INTERVIEW: Getting to Know Rie Osei: the Sugar, the Spice, and Everything that Makes her Nice — at Ghanafest 2023
Rie Osei in performance. Image courtesy the artist, photo by Andrew Bonsu.
INTERVIEW
Getting to Know Rie Osei: the Sugar, the Spice, and Everything that Makes her Nice — at Ghanafest 2023
By Efua Osei
Rie Osei is a 24 year old Ghanaian - American artist and songwriter. Born in Chicago, but she hails from West Legon in Accra, Ghana. Inspired by the musical talents of her grandmother and father in particular, she started writing songs at 6 years old. Rie Osei was raised between Chicago and Accra. In her younger childhood, she spent more time in Ghana in Chicago. She spent her entire middle school experience in Ghana and was started as a sophomore when she came back to the US. She was also in the DMV for some time. Moved to Milford Mill, Baltimore County then to Capitol Heights, Southeast DC area. She recalls really loving her time in all the places she’s grown up, but is ready to go back to the DMV.
Rie Osei was one of the opening acts for the 2023 Annual GhanaFest, held in Washington Park. For 35 years, the Ghana National Council of Chicago has put on GhanaFest; a celebration of the history and culture of the West African nation.
Growing up in Chicago, how often would you say you’ve been to GhanaFest?
To me, GhanaFest used to be way bigger in terms of hype than what it is now. Like it was really like a community event. Like if you're Ghanaian in Chicago, you’re there. But it's kind of died down.In the past they haven’t done too much that's geared towards the youth. If the youth is coming it’s usually for the food and who the performer is going to be. But I don't think I've gone to GhanaFest and thought I should have stayed home for this. I hadn't been in a while since I moved to the DMV, and then the pandemic happened. So after that, I had not been back to GhanaFest. I moved back to Chicago a couple of years ago, but this year was my first year back.
So this was your first time performing at the festival? How was it opening for Sarkodie?
Yes, I actually wish I had gone to part of it outside of performing. Because I feel like I missed out on some things that I usually would have enjoyed. But I mean, the experience overall was great. And when Sarkodie was performing, I turned around and I just looked towards the back and I couldn't see the back of the crowd, it just kept on going.. I had never seen so many people there for one artist, and It was beautiful to watch. I really wish that GhanaFest had done something for the performers to meet Sarkodie, at least. I don’t know much about event planning, but I feel like they could have done something. But one day, we’ll get to meet..
Sarkodie, born Michael Owusu Addo, is a Ghanaian rapper and songwriter from Tema. Getting his start participating in Adom FM rap battles, he was underground for a long while. One of his earliest performances was alongside Busta Rhymes in Accra, and since then he’s become one of the biggest rappers from Ghana. Sarkodie’s global following has led him to be the first African to appear on The Billboard Social 50 and the inaugural winner of BET's Best International Flow Artist in 2019. Rapping in both English and Twi, Sarkodie Ghanaian pride is at the forefront of his music, of his movement.
Sarkodie is one of those few Ghanaian artists who will honestly make music forever.
Yes, like he doesn't seem like he's ready to stop anytime soon. Like him, I'm trying to be here for a while. I think he's really opened a lot of doors for African artists. Like he’s one of the few African artists who have been awarded huge awards in America for anything having to do with African music. That's one of my go-tos for sure.
As a child, were you growing up playing music or singing? Did you start performing later in life?
I think music has always been a huge part of my life. My grandma's a violinist, and I think she also plays guitar. And then she taught my dad; he plays acoustic guitar, bass, and keyboard. So he taught me what he could, without it getting to me too much. He also used to write songs, not as much as I did. I think I just took his little passion, or I wouldn't call it a passion for him. Like I took the thing he enjoyed, his hobby, and I just did too much. I think I probably wrote my first song when I was six. I would take Disney Channel songs, like Nick Jonas or whoever, then just rewrite the lyrics and that's how I started. So I've been writing music forever. I don't think there was ever a time where I wasn't making music or I wasn't writing. It's my thing.
Ok, so now I have to ask who was one of your favorite Disney Channel artists?
I have to say Miley Cyrus, I have to. My first guitar was a purple Hannah Montana guitar and that was my thing. Even now, sometimes I'll just listen to her sing and I like the grit in her voice. She has this kind of grit, this raspiness that kind of gives you a rock type feel even if it’s a pop song. I don't know, you can't teach that. She's always been that person, so I would give it to her.
Rei Osei in performance. Image courtesy the artist, photo by Andrew Bonsu.
She’s a good one. I’m split between Raven Simone, because I had a big thing for the Cheetah Girls, and Demi Lovato.
