Oje Ken Ollivierre, the Jamaican artist identified professionally as Protoje, is a considerate, contemplative particular person—a thinker, if you’ll, who’s consciously conscious of his position as a creator and his duty as a creator to share what’s most genuine to him with the remainder of the world.
Born right into a household of music-minded mother and father, music began as a passion for Protoje and finally took kind as a profession as soon as he made the aware resolution to go all-in and dedicate himself to his craft. His newest album Third Time’s The Appeal acts as a culminating expression of his life experiences and emotions which have introduced him by to the current second.
Once we join over Zoom, Protoje is in a cheerful, expressive temper—having simply taken a fast puff—and from a free and open mindset begins to share his journey by music, his relationship with hashish, how he channels the next energy for his music’s creation, and the way that increased energy provides life to additional music creation, efficiency, and sustenance.
Excessive Instances: Rising up in a musical household with each mother and father being musicians, was music all the time the trail for you rising up in that surroundings?
Protoje: I actually wished to be an athlete first. I wished to be an extended distance runner and was obsessive about basketball in my teenagers. I all the time cherished music and was concerned in it, however it was like a passion to me.
A little bit bit earlier than I left highschool I began to appreciate that the thought of getting a job or working someplace was not sitting effectively. Not realizing the work it could take to be an artist, I assumed possibly I may turn into one. Everybody was telling me how good I used to be and I may see how they had been reacting [to my music]. So I declared that I used to be going to be an artist and that was what I used to be going to do [for “work”].
HT: What was it concerning the inventive life-style that you simply realized was completely different from working, completely different from having a nine-to-five—what was it that basically captivated your spirit?
Protoje: To be sincere, it was folks’s reactions to listening to me DJ or doing different stuff. I simply thought it could be a great way for me to precise myself. I feel the place I felt most pure and felt most joyful and content material was writing music and singing it to my buddies. I’d get very excited and it’s what introduced me pleasure.
HT: So there’s a success component then that being on stage and expressing your self supplies, maybe in a method that different occupations might not.
Protoje: I feel so. So simple as it’s, I simply didn’t wish to must report back to anybody. I grew up with mother and father who all the time helped me really feel very free. They’d such busy schedules that they only sort of let me set my schedule, so it was very laborious for me to regulate to working on another person’s clock. Doing so takes away my pleasure, so I knew that whereas I wished to pursue music, I’d additionally must do it beneath my very own label. I simply actually didn’t wish to must report back to somebody, so I constructed my complete inventive course of round that.
HT: When expressing your self by music, is there a mission that you simply’re making an attempt to meet or is it simply an expression of your self and music occurs to be the instrument to try this by?
Protoje: I’ve discovered that essentially the most sincere solution to method music is to discuss experiences and the which means that I derive from the best way that I see issues. That to me is me being my most sincere self, and doing that’s crucial factor for me musically.
So I could really feel a way about one thing and I feel the sensation is legitimate. After sitting with that feeling, I specific it. A yr later, I could also be going by one thing else, however as soon as it’s legitimate and sincere in me, I specific it.
The overarching theme is to understand—to reside within the second of gratitude—to utilize the time that you’ve got as greatest as you’ll be able to. That’s actually what I attempt to do as an particular person. Due to that, that’s what my music tends to concentrate on.
After I take heed to my music—look, I’ve to sing these songs on a regular basis. I’m the one one that has to sing these songs one thousand instances. I’m listening to myself sing these things on a regular basis. So [the songs] should be one thing that resonates with me and that I a hundred percent imagine in. That they’re genuine from me. In any other case, I’m going to listen to it and I’m going to cringe.
The opposite day I had a present that was actually laborious to rise up for energy-wise. I used to be drained, everybody was drained. I began the present singing “Deliverance” and mentioned “Selecting how I spend my time is totally by design / They don’t even see the making an attempt / All they see is greenback signal / All I make is sacrifice.” I used to be listening to these lyrics and I acquired an power [that woke me up]. And this is the reason I [create] this manner as a result of it helps energy the entire thing. Lyrics assist energy the entire thing of me being an artist.
