Ipswich rapper Seekah Lytess new XL bully song goes viral

Ipswich rapper Seekah Lytess has released Rico's Song (saveourbullies), named after his own three-year-old bully Rico, who he has had since six weeks old.

The song was released on December 22 and has already had more than 10million views across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

It reached number two in the rap and hip-hop iTunes charts and 22nd overall.

Seekah Lytess with Rico (Image: Contributed)

The 33-year-old was born and raised in Ipswich and from a musical family, relations including an aunt (Naomi Crawford) who performs in 80s band Flashdance.

Seekah was handpicked by the BBC to perform at Latitude Festival. (Image: Seekah Lytess)

The new single concerns the ban of the breed, which came into force from December 31. From this date, it became illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, gift, rehome, or abandon XL bully dogs in the UK.

After a spate of attacks involving the breed, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced last year that his government would ban the dogs by the end of 2022 by adding them to the list of banned breeds, drawn up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public, and owners must apply for a Certificate of Exemption by the end of January, which also involves neutering and paying a fee.

It has already been met with opposition by those who think it is unfair to ban the breed, and one Ipswich owner shared concern the ban will lead to dogs being euthanised.

Mr Lytess said: "I think the stand-out line is, 'I know you don't understand it boy but your life's about to change'. 

"He has no idea what's going on. Ever since I have had to put a muzzle on him, he has been looking at me not understanding why, and I can't explain to him that it's not his fault.

The song was named after three-year-old Rico. (Image: Seekah Lytess)

"He knows something's wrong. It's the way he looks at me, and his demeanour changes when we go outside. He doesn't want to go out and he looks nervous.

"I was going to write a song about my dog anyway, but as soon as the ban came along I thought I would re-direct it towards what is going on in the country.

"It was pretty devastating. I don't even have the words to describe it. The ban has ruined his life. His life will never be the way he knew it. It's heart-breaking.

"He's very energetic but a very loving dog. My son is turning two next month and they are best mates. He is a gentle giant.

"It's a stereotype. Everyone judges a book by their cover and it's not right. Any dog can be aggressive or vicious. It's about how they are brought up.

"I know how the dogs look, and I know they can be used for the wrong reason, but that doesn't mean they can't be a family dog.

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"If Rottweilers were used like bullies are, they would have the same stigma attached. It's harsh on the dogs."

Seekah Lytess' single Reality, released last year, got to number one in hip-hop and 18th in the world charts.

Rico's Song (saveourbullies) is out now on all major streaming platforms.