From Nigerian and German descent, what distinguishes Colt from other rappers is his modern take on hip-hop – often choosing to focus his work around socially-conscious topics – and combining deep and poetic lyrics with typically heavy hip-hop beats.
His biggest single to date, āBury Me Aliveā, has more than 11.5 million streams on Spotify, but that only tells half the story. A self-proclaimed entrepreneur with a degree in Business Enterprise to back it up, the Frankfurt-native has been included on Forbesā ā30 under 30ā list for 2020 and recently bought himself out his own record deal to release music independently.
For the latest instalment of Thatās 5, we sat down with Colt to discuss his musical influences, the trouble with technology, and his dream to build something for the people, by the people.
This interview has been lightly editedĀ
What influences you?
Growing up, I was always between two extremes; being black and white, being broke but going to a private school, being the āarty kidā amongst my goons but the āhood oneā amongst my privileged friends.Ā
Channelling that duality and trying to create synergy and harmony wherever I go has a big influence on my work. I like fucking with peoples expectations, so I always want to give my audience the chance to learn something new about the world, themselves, or at least, me.
When it comes to musical influences, my rebellious spirit comes from 2Pac, my vulnerability from Kid Cudi, and my honesty from Eminem. My empathy and fire come from my mum!
What’s overrated?
Using technology and numbers to evaluate the impact of peopleās work is the most overrated thing about right now. I think in the future, brands and people are going to switch from “how many” to “who” when evaluating what is impactful on society. Once that happens, itāll have a huge impact on the mental wellbeing of young people. Theyāll stop obsessing about followers to focus on being the best and most authentic version of themselves, and theyāll love themselves more because of this. Love is something the world lacks right now.
What’s underrated?
Not checking your phone right after waking up is underrated. My first move in the morning used to be to check my messages, mentions, and emails. That’s a big āno-noā nowadays. Disciplining yourself to not do that will help your brain and body a lot. Also, turning off all your notifications is mad underrated! It’s so liberating when you take control of how much attention you pay to your phone rather than it being the other way around.
What are you most excited about right now?Ā
Building something for the people, by the people. Knowing that my IP will create generational wealth for my family and my team – that is really exciting and beautiful to me.Ā
Being able to showcase my creativity outside of music is also exciting. A tiny seed of an idea can quickly grow into a tree and if you amplify your message in the right way, everybody can enjoy the fruits.
Imagine this – you create something and put it out online. Then you add a visual experience like a show, then you add something tangible like merchandise. Maybe thereās even a scent on the product and now boom, you have something you can smell, too!Ā
Building up these layers gives me a better chance of planting an idea in the next kidās head. They then go and replicate the process and it becomes like creative reincarnation. If you lead by example, you can positively impact so many lives outside of your own.
What’s next for you?
Right now, Iām releasing music independently for the first time, planning my next tour, and working with my team on merch and brand collabs for the rest of the year. But what I just said above is whatās next for me and hopefully for anybody reading this too, including you …
Was that 5?
Sure was. Now go and create something beautiful and turn off all your notifications. But check out my music and Instagram before you do!
