By: Mandy Park
In this exclusive interview, Favor Ekah Ernest, professionally known by his stage name HYCE opens up about his remarkable journey from playing instruments in his father’s church to becoming one of the most promising Afrobeats artists today.
With hits like ‘Vanilla’, ‘Mind’, ‘Tension’, and ‘Ogechi’, Hyce has captivated audiences worldwide. He shares insights into his creative process, collaborations, and vision for the future. Enjoy
Excerpts
How did you get started in music, and what inspired you to pursue a career in the industry?
Well like most other artists, it started in church, my father is a pastor, so it all began with playing instruments in his church, and then when I was in Secondary school, it was a period when the now OGs when blowing up as youngins and it inspires a lot of us young folks then, myself inclusive. Will do freestyles and sing other artistes’ songs just vibing and then I just thought if I could do all that and do it well then I can also do my music, so I started trying, jumping into studio sessions with some of my friends who could afford them, Sometimes even write for them.
Can you share a brief overview of your journey so far, from your early days to becoming one of the top emerging artists?
The early days of my journey after the whole secondary school vibes period. I started by featuring on some of my friends’ songs since I could not afford production fees for myself. In 2020, I released my first single titled Owo featuring Sounds produced by him and ever since it has been a roller coaster, but I have ensured to release at least one single every year since then. In December 2022, I released my first ever viral song titled “Vanilla” and that put me on a different pedestal as an Afrobeats artiste, the success of the song opened many doors for me and set me on a different note. Many singles were released after that and in 2024, I recorded another successful single with my friends Boypee and Brown Joel which came to a remix featuring one of the biggest Afrobeats artists, “Davido”, and that has put me on the list of top emerging afrobeats artiste of the year.
Music Style and Influences. How would you describe your music style, and what genres do you draw inspiration from?
My style is a blend of pop, RnB and soul into Afro, a solid Afro-fusion and musically I try as much as possible to listen to different sounds because I derive my inspiration from various artistes.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your sound?
Top of my list of musical influences are the legendary Wande Coal, Wizkid, and Davido, which is evident in the type of music I make that mostly, centres around love. More important is how evident Davido’s influence has increased my viability in the industry.
Congratulations on your recent Success, Chart Performance and consistently topping the charts! What do you attribute your success to, and how does it feel to be competing with established artists?
Thank you. I attribute this level of success to God’s grace and the immense support from my family and my management team. Every artiste on the rise prays to attain success, which is why we keep working day and night.I do not feel I compete with any other established artiste, I am grateful for the success but I also believe that there is enough room for everyone to blow without competition, just do your best and leave the rest to God.
Your single “Ogechi” has been a huge hit. Can you share the story behind the song and its remix featuring Davido?
Ogechi came to life after a campus tour organized and headlined by Topboy Zyno in Enugu where I was a part of the performing artistes. I had known Brown Joel previously from Lagos but I have never met Boypee, the tour was our first meeting point. While we were in the hotel where we resided, we had a good rapport and the whole vibe began from there, immediately after the show we agreed to do something together and as soon as we landed in Lagos, we went straight to Dawie’s studio to record Ogechi. After that session, we believed we had recorded a smash hit and immediately shot a snippet video to post on TikTok and that was it. The acceptance was so huge that it garnered hundreds of thousands of video posts in few days even before its release. We were also praying for a Davido feature right from the moment of recording because we believed strongly that it would greatly influence the song.Thanks to Cubana Chief Priest who is like a Godfather to Boypee, a strong lover, and the biggest influencer of Ogechi, he pulled the strings and made many things happen, including the remix. Boypee just called me one night and said, pull up to this address, Davido wants to jump on Ogechi and wants us to come to his place, it was a dream come true, our prayer has been answered. It was just two nights before Davido and Chioma’s wedding, we recorded the song and Davido said he wanted it engineered immediately because it would be released on his wedding day and that was how the remix became a Global smash hit.
