Tell us a few things about your new song, You’ve Got Mail. What is the main idea behind it?
The main idea about it is I know everyone goes through a tough breakup in their life. I made this song to somewhat what I felt from this experience, but also to give a little twist from your traditional sad breakup songs.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
“Twenty years of life has been on my chest. Music is the only thing that’s releasing the stress.” – from an unreleased track.
Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?
An arrangement of artists from Kirk Franklin, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Jimi Hendrix, Drake.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
The biggest challenge so far as an artist is overthinking. Knowing when to label a song as finished has been hard sometimes. I go back and listen to it multiple times, thinking a note or sound effect isn’t correct. Even from a promotional standpoint, I try to find the perfect snippet to display for people. Sometimes you just have to put out it and see the response to it.
When not writing music, how do you spend your time?
I try to keep up with sports such as football, futbol, & basketball. I also indulge in movies and TV shows. Outside of that, spending time with family & friends sums it up.
What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
Haha, I would say getting caught with a bottle of alcohol underage.
Tell us a few things about Options and you creative process in general?
I had gone online and was looking for beats to buy and that 1 immediately got my attention when I played it. It had a retro soulful feel that reminded me of lauryn hill’s music. It was beautiful. It made me think of how good music is timeless and can take you back to moments in your life and bring back feelings from moments in one’s life. I started humming I ng the melody and recorded the chorus that came to me. Then wrote the verses immediately after and layer them.
How would you describe your musical progress over the years?
I’d say my musical progress has been steady and what has been key to seeing aspects of my ability improve has been being dedicated to the writing process. That has been a great contributor to seeing aspects like cadences and variety of flows improve as well as developing melodic approaches to raps and chorus. What I’m seeing now begin to develop and hope to further improve is intonation and voice animation to add alot more feeling to areas of my rap delivery.
Can music share or even define us as a society?
I absolutely believe that music is a microcosm of society. It gives a glimpse into a society and its values at any given point in time. The same with art in general. If you wish to know what life in the 1950s was like. Listen to music from that era and it will give you a pretty good glimpse of what people and life in thaperiod was generally like.
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
I think Koffee from Jamaica and Black Sherif from Ghana are 2 very talented artists that will go far.
What would be your dream performance venue?
Wembley Stadium and Madison Square Garden
Favorite music related film?
8 mile
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Remain true to your intuition and inner yearnings…do that which makes you feel you are being true to your inner voice.dont just do things because that’s what others say you should pursue..(I speak specifically of the things you wish to do as a career or vocation). Also do not follow trends..dont be afraid to carve paths and go in directions others have not
Your sophomore EP Blue Devil Vol. 2 is already out. What it differs from Blue Devil Vol.1 and what is the main idea behind it?
It’s more of what I do sonically as an artist from the beat choices to the type of songs I can tap into. The “Blue Devil” represents a figment of myself in a creative way he represents coming from struggles to a better situation one day. Hince “Hell” is at the bottom first.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
“Supposed to be happy married settled down wit nice finances…but i’m struggling making round and rounds n door dashing…but i’m happy because i’m doing wtf i’m asking…and I dont need no one to tell me where the fuk my path is.” Thats from “Brighter Tunnel” Track 2 off Vol. 2 I really was going through that. And feel that way about life.
Favourite rapper, lyricist and producer?
Jay-Z, Eminem, Kanye West
What does hip hop symbolize in your opinion?
My creative expression as a black man but for all universe.
Which track from the EP, if any, represents you the most and why?
“Brighter Tunnel” again because those my family issues and struggles in one song. Especially at that time I was writing that song being broke doing door Dahses for real.
What would you say is your biggest vice?
Fuckin nothin I’m perfect. I would say the world could be better to me lol.
Tell us a few things about your new song Myths. What is the main idea behind it?
I’m a big believer in owning your own narrative and empowerment through reinvention, especially as an artist. So many of us become rigid over time. “This is the music I like”. “These are the clothes I wear”. “This is who I am”. Having preferences and knowing yourself is important. Having an expectation that the “self” you are today should be the same in 5 or 10 years is limiting to personal growth and robs you of experiences that shape your evolution. “Myths” is about that process of self-reinvention. “This is who I am today but tomorrow, I may experience something that moves me in a new direction”. The song is about giving yourself permission to change and not living by others expectations.
Humans come in all shapes and sizes. Why does society tend to place labels onto people and how can we overcome this?
That’s a great question. It’s in our nature to categorize as a means for relatable communication. Categories are frames-of-reference and become a descriptive short-hand. I actually don’t think there is anything wrong with that as long as the nuance of the subject you’re describing is also highlighted and allowances for growth and evolution are given. We get attached to that which we relate to and that can reduce our acceptance of any devotion or growth.
Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?
Artists that continued to push the envelope creatively and discover new approaches in their evolution inspire me to be brave and not to get too precious about any particular creative period I’m in. Prince, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, James Brown is where it all originates for me. I am a fan of so many different kinds of music but my core is Soul/R&B. My current playlist includes everyone from Sufjan Steven, Andrew Bird and Harry Styles to Childish Gambino, Vulfpeck and Tame Impala. Oh, Ben Howard and Chet Faker have also been at the top of my current listening list. I also absolutely love story tellers like Bruce Springsteen. I could listen to him speak forever. I have taken in the short podcast series “Renegades” with Bruce and Barak Obama multiple times. Listening to these two insightful and verbally thoughtful giants candidly converse unscripted about fatherhood, family, career and the effect of art on society, makes me want to be a better human.
What would you change in the music industry?
