Julius Ogunti; The Artist, Mixing Engineer, and Businessman

United States-based Liberian/Nigerian act Julius Modu Ogunti is an international Afrobeats/HipHop and R&B artist who focuses on putting out quality music. Julius believes music is what connects the world therefore loves to express himself and his surrounding circumstances through the art of music.

Julius is signed to Smoove Operating Production LLC a label that believes in quality over quantity when it comes to music. He also believes in full creative control therefore he owns 100% of the Label he is signed to.

“Music is Life. You can bring a whole nation together, change the lives of others, with the power of music”, says Julius. The Atlanta based Ogunti is also a businessman and entrepreneur who founded and runs a car rental and leasing company.

In this interview, he talks to our reporter about his life, businesses, His love and passion for music.

Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell them where you are from? 

My name is Julius Modu Ogunti. I am a singer, songwriter, music engineer, and businessman. I was born in Ivory Coast, but I lived in Liberia for the first 7 years of my life. My Father moved my younger brother and I to the United States to seek a better life, leaving my mother and 3 little sisters back in Liberia because he could not bring us all. So he decided to only bring the boys to grow up in a country with the opportunity to be able to help the rest of my family back in Liberia. I’ve lived in the USA from the age of 7 years to date. Unfortunately, my father passed away when I was only 12 years old, which forced me to become the man of the house at a very young age taking care of my younger brother and myself. Life in the USA was very rough during my youth because we had no parents with us, it was just I and my younger brother. We went through a lot of struggles jumping from house to house staying with friends and family members who were nice enough to take us in temporarily. We never had a stable environment to live in. I remember sneaking in and out of my girlfriend’s parents’ house at the time without her parents knowing. I remember explaining my situation to a close friend, we were on the same high school football team, and since we are both African Immigrants, he understood me on a deeper level which led to him asking his mother If I could stay with them. His Mother allowed me to stay until I was able to graduate high school which was a blessing because at the time, all of my family members turned their back on me and none was willing to take me in.

I don’t hold any grudges and looking back now I believe all my experiences were preparatory for my journey in life, they made me stronger and wiser. I don’t regret anything I went through in my early life because I now know and understand God was always with me and has always been with me through it all and He is still with me today.

I always had the gift and talent for music as long as I can remember it’s always been a part of who I am. Music was one of the things that helped me escape the reality of all the trials and tribulations i went through during my youth.

One can say you are a Jack of all trades; What motivates you, why did you decide to pursue music as a career?

I have always been inspired to do music from a very young age. Music has always been a part of my life, but due to my unfortunate circumstances growing up, I’ve never had the support, encouragement or time to pursue my passion and love for music. The moment I graduated from high School and went to college I started my clothing brand business that did very well. It was my very first business, it was the first time I started making my own money. The first thing I did was study the art of music and went and purchased all the equipment I needed to record my first song. I spent a lot of time learning how to produce, engineer and record myself. I am a jack of all trades because I took the time to study the art of music and all that goes into making a hit song from scratch.

From the way you talk and sound one wouldn’t immediately know you are of African descent. Can you tell us a little about your background? 

My late father is Nigerian, my mother Liberian, but I grew up in America, my diversity being both Liberian/Nigeria is my greatest asset. I’m highly adaptable in all expect of my nationality and the environment i grew up in. You can put me amongst American I will blend in well, around Liberians I will blend in and if you put me with Nigerians I will blend in as well too. From listening to my music you can hear the sun of all the parts of who I am and how I was influenced by my surroundings growing up. Sometimes I lean towards American music, some days it’s Liberian music, but most days no matter the music I make it’s laced with a hint of Nigerian music. This way my audience will never get bored and I’m able to gain fans from across different cultures and all over the globe with my unique style.

You have achieved so much in your career, yet so little is known of you? Why is that? How come you are barely known in Liberia, Nigeria or Africa yet you have a very rich pedigree and catalogue? 

