- F E A T U R E D A R T I S T -
June/July - Issue 3
Osyrus Bolly, rapper |
Song: Friends
|
about the artist
Osyrus Bolly has been releasing music consistently for the past six years. His musical art form was influenced by his intrigue for Black stories in gospel, jazz, and R&B as a child. Names like the Jackson 5, Rance Allen, Frank Williams, the Mississippi Mass Choir, Daryl Coley, Miles Davis, Count Basie, John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, and many from the Stax Records and Motown era of music were ever-present in his rotation of music selections.
Bolly's interest deepened, and he became a student of the history and origin of many of the Black artists he grew up listening to. Surprised that many of them had Arkansas connections, such as Al Green, Scott Joplin, and Louis Jordan, his passion grew. The hip-hop influence came later.
Bolly has an intense appreciation for hip hop because he believes it is a voice for the young people who want to express themselves. The voice in his music developed from that same need to express but has evolved into purposeful music as he has matured and found himself. Through the years, Bolly has grown, found his sound, and stuck to his script by avoiding trends and staying original. This has set him apart from other artists in Arkansas and has become an attractive representation of his brand.
Bolly's interest deepened, and he became a student of the history and origin of many of the Black artists he grew up listening to. Surprised that many of them had Arkansas connections, such as Al Green, Scott Joplin, and Louis Jordan, his passion grew. The hip-hop influence came later.
Bolly has an intense appreciation for hip hop because he believes it is a voice for the young people who want to express themselves. The voice in his music developed from that same need to express but has evolved into purposeful music as he has matured and found himself. Through the years, Bolly has grown, found his sound, and stuck to his script by avoiding trends and staying original. This has set him apart from other artists in Arkansas and has become an attractive representation of his brand.
As an activist and advocate, Bolly is profoundly motivated by young Arkansans committed to social change. He is an earnest believer that the elders must invest in the young people for communities to last and thrive. This includes instilling an appreciation for the community and mentoring them on the significance of community empowerment and community development. Bolly believes this can influence them to be a part of or give back to the community that raised them.
His efforts to serve the Black community has taken form in numerous ways. One of his recent forms was a voter mobilization campaign with local rapper 607, which informed people why the races for local judges were so important. He also used his gift of rap to create music to educate listeners during the height of the race protests in recent months.
Another effort was partnering with Ryan D. Davis and Dawn Jeffery to start the Little Rock Freedom Fund last year. This fund was a resource for the people in the community who face legal issues and scrutiny because they are protesting. It helps by providing bail money, helping with lawyers, consultants, information/civic engagement, Know Your Rights workshops, direct action training and more.
Although Bolly has his hands in many forms of creativity and purpose, he simply wants to empower Black people. To be bold, to be themselves, and to stand up for the culture.
His efforts to serve the Black community has taken form in numerous ways. One of his recent forms was a voter mobilization campaign with local rapper 607, which informed people why the races for local judges were so important. He also used his gift of rap to create music to educate listeners during the height of the race protests in recent months.
Another effort was partnering with Ryan D. Davis and Dawn Jeffery to start the Little Rock Freedom Fund last year. This fund was a resource for the people in the community who face legal issues and scrutiny because they are protesting. It helps by providing bail money, helping with lawyers, consultants, information/civic engagement, Know Your Rights workshops, direct action training and more.
Although Bolly has his hands in many forms of creativity and purpose, he simply wants to empower Black people. To be bold, to be themselves, and to stand up for the culture.
THE INTERVIEW
URBANE: Who is Osyrus Bolly?
OSYRUS: I'm an artist. I'm an activist. I'm an advocate in my community. I use my platform to put out music, which I call Liberation Arts. So, I use that expression in a way to liberate people's minds through information, through artistic expression, to just making thought-provoking poetry or music.
For me, as an activist, I'm really good at dispersing information in the community. Things that we need to know about. Civic engagement and general information uplift our people because knowledge is really important. You gotta know what's going on in the world, but you definitely gotta know who you are and how to center yourself. That's my passion as an activist.
I'm an advocate for those that don't get to voice their concerns. I'm who people can come to and get their message out and help them with their cause. You know, I'm not gonna say I'm a movement or anything like that, but I use my brand as a way to put out creative art and to get out information that empowers the community creatively. That's what my focus is.
