Victony “Stubborn” Debuts At No. 2 On The Official Albums Chart In Nigeria
Who is Victony? To the hip-hop community, he is the underground hip-hop artist who delivered a diamond in the rough "Outlaw King" mixtape in 2019 and appeared on Ladipoe’s Revival Mode off the #RevivalSunday Series. To his fans, he is the occasional badman who expresses his adoration of women. To critics, he is a multi-genre artist who experiments with sounds. To the average Nigerian, he's the living proof of a praying mother's power.
Anthony Ebuka Victor, known as Victony, got an early start in music as a rapper, dropping freestyles and mixes. Inspired by Kendrick Lamar and Drake, He followed that with the singles “Menace,” “2mins in Space” and “S.M.S (Sing My Song)” featuring Zichy.
At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Victony, still a student at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), released the 2020 EP “Saturn” where he blended Afropop with his exciting melodies, making everyone turn and ask "Who's that?"
In April 2021, tragedy struck. Victony and his friends were involved in a car crash that left them severely injured and claimed the life of one of them. Victony survived the crash but had to use a wheelchair. This incident birthed a new approach to Victony's writing, beliefs, and approach to life.
Months later, he released a two-track EP titled “Dark Times” ****months later and then dropped a stellar hook on Mayorkun’s “Holy Father”. On Christmas Day, Victony was back on his feet at Davido’s “A Decade of Davido” concert.
While regaining his mobility, Victony's determination to soar with his artistry was unmistakable. His EP “Outlaw” highlighted his refusal to be confined to a genre, as he bended sounds to his will. He hit gold in “Soweto,” solidifying his place among the stars.
Every single release since then has targeted different audiences as he continues to expand his reach. "Jaga Jaga" with Badboy AV appeals to the masses, "No Joke" shows flashes of his MC skills, while "Ohema" which enlists Crayon and Bella Shmurda, additional vocals from Ayra Starr, Blaqbonez… etc sees him harness industry wide collaboration to woo music lovers.
At the start of 2024, Victony released “Everything” and the rumors of a debut album were passed along the grapevine. Victony responded with “Stubborn” featuring Asake, which became the album's title.
“Stubborn” embodies Victony's personality – an artist who refuses to be tamed, who forges new sonic paths while writing his story into history.
His writing feels lived-in, a powerful progression of events that makes the production feel like an extension of his life.
When he says “I steady dey pray make my family meeting no turn to street affair” you know the writing is from an old soul, enriched in conversational Nigerian references from the religious allusions to the flings, betrayals, fears, heartaches, desires, and wonders of the future. “Shey na you wey dey call me blood, I no know say you reason me less, If I no say na zobo, omo I for carry you go DNA test yeah, you dey look me like investment…So I telephone God, make He come clean this skeletons off my closet.”
“Stubborn” is projected to debut at No. 2 on the albums chart, Industry projections with 6-8 million on-demand streams, translating to 4000 - 5330 album units.
"Outlaw," released in May 2022, peaked at No. 6 on the TurnTable albums chart (launched in October 2022) and remained on the chart for an impressive 86 weeks since its release. It has also garnered over 98 million on-demand streams and achieved platinum status with over 65,330 units sold.
If you ever wonder what fuels Victony, look no further than his stubborn will.