The Streaming model has devalued music as a commodity and created a generation of people that have an expectation that music should either be free or available at a cheap subscription rate. This has helped create a cost-wall for concert tickets, among other corporate greed factors. This wall is so high, most young people can’t afford to see shows anymore. The industry is a mess. It was never pretty but this latest model is unsustainable.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Go easier on yourself and let people help you. You don’t have to do it alone.
Future plans?
Promoting the official video for “Myths” which was just released last week (December . It was directed by Dom Portalla, who directed “Another Day Another Bullet” for me, which won the 2019 New England Music Award for Video of the Year, and the video for “Dangerous” in 2020. I plan to release a full length album available in 2023 called “Fearless Moral Inventory”. I will also be continuing my film composing work.
Tell us a few things about your new single Double or Nothin. What is the story behind it?
It’s just around the idea that we all have someone we just can’t leave alone no matter what. Going outside to get into things we shouldn’t be doing. Doing things to not feel alone.
Where did you draw inspiration from?
My love life. Haha.
For which lyric you are most proud of?
“Got rings on me like I’m Kobe, I’m Moving on now you don’t know me” – for two reasons. I’m ready to take the next step in my artistry and need to let a lot of things go. And more importantly, Rest In peace to Kobe Bryant.
Favourite album of the past year?
Big fan of the latest Kaash Paige project as well as I Never Liked You by Future.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
Getting a real push by editorials. For whatever reason we’re being over looked so we really relay on the listeners to share with friends. The growth is a bit slower this way which can be frustrating but I know it’s the way it’s meant to be. Thank you to everyone that’s been sharing.
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
Ideally relaxed and a little faded. Listen when you’re alone or just people watching. I want you to try to see the world through my eyes a bit. I want to aid your vision.
Once Upon A Rhyme is a single from your upcoming 6th studio album. How would you describe your musical progress over the years?
My creative process is dialed in. Once I have a concept & a dope beat you can pretty much expect an exceptional product.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
I don’t really do personal, but I have merch pressed with this quote “In his own bracket / in the zone/ in a chrome stray jacket / danger prone / known for having cadence mal practice” I like that one.
Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?
Bob Marley, Prince, Barack Obama, Public Enemy. I pull inspiration from a lot of different sources.
What does hip hop symbolize in your opinion?
That’s easy. It symbolizes a thought to be trend that became the biggest culture other than religion on the planet.
Favorite music related film?
Ooh that’s a bit tougher. It’s gotta be a tie between “Purple Rain” & “Streets is Watching”.
One last thing we should know about you?
After taking a 4 year hiatus and being convinced to pick up the mic again, the world is about to witness greatness.
Tell us a few things about your new song Feed My Mind. What is the story behind it?
Feed My Mind is a song I wrote after a break-up, when I realised that the whole reason I kept ending up in messy relationships was that they were not feeding my mind! And luckily I think I learnt that lesson now looking back.
Why are some people so focused on looks?
Our whole society is very focused on appearance so it comes as no surprise that many people are chasing the perfect looks whether it comes to themselves or their partners, since beauty ideals are fed to us constantly.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
Oh thats a tricky one, I always try to be honest in my lyrics, but of course some songs will hit home more than others. I have a song on my EP called “ Freedom Is A Place In My Mind” where I’m singing “Slowly I’m tearing down the walls I’ve built round me, All the things that kept me from being free, I don’t wanna hide, I don’t wanna lie, It’s morning, A brand new day a brand new life I have in my hands, now I choose to see, I found right back to me” that is a very personal reflection on finding back to my own wisdom and stop asking for validation from the outside.
Born in Finland, currently based in Berlin. What do you love/hate in each place?
What I love about Finland is the nature and the calm, there are not a lot of people and lots of forests that everyone has access to. What I love about Berlin is the art-scene. In Berlin you find interesting people from all around the world and it has inspired me a lot in my own artistry.
Hate is a strong word, but what I dislike about Finland is that people are kind of anti-social and if you look different people will stare at you like you are an alien haha. In Berlin I dislike the German bureaucracy that I am trying to avoid as much as possible.
When not writing music, how do you spend your time?
I paint a lot and make clothes from recycled material. Recycling in general is one of my favourite hobbies. I recycle most of the food I eat because so much are being thrown away! Oh and I also practise Kung-Fu.
My sound in three words is melodic, versatile, raw.
Tell us a few things about your new song Shining. What is the story behind it?
The story behind Shining was to make a record that was really catchy and about coming up from the grind. But the meaning is to shine from within just like ice etc. Ironically when I made this Shining I was in a dark place at the time. but I had to use the inner shine from within to keep pushing through and inevitably bring this song to existence.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
My most honest lyrics is “I’m soul finding right now I’m just soul searching my soul be burning”. Its lyrics from a song that I made called No Write-Offs I was expressing the pains that I felt through my life.
Favourite album of the past year?
There are a lot of great artists, but I’ve been listening to my own mixtape to this day. Just to really see the differences and growth through my craft.
What would you change in the music industry?
Easily the contracts and the music business as a whole. I feel labels rarely give artists their rights to own their own music catalogs. I feel that needs to change, but artist also need to be more business savvy if they really want longevity and wealth.
How do you relate to the vibrant music scene of Toronto?
Me being from Toronto automatically relates me in that sense. But depending on where you grew up in Toronto you may be on your grind and I feel my up bringing for sure reflects that in my music.
What is the most useless talent you have?
I feel all my talents are useful, but on a non serious point I would say I can drink a lot of water fast.
HipHop Paranoia 