Why the name Ominous Red?
Originally it was Ominous Light The Red Ninja. I was scared of getting popped for using samples without clearing them so I was hiding behind the name and not showing myself. I rearranged all the letters in my name and that was what it spelled. But that name was kinda fruity so I shortened it to Ominous Red. I stopped hiding when I learned that people could easily find out who I was just by looking up who owns my website.
What kind if equipment do you use?
Black MacBook, Logic Pro, Reason, MPC2500, Axiom 61 and some M-Audio Studio Monitors and my car's stereo system.
And how do you put your beats together?
It's all based around head nodding. I wish I had a huge skill set to draw from when making beats. but I don't. I just trying and have dope drums with some sort of melody made up of synths, samples or both. I really don't have a standard process.
How do you choose your samples? What goes into that process?
I just listen. I try to grab things that sound interesting. I don't really hear a beat right away or anything like that. I just save the sounds and then later, I'll go on a beat making spree and crack out like 5 beats in 2 hours or something.
Why do you make beats? What does it do for you?
It's the only thing I enjoy doing that I never get tired of. I can make beats forever. I never get tired of music.
What makes your music unique?
Money, power and respect seem to be all the most Hip Hop artists are concerned with. My music is unique because my initial perspective is outside of myself and focused on a concepts rather than money. There is a goal I am trying to reach within all my work. I don't create music just for the sake of making money or winning over consumers. The music I make is to supply a need for head nodding conceptual music that isn't too abstract to get into.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
It started with DJ Premier. Every video I saw him in was usually associated with a classic. I grew up on a steady diet of his productions. I was always anxious to hear more work from him but once I realized I could create and carryout my own ideas instead of wait for him, I started producing for myself. Along with Primo, I also am a fan of the work of Swizz Beats, DJ Shadow, J. Dilla, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Alchemist, Common, Aesop Rock, Lodeck, Jay-Z, Nas, The Roots, Omega One, Biggie, ODB, Redman, EPMD, TI, Rodney Jerkins, Dilla, Sean Price, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, Black Milk, Jake One, Celph Titled, DJ Grumble, Alex B., Alex Goose, Drumatic, Jay Electronica, Marco Polo, Pig Pen, Terminalogy, Tokyo Cigar. The list goes on and on.
Has there been one particular moment in your musical career that you're most proud of?
The reason I started producing was to simply carry out ideas that I wished someone else would. An idea I had way before I ever touched a piece of equipment was for someone to flip a beat out of Ghost In The Shell, an anime that was popular at the time. When I learned how to make music on my Mac, the first finished song I produced was a remix and I flipped an awesome beat out of that anime. Even though I wasn't a professional yet, I felt that song made me an official producer because I was able to produce a finish song that got a great response. I was very proud of that.
Do you collaborate with other emcees, producers or artists?
Not yet. I don't feel like I am good enough to do that yet. I think as a true artist, it is hard to really collaborate. I haven't had good experiences collaborating with people. It's like cooking food. You like to put a certain amount of salt on your food and it might not be the same as the next person. So it is hard to meet in the middle. None of my attempts at collaborating have turned out good.
Where You Reppin?
Anywhere Hip Hop is being heard. I have lived in the Philippines, Las Vegas, Arkansas, Texas, Arizona, Florida and Tennessee. I usually don't pick a place to represent. I appreciate all regions. I grew up in the small town of Augusta, Arkansas on a farm with my Grandparents. That's where I started learning how to be a young man. I started getting my first responsibilities like burning the trash, cutting the grass and helping my Grandfather fix houses. That is also where I started defining my musical taste. While all my friends were listing to R&B like H-Town and Hi-Five, I was listening to Das Efx and EPMD. From there I moved to Nevada, Texas and Arizona. I currently live in Nashville, also known as Music City.
How did you end up in Nashville?
I originally had to relocate for business for 1 year but I ended up liking it out here so I stayed. I will probably end up back in AZ. My goal is to open a restaurant and sit around and eat food all day.
What made you realize that music was your path?
While I was working two full time jobs I realized that I turned my back on all the things I was passionate about including art and music just to chase money. I returned to what I cared about most. I knew this was the only choice for me because of the kind of odd sacrifices I was making to learn more about this craft. For example, I was reading 400 page Cubase manuals to learn software that I never even bought it because not being able to afford it wasn't going to stop me from learning how to use it. I knew there were no shortcuts but I wasn't looking for any. I just wanted to be able to turn 70 and look back at my life and say I pursued what I was passionate about. I don't think I could live with the regret that I did not utilize talents that I might have because I was too scared to explore them.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I would call it conceptual art that is pleasing to listen to. I rely on the traditional boom bap sound I grew up with but also experiment with the endless world of synth landscapes to compose Hip Hop. I like creating music that lures you in because it sounds good and then letting it marinate in your sound system later revealing a significant meaning that anchors itself in your mental playlist.
What audience are you targeting with your music and do you plan on making a lot of money on this project? Although I can feel what you're doing with this and I like the tracks, I don't see it being a high selling product in this day and age...
This industry is not humble. They will let you know immediately if you just don't have IT. What exactly is "IT"? Well that is something that is defined from person to person. I completely agree with you. My music is not a high selling product.
The short answer is I am targeting people who are like me and I don't expect to make a lot of money. I am not making "radio music."
The long answer is I do not have any grand illusions of being a super star or rich like most people have when they jump into this sh*t. I have downloaded my fair share of music. But I PAY for what I like to support it. Sean Price released a few free mixtapes. But then he advertised his baby's gift registry. I bought them something for $20 bux to support him as a way of saying thanks for his contribution to my Hip Hop collection. Jon B., Ryan Leslie, MF Doom, Black Milk, Lodeck, Aesop and Sean P are just a few cats that I will actually support because I like what they do and I want more of it. I expect no less for myself.
