Hello everybody in this beautiful community, hope you're having the best of your life š. My name is Favour Agina and I am so excited to present my video for the Hive music festival week 139, let's get it all together and make sure we show love to everyone available.
Iāve always believed music speaks before words do and Nasās āI Canā was one of those songs that spoke to me when nothing else did. As a kid growing up in a place where survival often felt like the only goal, hearing āI know I can / be what I wanna beā wasnāt just a catchy hook it was a reminder. A whisper. A call to rise.
Now, years later, I find myself freestyling over that same beat. Not because I want to imitate Nas, but because I want to answer him. I want to add my story to the legacy he started one of faith, discipline, and self-belief.
When I first heard "I Can," I was still trying to figure myself out. Life wasn't sweet. My environment was more about dodging the negative than chasing dreams. People told me to be ārealisticā all the time. That my ideas whether in music, tech, or art were too big. But Nas taught me that dreaming wasnāt foolish, it was survival. That wanting more was my right and that was what my very inspiration.
So I held onto the line: āI know I can / be what I wanna be.ā And slowly, step by step, I started walking toward the version of myself I wanted to become.
My freestyle over "I Can" is more than just a rap. Itās a personal letter to my younger ones. Itās a timeline of the things Iāve survived, the achievements Iāve made, the risks Iāve taken, and the small wins Iāve celebrated along the way. Itās my testimony that even when life gives you reasons to fold, you can always keep going.
Step by step, Iāve been building toward something greater. And let me tell you itās never been easy. Iāve had sleepless nights recording verses with nothing but my phone mic and my thoughts. Iāve seen people give up around me, and Iāve almost done the same more times than I can count. But that voice in my head, that Nas beat in the background, kept reminding me: āI CAN.ā
What am I trying to be? Iām trying to be a complete artist. A creator. A storyteller. Someone who doesnāt just make music, but moves people. Someone who turns pain into poetry and struggle into strength. Iām not chasing clout Iām chasing impact. And I want to build a legacy that says, āHe never gave up. Even when the world told him to stop.ā
Thatās why every bar in my freestyle carries weight. I talk about how you also can do the same thing if you believe in yourself and trust God, I felt invisible and the nights I prayed for change. I talk about how difficult it might get but never think of breaking down about loyalty, about love and the heartbreak of watching people you care about lose their way. I talk about wanting to do better not just for me, but for everyone listening who thinks itās too late or too hard.
Each goal Iām reaching starts with mindset. First, I decided to believe in myself even when no one else did. Then I started writing more turning my thoughts into verses, my pain into rhythm. I invested in myself. I studied music, learned to record and mix better, and practiced performing. I didnāt wait for someone to discover me I started creating my own lane.
And the crazy thing? The more I worked, the more I realized that talent was only half the story. The rest? Discipline. Consistency. Faith. I had to push myself even when no one was watching. Because real growth happens in silence.
Today, I may not be where I want to be yet but Iām way past where I started. People are noticing. My music is starting to touch hearts. And slowly but surely, Iām making noise in my own way. Step by step.
Thatās why this freestyle over āI Canā means everything to me. Itās not a remake itās a resurrection. Of hope. Of truth. Of the belief that even the most unlikely voices have power.
I want young people and everyone else who hear my version to know that your past doesnāt define you. Your mistakes donāt limit you. You donāt have to have it all figured out to move forward. All you need is a reason and the courage to keep walking.
Nas gave us the blueprint. Iām just adding my bricks.
And if you're reading this, maybe you're walking your own path. Maybe you're trying to make it in your own way whether through music, school, art, tech, or just becoming a better version of yourself. I want you to know this: you CAN. Donāt let the noise drown that out.
Every day Iām learning, growing, and leveling up. I may not have the full picture yet, but piece by piece, Iām building it. From my struggles to my vision, from silence to sound this freestyle is my āI can,ā and Iām living it every day.
One love to everyone in this amazing community and let's keep spreading the words out there for everyone šā¤ļø
