Obeeyay comes from a very musical family of gospel legends in Utah; mom Debra is a revered local voice teacher and one of his sisters currently performs on Broadway.. Perhaps because they were musicians themselves, Obeeyay’s parents heavily supported their youngest child’s talents by facilitating his move to LA as a teenager.
It was there that Obeeyay started shadowing Grammy-winning producers and songwriters who worked behind the scenes with superstars like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, and Cardi B.
Orbiting the pop stratosphere, Obeeyay also learned the hustle of Hollywood: finding backup dancers, selling tickets to concerts, the importance of flawless execution as a stage technician. “I had to go and make it happen for myself,” he says. “I was taking public transportation all over LA— my mom and dad weren’t there to help me like I was used to. I became an adult pretty quick. But that hustle is where it’s at. The connections I’ve made come from treading that water—and rising above, even as a small-town kid.”
Back in Utah, Obeeyay’s high-energy persona helped him build his fanbase by leaps and bounds – both online and IRL. Then came COVID-19. The pandemic threatened to strike a devastating blow.
“Honestly, the pandemic helped me realize how much I love being in the studio,” he says. “The studio feels like home. The global pandemic has given me more time to focus on myself as a singer and songwriter. A song goes a long way if it moves you. It doesn’t matter where it was created, in your basement or in a million-dollar studio. It’s how you sculpt that clay—the beats, the melodies, and the words—that matters.”
With a brand-new song called “Hard” and new EP (“Winnin”) dropping March 4th, Obeeyay is clearly making things happen for himself and we are excited to follow his career. We got a chance to listen to “Hard” and its definitely a bop with a clean, modern synth-heavy production, and great vocal hooks. The other tracks on the EP follow suit–perfect for both radio and the dance floor. We’ve included a couple of his videos (scroll down to bottom) but make sure to follow him so you catch his latest!
Here’s 5 Fast Facts about Obeeyay!
His new song “Hard” is about the busybodies we all have in life–especially regarding relationships!
I wrote this song three years ago about this relationship I was in and everyone seemed to have an opinion about the relationship. So I was like, you know what, let me write a song about these people who have opinions telling them to back off. It’s my life.
He’s learned to keep it simple.
I’ve learned to make my songs less busy. I’m always excited to write new songs and normally have more ideas for one song than I can handle. So letting go of ideas and melodies that don’t necessarily help the song is the hardest part for me. I’m always like, “noooo i like all of my ideas!” But then it gets too busy. I’ve mastered that during this process which I am grateful for.
He got to work with a childhood idol.
Working as a programmer/pro tools guy for Brandy when she went on tour was big for me. Hearing all the songs I grew up on while working behind the scenes for her was unreal.
He’s got a special skill:
I am a BEAST at ping pong.
Here is what’s next for Obeeyay after the EP release:
More music and more collaborations.
Selfie Time!
Website: https://obeeyay.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/obeeyay/
Obeeyay On Spotify (Click Here)