Rapping rugby star Biyi Alo prefers his VW Golf to Ferraris after driving the supercar in his music video
BIYI ALO got a taste of the rockstar lifestyle when he swapped his VW Golf for a Ferrari.
But the wheels almost came off the prop-star’s music career when he realised he was driving the £100,000 sports car with the handbrake on.
Wasps’ rapping rucker has also gone from chomping burgers to spitting bars as the Premiership’s former heaviest player tuned himself up on and off the pitch.
But it was whilst filming the music video for his track Blame Game, that laid-back Londoner Alo learnt that life in the fast-lane behind the wheel of a classic supercar wasn’t for him.
The 27-year-old, who has had close to half a million downloads on Spotify, said: “I didn’t realise with old cars that they don’t have power steering and things like that.
“My VW Golf has an automatic handbrake. . . and with the Ferrari I forgot to lift up the handbrake up the whole time and the whole shoot almost got written off.
“I’m done with the classic cars now!”
Speaking to SunSport at his recording studio at the West London Art Factory, Alo revealed that his double-life as a bone-crunching tighthead-turned recording artist took people by surprise.
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Not least his team-mates at Wasps.
He said: “People think you should do one or the other.
“You wouldn’t expect someone from rugby to go into music because it’s a public school, white male sport.
“You wouldn’t really expect a black guy from London to be in professional rugby.
“It’s a nice juxtaposition, but music is all around you at a rugby match.
“When I wrote my first song, I played it to myself and I didn’t want to play it to any of my team-mates.
“So I had a couple of guys round for dinner, put it on and left the room. I came back in and I realised most of my concerns were just in my head.
“I put my heart on my sleeve a bit and the guys quite admired it.
“There’s a whole diverse range of people in the changing rooms and guys I wouldn’t expect have come up to me and said, ‘I like that song,’ or have repeated lines from a song I have done.
“I would be like, ‘You always play the Frozen soundtrack in the gym – I didn’t think my stuff would connect with you!’
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“I keep well away from the music at Wasps, though, because I don’t know if my taste is for everyone.
“There are also some guys there who won’t listen to anybody but Oasis.”
Alo throws himself into his art during days off and downtime.
The hulking prop has got fitter as a result, too, channeling his feelings into his music has helped him lose four stone after once topping the scales at 24 STONE.
Asked about being the league’s ex-heaviest player, he laughs: “Thanks for reminding me – that was in my Worcester days.
“I’m far from that now and I am in good shape – my Wasps coaches are really happy.
“After pre-season I think it was a shock to some that, ‘Oh Biy didn’t sit there and eat for four weeks. He actually worked.’
“I knew this season was a big one and I don’t want to give anyone a reason to doubt my work rate.
“It has been a journey, but my life decisions now wouldn’t let me get back to that.
“Before I was bingeing lots or emotionally eating – eating when I was angry or annoyed and not thinking about the bigger picture.
“I would think, ‘This burger is nice, I will eat it.’ Now I think of why I am feeling a certain way and I think I have grown up a bit.”
Alo is releasing his second EP next month having just recorded a new video for brand-new track Chopper Sounds.
And after his rugby career, he hopes to crack on in the music industry.
I want to do tours and shows. I want people to come see me at a festival. I believe in my music.
Biyi Alo
He added: “I just take things day by day with music.
“I want music that can fit into many spaces. I want to do tours and shows. I want people to come see me at a festival.
“I believe in my music and I want to connect with audiences. I’ve been really fortunate with rugby.
“The help I’ve had from my family and my coaches has helped me get to the top of my game.
“Music must be more difficult because everyone’s got an opinion.
“Drake dropped an album the other week and people said it’s the worst thing they’ve ever heard.
“Music is difficult because you’ve got to tune out some of the noise.”
