Releasing various singles in 2018 and the EPs Cashville Alien and Notes on a Scale in 2019, Nashville rapper Ron Obasi quickly provided glimpses of his full-bodied abilities as a rap artist. Notes on a Scale II was the first lyrical follow-up of 2020, and most recently, Obasi dropped Sun Tapes, a nostalgic 11-song run filled with double-entendres that takes listeners back to the beginning, allowing them to journey and feel the infinite power of his own light.
Obasi exhibits a deep understanding of leveling up, as he effortlessly tops his last project with the integration of past and present elements.
With glaring reviews from DJBooth, Pigeons and Planes, RNGLDR and 24/7 Hip Hop, as well as playlist placements in Hot New Hip Hop and Swidlife, Obasi’s influence is vast. In his interview with DJBooth, Obasi declared, “I want to be considered one of the best. I’m the type of person that wouldn’t have the inclination to do this if I didn’t want to be remembered as one of the greatest to ever do it.”
With buzz spreading into other media outlets, such as the 85 South Comedy Show podcast, it’s only a matter of time before the world sees the vision. Ron Obasi is sure to leave a lasting impact, solidifying that his section of the Music City has more life to give than what meets the mainstream eye.
On the growing hip hop scene in Nashville he simply states:
“Being a native, I’ve seen a lot of changes throughout the music scene in general. However, the hip hop scene has always been missing that little extra support from the public that other scenes have received. BUT the willingness and resilience of every hip hop artist here in Nashville has made it impossible for people to notice the growth of our community!”
Another important piece of our conversation with Ron revolved around the importance of social media for an emerging artist today.
“We live in a world where people scroll through their phone all day and there’s no guarantee they’re to pick up on you or your material even if it’s the best. You need to be as eye-catching as possible while keeping the quality of your work high.”
Ron definitely lives by that and when you listen to his latest project ‘Sun Tapes’ you can’t help but notice a rich background of musical eras and tones.
“Jazz influences my sound so much. I love the sound of soul instruments like the saxophone. Jazz has an immediate way to make you feel a certain way. Whether you’re sad, ahoy, melancholy or whatever a jazz tune is going to capture that emotion with a musical flow that no other genre has, in my opinion.
I love sampling jazz pieces because it adds an emotion to my music and I don’t even have to say anything for the audience to feel it.”
His approach to art is also quite interesting and unique. Along with his business partner, Ron launched his multimedia company in order to keep his independence and be able to have total control over his artistry.
“It’s supposed to give me the power to stay independent and create content for myself as well as for other artists who share my vision and have the same attitude towards music and creativity. We want to highlight new creative avenues and other creatives. Simple as that!”
