Music called, RUYi responded
In Conversation with: RUYi
Netherlands-born, Nigerian musician - bold, unique with a voice that blesses your ears. He talks his journey, influences and music. Enjoy this incredibly inspirational and fun read!
I’ve heard that your heart tries to be at the same tempo of a song. I don’t know if it’s 100% true, but I feel like it is. That’s why sometimes when you listen to a relaxed song, you feel relaxed, when you listen to something up-tempo, you feel the need to start going crazy, because your heart is beating much faster. Music is life - it influences your emotions heavily. When I listen to music, I actually feel it in my body, in my bone marrow - as Nigerians would say, “e dey your body!!” You hear music, but notice that you actually feel it.
The making of an artist
Who is RUYi ?
He’s an artist. He’s the real me. RUYi is the person I always wanted to be – in terms of my persona and who I am. Over time, I’ve had to adjust to my environment and behave in a certain way that I feel like people would welcome me better. In doing this, I had to kind of shun my true self – the way I talk, the way I think, my ideas, and everything else I do. But when I’m RUYi, I am unapologetically me.
I was in London for a time in 2018. I had to detach myself from my current environment in an attempt to take in the world better. Right after graduation (from secondary school), I took a step back to understand who I am, what I want to represent, and how I want to tackle life. Taking myself out of certain social circles helped me accomplish that. As a result, I feel freer than ever. I do things that I really want to do. If I need to travel or do anything, I go; I don’t need to wait for anyone. If I want to pick up a new skill, I do that by myself. I began to realize how fickle it is to rely on other people’s opinions, letting them hold you back. There’s more to life, there’s so much out there.
^peak at his latest song ‘Blugasm’, links to the rest of his music at the end of the interview
Music has the power to do a lot. For me, it’s been therapy in a way; I used to have stuttering problems, but I noticed that whenever I would sing, I wouldn’t stutter. No matter what I’m feeling, the stuttering just doesn’t come, that’s why I was always singing.
My music stands out from mainstream music as I aim to show the ‘outside’ world - the world I was able to see after taking a step back from the life I had been used to. Right from my early childhood, I listened to a diverse range of music, oftentimes moving away from what people were mostly listening to at the time: when people were listening to Afrobeat, I was listening to Reggae; When everyone was listening to hip hop, I was listening to electronic!
Who + what inspires your music?
Tracy Chapman, Burna boy, of course; Fela Kuti, Sampha -thank you for introducing me to him -(you’re welcome) -Kanye West, his production really influenced me, Lauryn Hill… so many people, it’s very difficult to pick. I draw a lot of inspiration from everything.
The work you’re most proud of
‘Hunted’ for sure. It’s a song I can stand behind any day. I worked on that for a while! It was one of the first tracks that I had ever produced and recorded, all in one file. It really opened the door for me to be able to do that again. I started making it in the summer of 2021. I finished it around the same time. I performed it around town during open mics and the people loved it!! It gave a softer, distinct vibe than what they were accustomed to. They appreciated the fact that I brought something different.
Listen to ‘Hunted’ here: Apple Music | Spotify
I listen to my music a lot. It feels good to be able to open Apple Music or Spotify and see my song come out in rotation.
on BIG DREAMS
That thing you want to be, you could be that. You could do whatever you want to; however you feel, you are right to feel it. I can say my 12-year-old self will be very happy because I envisioned what I am today. That person you see yourself being, you could be that person. Don’t let society tie you down on what you ‘should’ be. If you’re crazy, if you’re loud, if you’re a clown, whatever you are – you can be that without feeling some type of way, because at the end of the day, it’s your life. Only you can dictate how you want to be remembered.
Thank you, RUYi!