The DMV Daily Interviews: Olumide

For those who may not know you can you introduce yourself and explain what you do?

My name is Olumide. I’m from Riverdale, Maryland in Prince George’s County and I do a lot of things. But my focus right now is music, as a rap artist.

What inspired you to start rapping?

Chief Keef. A lot of people be surprised when I say that but I don’t mean sonically. When I say Chief Keef inspired me to start rapping I mean he legit showed me, that this was something very possible to achieve and do. Even if you aren’t the number 1 rapper in the world, you can definitely still make something of this art because he was a kid, in a place where a lot of people like him don’t even survive – but he made it happen without a label, politics, nothing. Just – rap and a desire to get out.

Who are five artist you want to work with?

50 Cent, Chamillionaire,  Pharrell,  Jeezy, Kevin Gates

How would you describe your music using a tv s
series, videogame or film?

This one is kinda hard to answer tbh….Yeah I don’t think I can.

3 musical acts people would probably be surprised to know you listen to?

John Mayer, Ryan Leslie, Justine Skye

Who are your musical influences?

50 Cent, Chamillionaire, T.I., The Game, Jeezy, Plies, The-Dream

What’s your most experimental song?
Out right now – probably “Too Grown” off my Two-Five project. That or “Passion”. Passion brought a element of harmonizing in the hook and verses that worked out pretty damn good and I’m seeing the results of it with that song. “Too Grown” was less rappy, more – i dunno, sonics. It was a different type of beat of one I would normally pick and isn’t what you’d expect from me or my vocal abilities.

What forms of art are you interested in besides Rap?

Music wise, R&B – probably that’s it. A little country/rock if I discover it but I’m never actively looking in that genre. Outside of music, film, paintings, and maybe photography.

What are your thoughts on the term DMV? Should the individuals States stand on their own?

It’s problematic. It’s problematic because to people on the outside, they have no idea what that really means or how one can be from 3 different places. I’ve seen in the past major artists or whoever say “Coming to the DMV – looking to work!.” and they usually always, go straight to D.C.

No one groups Jersey with New York as the Tri-State area or whatever. They say, I’m from “New York” and even deeper than that, “(Insert Borough – example, Brooklyn)”

Now you’ll start to see the issue with that, as you cannot be in 3 different places at once. The DMV sonically, has such a wide variety of sounds, it kinda hurts to label it all as one. If LA Reid hears a Virginia artist and likes what he hears, instead of looking into Virginia for more talent that could be possibly there and what he likes, he’s looking into an imaginary area that likely, doesn’t even know about the artists he’s looking for.

I think on some, regional shit when we’re all at the BET awards squaded up, rep that DMV. But when it comes down to you individually – rep exactly where you came from because other’s there are depending on you to bring that light – THERE.

That’s how I feel about Maryland and PG County specifically. DMV is cool but I’m always gonna let it be known it’s 301 shit over here. We for too long have been ignored and played with – credit for what we produced given to other areas. That’s over with.

What is your favorite song to perform and why?

Definitely “Coolin” – it just works, everytime. There hasn’t been a place or performance I did that song and wasn’t able to get people moving to it to the point where they let me know, they fuck with it. It’s a song that I KNOW works and eventually, will make things happen for me. 0 Doubts.

Can you tell me about “Pass Da Aux”, how was it started, who are its founders and why was it created?

PassDaAUX is a collection, branding, that a few others and I created to not only help ourselves, but other creatives worldwide who are tired of the bullshit we as artists were going through in the DMV area.

It originally started as an idea for a tour for myself, Grxzzly, and a buddy KydChronic. We were having troubles booking shows in the DC area or not having to pay janky ass people $300 or whatever outlandish request to perform 5 minutes…I kid you not, 5 minutes.

Fuck outta here.

The DC area right now is being held hostage by people who may have had a hold on the area from the gogo days. That died and now they’re desperately still trying to pay rent and stay relevant using the new emerging rap scene. We have to get them out of the way. Have to. And that starts with PassDaAUX – where artist perform free, have their show documented forever in history online, and given an interview.

Eventually, someone is going to blow and that traffic, will help everyone else participating with PassDaAUX.

Season 3 is coming up, we’re trying to think of ways to step it up even more.

Social Media

(@Olumide301)