Exclusive Interview With Owe God

This Colorado Hip Hop artist is making major waves in the state and beyond with exciting new sound and an impressive string of recent hit songs.

The song “Billy Gates” is a fun summer anthem that highlights the witty wordplay shown on every OWE God track with a celebration of reaching a point of success that no longer allows for wasting time on small pursuits. Great track for anyone on the hustle and working hard towards Leveling Up.

How do you feel that your recent string of hit singles this year has helped to increase your visibility among some of Hip Hop’s top producers?

After working with Nard and B (Trenchwerk) for “She Peeked” and “Billy Gates”, I’ve been getting some messages from other Multi-Platinum producers who are interested in having my sound blend with theirs. I’m always interested in
collaborating with producers that take me out of my comfort zone so I’m excited to see what the year has in store. I’m most interested in being consistent about releasing projects that keep my listeners on their toes so they never know
what sounds or vibe to expect with my new songs.

Since your first Album released in 2008 under the name UpitumeE, your style has been difficult to classify when listeners or critics try to compare your sound to other active performers. If you were given one sentence to describe your method and style of Hip Hop, how would you want fans to best understand your intentions?

The soul of every song I create is simply what manifested when I made myself an open conduit for experimentation. I’ve never felt that I was solely a Hip Hop artist since many of my projects verge on the cinematic or otherworldy in terms of texture (when I’m doing the production). If a new listener hears my music and comes away feeling like the sound was something new and worthy of replay, then I feel I’ve done my job to push the borders of not just Hip Hop but also my own personal inhibitions and insecurities about trying new things with my craft.

You achieved a considerable amount of underground success in Texas between 2007 and 2010 before leaving the state to attend University. How have you been able to seemingly start right back off where you started in a different state with a new name over 10 years later?

I don’t have any formula for the music being received as well as it has other than hard work and focusing on the right things. Especially since the start of 2022, I’ve been incredibly motivated and inspired to push out new music. Since the start of April, I’ve released a new single every Friday and I have no plans of stopping that until June when I’m taking a bit of time off for family and to shoot some epic videos for the songs like “Billy Gates” and “My Weed Wins” to name a few. My follow-up full-length album “Waiting is Weird” is scheduled for a July release and I’m already 4 songs deep into that project that I can’t wait to share with everyone. We’ve been so busy living in the studio and getting these new beats and songs finished that I haven’t had much time to focus on the visuals or other things like performing. Now that all the live venues and festivals are opening back to full capacity I’m looking forward to a fun summer of shows once we pull the plug and get to work on touring. Colorado has been awesome since we moved here almost 8 years ago and I think the state is on the verge of something special in regards to the Hip Hop scene earning true national recognition from fans and media.

One of your newest singles “My Weed Wins” recently released to some amazing support in Colorado and beyond. What inspired the song and how did you come up with the hook?

I grew up with weed being normalized by my parents even back in Texas. They were both really successful and the coolest adults I knew even though they were one of the few parents in our small town that smoked. I was watching Cheech and Chong and Dazed & Confused as a teenager but didn’t even start smoking until I was almost 17. I’ve always loved the High Time Cannabis Cup competitions and I dig the fact that growers are experimenting and finding new harmonies of strains to naturally alleviate life’s ailments just like we play with blending tones and feelings as musicians. Living in a state with legal weed has changed everything because I’ve never had so many choices that were true “Top Shelf” genetics to select from. Some of my best people I know since moving to Colorado are the growers because even though they are all insanely competitive like me, they’re all brothers and sisters at the end of the day looking to expand the Art of growing to new heights. I felt like the song is a fun new soundtrack for all the smokers just in time for a summer where we finally get to be outside without restrictions or fear of catching pneumonia on steroids from just standing next to someone. The hook was my comical take on always hearing everyone I smoke with tout their strain as the best. To be fair though, if you’re in Colorado and everyone is smoking High Grade in the studio then you’re going to be hard pressed to pick a winner because they’ll all blow your head back and taste exotic.

Your lyrical delivery is different from what’s been trending most heavily in Hip Hop for the past few years. Is there another particular artist that inspired you along the way before you developed the distinct sound your listeners have come to love?

I grew up listening to the Southern Greats like Scarface, U.G.K., Master P and Cash Money. They all seemed like Superheroes to us because they were from where we grew up and remained true to themselves without sacrificing any of the authenticity that makes us interesting. I always looked up to legends like Pimp C who worked hard to unite everybody in the game instead of instigating or co-signing ego battles that naturally exist between hungry and competitive artists in the genre of music we make.

