Owie! is a perfect example of what the term “creative” actually is. Being embedded within the North Carolina music scene, Owie! is an established artist and DJ, and excels at both. Throughout this conversation we will learn about his upbringing, the LO$T GENERATION and much more. Owie! is an exceptional human being and I enjoyed this conversation dearly.
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Harrison Freeman: First man, I want to thank you for your time and welcome you to the website! How are you?
Owie!: We heeeeere! Waaassup! I’m doing great man! How about you?
Harrison Freeman: I’m good man! Thank you for asking! So, tell me a little about yourself man! What is it you do? Who are you?
Owie!: My name is Owie! I’m an artist!! Since I was 16 I made t-shirts and Artist merch and art! Always making art! Right now I’m working on 11 HUUUUGE canvases with this new art style I’ve been honing… “Alphabetical Chaos” hahaha!! so yes! I’m an artist!
Harrison Freeman: Now, how did you get into that sort of thing? You know, what influenced you? Area? People? Or was it completely on your own?
Owie!: You know, I always loved music! Specifically, hip hop… My parents put me on at a young age… they’re both from NY & my dad was like Wu-Tang’d out… I always say the first rap song I ever heard was riding in my dads Cadillac and he played “Big Pimpin” by Jay-Z… hahaha! My mom same shit! More R&B vibes.. you know my mom actually put me onto Kanye West?! Hahaha! My favorite artist ever! Best Ever! Don’t argue with me! Haaa! She played Stronger in the car & was like “Owen you’d like this guy he’s super motivational” now look! So yeah! Always loved music! Played sports my whole life.. soccer & then lacrosse! My junior year I got cut from the team & ran into NOAHH by chance at a party.. said he made music & was apart of a group “THE LO$T GENERATION” at the time I think there was no “$” haaaa! and he asked if I had ever made merch?! I was wearing a supreme hoodie & this was likw 2016? So it was kind’ve not full tilt so he was like “Supreme? I know you can dress!” and I started hanging out with NOAHH everyday! Never stopped! Met the band & we grinded! From there I started my own brand and starting DJ’ing!!! Always looking for any outlet to share my story!! Grateful! Thankful! Have had a lot of fun so far! Excited for what’s next!
Harrison Freeman: Man that’s incredible! You really have done and continue to do it all! Would you say that the physical art side of things helped you transition into the music scene? You incorporate everything so well!
Owie!: You know I’d say just having a hand on the pulse always helped me! I’m a kid that CONSTANTLY digging & researching.. new brands, new people, new music?! So with merch I felt confident because I knew what good merch felt like! At the time I remember saying shit like “When you walk into pacsun people by Yeezus shirt without knowing It’s Kanye West! We need our merch to stand ALONE!” I loved and still love logo rips! in 2016 we flipped the nasa logo, north face, cookout.. you name it! Always having fun! Inspiration from that came from the skate shop local to me growing up called Delicious.. They’d flip the chick-fil-a logo or the starbucks logo.. When I was like 11 at the skatepark those decks with the flips were THE SHIIIIITTTT! Certainly inspired me later down the line!
Harrison Freeman: That’s really amazing man. I love your story! So when it comes to DJ’ing and cultivating your own brand, what was that like? Was starting out as a DJ tough? Was there competition?
Owie!: Always competition! That’s a good thing, makes everyone involved better! When it comes to DJ’ing for me, I think someone’s DJ should be their biggest fan! know every record, most the lyrics! How the artist thinks, moves, certainly performs and then on stage is throwing them softballs to smash out the park!! I’ve always declined to DJ for people I’ve never met or didn’t know personally.. I value the connection! I look up to artist and DJ’s like Chase B & Travis, Jasper & Tyler, Kyle and Brick! That’s how I enjoy DJ’ing I enjoy my friends winning!! I think I can help too!!
Harrison Freeman: I really value your mindset when it comes to being a DJ. I feel like the DJ is an overlooked but very essential piece to the puzzle. Definitely a support unit.