Oh my gosh, yes Demi Lovato! And I would give it to Raven too. I just wish that Raven had done more with music. She did a lot of soundtrack songs. But I'm like what would Raven-Symone give me as Raven-Symone now? What would that be?
So when did you start releasing music out into the world? Like on Soundcloud, on Spotify, on streaming?
I technically didn’t start releasing until last year. So this is my debut year, but there are still a couple songs that are buried somewhere on SoundCloud. I had been writing for so long, and music was my passion so I wanted to be very specific with my sound. I wanted it to be more catered to myself, my values. So early on anytime I would do something, I'd be like, "This isn't what I want out there, this isn't my perfect.” So I would want people to take my name off, or I’d ask them to not do too much with the promo. But last year, I just woke up one day and said forget it. Just said I don't care about the perception, or whatever. If you get 10 listens, if you don't get any listeners, just take it as it is. Because I wasn't gonna stop making music. So it's either start putting the music out or keep it in.
It's a good thing you started letting it out because your voice is amazing. I think the first song I listened to was your single 23 and I really liked that song, like a lot.
That's actually something that I had to grow comfortable with. Because growing up, I knew what singers were but I always thought my voice was not that. At some point I decided I didn't care if I don't sound like every singer. So when I hear people say, “I like your voice,” I'm like, really? But thank you.
I have so many influences and I feel like they influence me for different reasons. Sometimes it's a cadence, sometimes it's a song structure. Like okay, let me say someone I really like is Smino. And I love Smino with his delivery and slant rhymes. I love slant rhymes so much. Anytime I'm doing too much slant, I’m like oh, I'm in my Smi bag! Love Smino, love Noname. In terms of African artists, I would say Rema and his melodic rap vibe. And I like Tems a lot. My favorite artist of all time is Beyonce, but I feel like you wouldn't get that from my music.
I like hearing about influences, especially the ones that wouldn't be able to tell from hearing a song of yours. Like I love that you make a lot of Afrobeats and Afro-fusion, but you said you really admire Miley Cyrus’s voice.
Yeah, I feel like sometimes I think people don't pay attention to those things, but those things matter a lot to me as an artist. The reception of my music this year has been more than I could have ever wished for. But sometimes I just wonder like, oh, do people catch like the small little things I do? Did they catch this word play? Did they catch that? Do they hear the voice inflections? I like knowing that people care about small stuff.
How was it creating the Sugar & Spice EP with Demmi?
This project … I feel like this project was so essential. And I think it was necessary for both of us to do it. I got to know Demmi last year after I had dropped my first single. There was like some timeline buzz, but it wasn't like getting playlisted. So Demmi reached out to me like, “I see you make music, you know, you're really good.” I'm not the best networker, so it was really weird that I did this. I just told him we should work some time. Like I had been looking for someone to collaborate with, to make music with, but I had to like their sound. And I felt like I could mesh with his. Demmi produces his own music, so he would just send me beats sometimes when he's working on it. He sent me the first song, which was Don't Lose Me. And I just loved the beat so much I said I'll just do something on it. So we do the first song, I'm like, okay, this is cool. And then we keep going. Anytime they'll send me a song, then I'll write something to it or vibe.
I've never had the type of musical chemistry that I have with him. We're cranking out songs, like sometimes one song a day. It's like, how are we doing this? We were meant to work with each other, you know? And then we decided we're gonna put out an EP together. We thought we were gonna drop it at the end of this year, 2023. At the end of last year we were saying we're going to drop it at the end of this year, so we keep working. By the time we realized it, it’s the end of January and the EP’s finished. So we dropped in May.
I really loved the process. I learned how to record my own vocals. It made me feel like I should be producing for myself. So that's something I also want to venture into. Releasing with Demmi definitely helped me get more comfortable with self-promotion and posting your music. Having to do Instagram Reels and all that, because it's so necessary to your growth. Putting yourself out there is not that easy. It was pretty monumental for me. Like I'm never gonna forget the experience I had creating this project.
From Sugar and Spice, what would you say is your favorite song? Or what have you been playing the most recently?
I think I play SNS the most.
If you were to put SNS on a playlist of other songs, what like four to five songs would you pick?
Oh gosh, you put me on the spot. Okay, okay, there's a song by Blaqbonez. Is it called Medicine? I think it's called Medicine. Something different, Adekunle Gold. Gyakie, Never Like This. Decided with Tems. And then, I would say Amarae Leave Me Alone, but the live Colors Show version. Because it’s a really soft vibe, not too much. I love how she doesn't force anything. I love that.
BRIDGE MUSIC EDITOR EFUA OSEI’S REI OSEI DISCOVERY PLAYLIST:
ON SOUNDCLOUD
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