SaveMoney Team Up For a Soulful Cut Off Ikey’s Forthcoming Green Card EP

03.02.2015

Critical Praise for Ikey:

“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

The Song:

Maryland by way of Nigeria by way of Harlem rapper Ikey brings the soul back on his new single “Lord,” featuring SaveMoney‘s Kami de Chukwu. “Ikey stays soulful as he stunts,” explained Okayplayer in their premiere, “dropping high-syllable-traffic verses that show thanks for fine things like crisp clothes, sunshine and a beautiful woman.” Both Ikey and Kami de Chukwu flex over a jubilant sample that sounds like something Kanye West could have produced circa-2004.

“When I heard the vocal samples on the song, it reminded me of going to church on Sunday to give thanks when I was growing up,” explains Ikey of the production by Marc Andre. “This song just gives me grand and heavenly vibes, but it’s stuntastic too.” Using a double time flow that matches the chaotic energy of the angelic chirps and spastic drums, “Lord” is Ikey at his most regal and energetic.

Whether speaking about the atrocities happening in his home of Nigeria or rapping about the complexities of chasing your dreams against your families’ wishes, Ikey provides a unique perspective steeped in his upbringing. The influences of his time growing up in Spanish Harlem and Lagos, Nigeria can be found in the his complex rhyme patterns and penchant for melody throughout his songs. “Lord” is the fourth single from Ikey’s forthcoming Green Card EP, following the Complex-premiered “Olodo,” Pigeons & Planes-debuted “Timbuktu,” and “When We Were Kings,” which dropped via DJBooth.

Listen to “Lord” (ft. Kami de Chukwu): https://soundcloud.com/any-means-necessary/lord-feat-kami-de-chukwu/

Check out the Okayplayer premiere: http://www.okayplayer.com/news/ikey-lord-okp-track-premiere.html

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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.”