Harrison Freeman: So, you mentioned you parents were from NY. Have you always been in NC or was NY apart of your life too? What do you like about the NC scene versus what do you think could improve?
Owie!: Thank you bro, hell yeah! It’s an important piece to the puzzle!
Owie!: My parents and practically my whole family is from NY… My mom the city & my dad upstate.. I was born in NY.. very quickly my family from here. I know NY from visiting my cousins & grandparents in the Summer when I was like 8 to maybe 14 like kid shit! So much fun! lots of memories! I still go to NY at least once a year! I have a big family & im supported throughout it always! So I’m always crashing at a cousins house and doing whatever I can.. the NC scene is awesome! Starting to REALLY be a together feeling! I admire that! I think ANY and EVERY scene can improve on learning if ANYONE around here eats.. WE ALL EAT. It’s seriously true! If anyone from here makes it.. now there’s more attention! The Raleigh tree is wild. My era is fucking insane. I wish every year Raleigh had a XXL cover.. they’d be insane like fuck XXL but if every year we did like a 10 freshman type shit brooooooo… some of those covers would be fucking bananas! so many great artist so much talent Raleigh is awesome! Other NC scenes are awesome but it’s forever Raleigh Vs everybody! haaa! <3
Harrison Freeman: I feel what you’re saying. North Carolina really does feel like it’s coming together. I think one of my ultimate goals with DRF is to end all beefs within out state so we can use each others talents to build an empire.
Harrison Freeman: What’s some of your favorite memories as a DJ? Like, what would you consider your favorite set?
Owie!: Favorite memory! Haaa! That doesn’t really exist.. they all bleed together and I’m so thankful for every moment but one that sticks out right now is In The Fest show in Boone! I’ve only been to Boone 1 time! I drove there with Chubbz in the snow!! hahaha, meanwhile it was 70 and sunny in Raleigh??? WTF?! I drove 3 hours west and it was a blizzard that really fucked with my head! We played this small venue/bar and I ate chicken tenders at the right before we went on.. My DJ set kind’ve bombed hahah I played Carti & Uzi to a bunch of boone hippies HOWEVER!! Justo’s set was so much fun!! This was right when NOAHH put out new music to a new sound which I loooovvveeeeee!! Jaheal brushed per usual!! Brody J ripped the roof off!!! My brothers mannn!! After we all went to this humongous log cabin AIR BNB up a mountain! We got cookout at like 1 am!! So much fun. I’m ready to go back to Boone! a bunch of music was recorded there too! Stuff people still haven’t heard.
Harrison Freeman: Man that sounds like so much fun! I love that for you all, seriously! It’s stuff like that you’ll remember and be thankful for forever!!!
Harrison Freeman: Do you have any upcoming plans for yourself? What does life look like for Owie! right now? Any goals?
Owie!: A long list of goals! Most the same from when I was 16 looking up this mountain! I wanna compete at the highest level amongst the best! I wanna make it to the big leagues! I wanna design for Kanye West Merch!! Drake merch!! I wanna DO for them and put paintings inside Justin Biebers house! I wanna do it all man!!! I saved up some money in December and quit my job! Since then I’ve been making art full time! Saying yes to whatever odd job I could and surrounding myself around great people! I’m having an Art show in may! Where all the Art I’ve been working on is going to auction! It’ll be in downtown Raleigh! I’m very excited for it! Lots of music and people and food and art!! It’s going to be a MOVIE!!
Harrison Freeman: Honestly, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll accomplish all of these things plus more!
Harrison Freeman: If there’s one last thing you could leave with the viewers, what would it be? What advice do you have?
Owie!: Always prepare for the best possible outcome! Always have your bags packed! Always be ready! you never know when your moment will be, it might even present itself as a disguise! I truly believe people don’t catch their dreams ONLY because they stop chasing! Goonies never say die!!! Let’s fucking groooooowwww!!! Harrison, Thank YOU!!! People! Thank you for reading!!! DRF SHIT! We out here! BANNNNGGGG!
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Be sure to follow Owie! on all social medias!!!!!!!!