URBANE: How would you describe your music?
OSYRUS: Black. It's Black music; you know what I'm saying, for Black people. Anybody can listen to it, but Black people are my focus. I speak from that perspective off top – my experience as a Black man living in a Black community. I don't know any other perspective to come from. I just have a deep connection to my culture. When I became a performer, I knew what my niche was gonna be because it was one of my main interests growing up. I've just been a student of that [music]. I'm a student of many things, but I'm definitely a student of the culture. That's why I describe the music as Black because that's what I've been immersed in all these years – Black music, Black people, and Black history. All that comes out.
URBANE: What genre would you categorize your music?
OSYRUS: If it ain't Black music, it's definitely hip hop. When I got into hip hop in the 90s, it was the most popular music in the world. My music reflects that. It reflects the six pillars of hip hop that I grew up with: deejaying, the B-Boy/B-Girl style, breaking, the MC, the graffiti artist, and the knowledge. There is a little R&B incorporated in my music, but it's mainly hip hop.
URBANE: Who or what influences your music?
OSYRUS: Jazz and hip hop are my two favorite genres of music, but I do like gospel too! I do listen to other genres, like reggae and bossa nova. I'm really just getting into subgenres of hip hop and instrumentalists, too! Other than musical artists – you know what I'm saying – the current events going on in the world influence me. Young people in the community expressing themselves inspires me to make music, as well. Last year I dropped a track about voting called "What's At Stake" because there was so much misinformation out there, and we had this crazy election – I felt I had to get something out. Then people were so focused on Biden and Trump that they were discouraged and distracted from the local elections, the school board issues, and getting city council together. It's like…a lot of the things that I advocate for throughout the year in the social justice world ends up going into my music.
URBANE: What’s your fondest memory of music?
OSYRUS: My fondest memory would be like my first time recording and performing music – like the nervousness and anxiousness of it. You don't forget that feeling. But I also opened up for this rap group called Blackalicious – they have a really big following in the underground world. When they came here, the promoters were looking for artists to be added to the lineup, and they asked me. People were upset because they chose me to open for this internationally known hip hop group.
So I kinda felt like I had to prove myself. It was at Cornerstone Pub, and they told me I had 35-45 minutes to perform…I was like 'cool.' I went and got musicians, and we formed a band and started having rehearsals. I didn't tell promoters that I was gonna show up with a band. So when I got to the spot, they were pissed. They were pissed at me – you know because they had to do my sound! They were pissed off, but they worked it out. We brought our sound in there, and I killed the show.
People asked where they could get the music from, and I was like, I ain't got nothing out right now. And that's when local rappers weren't doing performances with live bands – just rappers and the DJ playing their music. I was one of the first cats that regularly performed with a band before it became a thing in Little Rock.
This experience helped me to generate business opportunities. I went on tours, performed at Riverfest a few times, and opened up for a lot of internationally known acts.
URBANE: Do you consider yourself to be a Vet?
OSYRUS: I guess you can say that? If you've been doing something for over ten years…yeah, I guess you can say that….I mean, I was one of the first rappers to do First Friday with Tawanna Campbell back in the day. I mean…maybe not a veteran from the hip-hop perspective, but maybe because of the doors I've opened. I'm one of the first rap acts to perform in some of these venues in Little Rock. Some venues wouldn't book a hip hop act or performers before I laid some groundwork.
Also, some venues weren't doing business with young Black promoters. I would send my proposals, contact info, set up a meeting, and get booked – it was just how I approached it with business. I didn't come in there like 'I wanna throw a show!' I used to hit the booking agency up, then sell them on my brand, and that opened up doors. Also…I did my open mics in the city for years, and they were known as a spot for the artist who never performed before but was trying to get their career off as an independent artist. I started like a little foundation for helping people get their names out here. I'm also the first and only person out here [in Little Rock] that made a whole show for producers – they were the headliners. They would play their beats at Juanita's, Sticky Fingerz, Vino's, and Downtown Music.
If people refer to me as a veteran, it will be more on the level of mentoring, showing them the business side of things, and helping people actually produce shows and publish their music. I did that type of stuff. At the same time, I was a performing artist as well.
