– I could make songs about drugs and put on a mask, but that’s not me. I don’t take shortcuts and do my own thing.
That’s what Fredrikstad rapper Egzon Salihu (30) says.
Salihu, who was born in Sweden, raised in Fredrikstad and originally from Kosovo, has a background that has shaped his artistic expression.
Eggi is an independent rapper who doesn’t do like everyone else, and he continues to push boundaries.
A life dedicated to music
Eggi has been making music for 15 years, but it wasn’t until 2020 that he released his first song.
After this, his career took off, and he has now released a new EP with four songs.
Listen to the EP here:
– With all the knowledge I have now, I might have done things a little differently a few years ago.
He now advises young artists to work on getting an entire album finished before signing deals with record companies.
– I went for 13 years and told myself that my music was not good enough.
And adds:
– But as soon as I was able to rap and release songs, self-confidence came – A LOT of self-confidence.
Family and music
Salihu is the father of three children and has a wife who pushes him to continue with music.
Although he acknowledges that it can be tiring to combine family life with music, he points out that he could not do it without supporters around him.
– It is an art to combine it. Something I’ve learned is that having a partner who is always there helps a lot.
It is said that the smartest thing you can do as an artist is to move to Oslo. Eggi is one of the few who chooses differently.
– It is here in Fredrikstad that it all started and it is here in the best city that I want to live.
EP with wild and mischievous songs
Salihu says that his new EP is more wild and mischievous than his previous releases.
He wanted to focus more on music with the message of giving a fuck instead of making socially conscious songs like many others do.
– When I started making this EP, everything stopped when my father got cancer, and I was with him every day in the hospital. Seeing him come out of it well made me appreciate him, my family more and not least those days of good health.
– How did this affect the music writing?
– When I get scared, I often get angry. I brought out all the emotions and used them in the songwriting. The result was this EP, Eggi replies.
– I do my own thing
Salihu aims to make Fredrikstad a cool place to be from.
He has a lot of respect for other great artists from Fredrikstad, such as Staysman, but he wants to stand out.
– I don’t sound like anyone else and I do my own thing. I am proud of that.
More and more party music is being made. Eggi tells about his thoughts on this.
– Rap has been watered down a bit.
– I could make songs about drugs and put on a mask, but that’s not me. I don’t take shortcuts and do my own thing.
also read
Eggi (29) mostly listens to his own music: – I don’t want to be influenced by others
Older audience
As an artist, you make a living from shows, and Eggi has experienced being surrounded by fans who want autographs and take pictures after the concerts.
Although he finds it strange to think that he is a bit of a celebrity, he is a very social person and appreciates his fans.
– The target group for my music changes from six months to another. At a concert, there is often only an older audience in fact.
And adds:
– I think my music evokes memories in the elderly of what rap was like in their time. That’s pretty cool.
Piece of the big cake
Without a plan B, Eggi is betting on being able to make a living from music one day. He has a job on the side, but says he will never stop listening to beats and making music.
And he is already up to something new and secret.
– I can say that this EP is just a piece of the big cake.
Eggi speaks and sings a lot in English. This is no coincidence, as he aims to go international.
– Do you have any last advice for future artists?
– As an artist, the best place is to be in all places at the same time. I am a person who likes to do something different all the time. It works, he concludes.
