uNder Spotlight: Fimi Is Here to Give You What You’ve Been Craving

You listen to Fimi and realize quickly: this is a generative force armed with a chameleonic flow layered with wit and rhythm.

Before she had a name for it, Fimi was already rapping. Raised by two pastors in a devout Christian household in Oshogbo with limited access to secular music, she found her flow from experimenting with the church keyboard. 

Hip-Hop is an exciting genre. But it becomes most alive when someone equally as exciting appears and bends it back toward itself. You listen to Fimi and realize quickly: this is a generative force. Armed with a chameleonic flow layered with wit and rhythm, she’s mastered the kind of theatrical, narrative-driven rap that keeps you alert, shifting tone and cadence mid-verse to heighten the emotion or drop a surprise. Even with a modest catalogue, the range and promise are watertight with singles like “BEEF” concretising her tenacity and “Halo” hinting at an artist attuned to her interiority. 

The NATIVE chatted with the rapper about self-belief, giving listeners what they’ve been seeking, and her drive to always do what she wants.

What’s your first memory of falling in love with Hip-Hop?

My interest in music started in church. I grew up in Oshogbo, Osun State, and both my parents are pastors. I was in the choir, so I had access to the church keyboard, and I’d always play around with it, write some rhymes; I wasn’t even sure I was rapping, I just knew I was doing something musical, and it felt good. Fast forward to 2012, when the Disney movie Let It Shine came out, and that was when I realized I wanted to rap. I wanted to be like the main character, Truth, so badly. He was a pastor’s kid and a rapper; that inspired me.

I wish I had a more interesting story to tell, like, “I was always in my room listening to Tupac.” But I grew up in Oshogbo. I don’t know if it was the city or just the fact that my parents are pastors, but I didn’t have access to all those ‘worldly’ things, if you know what I mean. 

When I listen to you, I hear a bit of Doechii, Nicki Minaj, and Eminem. “Hey Shawy” blew me away. What kind of rapper are you, with regards to your stylistic choices?

Hey Shawy” was heavily inspired by Eminem. At the time, I was trying out different genres and rap techniques. I do that a lot; I’ll pick an artist as a case study and study how they rap: their rhyme schemes, cadences, patterns. Then I’ll try to do my version of it. With “Hey Shawy,” Eminem was my playbook. When it comes to my rap style, I wouldn’t say I have one fixed style. I don’t want to box myself in. I’m always evolving.

How would you describe where Nigerian Hip-Hop is right now, and do you think you’re arriving at an exciting time?

Yes, I’m happy to be here right now, for selfish reasons, to be honest. I feel like I’m arriving at a time when people’s ears are desperate for new sounds, and I genuinely believe I’m bringing what they’ve been craving. Hip-Hop is exciting right now, also a little different, and I celebrate that. I love that people are free to express their creativity however they want. Just like Afrobeats is having its moment right now, I believe Nigerian Hip-Hop can have its moment very soon. It’s closer than we think.

Who are your favourite rappers?

I love Nicki Minaj. She was my first real exposure to rap. I mean, I knew Weird MC and I’d heard of “Ijoya,” but to be honest, I didn’t know at that time that Weird MC was a woman. I honestly thought she was a man. But Nicki? It was the first time I saw a woman rap. I remember always watching the “Anaconda” video–partially for the nudity–but mostly because I was inspired that a woman was doing what I wanted to do. Other favorites, off the top of my head, are Eva Alordiah and Ladipoe. I wouldn’t say ODUMODUBLVCK, but I respect the uniqueness he’s bringing to the game. I’m obsessed with Doja Cat. I love it when artists carry their sense of humor into their art. Shoutout to Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Lauryn Hill, Nicki Minaj, Tierra Whack, Doechii, Qveen Herbie, and Tyler, The Creator. 

Your style has such a nostalgic but avant-garde vibe to it. What’s the intention behind that?

I try to stay connected to my roots in everything I do. Whether I’m rapping or dressing up, I like to infuse my culture, which is Yoruba. I’m a Yoruba girl, and I always want to represent that. With my style, the things I wear now are actually what I used to wear as a kid: church hats, iro and buba, lace, native fabrics, etc. I’ve just made them look better and more feminine. It’s really important to me to stay in touch with my roots as much as possible.

In “Welcome to Therapy,” you state that to win, you have to ‘make it through the man’s world.’ What can the industry and listeners do to better support women in rap?

I’m very passionate about this. First of all, as a woman in the industry, I want to break the pressure to fit into a box. I’ve noticed that there’s a way women are expected to sound, to think, and to look. My mantra, now and forever, is to do whatever I want to do. 

Listeners, stop calling us “female rappers.” We’re all just rappers. I want people to listen. People get distracted by what they see. They focus on our bodies, our clothes, and our appearance, instead of the music. I want people to listen to the delivery, to the pen, to the things we’re saying. Don’t let superficial things distract you from the art. Also, stop comparing us to one another. It happens way too often with women. Even Chloe and Halle [Bailey] get compared, and they’re sisters. Let women have their lanes without constantly being pitted against each other.

As for the industry, it needs to let women do what they want to do, creatively, visually, musically, and support us when we do. There’s a huge emphasis on physicality. It’s like it wants us to sell our bodies, not our music. Shoutout to women who do genuinely want to express themselves in that way, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But not every woman wants to take that route, and that should be just as valid.

Any upcoming projects we should be keeping an eye out for?

I’m staying mysterious. Just know something’s coming.

What kind of lasting cultural impact do you want Fimi to have?

The greatest, most fulfilling impact I want my music and my image to have is on the younger generation. I want to inspire people the same way Nicki Minaj inspired me. When I was younger, she struck something in me. I looked up to her, and she made me feel like what I dreamed of doing was possible. That’s exactly what I want to do for young women who think rap isn’t for them, that it’s a “man’s thing.” I want them to see me and think, “If Fimi can do it, then I can do it too.” 

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