URBANE: How are you connected to Arkansas?
OSYRUS: It's just where I'm from. This is where my family at. Where my friends at. I'm committed to Arkansas. Some folks act like Arkansas holds them back, but everything I wanted to do….I have been able to do it here. Yeah, I've had doors open up in other places that Arkansas can't offer me, but Arkansas ain't holding me back.
Arkansas is a cool place. It got its flaws like any other place, you know? But I'm invested here. The things that I see in other places, I want Arkansas to have. I don't want to travel all the way to this place to go to a museum. I want to go to a museum right here. I'll go to Washington DC to visit the African American museum, but I want to build a path for somebody to build that right in Arkansas. I want big-time artists to stop here; I don't want them to pass through from Memphis on their way to Texas. I want them to feel it's important for them to stop here. I'm just committed to Arkansas. And everybody can't leave! What kills communities is when you can't keep the young people in it. That keeps me connected to Arkansas. Somebody gotta create the change, and if everybody leaves, we would be leaving the younger generation with the responsibility of fixing issues we could have handled for them. I want our grandchildren to have a better version of Arkansas than we had.
URBANE: Who are some industry names you’ve work with?
OSYRUS: Nationally, I opened for Big Boi of OutKast, Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan, Devin the Dude, R&B artist Bilal, Dwele, poet and Apollo Champion, Jessica Care Moore, award-winning poet Sunni Patterson, and rapper Ludacris. Locally, I've collaborated with Price the Poet, Yuni Wa, Duke Stigall, LabRatz, 607, BJ Soule, and Zo Carver.
URBANE: Where has your music taken you?
OSYRUS: I've traveled all over the United States on the music tip. I performed at several venues around the country, nightlife venues, festivals, casinos, schools and a plethora of universities and colleges. Universities in Arkansas, Texas, Florida, West Virginia, and Indianapolis. I've graced the stages in venues in places like New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Tennessee, Atlanta, etc. I know I'm gifted at what I do because everybody doesn't get the opportunity to get booked and travel the way I have and I'm grateful so I know it's a blessing. Half the places that I've gone…I never thought I'd be asked or booked to perform at these places.
My music has taken me places I've never been to! The first time I ever got played on the radio was in London, England! Not Little Rock. London! It was the Cruel aka Spin Me 'Round track. They didn't know who I was or none of that kinda stuff, and I had people hitting me up trying to see where they could get the music…wanting to download it. You know what that feels like?!
When I look at my analytics to see where my music has been played or downloaded, and places like Tokyo or the UK pop up, I be like 'Man? Somebody is listening to me?" I'm talking overseas somewhere! They don't know who I am, ain't never came to an open mic, and don't know where Arkansas is.
You never know where your talent will take you. Just believe in yourself, and you'll get the keys to open the doors yourself.
URBANE: What do you hope to accomplish with your music?
OSYRUS: If I had a short-term goal, it would be to go viral. Just one of my songs…just one lil kid, make a dance to one of my songs and put it on TikTok, you know what I'm saying?!
I also want to create that legacy for myself. I want to put music out that will always be in the world. When I'm gone, I want to have a legacy that tells what I was like as a person. You know what I’m saying…to show that ‘(1) he had a love for the people and love for the community, (2) he wasn't afraid to shine his light, and he stood up for what he believed as a Black man, and (3) he encouraged people to be creative and put that energy into something positive.’ Hopefully, one of these projects will take me to some more places, to another tax bracket.
I also want my music to have a progressive impact on the community. I want it to give back to the community and be an example of what to do and what not to do.
URBANE: What project are you working on right now?
OSYRUS: That new single, "Friends," should be out soon! It will at least be out by May 27. I got a campaign that I'm gonna push with it. The details of that will be out there [on social media] soon. I want everybody to go listen to "Friends" – it's a fun song. It's one of those songs that could be a singalong.
URBANE: What do you like about this project the most?
OSYRUS: With this track, in particular, I got to work with Duke Stigall – a lot of people know him as a rapper, but he's a talented producer. He makes his own beats and music. We collaborated and came up with something real dope. It's always good to work with someone you admire and to work with your friends, as well.
