Osay | “Chapter One…”, Nostalgic R&B With A Modern Twist
Osay out of the Chicago-Atlanta area recently gifted us with an 8-track project titled “Chapter One…” that deploys vibes of nostalgic R&B from the 2000s era, blended in with modern-day Hip-Hop and even contains cultural references to anime. Yeah, you read that correctly- Osay is bringing back a sound that reminds us of Destinys Child, Fergie, The Pussycat Dolls and is dropping off bars like Azealia Banks that will twinge your ear in obsessive fashion. “Chapter One…” is refreshingly vibrant while mixing in lost-loved sounds from the past. If you’re a new-gen music lover who missed out on the 2000s golden era of Hip-Hop, or an older-head whose familiar with the sound, Osay has got something for everybody on this latest drop.
“Oh no, tell me what’s going on. I think she’s going rogue.”
On the very first record “Rogue“, Osay brings you into the creative mind with a wide array of flows and tones. She starts the record with slow, deeper octave singing & then snaps out of the chorus into punchy, quick, and fun verses that bring the record to life. On “How Many Licks” she plays upon the famous Tootsie Roll slogan but with a sensual twist. She’s got records that showcase her versatility & skill, and then tracks like “How Many Licks” that display her ability to captivate an audience with appeal-like past greats such as Lil Kim, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B.
She’s doing it all on “Chapter One…” and it excites Rap Fiesta to see what Chapter Two might have in store for us. Osay is solidifying her place as a multi-genre talented artist. For bringing back beloved sounds of R&B that stamped the 2000 era, and adding in modern rap sprinkles to fill our craving for swift bars & hype records. She’s packing a punch and “Chapter One…” is the project that’s bringing it.
We asked Osay what inspired her captivating project and this was her response to Rap Fiesta,
” “Chapter One…” kinda came out of the blue. I was itching to drop a project for months and once I got out of my previous situation, it felt like the perfect time to release a few ideas I had been sitting on. The premise behind “Chapter One…” was to give the listener a very broad idea of who Osay the creator is. What I mean is that I really wanted to showcase my abilities as an artist while also sharing a bit of my personality in the process. A lot of the songs on the project are fun, up-tempo songs where I switch between raping and singing. It’s a tiny bit reminiscent of the sounds I grew up listening to and I wanted to give people as much as I could without sharing too much yet, if that makes sense. It’s a peek into the first chapter of my musical journey and of what’s to come.”
She captured the aura of what she was trying to represent, but the roots for her growth had to come from somewhere. Osay filled us in on how her musical creations got started,
“That question is always so difficult to answer because truthfully I’ve been making music my entire life. It started from making up songs on the fly as a kid, to writing poems during my adolesent years. But I first started to take it somewhat seriously around the time I graduated college. I used to fly out to different states and meet with different producers and go to writing sessions and all that jazz. After kinda doing that for about a year, I moved down to Atlanta where I started to do more of my own creating and writing. This was around 2018 and I think from then on I really started working and developing on my own craft and style.”
She truly has developed her own style, and may we add, one that the game needs. Hip-Hop is missing the fun, beloved aspects of our past and Osay found a way to bring those back with uniquess on “Chapter One…”.
With more records on the way and projects to come, Osay is dropping a music video for her highly-coveted record “Off Brand” next week. While she preps for these drops, she’s simultaneously building her label Established In The 90s LLC for creative-intentive purposes. There’s a lot in the works with Osay, as she plans on dropping her second-studio project “In The Pursuit Of…” at years end, but for now, you’ll have to stream “Chapter One…” and follow her on Instagram to stay updated.
Stream “Chapter One…” on Spotify below:
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