Nolly on Cultural Preservation through Music

By Vanessa Obioha

Fast-rising gospel artist Chukwunonso Onwuli, better known as Nolly, is proud of rapping and singing in his mother tongue, Igbo. Born in Calabar but raised in Enugu, the graduate of Industrial Chemistry in this interview talks about how rapping in Igbo has helped him retain the authenticity of his creativity while reaching a wider audience.

Have you always been encouraged to pursue music?

Initially, my parents weren’t in support. My Dad was against it because he wanted me to work in an oil company. I studied Industrial Chemistry and he just wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing. But when he saw how serious I was with the music he supported me. In retrospect, I understand his concerns. But as a young kid, I was sad and angry. Generally, I received a lot of support, not only from my parents and my siblings but my friends also. I’ve had really good friends that have supported me and always told me the truth even when it hurts.

What endeared you to rap?

It comes easily to me. I grew up listening to rap. It was the most prevalent genre in my time. I’m a millennial. So my aim in doing gospel rap music is to speak to the youth. To put the gospel message in the language the youths understand.

How do you engage with fans who do not understand Igbo?

Well, sometimes I’ve tried to incorporate the English language in my songs. Even if there’s Igbo, right, I’ll make sure there is a very good amount of English language so that someone who doesn’t even understand Igbo or pidgin English will get the gist of what the song is talking about.

Given that your songs are mainly in Igbo, can you speak on the importance of preserving and celebrating cultural identity through music?

Our culture is very important and language is very important in every culture. I grew up in the southeastern part of Nigeria even though I wasn’t born there. I remember my parents telling me that the first language I spoke was Igbo. I learned English in school. So, doing my music in Igbo and English is trying to be authentic and somehow also preserve our culture in the music community. I think how we tell our stories as a people matters a lot.

How do your own experience and worldview shape the messages in your music?

The Christian life is a life that we live on earth, so definitely I got to share my salvation story. I also share the struggles I face. Some of my songs have stories about how I moved from Enugu to Lagos with just N5000 in my pocket. I’ve sung about the time I almost lost my Mum. I prayed and prayed for God to heal her and it seemed like it wasn’t getting better. I totally lost hope but then God miraculously healed her. I’ve sung about the time I gave my life to Christ. I’ve sung about love. So basically, my point of view as a Christian is that gospel music goes beyond praise or worship. So I can sing or rap about anything but just has to be from the Bible’s point of view because that is my world. My experiences make my music relatable.

How do you intend to push more boundaries and build a legacy with gospel rap music given that the genre does not enjoy as much popularity as other genres?

It hasn’t really been an easy journey, because the youths are moving from rap to Afrobeats. The goal has always been to speak to the youth. So my friends and I have formed this movement called the Afro Gospel Movement. It’s like gospel Afrobeats. We have evolved from just gospel rap to gospel Afrobeats and we’re making a lot of impacts, because the truth is, there has been a lot of demand for this kind of music in the Christian space.