Nicholas Ihua-Maduenyi (Born October 28, 1998) widely known as PsychoYP, is a Nigerian
alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising " hip hop groups that refuse to confor ...
rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is a member of the music collective Apex Village.
He came into the music scene with a critically acclaimed mixtape ''YPSZN'', which earned him a nomination at the
SAMAs, and
Headies for his second mixtape studio album ''YPSZN2''. Dubbed the "The Fresh Prince of Nigerian Rap", he is regarded as one of Nigeria's
rap music
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
pioneers in the
Alté
Alté (locally pronounced as "uhl-teh"), is a fusion genre of music that combines elements of afrobeats, dancehall, reggae, hip hop, and alternative R&B. The term was coined in the 2010s by Nigerian music group DRB LasGidi, meaning alternative a ...
music scene.
Early life
Ihua-Maduenyi was born on 28 October 1998 in
Abuja
Abuja () is the capital and eighth most populous city of Nigeria. Situated at the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is a planned city built mainly in the 1980s based on a master plan by International Plann ...
, and comes from
Rivers State
Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa Ib ...
.
While in secondary school in 2013, he met with Kuddi Is Dead, a member of Apex Village.
In an interview with ''
OkayAfrica
OkayAfrica (stylized as okayafrica) is a digital media platform dedicated to African culture, music and politics. Founded in 2011 by Vanessa Wruble and Ginny Suss as a sister site to The Roots frontman Questlove's Okayplayer, the site has become ...
'', he said "as a kid, I was always around music. My mum would play Nigerian music, music from other African countries, and foreign music. I like to think she played a big role in putting me on this path by being in love with music. We'd have
P-Square
P-Square is a Nigerian music duo consisting of the twin brothers Peter Okoye and Paul Okoye. They produced and released their albums through Square Records (now Square Root Entertainment)
In December 2011, they signed a record deal with Akon's ...
,
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
,
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
, and
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
(to name a few) on repeat every weekend. My two siblings and I all had experience with singing and rapping, but something about it just kept me going".
Career
YP is an acronym for "Yung Papi".
In 2016, he launched his music career as a rapper on
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
as Psycho, while based in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
and went on to release his EP "''Lost In The Sauce''" on 26 August, 2016. In the following year, YP and Kuddi is Dead released a collaborative 4-track EP "''This Is What You Wanted''" on 21 May 2017, and released a SoundCloud exclusive with "''This Is What You Wanted II''" on 21 February, 2018, featuring
Ayüü
Daniel Tarlumun Ayu, better known as Ayüü, is a Nigerian recording artiste and songwriter with sounds from R&B, Pop, Funk, Hip-Hop, and Afrobeats.
Early life
Ayüü was born in Jos, Nigeria but moved around a lot as a child with his mother. ...
,
Zilla Oaks, and Marv OTM. On 8 June 2018, he released "''YPSZN''", with guest appearances from Fasina, Marv OTM, Denzel Oaks,
Zilla Oaks, and Remy Baggins. The project spawned the hit track "Oga".
On the 28 October, 2018, he released a music video for Oga, directed by Kuddi is Dead, and Lekinson. On 22 March 2019, he released "Oga (remix)" featuring
Blaqbonez
Emeka Akumefule, known professionally as Blaqbonez, is a Nigerian rapper signed to Chocolate City.
Blaqbonez is popularly known for his distinct rap style as well as his creative ingenuity. In 2019, he was profiled by ''The New York Times'' as ...
, and
Ycee
Oludemilade Martin Alejo (born January 29, 1993), known professionally as Ycee (also stylized as YCee), is a Nigerian rapper, singer and songwriter. He gained popularity after his single "Condo", which features vocals by Patoranking, earned him ...
. On the 4 November, 2019, he released "''YPSZN2''",
with guest appearances from
BOJ
The is the central bank of Japan. Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric. (2005). "Nihon Ginkō" in The bank is often called for short. It has its headquarters in Chūō, Tokyo.
History
Like most modern Japanese institutions, the Bank of Japan was fou ...
, Terri, Nathalie Sade, Dami Oniru,
Ayüü
Daniel Tarlumun Ayu, better known as Ayüü, is a Nigerian recording artiste and songwriter with sounds from R&B, Pop, Funk, Hip-Hop, and Afrobeats.
Early life
Ayüü was born in Jos, Nigeria but moved around a lot as a child with his mother. ...
,
Zilla Oaks,
Ladipoe
Ladipo Eso popularly known as Ladipoe or Poe is a Nigerian Rapper & musician. On 28 February 2017, Ladipoe signed a record deal with Mavin Records. He rose to prominence with the song "Feel Alright" where he got featured by SDC "Show Dem Camp". H ...
