Whether it’s by way of blood, mutual bond or supporters of his work, for Rotimi, having a core group of people around you, is of the upmost importance in the way he lives his life.
2. FAMILY
“Growing up, it was just me, my mom, & my dad. My parents are my backbone. My mom was my first manager. Creativity & entertainment is not typical in Nigerian households. It’s about being a doctor or a lawyer. But my mother knew I had a gift. They invested so much. The best part is making my parents happy. That means I’m doing what I need to do, as a man. Not just career wise; as an artist, as a friend, as a son.”
3. BELIEF
As Rotimi’s career indicates, if you don’t have belief in your talents, no matter the detractors, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice.
“I’m very spiritual, I believe that if you speak things into existence they will happen. I believe I’m a vessel. You can attain anything you want with humility, hard work, grinding, & positive thinking. When everybody else is against you. When you don’t see it in yourself. When you question everything, but you still say, ‘I’m going to make it.’ That little voice in you that consumes your whole being. That is belief.”
5. GRIT
You can’t be a native of the Tri-State Area without having the spirit of a grinder in your DNA.
6. GRIT
“I am super competitive. But I also know you have to work for everything. That comes from my background, being Nigerian. It’s the grind, you know? Nobody in this world is going to give you anything. There’s nothing that’s handed out here and you have the inner fortitude the moxie to pursue anything you really want and to not be afraid of it. Grit is everything. And for me, it’s built in me.”
7. CRAFT
Though he admits to waiting for opportunities to come to him, Rotimi, had to learn that the pride he shows in his work will go a long way toward his future.
8. CRAFT
“I challenge myself to write a verse, three lines, every single day, even if it’s just trash. As long as I’m working my muscle. If you want it bad enough you’re going to just structure yourself. Discipline and structure are things I have focused on. It’s 90% of the process because without it there is nothing. No one’s going to believe it or buy it or even want it to be around.”
9. BALANCE
There aren’t enough hours in the day for Rotimi, but in order to keep his mind, body and spirit even keel, he makes it a point to carve out personal time for himself.
10. BALANCE
“With as hard as I work, there has to be something to counter that. So that’s taking time to rest, time for yourself. Realizing that you need to focus. That’s the balance that we all try to get. Taking time to pray. Taking time for family. Taking time for myself.”
11. BALANCE
“I don’t want to be a workaholic, and I don’t want to be lazy, so I try to find the mix of the two for my sanity. You work better that way, when you have your spirit in a clear place and it’s just not stressful.”
