Ryan Collins Drops His Animated Video for “Godspeed”
Ryan Collins started writing rap while in school detention, eventually selling mixtapes and T-shirts as he found a way to turn difficult circumstances into music. Years later, the hip-hop artist is writing from a different place: three years of sobriety, fatherhood, and a determination to build a better life after struggling with alcoholism. That persistence has followed Collins throughout his career. His music pairs hard-hitting production with direct storytelling, often turning setbacks into fuel for what comes next. Recent momentum includes significant use of his music in Big Ten College Football broadcasts on CBS.
Behind that confidence is the personal weight Collins has attached to the record. His sobriety and his responsibility to his 10-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter give the song’s determination stakes beyond music. For Collins, continuing forward means more than career progress; it is connected to staying present, accountable and committed to the life he is building for his family. As Collins continues creating new music, “Godspeed” brings his past and present into the same frame: an artist who learned early how to keep moving under pressure, and a father whose reasons for moving forward now carry far more weight.
His new single “Godspeed,” co-written by Collins’ iDreamology record label head Rob Aster, puts that mentality front and center. Collins describes the record as deeply personal, rooted in fighting his own demons, getting sober, and becoming the kind of father who can provide something better for his children. Rather than spelling out those experiences literally, the lyrics translate them into resilience, competition, ambition, and forward motion. “Had my back to the wall, came back with resilience,” Collins raps early in the track, establishing the song’s refusal-to-stay-down mentality. Later, he describes himself as having “weathered the storm,” while the recurring line “They can’t stop me” drives the hook. Across the verses, Collins moves through references to destiny, independence, and seizing the moment, making “Godspeed” less about looking backward than pushing ahead.
The animated video for “Godspeed,” directed, animated, and produced by Eli Lev of Lev Studio, gives the track a bold graphic-novel treatment. Framed like a moving comic book, the visual works in fiery orange-and-black tones, storm-heavy skies, and dramatic city imagery as its central figure moves through scenes shaped by pressure and motion. The heightened animation mirrors the record’s competitive energy while reinforcing the perseverance running through Collins’ lyrics. Here’s a hero that is impossible not to root for.