WATCH FOR: A.O
By Toyin Josephs
“Im
more of an entertainer than a rapper, I like to put
on a show”
Arinze
Oruche better known as A.O, holding it in down for
the Nigerians and better yet Africans in Indianapolis,
Indiana by way of Los Angeles, California.
The first couple words that best describes
him and his sound are fresh, versatile and “just-too-damn-fun”.
This
20 year old rapper hails from Anambra state and was
raised in Lagos; moved to the United States in the
mid ‘90’s. An interesting family of four siblings they
are; in which he holds the 2nd position. On his family, he says, “…No favorites in the siblings…everyone
brings something to the table we could be a movie,
its ridiculous; I’m telling you.”
Unlike a lot of people trying to break into the music
industry, AO is not doing what he is primarily for
financial gain. He does his music for fun and stability; a
hobby that brings in a little pocket money can’t hurt.
“I rap cuz its fun, and then I started making a lil’
money on campus, making tapes. So I decided imma get a lil serious with it. I just do it… If I get shine, imma put a lotta
people dat I know out there..give them shine.”
His
music actually keeps him focused on his academic career
as a junior in Indiana State University where he majors
in Finance and Business Administration where he should
be graduating from in May 2007. “Music keeps me cool in school and balances
me and not let me stress out.
And sometimes it gets me because I can’t be
working on this I got to work on a paper or something.”
AO
started writing his last year of high school when
a girl he liked challenged him to write a poem for
her. From then on his poetry caught onto the school like fire in dry
grass land. He
decided to transition from poetry to rap when a couple
kids from his school told him he could not do it because
rap is very different from poetry, and he sure did
prove them wrong.
In
May 2004, he released his first album “King of the
Jungle” as a joke and sold all 150 copies in two days. His second album “The African Ambassador” should
be dropping November 2005.
The title of his album came from the reactions
that people gave him because he told them he was African.
It’s a way to show everyone that Africans can
hold it down in a positive manner and also make money
while they’re at it.
Some tracks on the upcoming album are “That’s
wassup” a catchy hook-party song and “bad lil’ nigga,”
a song talking about how he’s not a thug, doesn’t
sell drugs, but he can hold his own.
