modrNation: Where are you originally from?

Wakai: Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

modrNation: How did growing up there push you into making music?

Wakai: Most of the funding there for the schools in general goes to sports and not much goes to art, so you gotta’ be a really artsy kid.

modrNation: Who have been some of your biggest musical influences?

Wakai: It was split between my mom and my pops, when I was with my mom she was playing a lot of neo-soul shit so I was on Erykah Badu and Jill Scott and a lot of soul, also some Amy Winehouse. My pops was putting me onto a lot of the rap shit, Outkast, Tupac, Biggie, and a lot of southern shit, also some Lil Wayne. My dad was the DJ at the cookouts so he had a huge vinyl collection so he put me on to a lot of records. Recently I’ve been bumping a lot of Pink Siifu, MIKE, Saba, Isaiah Rashad, Mick Jenkins, you know, a lot of people in that crowd. I also fuck with the underground scene too, rmy homie redveil is crazy, I also like Boldy James and Freddie Gibbs a lot.

modrNation: You recently dropped your single Send Off, what was the inspiration behind that track?

Wakai: Basically just I’m not gonna overthink the shit I do anymore. I made that song in my bed, my producer played me that beat on accident and was gonna skip over it ‘till I told him it was hard. He was clearing storage to make room for the new shit and he accidentally played that then I just recorded that in my bed. I was really just punching in, I would write a little bit then I’d freestyle, then I’d write a bit then I’d freestyle, it all really just flowed and I made that song in like ten minutes.

modrNation: Do you usually record out of studios or do you have a home setup?

Wakai: Normally I’ll be at home but it depends, I travel a lot and when I’m traveling I’m mainly in the studio. I also travel with my home equipment though, so sometimes I’ll set up in someone else's place.

modrNation: You’ve been teasing your upcoming project for a little while now, do you have a release date for that yet?

Wakai: Right now I’m trying to curate different events and shows that I can do leading up to putting it out. I want to put it out in the spring but it just depends on if I can line up some shows, I got some in the works in other cities.

modrNation: What’s the creative process been like creating your project?

Wakai: I’ve really just been traveling, I’m a visual writer so I gotta see shit to say shit and to say shit I gotta feel shit. If I’m looking at certain scenery and it doesn’t resonate with me as much, I gotta travel and try new things instead of staying in the same places I’ve been. Last year I was in Seattle for the first time, that had me on a completely different vibe then I went to Austin and that was great, then I went to New York for the first time and that changed everything. The project’s pretty much done now though, I’m just finalizing some transitions and green-lighting some masters.

modrNation: How would you say it compares to some of your past drops?

Wakai: It’s the most polished for sure, you could go back and listen to the project I put out a few years ago and you can tell what kind of sound I was trying to tap into, but with this project I feel like I’ve finally tapped into it. The song structure is crazy too, vocally I’m older so I can do more with my voice and I’m just cutting through beats better now. I feel like I can cut through damn near any beat now.

modrNation: Is there a big mix of producers on the project?

Wakai: It’s definitely a mix, and all the producers are helping out with multiple songs. I got homies from all over the place who produced a song or two, I produced a track as well. It’s spaced out, people from London, Boston, Virginia, so it’s just super spread out.

modrNation: What would you say is the importance of finding your identity and individuality when making music, rap especially as it’s so popular right now?

Wakai: It’s essential, you see who makes music for the accessory it is and the look you get, and you see people who does it even when no one knows who they are, and that’s how you tell what kind of artist they are. Some people just got that star factor where you know they’re gonna reach a lot of people and be that person to have influence, but at the same time I feel like everyone’s just trying to sound like their favorite influences indirectly. You want to pay homage to the influences you grew up on, but you also want to develop and blossom into your own sound and being. I’m 21 right now, but I’ll sound completely different when I’m 23 because I’m growing as an artist and a person. Not everyone got it figured out at 21, most people don’t have it figured out at 41, so we’re all just tryna figure it out through different lenses and perceptions. You can tell when an artist is not really polished or developed, but the fact that they’re willing to experiment with their sound just shows what kind of artist they are.

modrNation: Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Wakai:I feel like in five years I’ll have a pretty big fanbase, probably have toured at least twice. By then I feel like the stuff surrounding me will be bigger than just the music. Whether it’s the events or parties or popups, it’ll just be bigger. Even clothes and shit, it’ll all be bigger than just the music. There’s a lot of things I want to tap into like interior design. I’m also in a short film that’s screening in New Orleans and that was the first time I acted, I didn’t even know I liked acting. I feel like I’ll be a more developed version of myself in five years. There's groups of people who liked me last year and the year before last, and I’ll want to tap in with all those groups, in five years I’ll have more groups than just the ones I have now.

A Conversation With Wakai

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