Hello, OG Penguin. Your current album is Cry. What significance does your album title hold for you?
Its a special title to me, because the album is special to me. In this album entitled “Cry” I’m revealing my self to the audience in way that is rarely done in today’s most popular rap albums. The definition of “Cry” is to shed tears, especially as an expression of distress or pain. I will take you through a lot of that along with me in “Cry”. There can be tears of joy too, yes as well as hearing a story that is so vividly hilarious it can make you cry. In my album “Cry” if your human and can relate to my real life tales, or for the simple fact that another human being has suffered some of the thoughts and emotion i share it can be sading for most and others cry.In my personal life i haven’t shed tears in a long time, and i know i’m not the only one who is that way. Me being a strong black and confident straight male we tend to refrain from crying, but we are human and it builds up. So I’ve learned to release through my songs. To me its like every song is a tear and i cry through my music. I express my self and doing so i connect with listeners.
Can you describe your creative process to us? How does a song go from an initial thought to a complete song?
I work closely with who I believe to be some of the best producers in the world. One in particular who goes by the name CSK (Kenny King Jr.) whom i’v known for over 20yrs he knows what to bring me to get my creativity going, Gutta Beats Juggin, Waxx Taxx(Edward Sullavin) including myself make beats and all work together to give you that sound. I record, engineer, mix and master all of the songs on “Cry” and I mean that. I literally hit the record button on every track run in the booth (closet) and perform. I carefully pick the tracks. they softly whisper to my soul to wear the songs almost write themselves. First theirs a melody that creates a vibe that makes me want to say things, chants and phrases bounce around in my head like ping pong balls and then i have to start writing them down, and practicing how i wanna deliver each part. I become totally consumed up until its final stages and I’m in love with it. its fun, its magical and I want to share it with as many people as I can who will listen and I hope they love it just as much as I do.
Which rappers/performers are the greatest influences for you and your music?
Michael Jackson, MC Hammer, Tupac, EightBall and MJG, Scarface, Master P, Brotha Lynch Hung, Three Six Mafia, Ice Cube and Too Short.
What process do you utilize concerning ordering and the ultimate decision whether to put a track on the album?
When I make an album I usually make the title then build around it. I’ll always make way more songs than can fit on a CD, and then the extremely difficult process comes of which songs do not make the cut, cuz me I love em all. But they all can’t go. In the final stages of an album I will do some critical listening and go off my gut instinct on what stays and what goes. as well as the song order its all instinct and vibe. What songs create what vibe and how do I want the vibe to carry listeners through out the album. I ask myself, When I first visualized the album and it’s title is this the electric vibe I thought of? And I’ll go from their.
Which sort of social media website have you had the best successes with? What about these online services are different from the traditional face to face meeting that musicians traditionally utilize?
I have had most success connecting through Facebook and Twitter, but nothing i think is more powerful than meeting people after a live performance and then staying in touch through social media. Everything with social media is okay. Only problem for me is theirs too many and I can’t man every station and don’t have the time to give all the attention needed to them for them to be beneficial.
Which tracks are your favorite on Cry, and what makes them so?
I love them all, no-lie. The outro is truly dope cuz I did the vocals in one take and if you listen closely enough, I really almost cry.
How can individuals find samples of your music?
Visit my website www.ogpenguin.com you can search OG Penguin on any major Mp3 download site for my music as well as www.soundcoud.com/ogpenguin www.reverbnation.com/ogpenguin , www.facebook.com/pages/OG-Penguin/570875226329339 and www.twitter.com/og_penguin you can find my music on sites like Spotify, Amazon, Itunes etc..
What is the next step for OG Penguin?
I’m gonna start shooting more videos possibly do “Cry” The Movie and have it distributed world wide through my label Penguin Music Group (P.M.G.) which we just recently became an imprint of The Orchard/Sony Music Entertainment. I’m gonna start giving fans more visuals of whats in my head cuz sometimes I go over the audience with audio alone. So I need to bring in the cameras, sit down with the right videoographer, and get this stuff out of my head so you can see what it looks like. I’m gonna focus a bit more on the You Tube Channel, P.M.G. Internet Radio, more albums more artist to introduce under the label and ultimately I wanna reach out and acquire as many fans as possible. I enjoy watching people get to know me. I wanna meet as many as people as i can and I want as much money as i can get in the bank. Just so i can buy my family and friends everything they need to help in their pursuit of happiness.
Do you have any final thoughts for NeuFutur readers?
I would like to interact with everyone who reads this and hope we can connect on some level. Please support my independent hustle, cuz I could be an insidious menace to society doing wicked things like before, but instead I chose a different path and i’m an passionate artist with some cool ideas that i’d like to share with you. I promise I will perform live and speak from the heart for my fans who choose to follow me. I encourage you to buy my masterpiece album “Cry” when it is reveled this spring also go back and listen to my previous albums as well they can be found on my website(please visit my page and sign my guest book www.ogpenguin.com). I work hard on my albums and sacrificed over the years to bring them to the public, they have help me master my crafts. Please leave comments and feedback I respond, and its very inspirational to hear others talk about my art, so just let it poor out if its on your mind. Lastly stay true to who you are and you can’t go wrong. Laytaz.
Thank you so much for your time.
OG Penguin Interview
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