You have to have seen the things I have seen to understand why I do what I do.
When I was 16 I was in a apartment building across from a Raiders Reef, a strip club, watching these guys get high sitting around 1 speaker and a DR 220 freestyling. I was the youngest dude in the room. We were all broke as hell. I'll never forget it. One of the guys in their group was this dude named WRECHED who was missing a foot because of some shit that happened in a wherehouse and he was selling newspapers on the side of the road until his workers compensation came through. It happened when he was young so he started to out grow his artificial limb and he had this serious limp when he walked. His leg would occasionally make a farting sound when he walked because his nub didn't fit quite right. Hopefully that gives you guys some indication of exactly how grimey this crew was. I'm talking bare essentials. So this girl comes in and they bum $2 off her. Gabe, the leader of their group, goes across the street to get some instant rice. When he gets back, they all get excited cuz they all think they are about to eat. Gabe starts laughing because he knows he is not giving anyone any rice. They break out into a 10 minute freestyle battle about eating rice and the winner gets the rice. It was probably the most talent I have ever seen on display because it was off the top and there was no filler about guns, drugs or money. It was off the top free styling about exactly what was happening right there at that moment and they were not missing any beats man. Shit was insane. The point of the story is this.... for all the talent and heart they had, they never went anywhere.
Another quick one. This cat has been on a serious grind. For like 15+ years. His whole essence is Hip Hop. He lives and fukn breathes it. I met him through other mutual Hip Hop heads. He is the king in Tucson. He has everything. A catalog of great work. Videos. A following of fans. Countless battles won. But he just told me a few months ago he was a few skips away from hanging it all up because he is not seeing the success he wants. More than 2 million hits. Just read the sh*t in his myspace page. His lyrical content is insane and his flow is bullet proof. But for some reason, he is not getting the mainstream love. That is the only thing missing. MASS APPEAL. Hopefully one day he will get the respect of the masses.
So here is the deal. There is a guy on Ciphurphace's page named Scorpioflo. He's the guy who is asleep on his MPC. He used to produce for this cat named J. Cole. That's right, the same muthaphuka who just got signed by Jay Z to RocNation. And yall should check out his song called SIMBA. Make no mistake, I know exactly what it takes to be a rich super star in this game. Just go watch the video for that song SIMBA. Serial has none of that. And I doubt if I am every going to do any of that. Make music for the MASS APPEAL. I did not buy an MPC and pick up the MIC for those reasons. I do not really like rapping about MYSELF, or about the things I have, or about being better than anyone or RAPPING ABOUT RAPPING.
I like the ART of Hip Hop.
I have no expectations when it comes to this Hip Hop thing. And I have yet to meet people who understand that. As one of my favorite emcees says, "WHO THE FUCK WANTS TO BE AN EMCEE IF YOU CAN"T PAID TO BE A FUKN EMCEE."
The answer to that question is OMINOUS RED.
When I graduated from High School I went to college and got a degree and started working really hard. I was chasing paper something serious. I worked 2 full time jobs for a year and 4 months. And then one day I was talking to my coworkers about some things I learned about my parents. I found out that my Mom had a kid before me who died because she was too young to take care of it. I found out that my dad had been shot once and stabbed twice before. I realized that my parents were once young. And that they made mistakes and suffered great hardships. And what I also realized was that they had great passions when they were young which is why they had all these crazy ass stories to tell. I realized that it wasn't that my parents didn't understand, like Fresh Prince would say. It was that I didn't understand my parents weren't always parents. I didn't understand them. Well, one of my coworkers cracked a joke about me saying that when I have kids I won't have any cool stories to tell because all I did my whole life was work. And that kinda fuct me up a little. So I made a decision to chase something I was passionate about while I was still young. So that when I get old I don't regret not going after certain things that mattered a lot to me. So when my kids look at me like I don't get it, I can show them I was once foolish and passionate and that I was once where they are looking at the world with certain understandings.
That's why I do this.
If you had to pick one song that defines your career up to this point, what would it be?
On a Path by Lodeck. It has the sound I want as far as the beat and his flow goes. And the content is dead on as far as what I am trying to do with myself. When you first hear it, it may seem really abstract and not make sense. But to me, it sounds like he is talking about emcees wanting to be super stars. Once you get that, you can understand what he is talking about. He has a line where he says, "Not saying what I'm sayin' is for everybody / You can't analyze the sky if you don't know why water's muddy..." That is exactly what I am on right now.
If you were stranded on a desert island & could only have one album to listen to, what album would it be?
That's f*cking hard. Michael Jackson's Off The Wall? Gangstarr's Hard To Earn? Group Home's Living Proof? Omega One's Lo Fi Chronicles? Honestly, it would have to be like a mixtape with about 20 songs on it.
What are your current projects? What's next for you?
I just finished a concept album called Serial and I am working on another album that is a little less conceptual and a little more focused on just sounding good. It will be more ride music and not mind music.
I currently wear every hat in the process. From concept, to producing the audio, to writing the lyrics, to recording and mixing the audio, to designing the packaging, to designing the websites, to distribution, and then promoting.
I would like to sign with a label so I can focus on the creating of the music while leaving the administrative tasks to professionals. I spend a lot of timing doing other things around the music instead of focusing on the busic.
If that doesn't happen, I will continue to try and develop the missing Hip Hop culture Nashville deserves. I plan on hosting MPC/MC nights where local talent has an outlet to showcase their talents.
How can people contact you?
Leave a comment on my blog or email me at ominousred@gmail.com
Any shout outs or last words?
Props to all the heads that are doing the best they can to try and support real Hip Hop and preserve the craft.
Let me know if any other dope forums I should be reading up in. I don't just spam them, I also read them, LOL.