,
Skales
Raoul John Njeng-Njeng (born 1 April 1991), better known by his stage name Skales (an acronym for Seek Knowledge Acquire Large Entrepreneurial Skills), is a Nigerian rapper, singer, and songwriter. In 2000, he started writing rap songs in Kadun ...
, and
Blaqbonez
Emeka Akumefule, known professionally as Blaqbonez, is a Nigerian rapper signed to Chocolate City.
Blaqbonez is popularly known for his distinct rap style as well as his creative ingenuity. In 2019, he was profiled by ''The New York Times'' as ...
.
On the 12 November, 2020, YP and Azanti went on to release their self-titled debut EP "''YP & Azanti, Vol. 1''". The extended play spawned the minor hit tracks "Caro", and "Focused".
On the 11 March, 2021, the official music video for "Caro" was released, directed by Cindy Ihua, and produced through Ceeander Entertainment, and Legacy Films.
On 26 August 2021, YP released his first solo EP ''Euphoria'', with guest appearances from Trill Tega, Rasstokyo, J Molley, PatricKxxLee, and Alpha P. On 20 December 2021, he headlined his first Lagos concert at
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe, Inc. is a British-based multinational chain of theme restaurants, memorabilia shops, casinos and museums founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and rol ...
in Nigeria,
featuring guest appearances from
Blaqbonez
Emeka Akumefule, known professionally as Blaqbonez, is a Nigerian rapper signed to Chocolate City.
Blaqbonez is popularly known for his distinct rap style as well as his creative ingenuity. In 2019, he was profiled by ''The New York Times'' as ...
,
Dremo
Aboriomoh Femi Raymond, known by his stage name Dremo, is a Nigerian songwriter, singer, record producer, recording artist, and stage performer. He is currently signed to Davido Music Worldwide (DMW).
Early life
Dremo is from Edo State, Nige ...
,
Laycon
Olamilekan Massoud Al-Khalifah Agbeleshebioba (born 8 November 1993), known professionally as Laycon, is a Nigerian media personality, rapper, singer and songwriter. He is the winner of Big Brother Naija season 5 and currently the youth ambassad ...
,
Wurld, Alpha P,
Terry Apala, Laime, Mojo, SGaWD, King Perryy, and many more.
In 2022, he released his third mixtape album ''YPSZN3'' on 2 November. The mixtape album's lead singles include "Bando Diaries", "IC3", and "Stronger", which features a guest vocal from
Zlatan
Zlatan ( sr-Cyrl, Златан) is a male given name of Slavic origin meaning ''Golden''. The name is common amongst all South Slavic countries, namely in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia and Serbia. The name is found i ...
. On 8 November 2022, ''YPSZN3'' debuted on the newly launched Nigeria
''TurnTable'' Top 50 chart at number 26.
Artistry
PsychoYP is known for fusing
Afrobeats
Afrobeats (not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing), or Afro-pop or Afro-fusion (or Afropop or Afrofusion), is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Nigeria, Ghana, and ...
,
Afroswing
Afroswing, also known as Afrobashment, or less commonly Afrobbean or Afro-trap (not to be confused with the French genre), is a genre of music that developed in the UK during the mid-2010s, derivative of dancehall and afrobeats, with influen ...
,
Hip hop,
Trap
A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research.
Trap or TRAP may also refer to:
Art and entertainment Films and television
* ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
,
Grime
Grime may refer to:
* Dirt, in the form of black, ingrained dust
* Grime (music genre), a genre of music
* ''Grime'' (album), a 2001 album by Iniquity
* ''Grime'' (video game), a 2021 Metroidvania video game
* "Grime", a 2022 song by Dallas Wood ...
,
Drill
A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a bit, either a drill or driverchuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to ...
and
R&B,
to create his musical element. In high school, his friends began calling him Yung Papi,
and "Papi Chulo".
Nicholas eventually picked up "Yung Papi" as an acronym for YP,
before adopting Psycho, from a movie he watched to form the stage name PsychoYP.
Nicholas "PsychoYP" cited the Nigerian rapper
M.I, and the American rappers
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
,
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
, and
Gucci Mane
Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...
, as his musical influence and/or inspiration while growing up.
Discography
EPs
Collaborative EPs
Mixtape
Singles
As lead artist
Awards and nominations
References
{{reflist
Living people
1998 births
Nigerian musicians
Nigerian hip hop singers
Nigerian male rappers
Nigerian hip hop musicians
Nigerian rappers