Meet Mosik | Rapper & Entrepreneur

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

Hi Mosik, why did you pursue a creative career?
You know, from the time I was about 11 or 12 years old, my interest for music and simply the arts, really came from being around it. From cleaning the house on Saturdays to Motown music, Gospel, Jazz and Hip-Hop, no matter where I turned, music was there. In the streets of Bronx, NY, and any borough in NYC there is no shortage of art, music, and culture. You could walk one to two blocks away from your apartment and discover the carefully crafted graffiti fill an entire wall with all sorts of shapes, colors, and characters. When I was in the 6th grade, there was a talent showcase at the school, IS 116 in the Bronx. My teacher at the time encouraged me to try for it since I was writing so much poetry. I took my shot. On the eve of the talent showcase, I was a nervous wreck. When my number came to go and perform, I recall walking to the mike, lights dimmed, I took a deep breath behind the mic, I waited for the crowd to be silent. Once it was quiet, it was then I brought to life Ecclesiastes 3: A Time for Everything. I performed it so well, without reading that I received a standing ovation. It was at the moment I was how impact performing words can have on people and I knew I wanted to do just that for as long as I am alive.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Oh man, this is a loaded and profound question. It’s tough to answer through it because I am yet evolving and seeking higher ground to break in regards to goals and what I want to achieve professionally. However, As an artist, what I believe sets me apart is my ability and capacity to always speak from the heart, be transparent, and a voice to the people. What I mean, is that you have rappers today who rap to a trend, some rap from a solid place in life, meaning they grew up well off or something close to it. All of which is cool. However, when I was introduced to rap and music, it was to always be authentic and always use it to speak for the people, lift up the people, and speak from our pain and triumphs. So for me, rapping is my weapon, my protest, my line of defense to protect our culture and communities. The road to get here today was crazy hard. Full of ups, downs, rejections after rejections, but I knew and still believe, moving forward is the only way up. I am proud to say that I am a paid rapper, but the journey has been rough and filled with pitfalls, as it needs to be, since those are the blocks I am building from. Overcoming them back then and now has really been about how I handle the moment and who are the voices surrounding me. Community is major and it is a major key til this day. The lessons are endless, but if there is a practical lesson I can state here it is this: if there is no real contract involved, then it was just a great conversation. This is a business at the end of the day and as artist, we must develop the capacity be well versed in both the creative and business sides of it all. What I want the world to know about my, my story, and brand is that with every moment I am graced with, I vow to give it my all, be authentic, and there truly is a place for all of us under the sun.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh I love this question. So without a doubt, my family and friends come to visit me for a week here in LA, this is how it’s going down. First, upon picking up from the Airport we are heading to Randy’s Donuts, sorry no vegan option here LOL. The first full day, we are having breakfast at this French spot on Ventura Blvd called Le Pain Quotidien. Then we are hitting up Cafecito in Burbank on Magnolia Blvd. Then are hitting up Porto’s, that is a must! Then we will hit up Caffe Roma in Beverly Hills. After I take them to see Santa Monica Pier, then we are going to Malibu, Zuma Beach, and spending and entire day there, trust me, they will not want to leave after seeing the sun set there. We are going to the Grove, the 2Pac Museum downtown. Visiting the markets downtown, hitting up some Farmers Market’s, and so many other things that my mind is losing it. On the last evening, we are having dinner at Castaway’s with the breath taking views and a glass of pinot. Trust me, they will see why I am in love with this city!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wrote a song called “Know My Name” (releasing in 2023) based on this very question of who deserves credit for impacting on my life. For me, there are so many to list because at different times of my life, I believe God brought a voice or voices to help guide me and continue to do so. I talk about TD Jakes being one of those voices because growing up fatherless, his voice was introduced to me, while I was doing my thing in the streets. When I was on the verge of dropping out of high school, Mr. Fred Givens, my English teacher, saw something in me and took some time to cultivate that. Ms Mampilly, Ms. Rathgab, and Mr. Jones, other teachers who were instrumental in me staying the course with high school through some really dark moments in my life. When I was struggling to figure out life at times, my older brother Ro was there, Michael Torres and Ellie Swuarez (Youth Ministers), who were there too in my latter youth days. I mention Nas, Fat Joe, Jay-Z, and The Notorious BIG, because they too spoke to guys like me and in their music you can find some blueprints and guides. My wife is a major contributor to so many aspects of my life. This list can go on and on to be honest. But in short, when you hear me, you are hearing the sum total of people that have impacted my life in one way or another. Be it in person, in relationship with them, or just them mentoring me from afar through their books, music, and visuals. Last but not least, my mom, may she rest in peace. We lost her as a family to COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic in 2020. She was and will forever be an unforgettable voice to me.

Website: https://mosikcreative.com/

Instagram: @mosikcreative

Twitter: @mosikcreative

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialmosik/?ref=bookmarks

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfLZp8zunWgjhHpbpuxIrQ