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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH OSAY

December 26, 2020

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH OSAY

1. Where are you from? and introduce your self.
Hey hey, I'm Osay, a rapper/singer-songwriter from the south suburbs of Chicago. I have been making music for as long as I've been alive. I initially started off singing and rapping at a young age, but then put it on the back burner to pursue school. Once I graduated from college, I got an opportunity to write for other rappers until I finally had the courage to pursue my own dream of becoming an artist. I moved to Atlanta where I worked under a major studio that helped me hone my craft and soon after I got signed to the independent label Free Radicals Media where I developed even further and now I just released my first 4 singles and I'm so excited for them to be out into the world!

2. Is it difficult to be a rapper?
Hmmm...I would say both yes and no. Creating has always come naturally to me because I've always loved music. I started off writing at a young age, so the art of putting a song together is something I love to do. But the mental toll: constantly questioning if you're good enough, if this bar sounds right, or if what you're talking about is engaging enough, can be pretty brutal. You have to have a lot of self-belief in your vision in order to see it come together and can be very hard sometimes when you don't know if there will be a payoff for your efforts. And there is so much that comes with being an indie artist that no one tells you about. Just the time and effort you have to put in to create a song, create visuals, think about branding, promoting, etc. This year, I've learned so much about the creative and business process of the music industry. The learning you have to do just so you stay afloat is a lot. But because this is what I love and want to do, I try to take it all in stride. That part definitely is not easy.

3. who are you inspired by?
I'm inspired by everyday life. I'm inspired by people, events, everything to be honest! I usually draw inspiration from a multitude of things when I'm creating. I'm the type of person where I can see someone go through something and create my own song about that experience. I enjoy it because I love to tell stories and being able to draw from others gives me an infinite amount of things to talk about. I think sometimes it's harder to just compartmentalize because I want to tell so many different stories but also making sure it's cohesive to my story as an artist and what I want to convey to a listener at a particular point in time.

4. what music are you pushing right now? where can readers find you and your music. As I mentioned earlier, I just dropped my first four singles: Off Brand,
Shimmy Season, Bad Girl, and Funk Freestyle. I've very excited because each of those songs are very different and represent different facets of who I am. Off Brand and Funk Freestyle are exaggerated versions of my personality, kinda showcasing a bit of my silly side and humorous approach I take to my music. Shimmy Season showcases the fun side of me that likes to have a good time being fun and flirty and all that good stuff we girls like to talk about. Bad Girl, as if it's not obvious enough, represents a bit of the naughty side of me. I love that these are the first songs I'm dropping because they each show the audience parts of me that I sometimes close off from the outside world. sometimes we're expected to be a certain way to the general public but with music, there are no rules. You can be whoever you want to be and just having the creative freedom to talk about things is a very cathartic process. It helps keep me from going crazy lol.
I'm on all major platforms where music is available, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, Soundcloud, you name it, my music will be on there.

5. what makes you different from a lot of artists? I've always been a bit different from everyone around me. I can't really explain it, but I never wanted to settle with the norm because everybody else was falling in line, life's way to short to for all that. And to be honest, I like rocking the boat a bit, it makes things interesting.
In regards to my music, I think my subject matter, approach to music, and sound is a lot different from what you currently hear from female artists. I wanna bring the fun element back into music, I think people take artistry way too serious to the point that they don't want to showcase who they are. I've always thrived off my personality and I want that to be in full display whether it's through my music, performances, or socials. I also am heavily inspired by the 90's and artists like Aaliyah, TLC, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliot, etc. and I bring a lot of those vibes into my current sound. My music has been described by many as old school with a new age twist which a love because it doesn't sound like a lot of what's played on the radio. I want people to hear my music and instantly think, 'who's that, I haven't heard anything like that before".

6. Tell us about your upcoming project. Right now, I'm working on songs for my upcoming EP I plan on dropping in 2021. It's going to be in a completely different direction from the first songs I released which I'm very excited about. I can't wait to show people other sides of me. I wanna showcase more of my r&b side and some of my slower songs, as well as more personal stories and things I've been through. As much as I love the lighthearted fun songs, I wanna show people my range as a musician and I'm excited to see what that will look like in it's entirety.

7. What is your biggest accomplishment as a rapper? Becoming a rapper. This has been the first time in my life where I'm fully pursuing my dream and believe me when I tell you it has been such a struggle. The constant adjusting, adapting, learning, pushing through your insecurities, it's been a lot to deal with. But if I could go back and do it over, I wouldn't change a thing. I've learned and grown so much as a person through these challenges and I believe that you have to go through these tough times to truly appreciate the work. There are no shortcuts when it comes to this music game so seeing how far I've come from where I started has been the biggest reward from all of this. I'm truly blessed and appreciative for the journey.

8. Any message to your fans?
Thank you, thank you, thank you to every person who took the time out to listen to a song, check out a video, or even read this interview. Having music finally out is a dream come true for me and I'm infinitely grateful for the support and that has come ever since I dropped. There's so much more to come and I'm excited to show you all what's next. This is only the beginning!
  

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