HT: So it’s virtually like a extremely cool suggestions loop. You’re channeling from the next energy, that channeling then results in the creation of the music, after which the music provides you the power you have to carry out the music.
Protoje: It’s like when you plant some lettuce your self and also you develop it and it comes up. You are taking it, and also you wash it off, then you definitely prepare dinner it, and also you convey it out to the desk for dinner. You break off a leaf of it and also you style the lettuce. You’re reminded of if you planted it and also you get to expertise it yet another time and it’s a loop. It’s similar to that, that’s [how making music] feels to me.
HT: Was there a second after deciding to concentrate on music the place you realized the trail might be each the car to precise your self and offer you sustenance?
Protoje: I dedicated to music very early however it was very laborious to get traction. I feel when my first single “Arguments” got here out and it got here out and did effectively, I used to be like, “Wow, I’m an artist.” Individuals had been beginning to acknowledge that I made music. I knew I had the talents and I knew I had the expertise however my major drawback was that I assumed it was owed to me as a result of I used to be so proficient. I used to be like, “I’m proficient, so why isn’t this particular person recording me? Why am I not getting the respect?”
As soon as I spotted that no one owed me something and that expertise alone had nothing to do with it—certain, I’m proficient, however many persons are proficient—I started to appreciate I wanted willpower and self-discipline, and after that, every thing began to occur quick.
HT: When you realized you weren’t owed something, what was the shift in your actions that led to success?
Protoje: The shift was speedy. I used to be at a pal’s taking part in video video games and I went exterior and began to smoke. Nervousness came visiting me like I’d by no means felt earlier than. I didn’t perceive. I knew I wished to be an artist, I had a track that I used to be recording, however I used to be hanging out taking part in video video games with buddies throughout the day. I may inform you what number of factors Kobe had within the recreation the night time earlier than. However what was I doing each single day [to achieve my goals] other than writing some songs at night time? What else am I doing?
So I finished every thing that day. I removed my PlayStation, I finished watching TV, I finished every thing else I used to be doing and I simply began doing music all the time. I began to convey my track to each radio station and go to each reside occasion that that they had the place it was attainable for me to get in entrance of individuals. Each day, every thing I began doing was centered round “how is that this serving to me get nearer to my objectives?” I did that for a bit after which every thing began to occur after I stopped doing every thing else. It was wild.
HT: You went all-in and took the motion of constantly displaying up for your self. And it seems like, from that place, good issues occurred.
Protoje: G, I’m telling you. In life, I’ve by no means seen it not work to actually simply slim in on precisely what you’re making an attempt to do and work in direction of it daily. I don’t see how that’s attainable to not get nearer to your objective when you work in direction of it daily. As soon as I spotted that, every thing modified.
That’s why I inform artists that I work with, “You need this and also you need that, however have you ever achieved at this time to get there?”
From that day [of my realization] to now, it doesn’t matter what it’s that I’m doing, daily I do one thing that’s serving to me get in direction of the place I’m making an attempt to go.
HT: And also you’ve had the constructive suggestions from the universe to validate that way of life.
Protoje: I do know that if I keep up one other hour and ship out one other hundred emails at this time as an alternative of tomorrow, I’m twenty-four hours nearer to getting the place I’m making an attempt to go. That’s how I function.
HT: How do you shield your power from getting burnt out?
Protoje: The folks round me will joke that I’ve an obsession or that I have to get hobbies, however I feel it’s a steadiness. I’ve my household and my daughter, who give me plenty of aid. My household is aware of that I work actually laborious as a result of I’m making an attempt to do as a lot as I can do in as brief a time as I can as a result of I don’t wish to be out right here doing this without end.
I can spend 5 hours working feverishly on my craft at this time after which I’ve ten hours further that I can use to go to the seashore, I can hangout with my daughter, the entire household can chill and watch a film or no matter—however the factor is, after I’m doing these items, the best way my thoughts works is that these are all life experiences which might be going into the method of me considering. In flip, this results in my music. You perceive? It’s not specializing in being within the studio all the time or recording all the time, as a result of that may burn you out. It’s residing, experiencing, feeling.
Motion pictures are a giant factor for me and my writing as a result of films actually make me really feel. To another person, watching a film is break day—which it is for me, too—however on the similar time, my thoughts is working and I’m getting concepts. So I’ve discovered a method to make use of all of it as creativity.
HT: By way of creativity, what’s the inspiration behind your new album Third Time’s The Appeal and what do you hope folks take from it?
Protoje: The album is an extension from [the album] In Search of Misplaced Time. It picks up proper the place it left off. Every thing was coming from issues that I used to be going by and experiencing. As I mentioned, I talk greatest with the world by speaking concerning the issues I’m going by and other people can relate to it ultimately and get one thing from it for his or her lives, versus being preachy. That’s one thing I’m not excited about—being preachy and telling folks what’s proper, how it is best to reside your life. I’m about sharing my experiences as you’ll if you meet somebody and also you’re speaking to them.
Give it some thought: For those who meet somebody and also you’re talking to them and so they say, “Hey look, it is best to reside like this, that is flawed, that is the best way,” or no matter, you’re not going to be receptive to the concepts and ideas I’m coming with, proper? It’s the identical factor musically. I’m simply making music and speaking and sharing my ideas and concepts. Possibly you join with it, possibly it makes you provide you with your individual nice thought.
I like this album, I actually join with it on a private stage. I like the phrases which might be being mentioned, I like the sounds which might be taking part in behind the phrases. I like the best way the album is blended, I like the artwork. The visuals are presumably my most favourite that I’ve ever achieved. Every thing is exactly how I would like it to be and that’s what issues to me essentially the most, realizing I’ve achieved precisely what I’ve wished to do. Nevertheless that’s perceived is as much as folks, and no matter that’s, I’ll positively be capable of settle for it.
HT: It sounds such as you’re consciously making artwork for your self which enriches your life, and there’s an consciousness of the ability it has to additionally doubtlessly enrich the lives of many others.
Protoje: I like to consider van Gogh again within the day with an open canvas and him listening to his thoughts saying “Make this stroke with the comb right here, use this coloration there.” I’d prefer to suppose he wasn’t there considering “I’m wondering if somebody goes to love this coloration right here,” or “I’m wondering if persons are going to love the best way I do the grass right here.” I don’t suppose that’s what persons are doing once they’re making artwork. You have got an image in your head and also you’re making an attempt to place it pretty much as good as you’ll be able to on the canvas. I really feel like I’m listening to the songs in my head and all I’m making an attempt to do is get it as near the way it sounds and appears in my head. After I actually break it all the way down to that, it takes away all the strain from making artwork. It helps you as an artist to not be troubled and really feel like a hostage.
HT: How does hashish assist you with this type of inventive course of?
Protoje: I’ve a really attention-grabbing relationship with marijuana. Typically, it provides me emotions that I’m not too snug with. Typically it makes me very anxious. Typically it makes me doubt myself. Typically it makes me query plenty of issues. There’s a lot of completely different reactions that I get from it relying on what I’m going by and the way I’m feeling inside myself.
After I smoke it causes me to overthink so much and overanalyze. After I’m going by it, I really feel anxious, however after I come out of it, I normally discover one thing constructive from the expertise that I used to be having. So I’ve even discovered to even settle for the nervousness at instances when it comes.
After I’m creating music—particularly after I’m producing or recording one other artist—and I’m smoking, it makes me capable of spend as a lot time as wanted with out dropping my focus. After I’m writing, marijuana will assist me to be locked in and never be as simply distracted with exterior parts. So creatively, I do suppose it helps me so much, however I attempt to ensure that I’m not excessive on a regular basis both as a result of my aware mind with out being on marijuana can be such an efficient factor and it brings its personal qualities. It’s about discovering the steadiness as with every thing.
Observe @protoje and take a look at http://www.protoje.com for tickets, tour dates, and his newest album Third Time’s The Appeal.