Sarob talks us through his latest 'Transitions'
Sarob is a hip-hop and neo soul artist from Columbus, Ohio, whose music often blends smooth melodies with politically charged, coming of age lyrics. His most recent release, ‘Carrion Dawn’, criticises the water crisis suffered by the city of Flint in Michigan, where over 100,000 residents have been exposed to lead-poisoned water since 2014.
MusicMap was eager to hear more about Sarob’s Transitions series of EPs, his musical background and the scene in Ohio, so we sent through a few questions…
‘Carrion Down’ has quite a moody, tense atmosphere, how would you describe your mindstate while you were writing it?
My mindstate was tense, to say the least. I was hurt – well, I’m still hurt – over the fact that people in Flint, a predominantly-black city, lack drinkable or usable water. The crisis there has been going on for several years — it never should’ve happened in the first place, but you would think in the “greatest country in the world” there’d be a better response to it. I’m not from Flint, but I’m still deeply frustrated, and I wanted to do something in my music to help people remember what’s going on.
Do you feel musicians have a duty to speak out politically right now?
I don’t think musicians have a duty to be political. I’d prefer many musicians stay out of politics because they don’t know what they’re talking about and sometimes say some wild shit that empowers the wrong people. I think musicians should just make good art.
For me, politics have been important throughout my life. Like most of the stuff I think and talk about is rooted in politics somehow. But I grew up in a politically-aware household and studied politics in college, so it’s not like I’m going out of my way to say something; my perspective is just highly political.
The E.P. is called Transitions: Phase Two. What transitions do you feel you’re experiencing as an artist at the moment?
This year I’ve been going through a lot. I’ve been succeeding, I’ve been struggling and I’ve been sacrificing. I think dealing with fear has been the hardest part. I’m so driven to do something meaningful – to achieve goals and positively impact millions – that I fear making mistakes or being set back. Like if I don’t get an A+ on something I do, then I basically got an F. The Transitions Series is a way to help get me out of that. It was a way to help me trust myself and share that growth with the world. I just made songs, trusted my talent and let them go. It was an explorational process – self-explorational and sound-explorational.
What sort of music were you exposed to when you were growing up, and how has it influenced your work as an artist?
My mom put me on to all my favorite music. She grew up in the fifties so I grew up listening to the same things she grew up with: Smokey, The Temptations, Chicago, Dionne Warwick, Zapp, The O’Jays, Isleys, Carlos Santana. Timeless music. All of that is a big inspiration to me. It’s a challenge, too, because I’m never satisfied with anything unless I think it can stand the test of time, like Prince’s or D’Angelo’s catalogue. I know I don’t quite measure up to them yet, but hopefully one day my art can reach that caliber of greatness.
What is the music scene like in Ohio? Any other local artists who should be on our radar?
Ohio’s tight. I think because of where we are geographically, we soak up a lot of different styles and genres of music – you can see influence from the East Coast, South and West Coast, and it all blends together. This is cool because there’s no particular sound – there’s not a Columbus sound nor a Cincinnati sound whereas there’s definitely an Atlanta or New York sound. And I say that with all respect. I think we’ve benefited from hearing that Atlanta sound and that New York sound while also hearing that Toronto sound (which is closer than both cities) and that Chicago sound and that West Coast sound, etc.
Dom Deshawn and Joey Aich are two rappers to watch out for. Souther is a fire band with some amazing stuff on the way. Tae Miles from Cleveland is unbelievable – I’m excited for him to come back.
What should music fans visiting Ohio see/do/drink/eat?
In Columbus there are a ton of nights where DJs spin at parties, which are always super dope. My friend Satele will pop up and DJ at random events a few times a month, and it’s always mad fun. There’s Orange Soda, which is a 2000s R&B party hosted by DJ Bern. There’s HIPS at Brothers Drake, a local meadery. Things are starting to bubble, which is so good for our scene and culture here.
Can you send us a photo of the view from your window?
My window is blocked by like a million trees but I can get y’all another picture.
Finally, what is the meaning of the name Sarob?
Sarob loosely translates to “mirage” in Arabic.