076ohone is an aspiring artist and videographer, while Gemini Brown is an astrological teacher, poet, artist, and author. They are both from Hackensack, New Jersey. Preparing for a major release isn’t always easy but amidst the jam-packed schedules and many “runs and stops” of these two amazing artists, 076ohone still created time to talk about his artistry, some astrology, hip-hop, and his latest project with the poet, rapper, and astrological teacher Gemini Brown.
Listening to the latest musical project of this duo and getting to see its accompanying video, it might be a little hard not to get a little confused and “wowed” simultaneously. The striking but simplified images, colors and astrological symbols accompanying the slow-paced hardcore Hip-Hop beats with 076ohone and Gemini’s flawless and unique delivery styles can’t help but fascinate even the most casual listener and viewer. To give us some more insight into the overall artistry and background of the duo, 076ohone answers some questions about himself and Gemini Brown.
Some might be curious about how it all started, the music, the videography, and also the little astrology (I call it little for a reason). 076ohone knows exactly how it all started – “we grew up together in the same neighborhood, we did not connect until we were out of high school.” With such a unique sound and somewhat strange synthesis of “a-not-very-mainstream” theme like astrology with a popular and widely accepted art form like hip-hop, it is only normal we get curious about their or his [076ohone’s] musical influences. He had this to say:
“I’m into artists that are versatile in more than one thing and are also business-oriented… A catchy song always gets my attention, but it’s about who you are and what you stand for, added with good music that keeps me interested.”
Getting curious about the whole “astrology with hip-hop,” thing, I wanted to know if it’s a fundamental part of 076ohone’s artistry or just “a tiny part of it.” He however made it clear that – “it’s more so Gemini Brown’s lane he’s been doing it for more than 6 years now. I’m happy we finally collabed [sic] and found the sound to incorporate the message.” He [076ohone] however talked more about the artists and sounds that helped him mold his unique sound – “I was always
into artists that knew how to put out hits and artists that went through the same struggles I had. Kanye West’s ‘College Dropout album, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole ASAP Rocky [sic] more intellectual concepts and styles from Wu-Tang and the late M.F. Doom [sic]”
To some extent, we all accept that hip-hop is somewhat liberal and thus a widely accepted art form. On that note, infusing themes of astrology and hoping that it doesn’t only get disseminated but also accepted and absorbed with some seriousness by the [your] entire listening community can be somewhat of a challenge. Although he [076ohone] affirmed that astrology is just a “tiny part” of his overall artistic message, he further added –
“I believe so, but that’s what makes it unique. Everybody loves the trap sound with the loud 808’s from Atlanta or that West Coast LA vibe with the same raunchy and violent concepts in the music. But once you can blend the message of astrology in with that perfect production added with it presented on the proper platform, you made a new lane for yourself mainstream-wise [sic]. And then, there’s going to be artists after you who become sensations who were influenced by you now rapping about the same thing.[sic]”
Talking about their new musical project “Age of Aquarius,” and the experience of working with Gemini Brown in the studio, 076ohone gave out a little laugh on that – “I can’t go into much detail because Gemini would have to be here, haha. Basically, that’s the energy we are in right now, the wake of worldwide consciousness. Discovering new information and transformation, I can definitely see it. It has been quite a change going into 2020 until this present day.” Talking about working with Gemini Brown in the studio, he had this to say – “When we are in the studio, everything flows perfectly. He’s focused and locked in like me. We have to be like that, we live regular lives and have priorities so our schedules get conflicted a lot. So every time we have an open schedule to plan something we make it count.”
Talking about being an artist in a time like this, he expressed some fear and optimism – “It’s different in a pandemic. It was dreadful months ago because there were no official dates when there would be events for large gatherings, meaning concerts. I love doing shows and I would hate for the world to lose our freedom to party.”
© 2021, Jake Strain. All rights reserved.
