Read the full interview on YoungCalifornia.com!
OMB Peezy is here to prove his place in the rap game. Coming out the mud in Alabama and relocating to the Bay, the 21-year-old has consistently been releasing music for his fans, using the studio as an outlet to touch on his own struggles and adversities. With the release of his breakout single “Lay Down,” fans couldn’t help but gravitate to his raw lyrics, playful personality, and refreshing authenticity. Read more…
Taking his standout Southern accent and mixing it with the swag of the Bay Area’s hyphy movement, Peezy established his own unique, one-of-a-kind sound — one that you couldn’t imitate if you tried. Earlier this year, he unleashed his first solo album titled Loyalty Over Love, with appearances from Mozzy and TK Kravitz.
For those who don’t know, who is OMB Peezy?
OMB Peezy, homegrown from the Projects. I’m from Mobile, Alabama and I rap a lot.
Where do you fit in the realm of hip-hop and R&B?
I’m not R&B, and I don’t even like to call myself hip-hop. I like to call myself reality music. ‘Cause I rap about reality.
How does being from Alabama and the Bay play into your life and career?
Oh, that shit clean. ‘Cause I got the best of both worlds. I can vibe with different types of people from different walks of life. That comes from growing up in 2 totally different places. I’ve had a whole lot of conversations with a lot of different people.
Do you prefer one over the other?
Yeah, Mobile. That’s my hometown, on everything. But I love the Bay and the Bay loves me back. That’s my second home for sure.
Talk about your fan base in the Bay, compared to Alabama or LA.
That’s like a cult following type shit. Every show, they showing up. It’s turnt. They lit. It’s just like when I go to Mobile. It’s just different in Mobile because everyone is country and shit, but they treat me like I’m at home.
What’s the best part about the West Coast?
The weed and the bitches, for sure.
How important is it to come to LA as an up and coming artist?
Shit, you gotta show your face. Showing your face is very important in the music business. ‘Cause you can’t be rapping from under a rock, ain’t nobody gonna hear you. You really gotta go ill with it, as opposed to just coming to LA. Not even LA, but Atlanta, New York, all that shit. You gotta show your face.
At what point did you realize this music thing was forreal?
When I dropped “Lay Down,” and I seen mother fuckers re-posting that. I always knew I was gonna be something, I just didn’t know when it was gonna come. I knew it was real when everybody was like, “Fuck yo baby momma, ain’t no sympathy…” All that shit.
Speaking of, the “Lay Down” music video is at 9.3 million views. Did you foresee it blowing up like this?
Nope, but my people did. My partna told me it was gonna blow up like that, but I ain’t believe him. Hell nah, I ain’t believe him. ‘Cause I dropped a few songs before that ain’t really do shit. Them hoes was talking about nothing. And I ain’t know the video man had the connections like he did, as far as in the Bay. Like everybody knew him type shit for shooting videos, so that left me with a base. Once everyone in the Bay caught a whiff of a nigga, it just took off. I ain’t know that shit was gonna happen.
What other videos has K Welch done?
He did a lot of videos. They’ve been working on videos for E-40 and shit. He’s worked with a lot of Bay Area artists.
You dropped your album Loyalty Over Love earlier this year. Talk about the creative process and how long it took you.
I wanna say I freestyled like 4 songs off the tape. I’ve been recording the album for a long ass time. The songs that I had from a long time ago, my style grew so much, so I ain’t even wanna put those songs on. Like the original… there was an old Loyalty Over Love, and then a new Loyalty Over Love. I kind of wanna drop the new one, ‘cause the first one was like a rough draft. I’m glad I did that ‘cause my style grew a lot.
How has your song evolved over the years?
I ain’t scared to work with my voice in the studio no more. At first, I be caring what motherfuckers think, that’s outside the booth. But now, I don’t really care.
Your record “Deeper Than You Think” reminds me of the YG record “Deeper Than Rap.” Talk about what rap really means to you.
Rap really means a lot to me too. I ain’t gonna lie, I don’t know how nobody else feel about rap, but me, I started this shit because I like words, period. And then writing, I like telling stories and shit. Plus I like rapping about my problems, it’s therapeutic. It actually means a lot to me. Just like somebody who will lean you an open ear, you can talk to them about your problems all the time, you gonna have a lot of love for that person right? So I got a lot of love for rap, ‘cause the mic’s gonna listen every time. [laughs]
What is it you want fans to get from your story?