Other than that, I like that it's different. I like making stuff where people be like, 'I ain't never heard nothing like this before.' So it's a different song….you ain't hearing nothing like this on the radio. This song is gonna take you through your childhood, young adult years to now. You gonna be able to reflect on some part of your life because of this song!
URBANE: Where and when can the people find it?
OSYRUS: It will be on all major streaming platforms on May 27! Whatever you use, it'll be there.
URBANE: Any encouragement for other local artists?
OSYRUS: Stick to your format. Do what you do. Make sure you're original, and it's a hundred percent from the heart. Take risks. Take chances. Take advantage while you're young, you know what I'm saying? Try to put yourself in as many places as you can. Don't limit yourself to Little Rock. Don't limit yourself to Arkansas. Make sure you travel around the state and promote around. Folks get caught up trying to promote in the big cities, but these folks in small towns listen to music just as much. The internet is here for a reason – so you can connect with people all around the world. Get your social media in order. The big thing is just to handle your business, man. The better your business is in order, the easier it is for you in the long run.
I wasn't afraid to go out there and do it on my own. I didn't have no middleman! Wherever you saw me performing, I walked into those places and talked to the managers on the business tip. You actually gotta go out there, put your boots to the ground, and do the work. ‘Cause ain't nobody gonna fund your dream for you. Ain't nobody gonna sit there and work harder than you, and ain't nobody gonna believe in you more than you. Arkansas is one of those places where it's limited opportunities in certain fields and certain areas, so you just gotta get out there and work your magic, man, 'cause it ain't just gone come to you. You gotta get out there and do it on your own, man. It's trial and error. Learn and take some Ls, but you know…the experience and the knowledge you get from the situation is priceless.
URBANE: Who is Osyrus Bolly?
OSYRUS: I'm an artist. I'm an activist. I'm an advocate in my community. I use my platform to put out music, which I call Liberation Arts. So, I use that expression in a way to liberate people's minds through information, through artistic expression, to just making thought-provoking poetry or music.
For me, as an activist, I'm really good at dispersing information in the community. Things that we need to know about. Civic engagement and general information uplift our people because knowledge is really important. You gotta know what's going on in the world, but you definitely gotta know who you are and how to center yourself. That's my passion as an activist.
I'm an advocate for those that don't get to voice their concerns. I'm who people can come to and get their message out and help them with their cause. You know, I'm not gonna say I'm a movement or anything like that, but I use my brand as a way to put out creative art and to get out information that empowers the community creatively. That's what my focus is.
URBANE: How would you describe your music?
OSYRUS: Black. It's Black music; you know what I'm saying, for Black people. Anybody can listen to it, but Black people are my focus. I speak from that perspective off top – my experience as a Black man living in a Black community. I don't know any other perspective to come from. I just have a deep connection to my culture. When I became a performer, I knew what my niche was gonna be because it was one of my main interests growing up. I've just been a student of that [music]. I'm a student of many things, but I'm definitely a student of the culture. That's why I describe the music as Black because that's what I've been immersed in all these years – Black music, Black people, and Black history. All that comes out.
URBANE: What genre would you categorize your music?
OSYRUS: If it ain't Black music, it's definitely hip hop. When I got into hip hop in the 90s, it was the most popular music in the world. My music reflects that. It reflects the six pillars of hip hop that I grew up with: deejaying, the B-Boy/B-Girl style, breaking, the MC, the graffiti artist, and the knowledge. There is a little R&B incorporated in my music, but it's mainly hip hop.
URBANE: Who or what influences your music?
OSYRUS: Jazz and hip hop are my two favorite genres of music, but I do like gospel too! I do listen to other genres, like reggae and bossa nova. I'm really just getting into subgenres of hip hop and instrumentalists, too! Other than musical artists – you know what I'm saying – the current events going on in the world influence me. Young people in the community expressing themselves inspires me to make music, as well. Last year I dropped a track about voting called "What's At Stake" because there was so much misinformation out there, and we had this crazy election – I felt I had to get something out. Then people were so focused on Biden and Trump that they were discouraged and distracted from the local elections, the school board issues, and getting city council together. It's like…a lot of the things that I advocate for throughout the year in the social justice world ends up going into my music.
URBANE: What’s your fondest memory of music?
