YoFiji - Empire
YoFiji artist offers yin-and-yang perspective of perfection and organic creation on new EP ‘Knucklehead II: Lotta Vibes’
DALLAS, TX – When you hear of an artist who previously went by the name Genius, you would expect that his music would be elevated above anything else you’ve ever heard. And it’s true that this 20-year-old from the Deep South has already made a name for himself as a perfecter of his craft. He cares about the composition of his work and takes extra time to make sure every painstaking detail is complete before releasing his music to the world. But he’s also an artist who loves to explore the imbalance and imperfections of the world – something he represents through his childhood nickname Knucklehead. His music, therefore – now released under the stage name YoFiji – becomes a kind of yin-and-hang of his life, vacillating between high-class excellence and the more organic raw creations of in-the-moment art.
This juxtaposition of sound and style comes to the forefront on his latest EP, “Knucklehead II: Lotta Vibes.” It’s a project that’s currently available across all streaming platforms, and which has been gaining him some traction among an ever-growing group of fans throughout the U.S.
His standout single is “Empire,” which he describes as one of those organically written songs that just pours out of him as soon as he hears a good beat. It’s a process he likes to do often – putting on a beat and freestyling or writing whatever comes to mind without any real inspiration behind it. Through that process he said listeners get the most raw and real version of him – both as an individual and as an artist.
“It’s just kind of me,” he said. “I just go off the top of my head without any intention of having a story or anything like that. This beat was kind of upbeat and fast and it gave me a feeling of pressure. I just write how listening to the beat makes me feel. I usually come up with the hook first, and if I can find some way to relate the hook to my life then I try to include that.”
YoFiji said he has always liked listening to music, but it wasn’t until a friend introduced him to the production and recording process a couple of years ago that he really became interested in creating songs of his own. When some of his friends heard his first creations, they were impressed and encouraged him to continue making music. He hasn’t looked back since, and said he hopes people will come to appreciate just how much attention he pays to the craft of making music.
“I want to be known for the composition of what I create,” he said. “Not exactly for the song or the lyrics, but for the whole composition. The craft of it. All the elements put together and what that makes. I’m not much different than everybody else out there, but I do work hard at really perfecting the entire composition of whatever I’m creating.”
YoFiji said he has more music on the way later this year, and is excited for fans to check out his current EP. To listen to his music, or to follow him on social media, please visit the following links: