Oxlade 在尼日利亞拉各斯海岸呼吸音樂
俯瞰尼日利亞拉各斯風景如畫的海洋背景，Afrobeats 音樂家 Oxlade 在他最具代表性的元素中採取了一種強大但有點脆弱的立場，即水。與 Oxlade 的亮粉色、醒目印花和超大剪裁牛仔布並置，最後是他眾多紋身和大雪珍珠項鍊的前衛特寫，證明了他目前為自己建立的生活。性格開朗，性格古怪，性格平靜，神秘。
他以 Ikuforiji Abdulrahman Olaitan 的身份出生，是他將自己的創造力或現實生活經驗注入的每一個項目的見證，他的觀眾對此讚歎不已。他發行了許多肯定會出現在您或您鄰居的播放列表中的單曲，包括“AWAY”、“DKT”，以及最近電台最受歡迎的 Dolapo 的“Interest”，其中包括班克斯女士和他本人。
Oxlade 這個名字是他的家人給他取的眾多中間名之一，他是他的長孫。隨之而來的是一些人認為的巨大責任或壓力，但對於 Oxlade 來說，他已經將他超凡脫俗的存在從他的家人轉移到了更廣闊的世界。他在尼日利亞拉各斯的穆欣出生和長大，他的藝術天賦是發自內心的，處於諾萊塢文化的核心，也是 Afrobeat 流派的起源之一。
從10歲開始唱歌，距離正式出道已經三年左右。您可以說，他職業生涯的突破始於 2018 年與尼日利亞說唱歌手 Blaqbonez 合作創作的曲目“Mamiwota”。當真正想要學習或受到某人或某事的啟發時，反思低谷和高潮同樣重要，在他取得突破的時候，這位才華橫溢的音樂家已經從大學輟學，幾乎放棄了在他的夢想中，他回憶說這是他“最黑暗的時期”。
從那時起，Oxlade 一直是音樂界不可阻擋的力量，但他設法花時間展示了一個比眼睛更令人心動的角色。他對生命中最重要的關係、祖母和上帝恩典的引導的熱愛，正是他在某些人所說的過度飽和的音樂行業中的自信。
我們與這位冉冉升起的新星坐在他的家鄉拉各斯，深入探討我們最喜歡的一些曲目背後的音樂家......
Full Suit, John Lawrence Sullivan
Hat, Thomas Olubiyi
Shoes, Artistt's Own
“We're super special in Atlanta right now. That's super inspiring in itself. Just beIng familiar with a bunch of talented black people, that's just the culture.”
Trousers, Maison Mihara Yasuhiro
Jewellry, Artist's Own
在過去的一年裡，你是如何跟上發生的一切的？
我做得很好，保持快樂，製作音樂，玩得開心，感謝上帝賜予我生命。
當然，除了全球大流行之外，去年對您來說特別突出的是什麼？
我的第一個項目的發布以及它的進展情況！看到來自四面八方的人們與我的音樂聯繫在一起，真是令人興奮......
您是否有任何您發誓的咒語可能對您的旅程有所幫助？
我沒有，我只是相信自己，相信上帝以及他幫助我善用我的天賦的能力。
您是如何想到或決定將 Oxlade 這個名字作為您的藝人名字的？
Oxlade 是我祖父給我取的名字。沒有什麼深刻的故事。
你已經發行了個人單曲並出現在諸如 Interest FT 之類的歌曲中。班克斯女士，您如何描述您迄今為止發布的所有內容，以及您在接受某些項目中的主演時有什麼軌跡？
合作是我的動力，我喜歡與偉大的藝術家一起創作音樂。很明顯，該計劃是在新的領域沿途轉換新粉絲。在接受任何合作之前，我首先必須在心理層面上與藝術家聯繫。
就最佳體驗和實現而言，您最喜歡哪個版本？
我發行的每一首歌都是我最喜歡的，因為歌迷們接受我唱的歌。
你將你的上一張 EP OXYGENE 描述為冰冷但非常真實的人類體驗。您如何定義“人類體驗”？
氧氣是關於發生在我身上的愛情故事，這對我來說是多麼真實。因為是關於我的。
我很想知道 OXYGENE 的封面藝術背後的含義是什麼？
音樂是我呼吸的空氣
從這個風景照中汲取靈感，我覺得你的角色和海洋/海灘具有共存的品質。你認為你和這個自然元素之間有什麼相似之處？
水代表了很多東西，平靜、力量和美麗。這就是我所代表的！
音樂行業，尤其是那些仍然很新的部分，變化如此之快。你願意嘗試新事物嗎？這對你來說會是什麼樣子？
成長和變化在生活中的一切事物中都是不變的，我們都會在適當的時候行動。
We hear what you're saying. We hate the idea of saying something's hasn’t developed, it's been there the same amount of time. It's grown into something else. You can't say that it's worse than it was before. It's just something different. We've moved on from that.
[J.I.D raps imitating Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”] “I said a hip hop,” Exactly! They used to be rapping about hip hop. Like, literally. That's literally what he said. Like all this shit. Now it’s people telling their life stories and helping people through those stories, there’s more ways to escape. As you say, there are more storytellers now, people like Maxo, yourself, Kendrick, J Cole... there's a lot of people that can narrate a story and carry people along the way.
That's a really incredible thing.
Exactly.
DiCaprio II really hit the mark for me. Like peeling off new layers to your skills as a rapper, and an artist as a whole. Really portraying that versatility. Is that something you were conscious of?
Yeah, it felt fresh when I was doing it, I feel like the first two projects I dropped would be super unexpected later on... We didn't do it for the number one, chart-topping success. But I feel like I needed to show people that this body of work is special, that’s what I make it for – for the longevity as opposed to just a flash in the pan, number one this week, and then it’s out of your life. I let the shit grow or I nurture it. And really, that's how people care about your craft. And I'll just take the same time, I'm easy. That's why I say you can take as long as it takes for me to drop the next one just because I'm growing with it.
Jacket, Song For the Mute
Trousers, Maison Mihara Yasuhiro
Jewellry, Artist's Own
Definitely. Listening back to your discography you can see the amount of work that you put into each project. Every album feels thoughtfully put together and your style matures. But how do you feel about the power of a single versus the power of an album?
I’m an album artist for sure. Like singles are cool and stuff. Well, singles are amazing. I'm
seeing a whole other side of it right now with this feature we just did with Imagine Dragons.
The song is going fucking insane and it’s like ‘Oh, this is what they mean’. [laughs]
How did that come about, was it just something that you were into at first?
Music is like a universal language. So, I feel like just as well as me being a fan of them
because I knew them before they came back, they were a fan of me. So it was just like a
beautiful union, even meeting with them and chilling with them, it was like ‘Oh, this perfect’ because I could stand beside y’all and I can really like agree with your morals and everything. That's what I try with the people I try to work with that think you don't do the normal things in the industry, you not of the same standards that everybody's trying to fit into.
Would you say that opened your eyes to things not just personally but also as an
artist? Aside from having a new audience...
It opened my eyes to a whole other world of music how is released and how people take
care and the time we put into one record is one song. I take that same time for albums.
When you have that one, you have that one. So, I'm trying to be on both ends of that. It’s
working pretty well, God willing everything plays out and I can turn into that superstar rapper
that I proclaim to be.
You have all the attributes to the the biggest; the skillset, the melodies, you have that potential to make big songs, that’s why this move is perfect because there’s probably people out there just now discovering you, what’s that like?
It’s fine because it’s just about patience over anything. You know what I’m saying? Just be
patient with it. I got signed in 2016. It’s about to be 2022! How many artists do you know that
pass through? That you don't even hear. I literally, today, at this moment have the biggest
song I've ever been a part of, like it’s steady growing. So, it's like, okay, that patience is a
virtue. It's like, it's no cap.
我的祖母是我最重要的關係，但我唱歌的任何內容都是我感受到的結果。
Shirt Tokyo James
Trousers, John Lawrence Sullivan
Shoes, Maison Mihara Yasuhiro
Knit Sweater ZILVER
Trousers, ZILVER
Shoes, Maison Mihara Yasuhiro
What does having a legacy actually mean to you? In a few words.
Just family.
Great answer. You were on your way to a varsity career when you were younger, so, from football to studying other rappers, you seem to find a way to widen your skill-set no matter the circumstances you’re under. Was this curiosity something you had from a young age?
I was always like, be inquisitive. When I was a child, to my parents I’d be like, “But why? Why? Why is that?” My mom always said I used to do that. So even with that, I used to get in trouble. But at the same time, it turned into something that kept my imagination. It kept me always wanting to dig deeper into things. I'm a rabbit hole guy. Like if I see something I like or I see something that is interesting. I will rabbit hole the fuck out of that shit.
Do you feel like growing up with older siblings made you grow up faster?
Yeah, I'm definitely an old man. Even when I was a kid, I have siblings who are like six years older than me, so we weren't necessarily close. I wasn't super close, because I'm the youngest.
It's almost like having extra parents.
Exactly. It's just like watching them, making mistakes and stuff like that and just being around.
It's like juking in American Football, when you're on the field you see the mistake they make and you kind of like evade it
Exactly.
You talked about being an old man having those interests that are beyond your years. You had Baby Driver star Ansel Elgort in the visual for “Off Da Zoinkys” which was a really cool tribute to Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye. Have you got a particular interest in films?
100%. Films are important to me. That's why DiCaprio was that. I just love art and creativity in any medium. To be painting or dancing, but film is like something that I always had. My family always liked to watch movies and stuff. And I always took that with me along the walks of life and I just, I love movies.
So what are your top three?
It's hard to say.
Top three DiCaprio movies?
Ooo, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, is one of them. Imma say Apocalypto, he wasn't in it, but if you ever seen that movie, it's one of my favourites, Apocalypto. And I'll give you another... I mess the name up, it may be called The Beach. When they went to those island. It's amazing. He was young too, it's crazy.
What actually make made you become fascinated with DiCaprio?
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. Because he was this kid playing someone who’s special and this is when I first came to the realisation he was acting. They really got this kid. That's even crazier. Like it's a key role. It just blew my mind and ever since then I've just been following his career.
If you were to become a director? What kind of director would you be?
I never even thought about that... I've been writing a script and it's kind of like sports comedy. But I wouldn't be a sports comedy director [laughs], I don't know. It'd definitely be some dark shit or something like super out of this world.
At university you started Spillage Village with EARTHGANG?
Yeah we were at school together in Virginia, it was cool. So We stayed in two different dorm rooms. And my dorm, we had a studio right across my room, so I wasn't really rapping. At that time I was on a full football scholarship. I used to go after practice and record with the studio with the guys and that’s how I met them. Especially like the first time, I didn't even hear about them before this, but when I met him, I had a song that I had recorded and I came in the room and they was recording. But it was tight. And ever since then, we just tapped in and we made Spillage Village together.
On the same frequency.
Yeah, I wouldn't be rapping if it wasn't for them, that's probably why people think they brought me in but we did it together like let's make this.
Isn't that crazy, that three guys go from that. That come up at college to now being signed to the same label. Like one of the biggest artists.
Yeah, we playing, we juked the label that we juked them like we were supposed to do something like that. We're from Atlanta, so we finesse. We knew it was going to work out. We just had to get the opportunity, to get to the platform.
So was that the moment that you first decided to properly pick up a notepad or were you already doing bits like that?
I got kicked out of college. And when I got kicked out I was like oh shit, I lost the full scholarship. I was playing football I was going into like my senior year. I was good, I was about to graduate. My GPA was amazing. Everything's good. It just wasn't supposed to happen. I was gonna be a lawyer in some shape or form. And then I thought about and I thought why would I want to be a lawyer to a fucked up system and put more people like me in jail. Or I could just go inside and just like fuck shit up.
我的祖母是我最重要的關係，但我唱歌的任何內容都是我感受到的結果。
So were you into criminal law more than corporate law and stuff?
It's all trash. I just didn't want to be a part of any of it. But I learned a lot about it all. I took certain classes and it was letting me know like, this is all bullshit.
You've got an understanding of two sides of the coin, you were a student of law and you've actually been on the other side where you're like fuck this.
I can help more over on this side.
100%.
I don't have to... I can't lose my bar, you know when they say pass the bar. – well they can't take it away from me.
What would you say is one thing about the system, let's say in law or society...