OSYRUS: My fondest memory would be like my first time recording and performing music – like the nervousness and anxiousness of it. You don't forget that feeling. But I also opened up for this rap group called Blackalicious – they have a really big following in the underground world. When they came here, the promoters were looking for artists to be added to the lineup, and they asked me. People were upset because they chose me to open for this internationally known hip hop group.
So I kinda felt like I had to prove myself. It was at Cornerstone Pub, and they told me I had 35-45 minutes to perform…I was like 'cool.' I went and got musicians, and we formed a band and started having rehearsals. I didn't tell promoters that I was gonna show up with a band. So when I got to the spot, they were pissed. They were pissed at me – you know because they had to do my sound! They were pissed off, but they worked it out. We brought our sound in there, and I killed the show.
People asked where they could get the music from, and I was like, I ain't got nothing out right now. And that's when local rappers weren't doing performances with live bands – just rappers and the DJ playing their music. I was one of the first cats that regularly performed with a band before it became a thing in Little Rock.
This experience helped me to generate business opportunities. I went on tours, performed at Riverfest a few times, and opened up for a lot of internationally known acts.
URBANE: Do you consider yourself to be a Vet?
OSYRUS: I guess you can say that? If you've been doing something for over ten years…yeah, I guess you can say that….I mean, I was one of the first rappers to do First Friday with Tawanna Campbell back in the day. I mean…maybe not a veteran from the hip-hop perspective, but maybe because of the doors I've opened. I'm one of the first rap acts to perform in some of these venues in Little Rock. Some venues wouldn't book a hip hop act or performers before I laid some groundwork.
Also, some venues weren't doing business with young Black promoters. I would send my proposals, contact info, set up a meeting, and get booked – it was just how I approached it with business. I didn't come in there like 'I wanna throw a show!' I used to hit the booking agency up, then sell them on my brand, and that opened up doors. Also…I did my open mics in the city for years, and they were known as a spot for the artist who never performed before but was trying to get their career off as an independent artist. I started like a little foundation for helping people get their names out here. I'm also the first and only person out here [in Little Rock] that made a whole show for producers – they were the headliners. They would play their beats at Juanita's, Sticky Fingerz, Vino's, and Downtown Music.
If people refer to me as a veteran, it will be more on the level of mentoring, showing them the business side of things, and helping people actually produce shows and publish their music. I did that type of stuff. At the same time, I was a performing artist as well.
URBANE: How are you connected to Arkansas?
OSYRUS: It's just where I'm from. This is where my family at. Where my friends at. I'm committed to Arkansas. Some folks act like Arkansas holds them back, but everything I wanted to do….I have been able to do it here. Yeah, I've had doors open up in other places that Arkansas can't offer me, but Arkansas ain't holding me back.
Arkansas is a cool place. It got its flaws like any other place, you know? But I'm invested here. The things that I see in other places, I want Arkansas to have. I don't want to travel all the way to this place to go to a museum. I want to go to a museum right here. I'll go to Washington DC to visit the African American museum, but I want to build a path for somebody to build that right in Arkansas. I want big-time artists to stop here; I don't want them to pass through from Memphis on their way to Texas. I want them to feel it's important for them to stop here. I'm just committed to Arkansas. And everybody can't leave! What kills communities is when you can't keep the young people in it. That keeps me connected to Arkansas. Somebody gotta create the change, and if everybody leaves, we would be leaving the younger generation with the responsibility of fixing issues we could have handled for them. I want our grandchildren to have a better version of Arkansas than we had.
URBANE: Who are some industry names you’ve work with?
OSYRUS: Nationally, I opened for Big Boi of OutKast, Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan, Devin the Dude, R&B artist Bilal, Dwele, poet and Apollo Champion, Jessica Care Moore, award-winning poet Sunni Patterson, and rapper Ludacris. Locally, I've collaborated with Price the Poet, Yuni Wa, Duke Stigall, LabRatz, 607, BJ Soule, and Zo Carver.
URBANE: Where has your music taken you?
OSYRUS: I've traveled all over the United States on the music tip. I performed at several venues around the country, nightlife venues, festivals, casinos, schools and a plethora of universities and colleges. Universities in Arkansas, Texas, Florida, West Virginia, and Indianapolis. I've graced the stages in venues in places like New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Tennessee, Atlanta, etc. I know I'm gifted at what I do because everybody doesn't get the opportunity to get booked and travel the way I have and I'm grateful so I know it's a blessing. Half the places that I've gone…I never thought I'd be asked or booked to perform at these places.