On collaborations and Tours, What was it like working with Davido on the “Ogechi” remix, and how did the collaboration come about?
It’s just as I have said above.
You recently completed an Africa tour, performing in Ghana, Tanzania, and Kenya. What were some highlights from the experience?
Those moments were surreal for me, but still one of the highlights of my career so far. I felt the love beyond social media, I felt the success of the chart-topping songs beyond the DSP numbers. When people sing my songs back to me, it feels so unbelievable but all in all, the success of the songs had preceded my arrival in those countries.
Your discography includes hits like “Vanilla,” “Mind,” “Tension,” and “Ogechi.” How do you approach song writing and production?
Songwriting for me is from a place of personal experiences, I write what I feel and hope that anyone listening can feel the same way. My songwriting is always an emotional expression for me.
How do you feel your music has evolved over time, and what can fans expect from upcoming releases?
Anyone who explores my catalogue will realize that I have grown musically and my sound has evolved drastically, it has been an experimental process so far but from Vanilla and the releases after, I have defined my tune and solidify how I express my sound through my style, melodies and storytelling. I have gone from love, to lust, to heartbreak and back to romance but in my upcoming releases/project, I have started to explore the themes of hustle, loyalty, mental health, Family and even prayer. I guess for me, these moments going forward is where I become more versatile.
Can you walk us through your creative process when working on new music?
When working on new music with my producers, I love to create from scratch, let them have an idea of what I am feeling and about to pour out, and then we go from there.
What inspires your lyrics, and how do you draw from personal experiences?
Song writing for me is from a place of personal experiences, I write what I feel and hope that anyone listening can feel the same way. My song writing is always an emotional expression for me. I have always explored the themes of love, lust, heartbreak and romance.
What are your thoughts on the current state of the music industry, and how do you see yourself contributing to its growth?
The music industry is an ever-evolving cycle, I am grateful to God that our music is taking over the world generally and the big guys are trooping down here to invest more in Afrobeats. However, in the bid to have our own bite of the pie, we should not get carried away by selling ourselves short and or overselling that may lead to us losing a great deal to external forces. Also, every individual artiste needs to stick to things that make them unique and original, keeping in mind that those things are the sauce that brought everyone along in the first place.As for me, I am doing my bit, working on great songs that I believe will transcend until my name is mentioned among top culture pushers.
What are your short-term and long-term goals, and how do you plan to achieve them?
I’d say I am close to achieving my short-term goal which is to become a force to reckon with in the Afrobeats space, 2024 has been a great year and has seen me draw closer to that goal. However, my long-term goal is to become a global force, a global musical icon whose name will be mentioned even in generations to come as one of the biggest pushers of the Afrobeats culture.
How do you stay grounded and focused amidst the demands of your rising career, and what advice would you give to aspiring artists?
Work, work and Pray. Let God be the centre of everything you do. That is how I move and that is what keeps me going.
How do you engage with your fans, and what importance do you place on building a loyal fanbase?
As a musical artiste, a fan base is very important. I have my own community of lovers who I call my “PENGUINS”, they love me and I love them as much. Social media has given enough room to engage and keep in touch with them.-
Can you share any memorable moments or anecdotes from your performances or music videos?
My first time on a very big stage, in front of a very big crowd, at Davido’s Timeless concert in 2023. That was a moment of truth for me. I felt loved and that solidified my belief and also put me on a different pedestal to see how much I can do and what I need to do better. –
How do you balance artistic expression with commercial appeal?
Stay fresh, Stay clean, Stay stylish. The steeze has to be all-round, both in the music and in your outlook. Everyone loves a good-looking and stylish individual.-
What role does social responsibility play in your music and public persona?
Incorporating social responsibility into my music and public persona is not just a strategy; it’s a core part of who I am as a creative. Having platform to uplift others and promote meaningful conversations, I hope to inspire positive change and connect with my audience on a deeper level.