Black shit. Anything to the opposition of Black people. I just don't fuck with it. It has been oppression. I'm from the South, from Georgia... Who was I talking to about Lake Lanier [looks around the room], just little shit like that, like if you know the history of the place, Lake Lanier, in Georgia it's a Black town, killed all the people, flooded. Made it Lake Lanier, what the fuck. That's the type of shit.
We realised what was that, like, certain things change over time, but it derives from these like, dark sinister things and it's just like commonplace now.
Yeah, these memories, these people: can't be erased. You can feel it, you can feel it. Being in these places, in these towns, my parents are from small towns in South Georgia. Everybody knows about Atlanta. It's a Black clusterfuck, it's a great city, you can see the richest black woman down to poorest black man there on the same black, we drive outside of Atlanta, it might be difficult for you. You might get pulled over, you might get... I don't even know, it's 2021. But it still is a possibility. Which is even more ridiculous.
And it's quite interesting that you say about carrying the the past of that town you're carrying the past. And it's important as an artist, to bring people's awareness to it.
Yeah, learn the history.
It can be it can be quite a lot of pressure as well in some situations. Do you feel that it's pressure to be that voice? Or is that something that comes naturally?
I say yes and no. Because more so the responsibility, I guess, as a human, as a black man, to say certain things regardless of what happens. I feel like in certain aspects, if it came down to me standing behind what I say in songs, I really believe in it. It's like Martin and Malcolm. You know, they stood up for what they said they believed in it. And it's a different level of activism these days. We have some names like Tamika Mallory. She's an activist that I super stand behind. Like right now, but for the most part, most activists are the artists, the rappers, the singers.
Artists can lend themselves to people like Tamika and be a vessel giving them exposure, and this exposure or just even taking advice from them. Yeah. Being an ally to them. So do you feel like that's something that needs to happen more? Or it just has to happen organically?
It should all be natural. There's a need for because it's kind of the same issues going on. I mean, those issues were super defined in the last year, during the pandemic. You know, stuff that was going on in America with riots and protests and shit like, everything was well exposed.
A lot of people felt this lack of certainty or lack of structure that they may have felt before and the pandemic sort of stripped that away. And to have some people that say, 'You know what, I can see that this is happening as well'...
You wanna know what's crazy? Not really crazy. But during the pandemic last year. I got super close with James Blake. Super close to the point where he was furious about some issues we were talking about, and before we started doing music. He was just having conversations about Breonna Taylor, George Floyd. And I was telling him about how I had bought a crib it was still in the hood and is right down the street where the guy got killed it at
Wendy's and it was when there was protests going on outside of the house. There were people parking close to where we stayed and were walking to the Capitol. And James was just one of the people that I was like, Well, I consider you an ally like, you really want to understand my pain, he wanted to make sure like he contributed. He was just super supportive of the whole cause. And he make music, he was like 6"5, he's like a beautiful
fucking dolphin unicorn.
You came into the spotlight almost a decade ago. You've never appeared to make commercial compromises to music, with your second tape Route of Evil having turned ten in June, What would what would present day Destin say to 2011 Destin?
I was not killing it [laughs].I was working on myself. I was tryna figure it out. I would say: Snapped. You snapped. 2011 is when I got kicked out of school.
Oh for real? And you were living in your Pontiac G6 at the time?
Yeah!
Is that car still going?
Ugh. I gave it to my brother. And my brother was in some type of situation with some girls and just did a fucking Jazmine Sullivan and bust the windows out of my car.
No way!
Like, what type of hurt ass dude busting windows out of a car? That's some weird shit.
There’s more to that story for sure.
Yeah some weird love triangle shit. Yeah, I love when I put my brother on blast. I'm fuming, I don't even know where that fucking car is. I don't know where it is right now! You got the windows bust out, he slashed the tires...
I feel like it will find it's way back to you one day.
Somehow. I know I'm gonna find my way back to him.
There's gotta be a film about this car someday.
You've also been enlisted to go on tour with some incredible artists, including the late Mac Miller. Have you got any favourite stories going on tour over the years?
So he passed just before the tour started. But prior to that, we were getting like super close, working on music to teaching, he was teaching a lot of stuff. Venting to me about Ariana Grande at a time... It’s so unfortunate what happened.
