JaJuan Malachi

Amid an alarming era of dwindling artistic merit and dubious vocalists, Nigerian songstress Ogi Ifediora, better known as simply “Ogi,” is the silver lining we never knew we needed. 

Vindicated by her outstanding, neo-soul vocal acumen coupled with her affinity for hard-hitting, touch-your-soul lyricism, Ogi rises as a salient outlier among today’s R&B landscape. 

Through an organic discovery of her passion for singing, Ogi started off in her college acapella choir and eventually started curating vocal covers of songs from some of her favorite artists on Instagram. 

One particular song she covered was “Alright” by PJ Morton, which led to a series of life-altering situations for the rising talent. 

In a moment of major serendipity, PJ Morton reposted her cover, which caught the attention of legendary producer No I.D. Since then, he collaborated with her for her single: “I Got It” and has signed her to his label: ARTium Recordings. 

Fresh off the heels of her critically-acclaimed, 6-track EP: “Monologues,” which dropped in 2022, Ogi has been keeping busy and expanding her optics more and more. 

Teaming up with Silk Almondmilk, Ogi is a premier participant in their new “Tiny Kitchen Concert” series, which functions as a backdrop for intimate, acoustic performances from the next generation of up-and-coming artists. Alongside other rising artists Daniel Seavey, Brittney Spencer, and JORDY, Ogi is also showcasing her favorite ways to enjoy her breakfast with Silk Almondmilk.  

“Adding more plant-based options into my diet helps me feel the best, especially when I’m touring and performing,” said Ogi. “Silk Almondmilk provides a seriously smooth delicious plant-based start to my morning.” 

Starting March 28th, consumers can tap into the Silk YouTube, TikTok, Instagram channels and each artist’s TikTok channel to enjoy the Silk Almondmilk Tiny Kitchen Concerts. Fans can join in on the fun by showing us how they remix their favorite breakfast recipes with Silk Almondmilk on TikTok or Instagram for a chance to win Silk Almondmilk for the year and a 12-month membership to your favorite music streaming platform.

Currently opening up for Masego on his “You Never Visit Me” tour, JaJuan Malachi of The Knockturnal was able to snag some of her time to discuss a healthy plethora of relevant matters: her vocal aptitude, how she got into professionally making music, being on tour with Masego, new music, her recent partnership with Silk Almondmilk, her musical influences and more. 

Here is the how the conversation went: 

JaJuan: When did you first realize you could sing exceptionally well?

Ogi: I always loved singing, but I didn’t really know that I was particularly good until I got into an a cappella group in college. Up until that point, singing had never been a strong part of my identity; it was never more than a hobby. But it was during that time when some of the best instrumentalists that I’ve ever met started to believe in me as well. Their validation changed a lot of things within me.

JaJuan: How’d you get into producing your own music?

Ogi: I think I have to get a little more experience before I get to call myself a producer, but I think I started getting more into vocal production once I recorded little a cappella songs on GarageBand. That was just for fun, but those little songs became the demos for half of the songs on my EP, which is wild to think about. And watching how No I.D. does it has been so important to my development as an artist/producer; I think I’ll be making my own stuff soon enough.

JaJuan: To my knowledge, you’re opening up for Masego on his current “You Never Visit Me” tour. How does that feel? I know it has to feel great!

Ogi: Yeah it’s felt really good! It’s funny, as soon as I started releasing stuff, I was seeing comments saying “you and Masego would sound so good together” or “Masego would be sooo good on this song” so it’s cool to see it all come together. The tour is essentially sold out, Masego and his team have been nothing but great to us, and the crowds have been so accepting of me. So I’m having a lovely lovely time. No complaints.

JaJuan: I heard that legendary producer No I.D. discovered you after seeing your cover songs of other artists. Would you describe that experience as surreal?

Ogi: It changed my whole life. Like actually actually actually changed my life. I did a cover of a song called “Alright” by PJ Morton and PJ was nice enough to post it on his page. From there, I found out that No I.D. wanted to work. I was a senior in college at the time, getting ready to apply to law schools, so obviously, that call changed everythiiiing. So glad I decided to do this instead. Like oh my God.

JaJuan: So we know your debut EP: “Monologues” was a major smash. Have you been working on any music and if so, how do you plan on evolving from your first project?

Ogi: Always working on new music! For me, Monologues was kind of a starter platter. These are the appetizers to hold you off before I really cook.

JaJuan: Outside of music, I’ve heard that you’re an avid fan of cooking. What do you enjoy cooking?

Ogi: I’m becoming a fan more and more. It calms me down after a long day. Especially when you’re on the road for long stretches at a time, it just makes you really miss your kitchen. I’m not going too crazy yet. I’m trying to get into the stuff that my mom made when we were younger, a lot of tilapia, and a lot of shrimp. But I’m also getting some cookbooks to give me some new recipes to try out.

JaJuan: What’s your favorite way to remix breakfast with Silk Almondmilk?

Ogi: One of my favorite ways to remix breakfast with Silk Almondmilk is with pancakes! Using Silk Vanilla Almondmilk in my pancake batter makes it fluffy and gives the batter this delicious hint of vanilla flavor. I also like to switch up by throwing a handful of berries into the batter, but even without the berries, Silk Vanilla Almondmilk in your pancake batter really elevates the taste!

JaJuan: How was it working on the Silk Tiny Kitchen Concerts? Is it like your live tour performances or is it different?

Ogi: It’s similar in the way that I always look for ways to switch it up when I perform live. I try to add a little something different to each of my performances, so the Silk Tiny Kitchen Concerts gave me a chance to strip back my song “I Got It” with just guitar – I really hope listeners can connect with the lyrics and my voice. Plus, it’s good to perform in a new setting – and whip up some PANCAKES?? AND I got to perform in pajamas. I’ve never been more comfortable performing.

JaJuan: What’s the best advice you’ve received and from whom?

Ogi: I’m paraphrasing, but it’s not a sin to be nice, but it’s a sin to be foolish. My mom and I would talk about it because I have a tendency to give more than what I get back.

JaJuan: What do you have lined up for the rest of 2023?

Ogi: Right now, fans can catch me on tour with Masego, supporting the “You Never Visit” tour, and look out for my Silk Almondmilk Tiny Kitchen Concert on my TikTok and the Silk YouTube channel!

JaJuan: Where do you envision Ogi five years from now?

Ogi: Oooh… I’ll be a few projects into my career, and hopefully, I’ll be happy. I don’t want to put too much expectation on the future but just know I’ll try to be happy.

Draped in distinctive swagger and seemingly in a league of their own, funk-filled Canadian trio “Planet Giza” has swarmed onto the contemporary Hip-Hop landscape with stellar momentum and vivacity.

Hailing from Montreal, Canada, the collective synergizes the individual talents of Rami B, Tony Stone and DoomX, all of which bring their own unique faculty to the group. 

From a sonic perspective, their sound can be aptly described as a blissful, forward-thinking fusion of myriad genres: hip-hop, alternative hip-hop, modern funk, electronic, indie and more. Apparently, their range is expansive and veers far away from the confines of a single dimension. 

Teetering between sonic elements of the past and future, Planet Giza’s signature DNA  intertwines slick, groove-driven instrumentation spearheaded by their flagship producers Rami B and DoomX coupled with tongue-and-cheek, humor-infused lyrics from their lyrical frontman: Tony Stone. All together, they effortlessly create a jazzy, sonic gumbo of modern-day proportions. 

The group attributes their versatility to the eclectic nature of their community in Montreal, as well as their widely ranging musical influences. 

Since the release of their dynamic debut project: “Added Sugar” in 2019, they have been flourishing and beefing up their repute one dope track at a time. In addition to their outstanding musical output, they gained the opportunity to perform at Montreal’s International Jazz Fest. In the same year, the Canadian collective also had their music featured on an episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” by virtue of a production credit they have with DMV rapper Gold Link. 

In the interim, they’ve been staying active and producing more high-quality music in the process. In 2021, they released an EP: “Don’t Throw Rocks At The Moon.” In conjunction with the success of this project, it led to their first headlining performance in London.

In 2022, they doubled down with another indisputably fire 4-track EP: “You Don’t Understand.” Some salient highlights include the ever-so-groovy banger “Das U” and the frenetic and futuristic “Live for the Funk” (ft. chromonicci). 

Now in 2023, the enthralling Canadian crew is ready to spin the block for their latest project: “Ready When You Are,” which features a dazzling array of artists: UK rap icon Kojey Radical, Mick Jenkins, Topaz Jones, Femdot and Saba. 

Their two leading singles: “WYD” (ft. Saba) and “Quiet On The Set” have already set the tone for what’s next: more sublime music designed for the future of tomorrow. 

Through a series of fortunate happenings, JaJuan Malachi of The Knockturnal was able to chat via zoom with the entire trio to discuss the new project, their origin story, Montreal solidarity, the best piece of advice they’ve received in their career, future aspirations and much more. 

Here’s how the conversation played out: 

Rami: What’s good. 

JaJuan: What’s up Rami! Pleasure to meet you man. JaJuan Malachi. 

Rami: JaJuan? 

JaJuan: Yes. 

Rami: Good to meet you man! I’m gonna let the other guys know. 

Tony: Yoooo! 

JaJuan: What’s up! What’s up! Pleasure to meet y’all! My name is JaJuan Malachi. I’m a culture journalist. 

Tony: Oh, you’re the guy that followed us on Instagram!

JaJuan: Yeah, yeah. 

Tony: I like your Instagram man, very BLACK! 

*JaJuan laughs* 

JaJuan: Thanks brother! Thanks! Yeah, I just had to do my little homework. I was like, I know they have the main page but let me do a little deep dive as to what’s going on in the personal accounts and all that too. 

Tony: Um hum! 

JaJuan: Yeah but I’m doing this interview on behalf of The Knockturnal. And you know, it’s just an honor to be talking to y’all. Y’all are making some really dope music right now. 

Planet Giza: Thank you man! Appreciate that. 

JaJuan: So to kick things off, I’m sure a lot of people like myself are curious at this point. How’d y’all even come together as a group? 

Tony: So long story short, when I was a kid me and Rami met. We used to play Basketball together. And so we met up again in high school. We were both in Summer school. We both failed our class, you know? 

JaJuan: And this was in Montreal? 

Tony: Yup! This was in Montreal. And when we met back up, we were probably like 16/17. So I was like, what do you do now? He was like, I make beats. And I didn’t know what that was at the time. I was like, “you bang on tables or something”? 

*JaJuan laughs* 

Tony: He was like “nah, I make instrumentals” I was like “oh, show me.” So we went to his house. He basically showed me FL studios and how to drag your drums in and stuff like that and I was hooked ever since. 

JaJuan: Um, word! 

Tony: And so a couple months later down the line, I meet Doom through a mutual friend and he was making beats. When I met him, we clicked instantly and we started making beats everyday. I was like, well I know Doom and I know Rami. Let’s all just get together and make beats and have fun. So we all met up at my house. We made this one beat called “Old School Convertible” and put it on SoundCloud. That shit went up and from then, we were like this is something interesting. We should keep this up! And the rest is history, you know. 

JaJuan: Wow, that sounds hella serendipitous! 

*Whole group laughs* 

Tony: Ok T.I. 

*JaJuan laughs* 

Tony: N***a said serendipitous 

*everyone laughs*

Doom: I don’t even know what that means. 

Tony: I don’t know what that means either. 

JaJuan: Essentially, it feels like everything just came together naturally for your good. 

Rami: Um! 

Tony: Oh, a thousand percent. 

*JaJuan laughs* 

JaJuan: Yeah but um, that’s super dope. I don’t know. It kind of reminds me of that line God’s Plan: “Imagine if I never met the Broskis.” 

Doom: Yeah, that’s true. 

JaJuan: Drake’s joint! That’s really how y’all circumstances was a little bit. 

Rami: There’s a Drake line for every situation in life. 

*collective laughter* 

JaJuan: For my new question, where’d y’all get your name from? It’s super dope but I’m really interested in knowing where the origins stem from? 

Rami: So basically, we used to go by. Well, Doom and Tony used to go by “The North Virus,” a producer duo and I used to go by my name: Rami. So when we were making beats and releasing them, it was always “The North Virus” x Rami B. So we did that just for a year and then we started getting and then we started getting DJ sets and started working together pretty much everyday. We were like, “yo we need to find a group name.” So we were on Facebook and we came up with the name: “Planet Giza” because of the pyramids of Giza were three pyramids, so that’s where our name comes from and ever since, we’ve kept it. 

JaJuan: Gotchu! Alright, alright! Damn, that was a lot more simple than I thought it would be. 

*Tony laughs* 

JaJuan: I thought it was gonna be like a real deep conversation that y’all had. Like a real thoughtful sit down. 

Tony: At first, we were like Egypt based and like pyramids and we wanted to do everything with regard to that. But then we were like nah, we just wanna do whatever we feel like doing but the name is fire, so we’re gonna keep it you know. 

*JaJuan laughs*

JaJuan: Yeah, nah I get that. That’s dope. So of course, y’all new single just dropped: “WYD” (ft. Saba). It definitely has more of a serene vibe to it. How’d y’all come together with Saba? How’d y’all hook up with him? 

Tony: He found us on Instagram because we had a video for Rocky Road. He pretty much just hit us up and was like “yo, this is fire.” And we were like “oh s**t Saba, we’re fans” And we were like we’re gonna be in L.A. in a couple months. He’s out there. We were like we should work on something. He said “Bet.” And so when we were out there, we did exactly that. We went to the studio, he came through and we worked on that song. It did not take long at all. 

JaJuan: How long did it take for him to write his verse? 

Tony: I’m not gon’ lie, he probably wrote it in like 10 minutes. I was in the booth recording the hook and I walked out, he was already rapping with like two bars left. He pretty much rapped the whole thing. I was like “alrighttttt.” This guy is a machine. This guy is the real deal. 

JaJuan: That’s super dope! I read somewhere that y’all were saying it was an inspirational session. Could y’all speak to that a little bit more? Like what about it was inspirational? 

Tony: Well definitely sitting down with him even before we recorded anything. I just sat down with him and I just picked his brain. I was just asking all the questions I wanted to ask. Like what does his writing process look like? What it was like being at The “Dreamville” camp thing. He’s such a cool dude. He was just answering all the questions. It was a nice vibe. It was also inspirational because you know, we used to listen to this guy a couple years back and to finally be in a session with him and for it to make sense. Like the chemistry that we had, the songs just came so naturally. It was a really good session. 

JaJuan: So it was like a surreal, almost full-circle moment so to speak. 

Tony: Yeah, you could say. You could say that. 

JaJuan: That’s dope! So when I listen to y’all music. I feel like it’s so progressive and future-focused and I kind of feel like y’all are cultivating the sound of tomorrow almost. 

Doom: Fire! 

JaJuan: Like, that’s really how it feels when I’m listening to ya’ll. I’m like “is that the goal when y’all are crafting music or is that just a natural byproduct of Planet Giza and you know, the aesthetic. 

Doom: To be honest, I think that it started to all make sense when one day we were speaking to our creative director and he was like “yo, moving forward, I think the image and everything should be like, he said the word “retrofuturistic” and then it made so much sense to us because for years we were tryna figure out like “what are we tryna present to people?”, “What are we tryna portray ourselves as? What are we tryna make people feel? When he said that word, it’s like everything clicked. When I hear retrofuturistic in my head, it’s like bringing the past to the future. It’s like bringing elements from the past and putting them out in a modern way. For you to say it’s the sound of the future, it’s like yeah. I believe that. Because the thing is, even with the album. When we play it for people, they’re like it sounds like it was made in like 2004/2005. But it sounds like nothing that was made during those years. 

JaJuan: I can definitely see that. I feel like from a more of a lyrical standpoint, it kind of hinges on more of an old school feel but when you mix the instrumentation, it totally embodies the term “retrofuturistic” for sure. 

Doom: Yeah.  

JaJuan: I was gonna ask how y’all would describe y’all sound but y’all pretty much described it just now. 

*collective laughter* 

Doom: Retrofuturistic. 

JaJuan: Retrofuturistic. That is so dope! But yeah so, would you say there’s a spirit of solidarity between Canadian artists within the sphere of Hip-Hop and R&B in general? Because I’ve seen y’all collaborate with fellow Canadians: Lou Phelps and KAYTRANADA. So that inquiry just came to mind. Like are y’all deliberating looking out for one another as Canandians artists or? 

Rami: I mean for us, it’s more like Montreal. They’re from the same hometown as us. We pretty much came up around the same time. Like KAYTRA was already doing his thing when we were grinding but us and Lou Phelps were grinding pretty much at the same time. It’s more of like a city thing. Not as much of a Canadian thing. But yeah. 

JaJuan: Alright cool! That makes sense. So I feel like if there was such a thing as sort of like a new aged “A Tribe Called Quest,” I feel like y’all would fit the bill so to speak? 

Tony: Come on, that’s great right there. 

Rami: Yeah, that’s dope! 

JaJuan: So would y’all say, y’all garner some inspiration from them and sort of just like the Native Tongue movement in general? 

Rami: Yeah, definitely. Native Tongues. Outkast, N.E.R.D, groups like that and they all got their inspiration from the Native Tongues too, so it all makes sense. 

JaJuan: Well, I feel like there’s such a range because you mentioned N.E.R.D, which is somebody that didn’t immediately come to mind but it totally makes sense. When I think about The Neptunes and how they were  moving the culture forward. When I listen to y’all, it’s definitely reminiscent of that. The whole Timbaland vibe is there for sure. Who else came to mind when I was listening to y’all? Alchemist! 

Tony: Sheesh! Really? Aye! 

JaJuan: I was listening to the most recent project because I was fortunate enough to get a little snippet: “Ready When You Are.” Some of the beats kind of gave me Alchemist vibes and I’m like, the range and versatility is just out of this world forreal forreal. 

Tony: Preciate it! 

Rami: Preciate that man! Thank you! 

JaJuan: But yeah, what’s the best piece of advice y’all have received? I guess in terms of how to properly navigate the industry? 

Rami: Wow! That’s a good question. 

Doom: Yeah! Um, the best piece of advice we’ve received was not too long ago. He said. How can I put this. So We’re pretty much not in the forefront because we’re pretty much, like reserved types of people. We don’t really pop out a lot or show ourselves a lot. The thing that that person said to us was “in this game, you’ve gotta be a shark.” Like whatever you’re trying to do, you’ve gotta go for it. It’s a competition at the end of the day. You can’t let people box you in, you’ve gotta go for what you really believe in. I think that’s the best piece of advice because where we’re from in Montreal, people don’t really have that mentality. I think that’s the best piece of advice. And also that, don’t look at what nobody else got going on but to just focus on you. That’s the most important thing. 

Tony: Yup! 

Rami: Yup! 

JaJuan: Got you! Got you! That’s super dope! Just having that go-getter, proactive mentality. 

Doom: Yeah! 

Rami: Exactly, yeah! 

JaJuan: I can see y’all definitely doing that with the consistent output of music that y’all put out. So, y’all pretty much finished the second album right? 

Rami: Yeah, it’s done. 

Tony: Yeah, it’s done. 

JaJuan: It’s about to come out April 9th I believe? 

Rami: April 7th 

JaJuan: Oh word, my fault. So I got a chance to listen to it as I said before. My favorite tracks were “Folded”, “Elevator” and “WYD” just to give y’all an idea of what was clicking for me. I mean the whole project was fire but those stood out in particular. I’m curious to know, what was the initial vision for the project and do y’all feel like y’all executed on that initial vision? It’s pretty different from “Added Sugar,” I could vividly see the progression from then to now. 

Rami: I mean we started this from like three years ago. I think the first song that we really liked finished from this album was “Elevator.” And we did that like during the pandemic. And we were going back and forth about how we wanted to take it to the next step and between that, we had “Don’t Throw Rocks at Moon,” our EP. In our catalog, that’s like the most dark. We wanted to go back to “Added Sugar” but not necessarily the same process. The vibe and the feeling that we had when we were making “Added Sugar.” I remember that was our first thought process when we were making the album. I remember we were collaborating with JMF. He’s a producer from Montreal. We collaborate with him a lot. We started collaborating with him. He’s a musician too. And yeah from that point, we just stacked up the tracks and it just came together recently like a month ago. Ok, this is the full project.

Tony: And one of the vocal focuses was to take the sound to the next level. To be really intentional and say “ok, this has to sound like something that people have never heard before” and really showcase that Planet Giza could be advanced but the focal point that we’re showcasing is the music. That’s how people gravitate towards us. It gives people a different feeling. 

JaJuan: Yeah, I would definitely agree. It’s a vibe that you can’t deny. 

Doom: Yeah, thank you man! 

Rami: Yeah, that was the whole point. Make something undeniably good. If we feel like no one can tell us anything, that means that we’re happy with the work we’ve made. 

Doom: And also, I would like to add that I feel like we achieved. Wait, what was your initial question again? 

JaJuan: Based on y’all initial vision, do y’all feel like y’all executed on that? 

Doom: Yeah, the main reason I feel like we executed on it is in my mind if you’re done with an album and it doesn’t make you like a little bit nervous to put it out, then you haven’t done the right job. And for that album, I’ve been as nervous as ever. Because I know we haven’t released an album in? It’s been like four years. 

Rami: Four years! 

Doom: It’s because it’s so different and it’s not the time that we took to make the album. It’s because the sound is so different. I feel like the sound is so different. I feel like if you take time to make an album and you don’t have that feeling, then you just didn’t execute it well. And I feel like we’ve done a pretty good job at that. 

Rami: And also to add onto that, if you’re not actually nervous or stressed out about doing something, I don’t think it’s the right thing for you to do. Like if you like something and you do it for the right reasons, you should be nervous and stressed out about showing it to the world. 

Doom: Yeah, that s**t is nerve wracking. It’s a roller coaster like. 

JaJuan: I could definitely empathize with y’all. As a journalist, I feel exactly the same way. I always get a little bit of jitters. I was telling my boy how I was a little nervous because this is my first time interviewing three people at once. 

*collective laughter* 

Tony: You thought we were gonna gang up on you. 

*more collective laughter* 

JaJuan: I didn’t know what to expect but I always get those little jitters. I always get those apprehensions but you’ve still gotta fight it anyway. 

Rami: Yeah man, you have no choice. 

JaJuan: I know y’all are about to drop another single: “Quiet On The Set.” Junior actually sent me a little snippet. I’m not sure if it’s complete yet. 

Rami: Not yet. 

JaJuan: Ok yeah, I really enjoy the NOIR style of it and it kind of matched really well with the sonics of the song. What was the inspiration behind the “classic” video concept? There was like shawty in there running around and there she morphed into multiple people. I was like “what? This joint fire.” 

Rami: So pretty much, we went to our creative director’s house and this was the same night that he told us. This was the same night he told us, you guys make retro futuristic music. So now, we’re thinking about what is retro futuristic on Pinterest and we found this video on YouTube from a Japanese group called Pizzicato 5. They used to raise a one hour tape of a bunch of random stuff but it was all like looking good. It was all like graphic things from the 80s and 90s and at that moment, our creative director had this idea. He wrote the whole treatment. He showed it to us and it fit perfectly with how we were trying to portray Planet Giza. They followed through every step of the treatment exactly how he showed it to us. That was huge for us because we used to work with other directors and they would always have a last minute change or something you could get in a video. For this one, everything was flawless, perfect! The whole process. 

JaJuan: So they pretty much reaffirmed the original vision and helped bring it to life without any excess modifications or anything like that. 

Rami: Definitely. 

JaJuan: Gotchu. That is so fire. So I’m curious to know, what do y’all have in store for the rest of the year? I mean y’all are starting the year off on a really strong note. 

Doom: I mean possibly a tour. That’s in the works. The Album on vinyl. Merch. Everything. We’re able to spend more out of Montreal because I feel like we’ve been stuck here for quite some years, so it’s time to expand to other places so possibly a tour in Europe, possibly the states. We’re all working on that right now, so yeah. You guys will just have to stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated on everything. 

JaJuan: Dope! Alrighty! Actually, one thing that just came to mind. Are there any artists that y’all would love to collaborate with or that y’all wanna collaborate with? Like a dream collab I suppose.

Rami: Yeah, there’s a bunch of them 

Tony: Yeah, a whole bunch! 

Rami: Kendrick, Tyler The Creator, André 3000, Busta Rhymes and we can go on and on. 

Doom: We’re really tryna work with everybody. We’re tryna have a run like the Neptunes in 2005/2006 like. 

Tony: Exactly! Exactly! 

Doom: And also, we’re producers, so it’s not like us on vocals or anything like that. It could be straight up producing for people.

Tony: Providing the sonics! 

JaJuan: Alright cool, cool! Well I’m definitely wishing y’all Godspeed on all of that. 

Rami: Thank you man! 

Doom: Thank you! 

JaJuan: It’s only a matter of time honestly with the work that y’all are putting out for sure. 

To keep up with Planet Giza, Check them out on Instagram.

Oftentimes, folx behind the mask of the music industry aren’t very conspicuous. They have a tendency to exist behind the veil and traditionally, find solace in the esoteric nature of that reality.  

However, this isn’t the case whatsoever when it comes to multifaceted “music industry” aficionado Arty Furtado. 

Hailing from Geneva, Switzerland, Arty Furtado is the living embodiment of what it means to be a genuine hustler in modern society. As a skilled communicator who is proficient in five languages, Furtado juggles myriad hats with exorbitant verve and enthusiasm. 

Operating in the “high risk, high reward” capacities of a concert promoter, producer, DJ, and talent manager, there is never a shortage of responsibilities on his professional plate but somehow, he always manages to execute with tact and professionalism. 

Originally launching his career as a producer and artist, Furtado made the life-altering decision to move to New York City and attend NYU with the specific intention of getting his big break and optimizing the labyrinth of opportunities present in the Big Apple. 

While in pursuit of his musical endeavors, Furtado became fed up by the lack of opportunities for young artists to perform their music. As a direct byproduct of his disillusionment, Furtado felt it necessary to take matters into his own hands to improve the landscape. 

Given his passion for music and his zeal for orchestrating events, Furtado began curating his own artists showcases while attending his alma mater: New York University. 

By virtue of developing an uncanny knack for selling out events, illuminating novel artists and attracting copious amounts of people to his excursions, Furtado swiftly became a campuswide name. 

Since his college days, Furtado has gracefully ascended to his current role: General Manager at Move Forward Music. Nowadays, Furtado specializes in musical event production. He has produced events for Spotify, akin to, working on concerts for Chief Keef, Tems, Doechii, Amaarae, and Jack Harlow. Taking his profession to new heights, he has even worked on North American tours for Nigerian duo Show Dem Camp. 

Beyond his core realm of musical production, Furtado still finds time to DJ at various locations across NYC, manage up-and-coming Brooklyn artist Talia Goddess and drop a 6-track EP of his own: “Galissa.” Almost needless to say, Furtado is a formidable purveyor of music from all fronts with zero signs of slowing down anytime soon. 

With all these experiences under his belt, Furtado has evolved into a certified expert at providing a smooth ride for talent and clients. Whether it is negotiating high-pressure situations or brainstorming creative solutions to real-time, “in the thick of it” challenges, Furtado has developed a failure proof acumen for what he does and has a viable track record to prove it. 

Fortunately enough, JaJuan Malachi of The Knockturnal was able to snag some moments with Furtado to further discuss his burgeoning career and what he has lined up for the foreseeable future. 

Here’s how the conversation played out: 

JaJuan: When did you recognize your affinity for making music? 

Arty: I’ve always been a creative person, whether that manifests itself in making music, coming up with puns on the fly, finding solutions to problems, or anything. The day I started making music was after a New Years Eve party that I was at in Guinea-Bissau when I was 10 years old. After midnight hit, all of the older people in my family went to party. I randomly opened my mom’s laptop and put a beat together on GarageBand and lost track of time. When they came back at 6 am, my mom and aunties looked at me like “what are you doing, go back to bed!”. The next morning, I played them my first production and it was quite groovy with a lot of percussions. That’s when I was like “yo this is fun, let me try to make more”.

JaJuan: You said that “you grew frustrated with the lack of opportunities for young artists to perform their music.” What did the landscape look like at the time? 

Arty: When I first started looking for performance opportunities, all I was able to find were “pay to play” opportunities and small showcases that were attended by 10-15 uninterested people at random bars and venues. I had been to a couple of open mics, but the ones I had found weren’t very well curated.

JaJuan: Between everything you do, how do you manage to juggle all of your responsibilities? 

Arty: Prioritization is very important, and very difficult to master. I always want to do everything at once and as fast as possible, but it’s unhealthy if you don’t set priorities. I’m getting better at it, still learning. Another thing that helps me is that I try to keep myself as organized as possible. I set times in my calendar for everything I want to do, whether that is working out, working on my main job, hanging out with people, or working on myself. It might be OD but if I don’t do it, I lose track of things.

JaJuan: What is your favorite part about what you do? 

Arty: Feeling the positive energy in a concert is the best feeling in the world. It makes me so proud every time to see how the work that I do can affect people in a positive way, whether that be the artist and their manager at their first sold out show, or the fan who has been waiting for years to get to see their favorite artist perform live for the first time, or even the venue staff enjoying the show that we bring them. I’ve always loved organizing events and putting concerts together, and getting paid to do what you love is a blessing.

JaJuan: What did the process look like towards becoming a General Manager at Move Forward Music?

Arty: I found out about them in 2019 when I saw that they were producing an open mic with Audiomack. I sent over the signing up information to my friend Khadijat whom I was producing beats for. She ended up winning the contest, which meant that she won a cash prize + the chance to open for a Move Forward Music show. It was at that show, which was a Rexx Life Raj show, where I met the previous GM of Move Forward Music. Back then, I had just started putting together events and I had asked her for the contact for the venue. I told her that I wasn’t for such a big venue yet, but that when I was, I would reach out. I reached out in 2021 for an internship. 3 months later, I got hired and started my internship in June 2021. The rest is history as they say.

JaJuan: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received? And from whom? 

Arty: Work hard, from my mom.

JaJuan: Where do you envision your career in five years?

Arty: I want my own festival. I want my own management company. I want to build a platform/entity that would allow me to change artist’s lives, and that would allow me to introduce crowds to new dope artists. This is the reason I started producing events, and I want to keep that going for as long as I can.

To keep up with Arty, check him out on Instagram

Hailing from Roosevelt, NY, Keanu Clarke, better known as, Uneak has established an outstanding knack for cultivating music that somehow achieves at feeding both the mind and the soul. 

With a fervent hunger woozily reminiscent of J. Cole in his ‘Friday Nights Lights’ bag, the lyrically gifted newcomer is sincere in his expression and in all things that make him authentically unique. 

Despite there being something earnest about his content matter at times, his discography embraces a healthy amount of fun and hedonism. 

Sonically, he typically embraces a menagerie of chipmunk soul-infused instrumentation, which tend to provide some nostalgic flare while still sounding very much in tune with the present. 

From a lyrical perspective, Uneak’s sentiments are witty, aspirational and anchored in the life and times of his current reality but never detract from his primary goal: to become a remarkable entity among today’s Hip-Hop milieu. 

With the full intention of demonstrating his boundless versatility as an artist, Uneak dropped his most recent EP: “Better In Person,” which dropped in November. Some salient highlights on the record include “Elevate” and “Day By Day.” 

“Better In Person gives you my true sound as an artist. This EP is the definition of becoming better and expressing certain things I’ve been though.” 

In what is fully complementary to his recent release, Uneak spoke to JaJuan Malachi of The Knockturnal to paint more of a vivid picture of who he is at the core. Some of the things spoken about include his origins, his plans for the future, some of the most recently played music on his playlist, “Better In Person” and much more. 

Here’s how the conversation played out:

To keep up with Uneak and his journey, follow him on Instagram. 

In an industry that has been long male dominated since its advent, rising rap star Yaya is resolute about illuminating the reality that women are, just as if not, more paramount to the modern-day pertinence of Hip-Hop. 

Hailing from an enclave that has bred some of the greatest Hip-Hop entities of all-time, some of which include DMX, The Lox and Mary J. Blidge: Yonkers, NY, Yaya is carrying the torch as a  fresh newcomer with an undeniable flow and edgy demeanor. 

Dripping with palpable verve and unbridled confidence, Yaya doesn’t rap merely for the sake of rapping. She yearns for her audience to genuinely feel every pulse of her content. 

Driven by her insatiable desire to properly represent for the “everyday” woman, which is something too often overlooked in modern-day Hip-Hop, Yaya intends on bringing something novel to the game that’s never truly been actualized before. 

With a vibe reminiscent of Remy Ma and Meek Mill but still very much authentic, Yaya is a striking lyricist with potent punchlines and feminist-driven bars for days. 

Buzzing off the good vibes and positive energy of her latest single: “Who’s That Girl” ft. Danasia Manaya, Yaya just dropped an accompanying video. Just as hilarious and fun as it is poised and professional, Yaya demonstrates her lowkey ability to choreograph and dance herself on top of her impressive lyrical acumen. 

Before taking off to higher heights, JaJuan Malachi of The Knockturnal was fortunate enough to chop it up with the burgeoning young lyricist in Queens to discuss goals for her career, female representation in Hip-Hop today, music she can’t live without and more. 

Here’s how the conversation played out: 

JaJuan: So Yaya, first and foremost, thank you for taking the time to speak with me on behalf of The Knockturnal. So, I guess to kick things off, for people who aren’t yet familiar with you,  tell us a little bit about your background and where you’re from? 

Yaya: So first off, I just wanna say thank you for having me. I am Yaya. The Yaya . I’m from Yonkers, NY. I’m 23. I’m here to change the world. 

JaJuan: Dope! Dope! I love it. So I’m curious to know: when did you first discover you had a talent for rap? Was this an early on thing or was this a relatively new revelation that you came across

Yaya: So, this was a relatively new discovery. I started doing poetry in high school. You couldn’t have told me that it was going to turn into this. I met some local rappers. I started doing freestyles on Instagram and from there, the freestyles eventually turned into “Yaya, pull up to the studio and from there, I got my first little shot and from then, I feel like I fell in love with music. 

JaJuan: That’s so dope! So being from Yonkers, who would you say were some of your biggest musical influences growing up? 

Yaya: Ummm….

JaJuan: Or does the fact that they’re from Yonkers not even really matter? 

Yaya: So ok, I feel like most people want me to say “Jadakiss” or like “Styles P” 

JaJuan: The quintessential figures of Yonkers pretty much.

Yaya: Yeah exactly *chuckles* But a lot of people don’t realize that I am an R&B girly. Like, I love R&B. So for me, my biggest inspiration was Mary J. Blidge. Like to me, she made me feel like success was tangible. Like, we’re from the same projects. Same background. I feel like I see a lot of her in me. It just made me feel like I could do this. If she came from where I came from, it’s not that far from me. I thank her! She’s a huge inspiration. 

JaJuan: Shoutout to the Queen! Mary J. I was fortunate to see her this summer. Apple Music had a little private performance, which was really dope but I’m curious to know: How was your experience making your latest single: “Who’s That Girl”? I love the opening skit. 

Yaya: Um, it was exciting. From getting the beat made to the studio session. From the script reading to dance practice. It’s one thing to do what you love but to do what you love with people you love. It doesn’t feel like a job. It feels like I also have total creative control because I am independent, which is dope! That’s definitely the best part about it. 

JaJuan: Yeah, it legit felt like pure fun. Like, that’s really what it felt like. It didn’t feel contrived, it felt very much organic. The people around me are organic. 

Yaya: Yeah, the people around me are organic. 

JaJuan: Word! I’ve been using that word a lot today. 

Yaya: *wholesome laughter* 

JaJuan: So I’m curious with regard to the song, how’d you team up with Danasia Manaya? 

Yaya: So we worked at the same summer youth program growing up. 

JaJuan: Back in Yonkers? 

Yaya: *laughs* yeah, back in Yonkers. 

JaJuan: Haha, classic. 

Yaya: So back then, music was a thing for either of us. Originally when I first went to the studio, I tried to sing the hook myself. I was channeling like my inner Beyonce and she just wouldn’t come. So I felt like I needed someone to come sing this hook. So Danasia was the first person who came to mind. Um, I knew whoever would sing it would need to have a lighter voice. I feel like I have a deeper voice and even when I sing, it’s deeper. I wanted someone with a soft sound to still give it that kind of Summer Walker kind of updated feel. She was perfect. The vibe was dope. It was just me and her and the engineer and we had a lot of fun. Nervous at first. I feel like you see the chemistry in the song. 

JaJuan: Yeah, yeah for sure. I love the contrast of tonality between you guys. 

Yaya: So, I did right. 

JaJuan: Yeah, y’all did that fasho. 

Yaya: Haha, word! 

JaJuan: So over the last few years, there has been a major influx of female rappers to grace the landscape. Some of my personal faves include Rico Nasty, Doechii, Tierra Whack, Meg The Stallion, Latto, the list goes on. With this being said, how important is female representation in Hip-Hop to you? 

Yaya: I think it’s really important. Being young, black and a woman, I want to represent myself. But, I also feel like I haven’t felt seen since Nicki stopped being Nicki. And when I say that, I mean Nicki in her prime. They’re a lot of rap girlies. I pay attention. I’m very intuitive. But, I feel like it’s so oversexualized sometimes to the point where regular girls like me are overlooked maybe up until like Glorilla. She’s the closest I’ve seen. Besides that, no. I feel like we forget about the girls in limbo. The girls who don’t have it all figured out. Who don’t got the BBL. Or who don’t scam or just girls trying to figure it out. 

JaJuan: The everyday woman. 

Yaya: Yes, the everyday woman. 

JaJuan: That’s a really interesting observation for sure. I definitely didn’t think about that. 

Yaya: Yeah, of course not.

*mutual laughter* 

JaJuan: Yeah, the hypersexual stuff is just always at the forefront. 

Yaya: Always! 

JaJuan: Yeah, it’s to the point where we forget about even like the Rapsody’s of the world. Like, Rapsody is one of the best out. 

Yaya: And so overlooked. 

JaJuan: Yeah, so overlooked. She has her own aesthetic and it’s a dope aesthetic. 

Yaya: Yeah, everybody, don’t worry! I’m coming. 

*mutual laughter*

JaJuan: Yes indeed, you’re up next. So outside of rap, what are some of your other creative outlets? 

Yaya: Ok so, outside of music, I’m a comedian. 

JaJuan: Oh really? Do you have any favorite comedians? 

Yaya: Bernie Mac and Marlon Wayans. 

JaJuan: Ok, those are some good ones. R.I.P Bernie Mac

Yaya: But aside from that, I dance. I told you. I met a lot of my creative team through dancing. 

JaJuan: What type of dancing? 

Yaya: Of course like Hip-Hop dancing. But um, dancing. I feel like that’s something I got to incorporate in “Who’s That Girl.” I gave you guys just a sneak peek. I can make a choreo. I made up the choreo actually. 

JaJuan: Wow! That’s hella impressive. I’m not even 

Yaya: And even for my shows and performances and everything I made my dancers do, I made everything up. 

JaJuan: Gotcha. I saw that performance at SOB’s btw. Y’all really killed it. 

Yaya: Thanks! But yeah, dance. I feel like it’s something I definitely wanna incorporate in my music and along this journey. Because I feel like when you think about singers, a lot of singers dance but what rappers dance? Offset? 

*laughter* 

JaJuan: Does Offset actually dance? 

Yaya: Yes. 

JaJuan: Oh, I didn’t even know that. 

Yaya: Yeah, him and Chris Brown were thinking about having a battle. 

JaJuan: Oh nah, he’s wildin.’ He’s gotta chill. 

*mutual laughter* 

JaJuan: So if you could only listen to three albums, which ones would they be and why? 

Yaya: Pink Friday is #1. 

JaJuan: Are you a barb? 

*snickering* 

Yaya: I’m thee BARB 

*laughs* 

JaJuan: Barbz are unapologetic about their support. 

Yaya: Because she deserves it. 

JaJuan: She does for sure. Okay, Okay, so we’ve got Pink Friday. 

Yaya: It’s the first and only physical album I’ve ever owned. Besides that, I’m gonna do “You Should Be Here” by Kehlani. 

JaJuan: That’s another great one. 

Yaya: And then, I’m going to do Summer Walker “Over It.” I told you because I’m an R&B girl. She was just important, I feel like in college. 

JaJuan: Yeah, she had a moment! 

Yaya: She had thee moment! For me, I feel like she kind of opened that door for new R&B. And I feel like as far as the connection she had in terms of heartbreak and things like that. I wanna be able to do that with my own project. I wanna be kind like the first female rapper to take what Summer Walker did. As far as painting that picture of heartbreak, getting it together, confidence building.

JaJuan: Yeah, she’s deep in her music. One of my favorite songs by her is Constant Bulls**t. That’s my joint right there. 

Yaya: She’s one of them ones. 

JaJuan: So as far as career trajectory, are you seeking to be signed to a label or are you carving your own route on the independent side of things? 

Yaya: I think in a perfect world, I’d love to remain independent. I’d love to remain independent just because I want the creative control. I want to be able to get my ideas out there. Um, but I feel like life be life’ing, so if getting signed is what gives me that stardom I’m seeking. I feel like in the long run as long as I get to the point where I’m able to regain my full arts control. But right now, I’m seeking any help and not all help is good help. But just getting Yaya on a larger scale. All that’s missing is the money. That’s all that’s missing. So whatever gets me there. 

JaJuan: It’s really only a matter of time. 

Yaya: Oh, I’m certain of that. I am so certain. 

JaJuan: So for my next and final question, I wanted to know: where do you see Yaya five years from now? 

Yaya: Famous! Uh, running music. Having it. I don’t know, I feel like my faith is so strong. I see longevity. You know how like in today’s world, especially with artists with TikTok. It’s easy to get discouraged with all this overnight success. And I feel like these artists sign to these labels with one good song. I don’t want just one good song for me. And I feel like, even with the rap girlies, nobody has had the run that Nicki Minaj has had. And, I plan on surpassing that. And I feel like no female has survived decades of rap in the same context that we’ve seen Jay-Z or Nas. How like Jay-Z went from the early 80s, he was able to dominate the 90s. He gave you HOV DID. So I feel like as a female, you’re gonna watch me grow. 

JaJuan: So sort of transcending generations.

Yaya: And dominating. 

JaJuan: Yeah, I feel that. I feel like that’s a good point. When you think about Queen Latifah and artists like her during that time frame. You know, their relevance is kind of stuck in a vacuum of that time period. I hope that this comes into fruition for you. 

Yaya: Yup! It’s coming. It’s only a matter of time. 

To keep up with Yaya, follow her on Instagram. 

With all the phenomenal activity he has had under his belt in recent time: a major collaboration with The New York Library, as well as, an artist residency in Italy, New York-native provocateur SHIRT has been adamant about making a bold statement with the release of his latest single: “Death To Wall Art.” 

Backed by Mello Music Group, SHIRT teams up with GRAMMY Award winning producer Jack Splash to cultivate “Death To Wall Art” alongside an entire bevy of poignant tracks that are expected to accompany a complete project by the end of the year. 

Known for his extreme risk taking and notorious alt-thought process within the contemporary world of art, SHIRT has made a conspicuous knack out of combatting the status quo via the conduits of music, video, text, photography, performance and more. 

Equipped with his MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) from an academy in Basel, Switzerland, SHIRT has established himself as a premier purveyor of artistic engagement across the globe. 

In 2019, SHIRT took part in a group exhibition entitled: “I’m Coming But I May Not Use The Front Door” at Helmhaus Museum in Zurich, Switzerland. 

Amid this previous summer season, SHIRT made waves as an artist-in-residence at the highly prestigious Civitella Ranieri. During his stint, he focused on recording incisive, thought-provoking raps for two months in a Castle in Italy. 

Similar to the high-level impact of his other artistic endeavors, “Death To Wall Art” is a canvas that SHIRT uses to elicit his commentary on the modern-day state of art with fervor and urgency.

Over low-fi, gritty, relatively ominous instrumentation, SHIRT vents his personal frustrations with multiple facets of the art world, some of which include cosmic capitalism and late-stage capitalism to undervalued artists and art that has been deemed “not fine art” by racially motivated “traditional” standards. 

In one of his insightful lines, he states: 

“If we being real nobody want to call it art. They’d have to open their museum doors – it’d fall apart.” 

What SHIRT is really trying to illuminate is the bleak reality that Hip-Hop music has and  continues to be excluded from the highest echelons of the Fine Art world. 

For the average rapper, this might be too intricate or enigmatic to dissect but for SHIRT, this is genuinely at the core of his purpose. 

In another instance, SHIRT states: 

“When I say ‘death to wall art’, I mean f**k paint by numbers. That’s a hallmark. Don’t just color out the lines, tear the wall art. Don’t just show me a corny NFT of the shark, go swim with sharks.” 

With his fierce rhetoric, he is making a fervent attempt at dismantling the malevolent forces that perpetuate discrimination within the modern art landscape. 

“Death of Wall Art” is a powerful vignette of what’s wrong with today’s world of art but more importantly, a sonic blueprint on the tangible measures that can be done to rectify these issues once and for all. 

To keep up with SHIRT, check him out on Instagram

To listen to “Death of Wall Art,” check it out on BandCamp

Photos Courtesy of The Artist SHIRT

Since the release of her highly acclaimed debut EP: “Poster Girl,” back in 2021, rising creative multi hyphenate Talia Goddess has been the living embodiment of what it truly means to be “on fire.” 

Originating from a Guyanese household in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY, Talia Goddess is a blossoming musical artist with myriad talents: she sings, she raps, she produces, she writes, she mixes, she DJ’s, she plays the guitar and much more. In other words, there aren’t any limits when it comes to her artistry and that’s what makes her such a salient entity within today’s landscape of music. 

While “Poster Girl” showed off her tasteful acumen of R&B and Soul, she’s illuminated this year that she has a masterful handle on an eclectic array of genres: reggae, hip-hop, alt-pop and whatever else you can think of. 

Existing somewhere finely nestled between Foxy Brown, Lauryn Hill, H.E.R. and Syd, Goddess is a palpable force with a highly immersive sound. 

Embracing a flavorful, yet hyper raw aesthetic mixed with a strong penchant for legitimate musicianship, Talia Goddess is allergic to the affectation of industry-driven gimmicks but instead latches skin tight to what is at the core of her allure: infectious songwriting and sheer versatility as an artist. 

While it can be duly stated that she sustained a major buzz at the inception of her career, Talia Goddess is very much in the active process of meteoric ascension. With her first Afropunk performance, a COLORS STUDIO taping, and an already-classic debut EP under her wing, she is destined for greatness in perpetuity. 

In conjunction with her swift momentum, she’s dropped two well-received singles this year: “Ragga,” and “Everybody Loves A Winner,” which have respectively amassed over 8K and 16K views on YouTube. 

Unmistakably channeling the high vibrational, “island” soundscape of her Caribbean roots, “Ragga” is a modern-day tribute to the old school, golden-era of Reggae and DanceHall that heavily permeated the streets of Brooklyn back in the 90s and early 00s. 

Mixing her signature “rapid-fire” style of rap with a lulling vocal performance reminiscent of Rihanna in her “Rude Boy” phase, “Ragga” is a pointed combination of all the idiosyncrasies that make Talia so fun and riveting. 

Making yet another 180-degree turn from her previous works, Goddess dropped “Everybody Loves A Winner” towards the latter end of September. Gliding over a high-octane, futuristic instrumental, which was written, mixed and produced by herself, Goddess flexes her lyrical talent with dazzling vivacity. 

With the hook echoing a sentiment that many can relate to: 

“I can’t stand no wishy washy a** n***a

Go figure

Everybody loves a f**king winner” 

She cultivates an aggressively catchy chorus that won’t simply subside after a few listens like most of today’s music.

With both tracks virtually upending all the expectations one may have had from the initial vibes she brought to the forefront with “Poster Girl,” Goddess reveals that she is equipped with limitless musical range, able to switch gears whenever she sees fit. 

Given the sublime caliber of content she’s released this year so far, the 19-year-old prodigy has elevated the bar higher than ever before with a brilliant body of work to prove it. As long as she remains authentic and true-to-self, the sky seems to be the very beginning for Talia Goddess.

To keep up with Talia Goddess, follow her on Instagram

Deviating from a good portion of today’s Hip-Hop landscape, UFO Fev prides himself on being a true student of Hip-Hop culture. 

Coming from Thomas Jefferson Houses in East Harlem, Anthony Ortiz, also known as, UFO Fev stands tall on his affinity for raw, uncut lyricism and makes that fully apparent across his sublime discography, which consists of 15 thoroughly crafted EPs. 

Being a direct product of New York’s inner-city streets, Fev’s dedication to the culture is undeniable and he continues to be an underrated, yet invaluable asset to its Hip-Hop community. 

When it comes to his talent, Fev is a top-notch, lyrical marksman with poignant flows and catchy hooks for days. Similar to Benny The Butcher, Joey Bada$$ and Roc Marciano, Fev is upholding the torch of golden-era Hip-Hop and reinvigorating it all in the same breath. 

Having already dropped a well-acclaimed project this year: “Sunsets In The Ghetto,” Fev is looking to bolster his flame with the release of his most recent project: “Blood On The Bills,” all of which is exclusively produced by Canadian producer Finn. 

On September 21st, Fev dropped his lead single: “Wash The Bills,” which has already amassed over 9K views on YouTube. 

In recent time, JaJuan Malachi of The Knockturnal was afforded the opportunity to “break bread” with UFO Fev over at Sweet Chick in Williamsburg. During the excursion, Fev spoke about a number of things including his origins, his relationship with Fat Joe, his passion for Hip-Hop culture, what it means to be a Puerto Rican rapper, what’s currently on his playlist, how he discovered his name and much more. 

Here is how the conversation played out: 

JaJuan: What’s up Fev! 

UFO Fev: What’s good Twin. 

JaJuan: So to kick things off, I wanted to ask: Coming up in East Harlem, who would you say were some of your biggest musical influences growing up? 

UFO Fev: Beanie Siegal, I love Notorious B.I.G., Mase, Cam’Ron 

JaJuan: Juelz Santana?

UFO: Nah, he wasn’t on yet. I’m trying to think about a time when I was young. When I didn’t have too much going on. Hearing the Puff album. P. Diddy and The Family: No Way Out. You know what I’m saying. That was monumental right there. I remember the first time I heard that and then after that comes The Dipset, you know, the 2000s era. By then, I was already also listening to the West Coast guys, The South, you know, BG, Choppa City, The Ghetto. That was like one of my favorite albums. My dad was into freestyle music, so I always had a knowledge of that. As I grew up, I started to like Latin music, Spanish music, and Reggae music. Heavy Reggae music. 

JaJuan: What about like Bachata? 

UFO Fev: That’s later on when I grew up to understand what that was. That used to be like Dembow music back then before Reggaeton got famous and stuff. Bachata was a thing for older folks back then. Like, you got to the parties and you’d hear that. Cleaning the crib, my grandmother would always listen to that kind of stuff. That always turned me off until I got into my teenage years. It was girls. When I started liking girls is when I started listening to more music. Girls always had the music. They always had the CDs and like the headphones and stuff and would put me on. As I grew older twin, my influences started going into Jazz and Reggae Soul Music, you know a lot of funk, R&B, heavy R&B and stuff like that outside of Hip-Hop. 

JaJuan: So like the Jon B’s, the Ginuwine’s

UFO Fev: Ginuwine, Dru Hill

JaJuan: Tyrese

UFO Fev: Tyrese. If we’re staying in the era, we’ve got Keith Sweat. Who else we’ve got, Case at the time. You know Donnell Jones. 

JaJuan: Yeah, yeah! Fire! 

UFO Fev: Yeah, you know that fire! Total! 

JaJuan: Brandy!? 

UFO Fev: Whatttt?! Brandy man! My dad loved Brian McKnight. Brian McKnight was that guy! Brandy was IT though! Brandy had that vibe! That’s a fact. Usher! Can’t forget Usher. I learned how to slide out my sneakers because of Usher. 

JaJuan: I feel that. They were all immaculate vibes fasho. So when did you first believe that making music could translate into a real-life profession? 

UFO Fev: For myself, I always understood it was a profession because I didn’t get paid for it but me being around people in the music industry like my dad and other producers, other artists, just being around them seeing them make money. Like there’s this producer by the name of Develop. He did “Fireman” for Lil’ Wayne and “Rap God” for Eminem. I used to hang out with him. My dad has a lot of friends in the music industry as well like Marc Anthony and stuff. So, I always knew the music industry was a successful place but for me twin, until someone actually paid me once to perform, then I was “oh aight” and began to take it seriously. I guess at that time, the stuff I was taking was good enough. I was thinking “oh aight, someone will let me perform and they’ll pay me.” I didn’t need anything else after that. That was validation! I remember the envelope, the card said thank you! 

JaJuan: Do you have any vivid memories of that moment? 

UFO Fev: Yeah, it was the Knitting Factory downtown. Before it went to Brooklyn, it was originally downtown in the city. There was a manager who had an artist that was running around. J. Cole was running around too but he wasn’t Cole at the time. 

JaJuan: Haha, he was pre-Cole.

UFO Fev: Yeah, pre-Cole. They were doing spot venues and stuff. The manager in that circle. He was a family friend as well. He saw me doing my thing and he asked me to come perform and he paid me and that was the first time I really got love. Like someone paid me, the other artists showed me love. I was like “alright cool, this is something I wanna do.” 

JaJuan: Gotchu! So you spoke about your Dad. Would you mind speaking to your Dad’s influence on your career? 

UFO Fev: Yeah, he was in a group called TKA back in the 80s and 90s even up until like the 00s. They had a “greatest hits” album and stuff. I just understood the business watching him. He went through the ups and downs of  the industry. It was easy to navigate myself and know that I wasn’t invincible and that there were certain things I had to be aware of 

JaJuan: So he put you onto game. 