That anybody can make it. No matter where you’re from, no matter who told you you can’t, and no matter what trials and tribulations you been through, anybody can make it. That’s why I like rapping about my story and my problems. ‘Cause when I rap about it and they hear the song, they’re like “damn, they’ve been through some shit.” But when I shoot a video for it, you gonna see me shining and shit. You gonna see how I climbed out of that situation. I just want people to know that they can prosper out of any situation, for real. Especially the young kids.
You got TK Kravitz and Mozzy on the project, talk who you choose to collab with and why.
I fuck with Mozzy. Mozzy shit hard. That boy lyrical than a motherfucker. And if he ain’t got a lyric, he gon’ make one. I fuck with that boy. And TK Kravitz, that’s my brother. We had met a little minute ago. We have so many songs together.
He’s in Atlanta right?
Yeah, I be recording in Atlanta most of the time. I fuck with TK.
What’s the best part of being signed to E-40’s Sick Wid It record label?
‘Cause you’re always learning. You’re always learning some shit. There ain’t ever gonna be no time where the communication just goes dry. If I wanna know what the OG is doing, I just hit him up. He gonna make sure you always learning something. I fuck with it.
What’s the best piece of advice E-40 gave you?
Shit, keep throwing something at the wall and eventually something’s gonna stick. On mamas.
What are some goals for yourself as an artist at this point in your career?
Shit, to keep pushing. I feel like I’m underrated, so I need to get to where everybody knowing me. I’m talking everybody, like you can’t say my name on the street without everybody giving you their opinion on my music. I wanna be like that. Even if it’s a bad opinion, I just want everybody to know wassup. Like “oh that’s OMB Peezy, yeah he hard.” Or “yeah he weak.” I just want everybody to know what’s happening.
What did you do with your first advance?
I bought a couple cars and shit. A little jewelry. I was on some young nigga shit. I bought a S 600 and fucked it up in 5 days. I was racing and shit. I ain’t really know how to work that motherfucker, ‘cause I ain’t ever had shit. I’m talking about racing from Stockton to the Bay goddamnit. I was driving it to every show and shit.
So it’s gone?
Hell no, that motherfucker was fucked up. Then I went a notch under and got the S 550, and lost that motherfucker due to some childish actions. Then I had a Beamer truck, I gave that to my brother. Then I bought a Beamer, like 4-door car. Then my nigga fell asleep behind the wheel, and the police took that motherfucker. I had a warrant at the time so I couldn’t go get it. It was a fucked up situation.
How important is social media for your career?
It’s very important. Especially nowadays, ‘cause all the young people. Everybody is trying to talk to the young crowd, the younger ears. All the young people are on Instagram.
What’s a normal day in the life? Walk us through.
Oh, I laugh a lot. I ain’t gon’ lie, I be chilling. I try to joke as much as possible ‘cause there be so much negative shit going on. If you let that shit take over your mind, you’ll be fucked up man. So I try to joke a lot, keep smiling and shit.
3 things you need in the studio?
A microphone, weed, and it can’t be too cold or too hot. Just the microphone, weed and my comfortability.
What would you be doing if you weren’t doing music?
Shit.., I don’t know. If I wasn’t doing music, I don’t know. I’d be robbing. [laughs] But I don’t wanna tell people that. I be telling people all that time, without this music, I would for sure be in jail somewhere.
Favorite song to perform in a set?
“Doing Bad” and “Lay Down” I got a few of them, but those are top two.
What’s the best encounter you had with a fan?
Oh, I was at Walmart. Then boom, it was 1 o’clock in the morning. I get in the aisle, this girl gets in the aisle. She gets closer and closer, and she’s just crying. She’s like, “What the fuck are you doing here? Whoopity woo.”
Who’s the most played artist on your phone?
Me. I play Yungeen Ace. I’m fucking with Quando Rondo, YoungBoy, Nef, Kony…. that’s about it. I be listening to a lot of underground motherfuckers, who people don’t even be knowing until they blow up and shit.
Dream collab?
I wanna work with Kings of Leon. That’s hard.
What piece of advice do you have for an aspiring OMB Peezy?
Shit, don’t do what I do. I’ma say that right now, you’re gonna get in trouble. Just be yourself. You gotta make a motherfucker wanna be you.
Anything else you wanna let us know?
Pastor P coming out soon.
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