I think my style is just a blend of all the Southern performers that helped to build the respect nationally for that sound and perspective that wasn’t given credibility until they all came along. From world-renowned freestylers like Lil Flip to Underground groups like South Park Mexicans and car culture icons like Paul Wall and Slim Thug, the soundtrack to my life most heavily favors the slower Texas flavor when I’m by myself looking to vibe. I would be a fool if I said all of them didn’t directly influence everything about my approach.

You recently started a Documentary series called “The Colorado Hip Hop Explorer” focused on showcasing the Underground Hip Hop Scene throughout the state. Can you tell me more about your plans with these videos?

I’m hoping the series will shine a considerable national spotlight on the organic scene that’s building here in Colorado for a wide range of Hip Hop styles. I think the series will be a great way to introduce people to the new acts that are hoping to make some waves of their own here and it also allows me the chance to explore all the smaller venues throughout the state that are giving artists a place to shine. Our team plans on visiting lots of different cities this summer where we’ll have the chance to meet some really interesting performers and clubs. Depending on the show and the management involved, we’ll be given a range of different access to the events from full backstage/onstage integration to capturing the shows from the viewpoint of the crowd just like you had bought a ticket yourself. I think the best plan for the series is no plan at this point with a consistent focus on doing our best to highlight some of the talent courageous enough to put their songs to the test in front of live crowds.

If I were to open your Spotify app right now, can you tell me the most played and most unexpected artist I would find after digging around?

I would think that the most saved artist on my Library right now would be Curren$y with a close second being Young Dolph. If I’m driving around the last year in my C7 those are the two artists I find on ridiculous rotation. The most unexpected artist that you’d probably come across would be Leon Russell or Keith Whitley. An autographed photo that Leon signed for my Mom decades ago sits in my studio and anytime I hear his music I’m reminded of how music can bring us together even after she’s passed. Dad was a Donald so I always thought it was funny that he was most drawn to great songwriters with the same name like Don Henley and Don Williams but he alway left room for Mr. Whitley. I listen to the old stuff when I miss them most.

What are your goals that you hope to achieve by the end of 2022 for your Art?

I just uploaded the full catalog of previously released music to Spotify in April and have been dropping new songs each week since. I hope that by the end of the year I’m able to see over 500,000 streams on Spotify and we’re really hoping to have monetized the Official Youtube Channel to the point where the music videos and other projects represent another revenue stream. My follow-up Album “Waiting is Weird” is scheduled for a summer release and I’m looking for that project to be considered when discussions about best album of the year begin in October throughout Colorado. I’m looking to find the right act to tour with and our team is in preliminary discussions with a couple of interesting options but I’ll reserve that exciting news for when it’s all finalized. I’m looking forward to getting back on the stage both locally as a supporting act for some of the largest performers in Hip Hop but also touring when the right fit presents itself.

What is your most personal song to date and please tell me more about the motivation behind the theme?

“How You Be” is no doubt my most introspective song so far. It was the first time I’ve dealt with the death of my parents in a song and also the first time I’ve discussed the enormous responsibility I feel to be a supportive and loving father to my 3 year old son Kingston. I miss my parents every day and it can feel like a double-edged sword on special days like his Birthday when it physically hurts me they can’t be there to share in the memories. I know regardless of what happens when our time here is done that they’re constantly looking over me because my own son being born gave me the personal experience to know that I would not let anything stand between our connection. The song is my way of dealing with the dual dynamics of life and death, father and son, even young and old. I’m proud of the song and the message it leaves for him to connect with at different ages along his own path.

Dead or Alive, please tell me the artist who would fulfill your dream collaboration.

This might surprise a few people who expect an answer like Biggie or 2pac, but I’m going to go with Stevie Ray Vaughn. He’s a Texas legend and to have an original song that we worked on together would be an incredible feeling. I would have said my father but I have his original Reel to Reel master recordings that he gave to me a couple of years before he passed so I plan on bring those to life in a project that re-imagines some of his acoustic guitar songs into loops that find us collaborating together after his death. I don’t have a timeline on that but it will probably be something I start once the Colorado winter comes and the cold gray days inspire some forced retrospection. I still find it hard to listen to his songs even 10 years after he passed but I can feel the project calling my name so I won’t ignore it.

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