Egertton is the Afro-Rage Pioneer to Watch
Egertton is an Afrobeats artist and rapper who infuses rage, spirituality, and unique sounds into his craft. In August, he released his debut EP, “Karnage,” featuring standout singles like “Dawn” and “Show Working.” The EP showcases Egertton’s lyricism and confidence, layered over ominous, eerie beats that still maintain an everyday ‘Afro’ sound.
From city of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria, Egertton was drawn to music from a young age. He constantly experimented with personal styles that mirrored his edgy personality. Egertton essentially stands out for his eerie takes on music and fashion, describing this as a need not to be ‘boxed in’ and seeing his craft as a way of letting off steam and being as expressive as possible in today’s world. He describes his sound as ‘Afrorage,’ with lyrics and delivery that come with raw emotion and intensity. As he continues to shape his sound with rage and originality, Egertton is undoubtedly an artist to watch in the Afrobeat and rap scenes.
Q: Introduce yourself to our audience.
Egertton: My name is Egertton, and I’m a singer and rapper from Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
Q: Why do you describe your music and personality with rage? Why rage?
Egertton: RAGE is the strongest emotion a human can feel, stronger than love, some people might say. Rage drives you to do the impossible and be the impossible, and that is what I want to do—the impossible.
Q: What do you think about Benin being the origin of many talented and edgy individuals today?
Egertton: I am grateful to be alive to witness my city and my people get acknowledged by the world for our craft, and I thank the pioneers for making that possible.
Q: Your name is Egertton. What does it mean?
Egertton: Egertton means “blessed town.” I was named after my grand uncle, who was a well-known professor and book author in Benin City.
Q: What’s your favorite song off your Karnage EP?
Egertton: With a project like “Karnage,” I find it hard to have a particular favorite. It’s a 7-song project with 7 different elements, but I have a deep spiritual connection with the last song on the EP, “Another Man Down.”
Q: What does Karnage mean to you?
Egertton: KARNAGE means Egertton, KARNAGE means the people, KARNAGE means mass destruction.
Q: I saw your videos rapping in your room on Instagram. What made you switch it up to create a whole Afro EP?
Egertton: I have been rapping since I was in primary school. I always loved rap & hip hop growing up, but I wanted to create something new—a new sound, a new genre that words can’t explain but only ears can listen to.
Q: Who are your top inspirations in music?
Egertton: Michael Jackson.
Q: Tell us about your single off your EP “Show Working.”
Egertton: “Show Working” is a song I recorded just to have fun. It was a very hectic day for me; I had exams that day, and I just wanted to make me and my friends feel better with vibes and energy.
Q: Who’s a dream collab for you in the music, locally in Nigeria or could be a global artist ?
Egertton: I listen to a lot of music and a lot of different sounds, there are lots of pioneers of different sounds and I want to touch every single part of the music while infusing my own sound, but globally I think The Weeknd is someone I would love to collab with
