10 Questions: Wyllz

Unorthodox Reviews had a tête-á-tête with Rapper Pee Wyllz. We talked about his thoughts on life, his music and his future.

Enjoy our debut 10 Questions interview: 

1. Which rap record(s) do you think inspired you to become a rapper?

I started listening to music around the time Eminem and 50 Cent were reigning. I’d say most of their records motivated me to start rapping.

2. Name your top 5 rappers and state the reason you vibe with them.

In no particular order, I’d have to pick the following rappers. 50 Cent, Drake, Jay-Z, Eminem, and Schoolboy Q. I listen to them because of their stories and how they present them. Their type of flows and lyricism is exceptional. These rappers make all the music I want to hear and honestly, I can live by listening to just these rappers. Ha-ha.

3. What do you feel is the most pertinent issue in our society now and do you feel being a rapper has helped or messed up your involvement in the issue?

Well, I think the most pressing issue that most youth, including myself, deal with is how the economy is hard on us nowadays. No Lie! We try so hard to strive and make it big from around here and that’s our grind. I sometimes talk about my struggle in my music to let people know that they aren’t alone. I believe this brings a good feeling to the individuals who listen to my songs.

4. What in your opinion is a rapper’s role for being a force for societal change?

The rapper’s role is to provide good information. It’s all about the right and appropriate lyrics when it comes to social change. A rapper’s personality and what he says in his music can all help towards societal change.

5. In your song, “Bird’s Eye View”, you stated, “GH Rap needs that soul-uplifting…” Do you mean your predecessors did or are not doing a good job?

That was never a shot to our predecessors. I respect our predecessors so much to even think of taking a jab at them. I just think GH Rap still needs to go to the next level. I see a lot of potential in the industry and so I believe it will.

6. Do you consider yourself as doing Hip-hop? How do you define the term Hiplife and how different is it from HipHop?

I think all the records I’ve released so far are Hip-hop songs however I don’t just consider myself as a hip-hop artist. Hiplife is just a way of life for our people. The only thing that makes Hip-hop different from Hiplife is that hiplife is Ghanaian and Hip-hop isn’t. It doesn’t mean you can’t fuse it though.

7. Do you take offense when people put you in a box as just a rapper and not a full musician?

I won’t say I get offended when I hear that. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and in this case, an obvious one since most of my records are HipHop. I don’t see myself to be just a rapper. I see myself as a full musician but hey, I’m still learning and evolving so just wait for my next releases. Your opinion will definitely change.

8. Why do you think Hip-hop has still not peaked in Ghana?

I believe it’s a matter of time. We can’t blame our people for not connecting to Hip-hop just yet. Hiplife has reigned for a long time. We can also merge hiplife with Hip-hop to make it more relatable. Some artists are already doing that; E.L, Joey B, Pappy Kojo…

9. How long did it take in making your debut project (WyllzWorld)? What were the problems you faced? And what was the feedback after its release?

WyllzWorld took about 4-6 months for it to be fully recorded and mastered. I didn’t encounter any problems in putting it together. The feedback was great. People received it quite well.

10. What is next for Wyllz?

Next level, I’m ready to take it to the next level. Be expecting a tape soon enough too.