OhGeesy has a lot on his plate. The Los Angeles rapper became a father during the pandemic, recently opened a restaurant, and, just last month, dropped the deluxe edition of his GEEZYWORLD LP, originally released last August. He doesn’t plan on slowing down, either. In fact, he plans to work harder and expand both his musical and business brands.
In addition to all the changes in his life, the Shoreline Mafia rapper is also back to doing something he loves: performing. He’s in the midst of his GEEZYWORLD tour, which features stops in California, Texas, and Georgia through the end of April. With all the change going on in his life, the Mexican-American emcee has taken specific steps in order to ensure that he’ll be able to sustain his career and keep evolving as a musician and a businessman.
In our Q&A, OhGeesy explains why he put so many songs on the deluxe version of GEEZYWORLD, how fatherhood has changed him, how his mother shaped him, and why he’s interested in working with a reggaeton artist in the future.
You put seven new songs on the deluxe version of GEEZYWORLD. Why did you want to add so many new tracks?
I originally wanted the project to have those songs to begin with. But this project was a mixtape, so my label was kind of like, “OK, we don’t have to put out that many songs.” It was kind of like an EP. We just played it like it was an album because I feel like any body of work I put out is an album, even though technically it’s a mixtape.
“I’m a businessman. Right now I’m going to get my first rental property, so anything I can do to become more business-minded, business-rounded, I wanna get my hands in.”
One of the new songs you have on there is “Appetizer” where you’re talking about eating at Ruth’s Chris. I know you’ve got your own new restaurant, Sunset Mariscos, as well. How did food go from being a passion to being something you wanted to do as a business?
I’m a businessman. Right now I’m going to get my first rental property, so anything I can do to become more business-minded, business-rounded, I wanna get my hands in. The restaurant opportunity came up. One of my good friends who I partnered with, Steven, blessed me with the opportunity. I was like, “It's a no-brainer.” I’ve been wanting to do this.
How’d you guys decide to go the seafood route?
Mariscos, that's a straight Mexican dish. It’s the seafood portion of Mexican food. I’m Mexican, so it was a no-brainer.
I know you get a lot of the fish from the Santa Barbara area and locally from LA. How did it end up that way?
It’s fish, so we’re trying to sort the freshest, cleanest, and get the freshest ingredients on a daily basis.
On Geezyworld, you’ve got Eladio Carrion rapping in Spanish on the second verse of “Go Fast.” How do you decide when you’re going to feature other people rapping in Spanish?
That was the first time I did it. I've been wanting to get into it more, but I've been wanting to do exactly what we did there because he’s a reggaeton trap artist. That’s the type of Spanish genre I like, but I never plugged in with him. I didn't know, but when I met him he was a genuine fan. He fucked with my music and I fucked with his music, so it was a no-brainer. It was super genuine and organic. I definitely wanted to get into that lane ’cause I love reggaeton music. I grew up listening to it.
It also seems like you really like pianos—“Slide Thru” features piano. What is it sonically about the instrument that appeals to you?
I don't know what it is exactly, but that sound just does something for me. RonRon made that beat and he’s the one I started with. I did all of my first things with him, so I feel like that brought me back to my original sound.
“I used to care a lot about what everybody thought and I used to try to look out for everybody, but I feel like growing up and becoming more of myself, I’m like, ‘Yo, I really don't care about nothing.’”
On the original version of GEEZYWORLD, you’ve got “Get Fly” on there. That guitar on there is crazy. So when you hear some elements in the music that are particularly noteworthy, how does that affect what you're going to write?
I feel like nothing really affects what I'm gonna write. I just really go with the flow, go off the top of my head with what feels good. But the music definitely creates a vision for me. You know how we did the Spanish-looking video for that? Once I heard those guitar parts, I was like, “Yeah, it sounds like a Miami type of vibe to me.”
On “Slide Thru,” it’s funny that you’re so brash and so cold, which is something you are in a lot of your song lyrics. Where does that part of your personality come from?
Just not caring what anybody thinks. I think I developed into that being in the music industry and falling out with so many people. I used to care a lot about what everybody thought and I used to try to look out for everybody, but I feel like growing up and becoming more of myself, I'm like, “Yo, I really don't care about nothing.” I don't care about nobody else's feelings.
How do you think that’s affected you?
That's helped me a lot because I feel like the only person I care about now is my son. Everything I do, I do with him in mind.
You became a father at the top of the pandemic, and you said you’re in a healthier space now. So in addition to being a dad, what else has changed in your life?
My diet. They say you are what you eat and I’ve completely changed my diet from eating McDonald’s every day to trying to be on the healthier side. I’m working out, exercising, and just all around making healthy decisions. I’m not really turning up as much as I did. I don’t fuck with lean or percs no more.
Was that strictly from becoming a father, or is that other stuff, too?
That's from being a father, but I feel like it’s trying to be as business-minded as I can be.
Where did the business aspect come from?
I feel like it's always been like that. I was just watching my mom work hard her whole life. She wasn't really able to take care of me as much as she wanted to ’cause she would just work as much as she could just to get me the little bit of shit I had. So just watching her hustle, I feel like that turned me into a hustler. FL
