YK Osiris praises Drake, shares childhood influences, teases collabs, and more in “On The Come Up.”
“I grew up in Jacksonville Florida,” he reveals, painting a picture of his childhood come-up. “I got six sisters, I’m the only boy. I had a baby brother named Ramsay too. My mama, man, she a great mother. She didn’t give me what I wanted, she gave me what I needed. She was very strict, she’d slap me man, she don’t play. I always respect my mama. I don’t cuss around my mama, I respect her as a woman.” He proceeds to reveal some of his earliest musical influences, which reveal the soulful side of his musicality. “Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, James Brown,” he lists. “I love old school music. I don’t like new stuff…I always wanted to sing. I always wanted to be Michael.”
After he found himself quickly rising in viral stardom, Osiris eventually caught the attention of Def Jam Records. “I knew I was going crazy when I started getting one hundred thousand followers every week,” he reflects. “Every video I drop get a million views.” The undeniable rise turned to a bidding war between record labels, which Osiris recounts with pride. “Every label wanted me, every label you can name,” he says. “But I had a bond with AE [VP and A&R of Def Jam].”
Eventually, his music caught Drake’s attention, which led to a meeting between the up-and-comer and the ubiquitous superstar. “Drake very humble and cool,” explains Osiris. “That man is very smart. He very humble too. He know how to move. He know his footsteps. Everybody don’t know they footsteps. They be running around with their head cut off like a chicken. He knew what to do, you feel me?” With validation from the OVO kingpin already checked off his bucket list, Osiris allowed himself room for celebration: balling uncontrollably at the Louis store. Yet he has come to shift his perspective, having retired his lavish spending on high fashion. “It’s not what you wear, it’s how you wear it,” he advises.
All things considered, 2019 looks to be a massive year for the Floridian. For one, he’s got songs with Young Thug, YG (“we got a banger!”), Jacquees, and more. Look for his new album, Love Hate, to arrive in the imminent future. What do you think of YK Osiris? Thanks for checking out On The Come Up, and keep an eye out for the new episode to drop next week. In the meantime, tide yourself over with our official OTCU playlist below.
