Artist of the Week: Oblé Reed

Oblé Reed is an alternative hip-hop artist in Seattle.

Seattle Refined: How long have you been writing/performing?

Oblé Reed: I have been writing for my entire life. I recently found a song that I wrote somewhere between the ages of 8-10, on one of the giant lined pieces of paper that I would practice my handwriting on! Songwriting has always been a part of my life, and as I grew older, I worked even harder to perfect my craft! I did talent shows and smaller performances here and there growing up, but I really started getting on stage in the last two years. I love the stage, it feels like home and every time I step foot up there, I feel like I'm exactly where I need to be.

Tell us about the artistic process and the different stages that work into it.

My artistic process is a little different than what I think is considered the norm. For me, when it comes to writing, I like to start with the title of the song. Then from the title, I am able to derive the message, from the message I find the flow, and from the flow I fill the bars. I like all my music to have a theme, and so in starting with the title, I am able to craft a metaphor around a topic and build a nuanced way to navigate the conversation I am trying to have with the listener. It's an interesting approach and has always helped me build songs that I feel like express exactly what I was hoping for.

Where does your inspiration come from? What artists have influenced you?

What is crazy is that I didn't grow up on hip-hop music. I grew up on contemporary Christian music and smooth jazz. My first run-in with hip-hop music came from a CD that my dad brought home that was forma. Christian rapper Lecrae. From that moment on I was hooked. I didn't listen to mainstream hip-hop until I was around my junior year of high school. Growing up on Christian rap helped me feel more secure in who I was as an artist. I saw these people living their most authentic lives, making music about it, and becoming successful. It is a big reason why I don't swear in my music and why my music comes from such a real place. Sonically, I get a lot of inspiration from both the St. Louis scene as well as the Chicago scene from artists like Smino, Saba, Chance, Jordan Ward, femdot. and a bunch of others.

However, my favorite artist is J. Cole, and I think that influence can be heard throughout the music as well.

What kind of genre is your music? What kinds of things do you write about?

My genre is described as alternative hip hop. I write about everything that pertains to my life. My goal with music is to find my people, so everything that I do is authentic to me because I want to find people who can connect with me. My topics range from mental health to social justice, to struggles with self-identity and pretty much every part of the emotional spectrum. I want you to be able to hear my music and feel like you learned a little bit more about me.

Do you have one song that means more to you or is extremely special to you?

BLACKKIDS. is the oldest track on the project and probably one of the songs that means the most to me. I recorded it by myself in a treehouse studio that I built at the beginning of quarantine, and it was one of the first songs that I engineered for myself. It is also a topic that deeply impacts not only me, but also people that look like me, and for me to be a voice of the community is always something special. That track will forever hold a special place in my heart.

What experiences in your life have shaped your music?

I think every moment in my life has shaped my music. I like to coin this idea of "Romanticized Authenticity." Taking the smallest moments in life and making them seem bigger than life. This project "LINDENAVE!" felt like a culmination of all the experiences that I have gone through that led me to what I believe is the beginning of my journey. Whether it was being slammed against the hood of my car by a cop who thought I was stealing my own car that inspired "DANCEPARTY.," or the conversations that I had with my parents that inspired "BLACKKIDS." or even working my overnight shift at work that I hated that inspired "WESTON." Every song was born from a place of authenticity.

If we want to hear more of your work, where should we go to find it? What about upcoming shows (virtual or in-person)?

You can find all of my music on any streaming platform under the name "Oblé Reed." For performances, you can catch me supporting Sol in Portland at Doug Fir on Friday, Sept. 8, as well as some other shows coming up that are yet to be announced! Hope to see y'all there!

What is next for you? Anything you're working on right now that you're really excited about?

I got some new music coming out, the first of which is "downsize." released on Aug. 22. Other than some new singles, it's really about giving this project a moment to breathe and getting it out to as many people as we can.

Lastly, how do you take your coffee? We ask everyone!

I don't drink coffee, but I'll take a White Peach Cantaloupe Desert Pear Red Bull Italian Soda any day.

About 'Artist of the Week': This city is packed with artists we love to feature weekly on Seattle Refined! If you have a local artist in mind that you would like to see featured, let us know at hello@seattlerefined.com. And if you're wondering just what constitutes art, that's the beauty of it; it's up to you! See all of our past Artists of the Week in our dedicated section.