Meet The Artist: Interview with Otis Ubaka
Rising Saxophonist & Lo-fi Hip Hop Producer Otis Ubaka is an incredibly talented musician hailing from Taunton, Somerset. Otis creates chilled hip hop beats with an eclectic, distinctive touch of jazz. His raw sultry piano chords and relaxing saxophone melodies make him stand out amongst the vast pool of Lo-Fi producers!
The rising star has managed to amass over 20 million streams and accumulate a vast following on various social platforms with his breathtaking live performance videos and unique sound! We had the amazing opportunity to talk to Otis Ubaka about his musical roots, creative process, the impact that social media has had on his musical journey and much more! Here’s what came of the conversation:
Introduce Yourself?
Otis: Whats up! I go by the name of Otis ‘Phillip’ Ubaka! I’m a multi-instrumentalist and music producer with my main instrument being Saxophone.
How and when did you get into making music?
Otis: Well thinking about it, I got into music through my brother which is funny because he currently works in finance in Central London and isn’t even a musician! When I was a young infant (over a decade ago), he used to play the Saxophone, however he decided to give it up after a year or so and the sax ended up collecting dust as it wasn’t getting used. So, I used to sneak into his room and play it as I was mesmerised by the sound and shine of it! He also used to blast Hip Hop and R&B on his speakers, from Kanye West, Jay Z and Drake to a lot of the UK stars at the time like Wiley, Skepta and Wretch 32. I think this is why a lot of my beats are hip hop influenced.
Describe your music-making process?
Otis: Start with chords then just let the beat grow! Chords and drums are the heart and lifeblood of the track, For me, the melody and bass are just decorations that enhance the vibe, almost like flavour enhancements in food.
How do you think social media has affected the music industry? Do you think it’s had a positive or negative impact?
Otis: Social media is a funny one. It’s as positive as it is negative. The positives are that its a free way to promote yourself and get discovered in music. The negatives are the constant fight with the algorithm (sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t), comparing yourself to others, and ultimately, comparing your success to others which makes you question whether your music is good enough; even though it usually is… You need to realise that how the algorithm treats you does not determine the value of your art. I learned that this year and it was very liberating coming to this realisation. all-in-all, social media is what you make of it really! It’s a case of controlling who you follow and the content that you consume, but the problem is that it’s very easy to get carried away, lose control and spiral into a dark place.
How do you stay driven on the days your lack motivation?
Otis: Honestly just knowing I can help heal people through my music! The duty and purpose of providing music for my listeners in some way, as often as possible helps me get up every morning and flick into work mode.
We love your TikTok/YouTube videos! What is your sole purpose behind those?
Otis: Thanks! The Sole purpose of the videos is to document my art to the world, provide good music for my followers, and have as much fun as I can in the process.
Any advice for aspiring young jazz musicians looking to take music to the next level?
Otis: Just follow your intuition, realise what you want to achieve and what you want to get out of music and do everything you can day in and day out to get there. Realise what you need to do to get there, take control, and give it 110%. Sacrifice, get disciplined, and don’t lose sight of your target whilst still maintaining the bigger picture. If you get rejected or get pushed back 10 times
bounce back 11. It’s just a relentless pursuit. Your mental health will be up and down so take breaks when needed.
Tell us your biggest musical achievement to date?
Otis: 20 million all-time streams as a bedroom producer and saxophonist, and releasing a track under a division of Atlantic Records! I would never have thought that a major label would contact me for a release! Madness….
If you could collab with any UK artist, who would it be?
Otis: It’s between Kofi stone, Frankie Stew and Harvey Gunn, and Loyle Carner. They all rap about real life stuff, from the heart over amazing beats.
Top 5 Jazz musicians of all time?
Otis: John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Bill Evans, Alfa Mist and Charlie Parker. I don’t vibe with Charlie Parker as much as the majority of jazz players and fans, however, I fully respect and appreciate his revolutionary technique and the impact that he’s made on the genre.
Top 5 rappers dead or alive?
Otis: 2pac, Kota the friend, Kofi Stone, Loyle Carner and Saba. All these guys rap about real-life issues and have a good balance with being humble and success. They are not just constantly talking about money and women which most rappers nowadays with the word “Lil” (apart from Lil Wayne) seem to want to talk about… Don’t get me wrong I love listening to that music every now and then as its good fun, motivational and an all around good nightclub setting, but it’s getting soo boring and it feeds this toxic “flexxer”, "clout chasing” and “get rich quick" social media culture and lifestyle… So, listening to someone like Kofi Stone is incredibly refreshing, relatable and brings your mind back to the real world in an amazing way.
What’s next for Otis Ubaka (future releases, live shows etc…)
Otis: Oh, bro lots and lots of stuff! There is always something in the pipeline. More releases, and live shows are definitely something I want to get into, but a little bit further down the line. Although saying that I think I’m playing with Edbl at Camden assembly in march 2022 (don’t want to jinx it but I think I will be).
Where can people find you (socials etc…)
Otis: Pretty much every social media and digital music platform, apart from Myspace or any of the other ancient Mummified social sites!
Thank you for reading this article! If you enjoyed the content be sure to bookmark the website, and follow us on Instagram & our other socials to stay up-to-date with all of our latest content. Be sure to follow our Spotify and Soundcloud for fresh playlists and new music releases:
vibe rating ~ Instagram | Spotify | Soundcloud | TikTok