Meet LovelyOcean | Rapper, songwriter, artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with LovelyOcean and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi LovelyOcean, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I have always been a creative person, so making music seemed like the natural decision. Initially, I was nervous to get started because I’m a pretty shy person and it takes a lot of guts to be vulnerable and put out music. Although music is not my full time career, I would like it to be and I’m working toward that. I currently work in the social work field, and that helps me pay the bills and fund my music endeavors. Music truly brings me peace and has saved me so many times. It allows me to express myself in ways that I was never able to before.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I love having my own unique sound and don’t try to sound like other artists, no shade to them. I feel like this allows me to stand out, especially when I’m performing because people don’t know what to expect from me. This year I’m very proud of myself for performing more than I ever have before in the past. Now when I get on stage, I’m not as nervous as I used to be and I can put on a better show. It has not been easy getting to this point. There have been so many times where I wanted to give up on music completely because my mental health was in the gutter and I was going through a divorce. Eventually, with a lot of therapy, I was able to resume making music and carving my own lane. One of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned, is to take risks! I used to be afraid of being rejected for an opportunity, so I wouldn’t even apply for it. Now I apply for everything and as a result, Ive been selected for a lot of cool opportunities. Sometimes we can really get in our own way. I want the world to know that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. Don’t let people discourage you and tell you that you’re too old or incapable of doing something.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Rusty Pot Cafe in Inglewood; very good chicken and waffles Santa Monica Pier; it gets crowded but it’s still a nice time
Any Tastea location; the drinks are so good, trust me!
Helping Healing Hands in Torrance; Tierra gives the best massages, I put that on everything!
Sanford’s Vintage; This is the only place I go to when I want to buy records
California Chicken Cafe; the wraps have me in chokehold
Natural History Museum; so much fun if you like animals

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to shout out my family; my sister and my dad. They have always been there to support me and hold me down during the best and worst times. Special shout out in memory of my beloved mother. I miss her everyday and everything I do is in memory of her. My best friend Jasmine has been there for me since we met in 2010. To this day, she continues to be there for me and show up to my shows! She’s a rider for real.
Shout out to my boyfriend, Daniel. He’s been an amazing support and I feel so lucky to have him in my life.

Website: https://lnk.bio/lovelyocean

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovelyoceanwaters/

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1pqQJj7j8P9QP6p5SyxjJQ

Image Credits
Ari Guerra Curt Watson