Á: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

O: I am one of four kids. I’m Nigerian-American, raised in Wisconsin. I didn’t realize that I was going to be a musician until I was 22 and in my last year of college.

It’s really been a whirlwind from when I thought I was going to be a lawyer till today.

Á: What was your entry point into singing?

O: Hard to say. I think music was a huge part of everyone’s lives when they were younger — the first things that people learn in life are through song. But I remember the first time I heard harmony. It was at my mom’s prayer group, and they were singing a hymn to start the meeting. I was maybe 4 years old and it really confused me — everyone not singing the same thing, but somehow it sounded good.

From then on, I always tried to mimic that.

Á: In your own words can you define the genre of music you are most aligned with and why?

O: Jazzy RnB and Hip Hop. When I say it like that it sounds very lame, but I think I’m onto something, so trust me. 

Á: How did you discover your voice?

O: I discovered it by myself while messing around in GarageBand. I had been in an acapella group in college, so I had learned to harmonize with myself and was just messing around. From there, three of the six songs on the EP were made.

I feel like it was only yesterday that I started making music. It makes me excited to see how my voice will change.

Á: Who are some of your musical influences?

Stevie Wonder is number one! D’Angelo is definitely up there as well. Probably a little T-Pain. A lot of gospel informs my riffs and choices as well. It’s a huge jumble of things.

Á: Do you experiment with different genres? If so, what is the most challenging aspect of experimentation

O: I’m trying to! I want to incorporate a little bit more of my culture within my music.

I’m Nigerian, and there is an incredible renaissance of African music going on, so I’m trying to get in there too. I think my struggle is doing it in a way that is sincere to what I grew up with, which was a lot of highlife.

Á: What does your creative process look like?

O: It varies. Sometimes I start with a voice memo that I flesh out with my voice harmonies. Other times No I.D. will send me a beat and I’ll just write on top of that.

Á: What advice do you have for artists and musicians who are looking to produce and release their EP?

O: Stick with it. The process can be really grueling but if you follow through, there’s going to be someone whose life is better because you released your music.

Á: Can you talk to us about the artistic motivations behind Monologues? 

O: It’s hard for me to answer that question because a lot of “Monologues” was never meant to see the light of day. Putting it together was a matter of “what songs am I the least scared of releasing right now?” I mean obviously I’m proud of the work I’ve done, but I didn’t really know what I was doing. Each song had its own artistic motivation but for the full EP in itself, there was a lot of hoping and prayer involved.

Á: What tools do you rely on when trying to come out of a creative block?

O: Silence. Specifically while doing a light activity, like walking or taking a shower. I think those activities allow you to be open to new ideas. 

Á: In what ways has being a person of color impacted your experience navigating the music and entertainment industry?

O: I think it’s given me a community to aspire towards. It might be because of my entry point, but almost every person I’ve looked up to in this industry is someone of color. As a black girl from Wisconsin, that’s huge for me. It’s felt really fulfilling to see specifically black women killing it, and it gives me a path to study and hopefully follow.

Á: How do you want your fans to remember you?

O: I want to be remembered as someone who didn’t let her genre define her — she defined the genre.

Á: How do you want the creative industry to remember you?

O: As a powerful force.