UFO Fev: Yeah, he put me onto game without putting me onto game. Just watching was the best teacher because when he would vent and when I got old enough and we would talk. He would explain it to me a little better and stuff but I was there. Just the feeling of knowing something was wrong before knowing what’s wrong. I got to see that. And as I grew, I went through that in my own trials and tribulations. You can’t escape it. My Dad is my biggest inspiration in terms of knowing that “an artist doesn’t do business” and that “a businessman is not an artist.” The two are separate. When you’re an artist, you’re an artist. And when it’s time to do business, it’s time to do business. 

JaJuan: It sounds like he had a profound impact for sure. 

UFO Fev: For sure! 

JaJuan: So what have you been listening to recently? I know we spoke about it a little bit inside. 

UFO Fev: Aside from myself and the projects I’ve been creating, Freddie Gibbs. We spoke about that. I got .38 Spesh on my joint. A little Ari Lennox, Black Thought, Danger Mouse, amazing project. Illmatic. Always listening to Illmatic. A little bit of Tribe. You know, Midnight Marauders. I always like to go back and forth from new to older and stuff like that. 

JaJuan: You like to get a little taste of everything. 

UFO Fev: Everything! Depending on the drive because I’m a heavy driver. I’m always getting in the car, so I like to. If I’m not home, I’m tryna just sit in the car and turn up the speakers. Give it that little car test.  I’m always listening to music. It’s a big part of my days. 

JaJuan: Dope! So tell us about the origins of your name? ‘

UFO Fev: UFO Fev! The UFO!I got that as I matured.  It’s like knowledge of self. The way I was rhyming! The cadence! My flow. Everything was different, especially for a Latino. That’s where the UFO comes from and the “Fev” part, I got from Black Rob, may God rest his soul. Black Rob titled me “Fev.” He heard I was rhyming one day, I had bumped into him. We were passing one another, talking and like a movie, I turned around and he was like “I heard you’re rhyming out here.” He was like, “I heard you got a little fever?” I was like good lookin’ Rob! That’s how I got the name. It kind of just stuck. 

JaJuan: Wow! That sounds hella nostalgic! So I know you and Fat Joe have close ties! How’d y’all first link up? 

UFO Fev: I met my big brother Fat Joe through Dre of “Cool & Dre.” He’s the one who introduced us and linked us up. After hearing my music, he introduced my music to Joe and then Dre found me and he told me he wanted to meet me but also that he wanted to introduce me to Joe first. From there I met Joe and we’ve been together ever since. He’s been a mentor. I’ve been riding with him. He took me overseas a bunch of times, shows, we’ve got records together. Like you said, everything organic. I rock with him. 

JaJuan: That’s fire! What’s some guidance that he’s provided for you, in terms of how to navigate your career a little better? 

UFO Fev: A lot of patience! He’s taught me a lot of patience when it comes to the industry. Give people the benefit of the doubt! Don’t be so arrogant and expect everyone to jump. I’ve learned that with him. Just watching him I’ve learned that, just seeing how he works with people. Always smiling, always cordial! But mostly twin, I’ve also learned how to just be a loving person because he conducts himself on love! He doesn’t radiate any negativity. He likes to stay positive and allow his blessings to get to him. Verbally, he says so many things. You know, he talks. He loves to tell stories. There’s so many gems that I have with him that I learned. Just to be a better family man and to be happy with what I’ve got and to not worry about anything else. 

JaJuan: It sounds like he’s had a profound impact for sure. 

UFO Fev: That’s a fact! Just watching him be successful. If there’s things he has to deal with as a man, then I have no reason to complain. I have no reason to complain about the stuff I have to do. He’s well off but he still has to do a lot. Parents, lady, kids, industry. Like, he’s still active. 

JaJuan: So being a rapper of Puerto Rican descent, do you ever feel underestimated? And how do you combat that? 

UFO Fev: Absolutely! I usually write some more. Don’t get so hard on myself. But absolutely, I do feel underestimated sometimes but that’s just moments. I’m only human. That usually comes from social media and stuff. You know, when I see things going on but if I don’t delve into that realm, I’ll be alright. I’ll be good. People salute me for what I do and that’s all I need. Plus we get paid for it, so there’s really no reason to complain but like I said twin, if I dive into that realm and I see others highlights, then yeah I start feeling some type of way. Try and stay out of our own way sometimes. 

JaJuan: Haha, I feel you. It’s not even worth it. 

UFO Fev: Don’t hate on yourself. Don’t let them see you sweat

JaJuan: So what is the inspiration behind the concept of your latest single: “Wash The Bills”? Where’d that even stem from? 

UFO Fev: To zero it in, it just comes from. The rhyme was just like braggadocious rhyme. It fit around the project but the concept was a person having a lot of money that they can’t spend. Metaphorically, “Wash The Bills,” you use a laundromat, put your money in soap. Realistically, you have to find ways to spend the money. You can’t just sit on it. It doesn’t work like that. There’s another record on the project called “Taxman.” It kind of plays into the same realm but it comes from the perspective of Uncle Sam. I rap from the perspective of actually being like “what is taxation?” 

JaJuan: That’s hella intriguing. It sounds like a very refreshing perspective.

UFO Fev: It’s not as deep as it sounds. You know, it’s dope. Still fly shit though. 

JaJuan: Dope! I’m boutta be on the lookout for that. 

UFO Fev: It’s about to be on “Blood On The Bills” 

JaJuan: How many tracks do you have lined up for that? 

UFO Fev: There’s ten joints on the project. All produced by Finn. He is a Jamaican born producer by way of Canada. He might be Canadian born. Um, he’s a good brother from Toronto. He’s part of a click called BBM. Gold Era is the label. We’ve got some vinyl coming out. Vinyl’s available at GoldEramusic.com. Go purchase that. And the merch is available as well. Well produced by Finn, front to back. It’s hard! If you listen to any of my projects, you expect a good cohesive body of work and that’s what it is for sure. 

JaJuan: It’s funny that you mentioned Finn because I meant to ask about Finn. How’d y’all team up? 

UFO Fev: I was recording with Terminology and Statik Selektah. There was someone who reached out via DM on his behalf that told me that he was interested in hollering at me. I replied and was like “sure man, link us up” and sent a batch right away. I started working on them. I started diving more into his catalog and I got to learn more about him and how he works and that made me look forward to actually getting it done. He’s a dope producer. He has stuff out that’s already dope with other artists. Not just in Hip-Hop but in the Jamaican and Hip-Hop category as well. I can’t wait to do another one. I can’t wait to get to Canada too! 

JaJuan: Gotchu! Are there any artists that you’d like to collaborate with that you haven’t yet? 

UFO Fev: Absolutely! I usually like to just allow it to happen but you know, Anderson .Paak, would love to rap with Pusha T, Freddie Gibbs. I’d love to work with a lot of R&B artists. I’d love to work with all the legends if I can. Would definitely love to collaborate. 

JaJuan: So how has being a father impacted your grind? Would you say it’s made you more hungry? 

UFO Fev: It’s definitely made me more hungry. It’s made me more of an introvert too. I stay out of the way. I come outside when plentiful and when needed. And just stay focused and stay on the grind and stay away from politics, more or less. That’s what it does. 

JaJuan: Hmm, I feel that. So what do you have lined up for the rest of the year? 

UFO Fev: Uh, “Blood On The Bills” is next and I look to do some shows coming up. Some more videos. Some more merch and more albums. I don’t know if I’m going to take some time off or if I’m going to drop consistently. 

JaJuan: I’m looking forward to that. So before we wrap it up, is there anything else you’d like to say before we wrap it up? 

UFO Fev: Yeah, follow me on all socials: @ufofev. Much love!

JaJuan: Appreciate you! 

 

To Keep Up With UFO Fev, Check Him Out On Instagram

Photos Courtesy Of @sinematic.studios