My music has taken me places I've never been to! The first time I ever got played on the radio was in London, England! Not Little Rock. London! It was the Cruel aka Spin Me 'Round track. They didn't know who I was or none of that kinda stuff, and I had people hitting me up trying to see where they could get the music…wanting to download it. You know what that feels like?!
When I look at my analytics to see where my music has been played or downloaded, and places like Tokyo or the UK pop up, I be like 'Man? Somebody is listening to me?" I'm talking overseas somewhere! They don't know who I am, ain't never came to an open mic, and don't know where Arkansas is.
You never know where your talent will take you. Just believe in yourself, and you'll get the keys to open the doors yourself.
URBANE: What do you hope to accomplish with your music?
OSYRUS: If I had a short-term goal, it would be to go viral. Just one of my songs…just one lil kid, make a dance to one of my songs and put it on TikTok, you know what I'm saying?!
I also want to create that legacy for myself. I want to put music out that will always be in the world. When I'm gone, I want to have a legacy that tells what I was like as a person. You know what I’m saying…to show that ‘(1) he had a love for the people and love for the community, (2) he wasn't afraid to shine his light, and he stood up for what he believed as a Black man, and (3) he encouraged people to be creative and put that energy into something positive.’ Hopefully, one of these projects will take me to some more places, to another tax bracket.
I also want my music to have a progressive impact on the community. I want it to give back to the community and be an example of what to do and what not to do.
URBANE: What project are you working on right now?
OSYRUS: That new single, "Friends," should be out soon! It will at least be out by May 27. I got a campaign that I'm gonna push with it. The details of that will be out there [on social media] soon. I want everybody to go listen to "Friends" – it's a fun song. It's one of those songs that could be a singalong.
URBANE: What do you like about this project the most?
OSYRUS: With this track, in particular, I got to work with Duke Stigall – a lot of people know him as a rapper, but he's a talented producer. He makes his own beats and music. We collaborated and came up with something real dope. It's always good to work with someone you admire and to work with your friends, as well.
Other than that, I like that it's different. I like making stuff where people be like, 'I ain't never heard nothing like this before.' So it's a different song….you ain't hearing nothing like this on the radio. This song is gonna take you through your childhood, young adult years to now. You gonna be able to reflect on some part of your life because of this song!
URBANE: Where and when can the people find it?
OSYRUS: It will be on all major streaming platforms on May 27! Whatever you use, it'll be there.
URBANE: Any encouragement for other local artists?
OSYRUS: Stick to your format. Do what you do. Make sure you're original, and it's a hundred percent from the heart. Take risks. Take chances. Take advantage while you're young, you know what I'm saying? Try to put yourself in as many places as you can. Don't limit yourself to Little Rock. Don't limit yourself to Arkansas. Make sure you travel around the state and promote around. Folks get caught up trying to promote in the big cities, but these folks in small towns listen to music just as much. The internet is here for a reason – so you can connect with people all around the world. Get your social media in order. The big thing is just to handle your business, man. The better your business is in order, the easier it is for you in the long run.
I wasn't afraid to go out there and do it on my own. I didn't have no middleman! Wherever you saw me performing, I walked into those places and talked to the managers on the business tip. You actually gotta go out there, put your boots to the ground, and do the work. ‘Cause ain't nobody gonna fund your dream for you. Ain't nobody gonna sit there and work harder than you, and ain't nobody gonna believe in you more than you. Arkansas is one of those places where it's limited opportunities in certain fields and certain areas, so you just gotta get out there and work your magic, man, 'cause it ain't just gone come to you. You gotta get out there and do it on your own, man. It's trial and error. Learn and take some Ls, but you know…the experience and the knowledge you get from the situation is priceless.
For updates on Osyrus’ music, follow his music pages on
Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Apple Music, TIDAL, Spotify, and Twitter
- or -
www.OsyrusBolly.com
Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Apple Music, TIDAL, Spotify, and Twitter
- or -
www.OsyrusBolly.com
