Not everyone comes fully formed with the ambition to become a recording artist. For a subset, a casual encounter with music, often as a feature on another artist’s song sparks the fire that moves them to pursue a solo career. It’s what happened with WavyTheCreator, and similarly what happened with Osadee who debuted as a guest artist on Ka$h’s “Trap Gidi Girl” a year ago. Although Osadee actually had a music band (in his college days) way before “Trap Gidi Girl”, the feature was a milestone for him before fittingly releasing an “Uber Everywhere” cover. Now, Osadee is crafting his own catalogue with a definitive EP. On it, he even does homage to Ka$h by letting him shimmer with rap verses on a track. But Ka$h isn’t the only featured artist, just like a year ago, Osadee similarly opens a first feature window for Sheeks and Johdavincii, a man who doubles as his manager.

As an intro track, if the title is anything to go by, one would think “Gratitude” is dedicated to Osadee’s appreciation towards God, fans or supporters as many artists have done in the past with new body of work. But Osadee is an exciting contradiction. He has crafted his six-track project solely to paint a particular story and each song plays like a simple chapter that adds to the development of the whole. Each song bleeds in and out of each other, all seemingly connecting to one scenario: a situation-ship that had been earlier introduced to us in May with lead single “Summer Fling”. But you wouldn’t hear this track until 3 tracks into the extended play because SINC begins with “Gratitude”.

“Take a look it’s about to rain, I guess that means you gotta stay”, Osadee sings metaphorically in the first verse of “Gratitude”. This iterations are some of the most defining parts on SINC, as the following tracks emotes lyrics into melodies from minimal rage (“Love Tough”, “Certain Things”) into plea to lovelorn deadbeats (“Long Shot”, “Summer Fling”) compelling another to stay with him (“Gratitude”). Even as SINC is a collection of throbbing, mid-tempo music, featured artists like Sheeks on “Love Tough”, Johdavincii on “Summer Fling” and Ka$h on “Long Shot” take the moderate tempo into a more interesting faster paced route with their rap verses.

The fuel that burns through all 21 minutes of Sorry I Never Called is miscommunication, exaggerated in the way only millennials can, a grand metaphor for how we can read worlds of meaning into an unanswered call. But at the risk of immersing one self too much in such matters of the heart, SINC gradually allows “I Feel Alive”, the final track, where Osadee gets to “Ride out the city with [his] guys, Turn the stereo up catch a vibe” and “Party with no ceilings”. Yet, love is a theme that remains because this current state (with friends) is rather a consequence of the lover (ish) who leaves him on hold in the song’s beginning. At this point, a little wander would lead to know if it’s this particular phone call he is apologising for and if it’s actually a wry gesture. But perhaps it’s obvious the words ‘Sorry I Never Called’ are from the other, who has finally decided she’ll quit stalling and take a chance with her heart. It’s hard to tell, and maybe that’s the point.

And as far as singing goes, Osadee’s voice occasionally tends towards a nasal tone. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing (think Jidenna, Ozzy Osbourne, or Miley Cyrus), for Osadee it becomes a hindrance. But it’s also important to recognise that vocal techniques are malleable and its rules are ever changing. Despite this, an intermittent machine-esque voice comes in handy for (such you hear on “Gratitude” and “Summer Fling”). Albeit, the dependence on a vocoder, sometimes gets disturbing on SINC. When it comes to song writing however, for Osadee it’s a journaling of experiences and sometimes that of other people’s by putting himself in these situations as the voice of characters. He’s got a notepad for this activity, in front of it written ‘Parental Advisory Explicit Content’. It’s the door that opens into a syntax of words for many more music to come. SINC is not Osadee’s final form, it feels more like a first glimpse.

Take a moment to witness the definitive dawn of Osadee’s musical career on “Sorry I Never Called” below.

Featured Image Credits: Soundcloud/Osadee

Fisayo is a journalist who thinks writing is hard and reading too. But her journey somewhere reveals, words are like pawns on chessboard when writing. She wants to see, create and share with the world, experience & communicate these experiences. Tweet at her @fisvyo

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