Artist Focus: Vector Tha Viper, The Venomous Nigerian Rapper
The Viper spits phenomenal bars and poetic punchlines!
Real name:Olanrewaju David Ogunmefun Stage name:Vector Date of birth:August 7, 1984 State of Origin:Ogun Nationality:Nigerian Genre:Hip Hop, Afro Pop
The one who goes by the name ofVector has held his own in the tough and highly competitive rap genre, with awards and accomplishments that point to his ingenuity and creativity. His path to fame makes for an interesting read as his presence in the world of Nigerian hip hop has helped to bring it to where it is today.
Vector is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and philosopher born inLagos State,Nigeria and is the fourth of five children. He attended Command Children School, Ijebu Ode Grammar School, Government College,Victoria Island, and Saint Gregory’s College,Ikoyi, Lagos. His journey into hip hop started in 1994.
Knowing and recognizing his rap skills from an early age, Vector was involved in various social activities in which he performed. He formed a musical duo group calledBadder Boiz in 1999. They wrote their own songs and later started performing as a trio, recording their first demo that same year.
The group consisted of Vector,Krystal,andBlaze. They were together until 2004 when Krystal left due to irreconcilable differences. Vector then proceeded to theUniversity of Lagos to further his education and graduated in 2008 with a degree in Philosophy.
He released his first official singleKilode for the albumState of Surprise in February 2010. The video was released that same year with the album being released on the 29th of October, 2010. It was executive produced byEloka“Culture”Oligbo and featured2face,General Pype,Chuddy K,Ade Piper,Emmsong andSista Soul, with production input fromH-Code,Samklef,Da Piano,J-Smith,Xela Xelz, andVibez Production.
Vector dropped the video for another song,Get Down. His collaboration with 2face on the track helped to push him into the limelight. His singlesAngeli (with9ice) andMr. Vector featuringJazzy were released on May 19, 2011, and got frequent airplay on radio stations around the country.Angeli video was released on October 2011.
The music industry was already getting into Vector’s vibe and his unique rap flow is somewhat similar to that ofUSrapperJay-Z.
He released the trackBorn LeaderfeaturingMavado ofDJ Khaled’sWe the Best Music Group. It was the third single from his second album titledThe Second Coming. The video was shot inMiami,Florida and was directed byAntwan Smith.
In August 2013, he was featured byPheelz, a producer on a song titledPopular. It gained repeated airplay on Nigerian radio stations and was further proof that Vector could play well with others as he has a way of bringing flavor into any track in which he is featured.
Vector droppedKing Kong, a rap single, in January 2015. Its video was released that same month. He did two remixes of the song, with the first featuringPhyno,Reminisce,Classiq, andUzi. The second had Ghanaian rapperSarkodie on it. The video for the first remix was released in July 2015.
As one ofNigeria’s mainstream rappers, Vector has been nominated for several awards and has won others. His list of awards includes the following:
-TheNigeria Music Video Awards(NMVA) in 2011 for Best Mainstream Hip Hop Video
-TheNMVA Awardsin 2012 for best Afro Hip Hop Video
-A Recognition Award byDYNAMIX Youth Awards in 2012
-The 2012 Headies Awards (twice, for Lyricist on the Roll and Best Rap Single
-The 2012Nigeria Entertainment Awards (NEA) for Best Rap Act
- 2Headies Awards in 2015 for Best Rap Single and Lyricist on the Roll
Vector was involved in a rap feud with artist Reminisce and is presently in a rap supremacy battle withM.I. Abaga, with the latter attracting much attention from fans and media platforms.
One thing that makes Vector outstanding is his music videos, which are always filled with genuine artistry and insightful moments. While he may not be considered the best in the rap game, Vector is undoubtedly one of its main headliners in the country, and he sure as hell is not done unleashing those toxic bars and soothing rap flow. The Viper is here to stay!