Jay Guevara Talks to OG ILLA About Music, Life, Success and MORE
The East End of Richmond native, OG ILLA, has been one of the cornerstones within the Richmond hip hop scene. He’s more than a rapper. He’s also a graphic designer, former VCU student, event planner, and promoter. He has been featured on Season one of the HennyNCoke Podcast, featured in the 2017 VirginiaGotNow Vibe Out Festival, and created a wave last year with his single Kareem that got play on Richmond’s 106.5 The Beat radio station. OG ILLA is coming out with his next project Illegal sometime soon after releasing a surprise EP Emotions earlier in September.
I decided to interview OG ILLA because of his journey through various obstacles within his life and specifically the past twelve months.
J: Let me start off with your most recent track 2k feat The Uth 2k has more of an R&B vibe compared to the more upbeat energetic tracks you’re known for. It reminds me of the track you did with Skinnyy Hendrixx called Hittin’ Fo. Can you elaborate what mindset you were going into when you and The Uth came up with the track?
OG: BammBamm (the producer of the track) heard “Kareem” on the radio and reached out to me. He sent me a beat pack and told me I could have whatever I wanted. I went through it and I heard this beat… it was the first one that truly stood out to me… At the time, I was in a toxic relationship, I was dealing with my court case (facing 5-10 years for gun and drug charges) and honestly, I was like I truly want something better out of life.. I wanted my dreams to come to fruition and this hook kind of just came to me. Even though I was going through a lot I wanted to put positivity into something and I came up with “2K”. I was working on my album ILLEGAL with UTH and I went over to his studio with it. And man, this was definitely a track I put A LOT of work into. We must’ve recorded it 15 times over a span of 6 months. I re-wrote my verse probably 5 times because it was one of those things I really HAD to say exactly what I wanted to say exactly HOW I wanted to say it…
J: Back in August, you and other artists such as Ms. Proper, Reppa Ton, Big Al Harrison, Black Liquid, and more held a RVA Success Drive to raise awareness and collect school supplies for Richmond Public Schools. Before the school year ended, RPS had a few weeks where schools ran out of toilet paper and had an inadequate amount of other supplies. Was that situation your main influence for the school drive or were there more influences that went behind the curation of the drive?
OG: It was a mixture. My friend Tye hit us up and said let’s do something for the youth, I’m purchasing a bunch of bookbags and I want to do something to give back. We discussed and came up with the idea for a school drive. Naturally, I was put in charge of putting the event together and we decided after a meeting w/ Ms Proper to name it #RVASuccessDrive because we wanted to push that narrative. SUCCESS. Considering the problems in Richmond Public Schools, we DEFINITELY felt that situation was serious and wanted to help our city. It’s important to protect are youth AT ALL COST. They are the future and the only way they can have a chance is if we provide the best opportunities for that to happen. But it also is a personal thing for me as well. I grew up in the ghetto with a single mother, her abusive boyfriend and my 2 sisters… We WERE those kids, even after we got put into foster care, we were the kids getting donations, eating 2 free meals a day and having to really rely on the community to help us. I swore when I had a chance, I’d give back, and it’s just the first of many. Got other things planned for the community as well. *Wink wink*
J: How did you think the RVA Success Drive event turned out? I felt like that it was a very successful event. I had a great time at the event. The comedian from DC who hosted was hilarious and I loved the painting that the artist from North Carolina did.
OG: It was just that. A SUCCESS. We raised 3 boxes worth of school supplies and $260 in money which we went to Walmart and spent all of that on more school supplies and delivered them to Elkhardt Middle School.
J: Let’s get into more about you and your trials and tribulations. You’re transparent about growing up in foster care within your interviews and in your music. If you could, can you elaborate on how some imperative experiences that came with it affected how you developed your mentality today.
OG: Well, I don’t let it define me. And I never liked being “that kid” but it shaped mentally because I had to survive. On my own. Bouncing from foster home to foster home, juvenile detention, and group homes. Really trying to process it all now still to be honest. Dealt with neglect, abuse and really trying to find my place in life. but I have to say part of it was a blessing. My mother was poor, and my father was non-existent so when I was put into foster care I went to a more affluent side of town and even though I still didn’t have money or “finer things” I got to see a different type of lifestyle that inspired me. I wasn’t stuck in the slums mentally or physically anymore. I saw there was more out there for me and I went to get it.
J: You started off 2018 with going through some jail time, got out in June, then performed on the same stage as The Roots and Mad Skillz at the 106.5 The Beat Fest. In under a year, you went through a literal one eighty as it pertains to the direction that your life was going. How did the jail time change you? Did it create any quiddities that you hadn’t had before about your life and the things you do?
OG: Man. It was an eye opener. It made me appreciate my time more. I wrote, read and worked out a lot. Trying to make the most of my bid. But I spent a lot of my nights reflecting on how I spent my life, planning on how I would work extra hard and get myself out of the situation I was in. I think I missed my nieces more than anyone and I couldn’t stop obsessing over my album.
J: With all that you’ve done within the Virginia music scene, where is one venue that you hadn’t been at, but would like to perform at and why?
OG: The coliseum. And one day it’s going to happen. On everything.
J: How do you feel about the Virginia music scene as it pertains to other cities showing love for each other? I personally think that the issue with the Virginia music scene is different for each region, but I feel like that the cross regional love is okay. It’s not an issue to me, but I think that more of the issues are within the regions themselves showing love to other artists, brands, producers, within that same region.
OG: I don’t think it’s that at all… I think the problem is everyone feels the ONLY way to show love is to agree on everything. The real way to develop unity and building together doesn’t mean we all have to “like” each other’s music or always agree on everything but we can show each other how to build, plug each other in the right opportunities, learn from each other’s mistakes and success… talk marketing and creativeness to each other... not everyone is going to be a fan but doesn’t mean they can’t be an asset.
J: One last question, when can we expect Illegal to come out and what is a piece of advice that you would like to give to any aspiring creatives in the Virginia hip-hop scene?
OG: The album is coming out on Halloween. I want to just tell everyone, stay true to your dreams. Grow and get your money and marketing correct. It’ll take you a long way.