Erigga, a budding Nigerian rapper who is known for rapping majorly in Pidgin, has opened up about the challenges he faced growing up in the streets of Warri, Delta State, selling drugs around the corner, going to jail and how music saved his life.
During an interview with German broadcasting network, DWtv, Erigga whose real name is Erhiga Agarivbie talked about his musical journey from selling drugs to shutting down shows.
”The city brings out that toughness in you,” he states, ”You have to be strong to survive out here, it’s really tough, there is no opportunity,” he speaks of his hometown.
The South-South state of the country has become notorious for acts like kidnapping, oil bunkering/theft, armed robbery and drugs proliferation, all of which Erigga was exposed to and eventually led to him getting arrested and doing time behind bars.
”We sold drugs,” he admitted, but at some point after he was released, he made the decision to exchange the drugs for the microphone, a decision that has changed his life totally and helped him move out of the hood and only returns occasionally, this time as a local celebrity.
”I never saw this coming, all I wanted was to give my people a voice. What I rap about is basically the struggle that every Warri boy, every Niger Delta youth go through every day of their lives, but they can’t say it.”
