Music producer and hip hop artist OB Magik has just released his latest EP. Titled ’For the Taking’, he hopes to inspire the youth of South Africa.
Talk to us about your EP - For The Taking - when did you start working on it?
“As an artist, I am always working on new music and have been making songs back-to-back since last year and keeping them. As we entered 2021, I dropped a few singles from the collection and in April, I decided to start working on a full project, of which some of the songs that were recorded in 2020 are also on the EP.”
What was the inspiration behind this EP?
“There’s this song in the EP titled: I Want It All. It was the first song I recorded before the whole idea of the EP was born. I drew a lot of inspiration from this song because it talks about me, my desire to win and being the best at what I do.”
In terms of the lyrical content, how would you describe it?
“The lyrical content is original and has creative wordplay. The stories I tell on the songs have a strong message and will be able to make a listener want to hear more. It reflects the emotions of what I’ve been through as an independent, upcoming artist. The lyrics are mellow and colourful for the listener to enjoy from start to finish.”
How would you describe the sound of this EP?
“It’s a pop-rap EP, it’s up-tempo, it has all these incredible high-pitched synthetic sounds and a strong bass to have a listener enjoying from start to finish.”
What were some of the challenges when putting this body of work together?
“The writing process was a bit of a challenge for me because I had to get out of my comfort zone to create magic. At some point, during the creation process I went through writer’s block because of the life challenges I was facing but during mid-July I was able to get back in the studio and start creating again. This is when the songs just came flooding in and was able to write down the rest of the songs, bringing them to completion by end of October 2021.”
You named it For The Taking, why?
“For the Taking, to me, is the art of an emerging artist, who is going after what he wants and claiming the spaces in the industry. I’ve been pushing for too long now and I’ve grown so much musically, and I feel this is the right time to make my mark.”
What does this EP signify for you?
“This EP signifies my purpose and the fundamental growth in my career.”
What do you hope people take away from this EP?
“I would like for anyone who gets the opportunity to listen to this EP to be inspired and find the confidence to believe in the (messages) and know that all things are possible. I also want them to take away the positive energy that is presented in the project.”