Life has taught me that humility is a virtue, so in my humble nature I haven’t really taken the time to focus on my online and global presence. I’ve accomplished a lot in business over the years, I want to be able to inspire other individuals who may be going through a tough time right now. I want them to read my story and know that there is light at the end of every tunnel and that God has a plan for them. I now understand that I must focus on promoting and marketing my music, and my brand so as to increase my visibility and global reach if I want to inspire other individuals like myself who are now in the position I was once in. If I could inspire one person to change there life and circumstance I will feel like I am fulfilling my true purpose on this journey of life.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years? 

In the next five years, I see myself inspiring and motivating many people all over the world with my music and through my businesses. I know that this is not something that’s going to happen overnight but with hard work, dedication and perseverance it will all come to pass.

How do you handle the pressure that comes with running a business as well as pursuing your music career simultaneously?

I think this is something I am built for, with all the pressure I had to deal with in my past. The struggles I went through growing up prepared me for high-stress and high-pressure situations, running a business and having financial freedom is something I love, making music is something I love as well. I actually recommend every artist to have this multi-tasking mentality because it is going to help you understand the business over all as a whole before you get in the music Industry. Music is a business all in itself, once you have business knowledge you will be able to navigate your way through the music industry without being taken advantage of.

What are your plans for the rest of the year? Are you planning on releasing new music, any time soon?

Yes I have actually been working on a lot of music and planning on releasing an album this year. On this album the fans will be able to enjoy the unique style I cultivated over the years from my background as an African and my environment growing up in America, this is what makes me versatile. I’m also a ladies man so you will hear a lot of that in the upcoming album as well.

What’s your aim when you are making music? How do you decide what to write or sing about?  

My aim when making music is to relate in the best way I can with the audience by being authentic and speaking on real life situations because that’s how people are going to connect with you through the art of music and song writing. I try my best not to complicate the process because that’s when you lose the joy from creating. I let my soul speak to me and I listen, write and create.

Some artists love to freestyle when they record, they say the spontaneity helps their creative process, while others prefer to write first before they record. Which do you prefer, and why?

I prefer to freestyle and let the beat speak to me as I go. I never know what I’m going to come up with until I’m in the studio vibing to the beat, the reason I don’t write before recording is because I don’t want the beat to be conflicted with what I wrote.

Which artist or producer are you currently working with or worked with in the past? 

I’ve worked with Grammy-nominated producer Zaytoven Beats, Mahalo Beats, Aymix Beats, and Fancy Face Music. I am also aiming to work with Yung Willis Grammy nominated Nigerian Producer as well as Deo Producer most of these producers will be on my upcoming projects.

Looking at all you have achieved, as such a young age, is there anything you would want to change about your life given the chance? 

One thing I will change about my life giving the chance is growing up surrounded by family or a mother’s love that would have taught me how to love properly. Because I never experienced a mother’s true love, I caused emotional distress to a lot of exs in my past relationships that I wish I could go back and fix now that I’m older and wiser. This is why a lot of my songs cater to love.

Are you signed to any label?

As a businessman I believe in having full creative control over yourself and your music so early on, I founded my own label imprint Smoove Operating Production which I own %100. But I am willing to partner up with investors that believe in my music and want to help take this thing to a global level.

Do you have any pieces of advice for upcoming artists out there? 

My advice to them is to always put God first in all you do. Focus on perfecting your craft, believe and invest in yourself.

Do you have other siblings? How many siblings do you have?

Yes, I have 2 brothers and 5 sisters

Which two African artists would you love to collaborate with if you have the opportunity?

One day I would love to collaborate with Burna Boy & Ayra Star.

Are you in a relationship or married?

I am not married nor in any relationship as the moment. I am currently single.

What puts you off about people? 

I get put off by people who don’t stay true to themselves, people who act different around certain people. I’m also put off by people who want hand outs but do not put in the work to deserve it.

Who are your favorite Nigerian artists female and male?

It’s obviously Ayra Star & Burna Boy!

Thank you for your time and we wish you the best in all your future endeavors.