Kobi Onyame
Very few people are blessed with a true talent, one that has the potential to be life changing, but for Kobi Onyame he has a couple of tricks up his sleeve that have already allowed him a sly taste of notoriety. Born in Ghana, raised in London and now residing in Glasgow, Kobi Onyame is on track to become the next ‘name’ to represent the UK and his homeland when it comes to Hip-Hop.
Able to multi-task and take on the role of both producer and the Kobi Onyame is creating his own lane. With serious radio love for his most recent track featuring UK rapper Sway DaSafo and an appearance at Glastonbury this year, Kobi Onyame has had a pretty impressive summer and its not over yet. Having opened for the likes of Kanye West, Akon, Flo Rida and De La Soul, it is only a matter of time before he is the headlining act himself.
Talking exclusively to FemaleFirst.co.uk, Kobi gives us an insight into what it is that makes him tick.
What does Hip-Hop mean to you?
Hip Hop is a culture and life style that i live. The keyword being 'I'. I think Hip Hop is all about being yourself. Ofcourse it comes with the fashion, the slang, the walk and the talk etc but to me, it means being myself in the best way possible.
Was music always at the forefront of your mind growing up?
Music wasn't always at the forefront. I enjoyed all different genres of music growing up but there came a time when i had to put music to the side. Basically because studies came first. Growing up in a Ghanaian home, i had to do well in school too so music only came to the forefront after my studies.
What artists do you enjoy listening to and drawing inspiration from?
I love listening to Kanye West, Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Maxwell, Michael Jackson to name a few. I draw a lot of inspiration from the likes of Kanye West and Jay-Z. As a producer i like the way Kanye comes with something new each time and his song concepts are worldwide and can easily be related to. I think i relate to him the most as an artist. I draw inspiration from other artists who have become more than just artists. People like Sean Combs, Jay-Z have been able to diversify into other forms of productive movements.
You established your own label, what do you hope to achieve with that?
8182 Recordings is a sub label and part of a bigger picture i am part of called the Haatsville Music Group. It is just me putting out my music independently. I hope to extend it to music promotions, consulting, managing other artists and finding ways to release music in the changing music industry.
Now this Summer you performed at Glastonbury, how was that whole experience?
It was crazy!! I absolutely loved the experience. I performed at the BBC Introducing Stage with other great artists. I think the festival crowd is very different from the crowd i normally play to because the people come from a different love of different genres. Most importantly, everyone comes for the love of music so everyone was up for a good time. Glastonbury is FAR from everything else! Finding it was a major problem. There's a small documentary about my whole experience on my blog - check it out!
How did you affiliation with the BBC come about?
I was nominated for the Urban Development Fund last year by Urbanscot. I went down for a few interviews and conferences and at the end was chosen to receive one of their development fund awards. It has helped me a lot with building a network of people i need as part of my team to release music independently in the UK.
Do you feel that UK urban artists have to take the show route to get people’s attention?
I feel the show route is very important and yes more so people in the UK have to take this route because it's always best to be able to go on road and play your music for people. It also serves as a way to make money on road by selling your music directly to the consumer. Hip Hop music isn't as big in the UK as the US so any means by which artists can use to increase their awareness is great!
Your recent single features Sway who is enjoying great success, how did you and he connect?
I first supported Sway in concert in 2006 in Edinburgh and since then we have kept some kind of contact on music level. I'm a big fan of his music and his work ethic. He also reps Ghana very hard! Since 2006 i have opened for him another 2 times and each time we spoke about music. I am wanting to work with him on his next project if possible on a production level so i just keep sending him music.
Do you feel that a co-sign is sometimes needed to get mainstream recognition in any genre of music?
Definitely! I feel it definitely helps! It is not always needed but it helps. The industry is such that most DJ's pay attention to the usual suspects and only a handful of DJ's are clued to new music from unsigned/unheard of artists. Thats just the way the industry is - i don't blame any DJ. So it helps to have an artist who is already established on your record, the co-sign means the record won't go overlooked by people who may not give you that chance if you hadn't had the feature. I'm sure it is the same with other genres.
What does the rest of the summer hold for you?
I am playing gigs down in London in August to increase the awareness and also releasing the single "He Said She Said" with Sway at the end of the summer. I am working on new music for my album Green Green Grasses which i want to put out early next year and also a mixtape with a well known DJ is in the 'talking' stages!