Banky Hype Da Rah-Rah Kid The Hot 97 New York DJ chats with Keeps
Keeps:Can I get to know
you?
Banky Hype: My name is Banky Hype.
Keeps: I think this is one of the rare moments being with an African American.
Banky Hype: Yeah there you go.
Keeps: So what can you say about Nigeria?
Banky Hype: I love Nigeria, I love the people in Nigeria and I just love the environment I love the country.
Keeps: I want a situation whereby you as an American will rate our hip hop scene in Nigeria.
Banky Hype: There is talent in Nigeria you understand, but it just needs some promotion. Nigerian artistes just need to be… they are big they are just like any other artistes around the world but they just need to be promoted around the world not just in Nigeria you know not just in Africa they can be big everywhere but they just need to be promoted
Keeps: So do we expect you often in Nigeria or after this event you just move back to the US and that would be the end?
Banky Hype: No definitely not, ’cause I already started taking back the music, I will come back with D’banj, 9ice; these guys are wicked to me. When I go back to the US I will be making a mix CD and getting it out so I can expose this music to the world ’cause I love music.
Keeps: So you are into mixtape.
Banky Hype: I’m into mixtape and I got a brand new mixtape too.
Keeps: I want to know your kind of person, how do you get down?
Banky Hype: Well, I’m a DJ, I work for two radio stations, I work at Hot 97 and then my big radio station is Roll Back Radio in New Jersey 90.01 FM you can get it on the internet www.rollbackradio.com but I also like to travel the whole world, really I DJ everywhere in the world but this is my first time in Africa but I’ve been all over the world already.
Keeps: What will you say about the fusion of African rhythm into what I would say hip hop beat, like 9ice now you know he sings with his own language his own Yoruba dialect.
Banky Hype: I think it is hip hop already though what he does is what they are doing all over the world already but it is not just been promoted, 9ice needs to promote himself in America you understand, 2face, they need to promote themselves. They start promoting themselves just in Nigeria, Nigerian people love you and they will always love you, now you gotta leave Nigeria you gotta go to England you gotta go to America you gotta go to Jamaica you gotta go all over the world and promote the music.
Keeps: What will you want Nigerian youths to actually do to see that they become better because we all watch American guys on TV and we like them we’re all trying to be like them. We still believe there are some things we need to put into our game so that we get there.
Banky Hype: Well, what you are putting into your game is what you need to take away from your game stop following the American artistes because the talent in Nigeria is good by itself you don’t need to add what the Americans are doing you can listen take in an idea but you don’t need to do what they are doing, you understand, bring your own style too…the style they (Nigerians) are doing right now is great keep it up just keep up the good work and promote it. With DJs like myself like I said I’m gonna go back to the US and am gonna promote the Nigerian artistes that is my job. I’m gonna be the ambassador for Nigeria in America that’s my job now.
Keeps: Is there any Nigerian language you’ve picked up maybe just a word or two?
Banky Hype: Ah men I’ve heard a few but here is a thing, like when I’m speaking to Nigerians they speak to me in American they speak to me in English so nobody is giving me the real Nigerian language here, how do you say goodbye Nigeria?
Keeps: O da bo
Banky Hype: O dab o?
Keeps: Yeah
Banky Hype: O da bo, how do you say hello?
Keeps: Ba wo ni? Ba wo?
Banky Hype: Bawo? So big up to all my ah…hello to ah…o da…no, no, how do I say hello again?
Keeps: Ba wo ni?
Banky Hype: Ba wo to all my Nigerians out there Banky Hype I love all of you and o da bo.
Keeps: O da bo yeah, thank you very much.
Banky Hype: O da bo, I’m out thanks a lot aiight.
After the interview, Banky Hype posed for a couple of shots for keeps, I noticed his tattoo and spoke to him about it.
Keeps: Can you talk about your tattoo?
Banky Hype: My tattoo basically is about the people I love, you know I got myself cause I love myself, you understand, then I have my mother’s name Sony, I love my mother, we all love our mothers then the most precious person in the world to me is my son, you know his name is Dillion. And the microphone, the reason why I put Delly in the microphone together it’s because me been on the microphone is what provides for my son you know this is what takes me worldwide this is who I am. I am music and everything I do is for my son.