V.I.C.

V.I.C.

V.I.C. is the stage name of Victor Grimmy Owusu, an American rapper born in 1987. He is from the United States and is associated with Atlanta, Georgia, though he is born in Queens, New York and later moves with his family to College Park, Georgia. He is active from 2007 onwards and works in hip hop, with a style linked to southern rap and snap music.

Early life and background

Owusu is born to an American mother and a Ghanaian father. He begins writing raps at the age of ten, first doing so for a drug-awareness performance at his elementary school. He later returns to rapping in high school, where he focuses on lyricism and develops his writing. After school, he works as a freelance barber, using money from barbering to pay for studio time while building his music career.

Career

While working in a barbershop, he repeatedly gives demos to Michael “Mr. Collipark” Crooms and Derrick Crooms, who are regulars at a nearby shop. After several attempts, he gains attention with the track “Riding Batman” and is signed to Young Mogul Entertainment, a label formed by Crooms.

His best-known single is “Get Silly”, produced by Soulja Boy Tell Em, which reaches number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2008. He also records “Wobble Wobble”, produced by Mr. Collipark and The Package Store production team, and “Ridin”, featuring Hurricane Chris. His debut album, Beast, is released in 2008.

Style

V.I.C.’s music combines battle-style lyricism with energetic southern party music. He describes his own work as southern in origin but also influenced by northern rap. His songs are presented as danceable club tracks as well as more reflective material, and he describes himself as an all-around rapper.