Rotimi has been steadily proving himself to be a man of many talents. After winding down from the finale of Power, where his character Dre went down as one of TV’s most hated villains, he’s now diving deeper into his music. Since social distancing became our new norm, the Nigerian singer and actor has been spending time in his home studio. In a mere 22 hours, Rotimi recorded Unplugged Sessions, a six-track project of acoustic music in which his voice is the star.
During an Instagram Live session on Monday, ESSENCE chatted with Rotimi about the artists who influenced his eclectic sound.
“I grew up with a lot of Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon [and] Fela Kuti and [was drawn to] hip-hop artists like Fabolous and Jadakiss,” he says. “I love storytellers. For me, it’s about letting the world know there’s no limit to what you can do.”
Those who juggle multiple talents are often asked which art form they enjoy the most. For Rotimi, it’s never been about choosing between singing and acting, but the act of creating itself.
“I want to be creative in any capacity I can be,” he says. “Acting, music…it’s all like breathing to me. I don’t see them any different.”
Best of all, Rotimi treated us to a few of his favorite tracks from Unplugged Sessions, including “Love Riddim,” “In My Bed” and “Legend.”
Check out the performance above!