Lagum Owor and the core of himself

I didn’t know much about the rap genre until my brothers grew up and in their adolescence became o.b.s.e.s.s.e.d. There I was, a fellow adolescent and just a couple of years older, forcefully tolerating the blaring and broadcasted boom-boom-boom-boom that was constantly and consistently so, sounding from their rooms on a daily. I mean I returned the favor with my own kind of music when I could, but I was out manned and out gunned. What choice did I have but to evolve from the choice of disdain, to that of giving the benefit-of-the-doubt and finally, to giving in? Of course there wasn’t an immediate celebration of all that was rap from me. It was gradual and took time. All the best things in life work that way.

It took a while before I could bob my head to the beat, let alone have those lines that were profoundly articulated, ingrained and searing into my memory with the brand of spoken truth and expressed conviction, etched and indelible. The next time the song played, I was reciting those lines like a converted believer.

Rap is one of the artistic expressions that I now feel literally tells stories. I saw the story play out and unfold. I saw limerick, free verse and refrains in a different and more wonderful light. I even had my favorite characters and applauded the performances of the most diabolical villains within it. I received all of this, recited over the bed rock of a boom-boom beat, and was always glad to be introduced to another story in the embodiment of a mixtape.

Meet Lagum Owor, aUgandanArtist and like most artists, a story teller too.

His dedication to learning from inspiration, is one that is clearly envisaged in his art and its form of expression; encompassing, rap, singing and production. The wells and sources of this inspiration are also discernible and vulnerably communicated within his art, showing more of a strength in him as an artist, and less of weakness. The past 3 to 4 years and specifically the past year, have had this artist growing and stepping out into spaces of achievement as a rapper and producer, with him recently making his debut at the 18th Blankets and Wine, last August and onto stages like AkaDope among others.

The turf of this play out on experience-meets-emotion, is boldly revealed in his projects that include the LP Social lives, the EP For you most recently released, and his very phenomenal Xtensions album. Lagum is also an artist known for a wealth of collaboration with other artists, passing on this inspiration and in turn encouraging a dedication to it. These artists include, King’s African Rifle, the amazing Ivory Namara, PRIME, YOBO, Maya, Esther Chanelle, Nyara, Karun, and even across borders with the Kenyan talent Wanja Wahoro (set to begin the production of her LP Matriarch https://www.gofundme.com/SupportMyDebutAlbumMatriarch) among many others that include myself.

Here are some questions I asked Lagum and what he said in response to them.

What do you believe art is? What is its purpose and relevance in the world and in your own country from your own experience? How do these beliefs tie into the art you express?

Ummm, I think art is basically expression of what’s inside us. I think art is about the core of who we are and I believe it is fundamental in society; like it legit drives into people a way of thinking and changes opinion in them. It can be controversial by topic or otherwise. It can attack certain opinions that a person is against in seemingly simple things like singing a song, writing a poem, in an art piece that has been drawn. In all these aspects, I believe it is the expression of our core selves- what’s inside us. That’s what I believe art is. I tie a lot of this belief in the way I do music. Therefore, a lot of the time, the way I express that core in my rap or singing or production, is to bring out a story and to bring out the things that affect people’s lives positively. That core in me is about positive change and the attitude of positivity. It’s about God. It’s about love. It’s about life, and you’ll hear a lot of that in my music. Yeah.

2. How has the journey of actualizing the expression of your art by performing and releasing projects gone so far? What have you struggled with an what have you enjoyed?

So far the journey has been tough but fun as well. I’ve found that it’s just a balance of both; in that there’s times it’s a real struggle, and you’re trying to get what you’re doing out there. Sometimes, it’s not moving as much as you’d want it to out there; yet again there’s lots of people listening and being like, “I really love what he’s doing with this.” Seeing people affected by what I do, even though it’s a few people like 1 or 50; like every time someone quotes something I said in my music on Twitter, it helps me realize that I’m actually on the way to something here.

Even when I lose gas, I just remember those people and that’s why I keep doing this- for those people. If there’s anything I ever do it’s for those people, and for myself as well because my art does affect me, and is based on emotions that I feel and things that I want to feel at the time- very real things. I think that’s what I have enjoyed the most. Expression has helped me a lot and it has helped others too.

For me what I’ve struggled with the most, is getting people to listen; in a society that believes there’s not that much Ugandan rap out there that’s good; or people who just predominantly listen to different types of music for just the reason that it makes them dance. The reason I’ve released many projects, and people always say first release singles, but the reason I like releasing bodies of work is because they tell more of a clearer picture for me to affect people the way I want them to be affected- in a much more fuller way. Projects for me are a full idea, as compared to a song that to me is never a full idea. A song to me is part of an idea. That’s just how I am with my music. A lot of times I feel people don’t want to hear something that grips them or needs them to listen and I think that’s what I’ve struggled with the most.

3. Has it been difficult getting an audience and thriving being the kind of artist that you are, especially being an English performing artist in Uganda?

It has been kind of hard but now I think there’s a growing audience for it. There’s a lot of people that listen to the kind of music that I do, and a lot of those people are starting to support the music I do. It’s been difficult though, and it’s been slow progress but I’ve been getting there recently.

4. If you had to recommend your best project that you have released to someone, which one would it be and why?

I thinks that would be X- tension or Social lives. One of the two. But I’m more inclined to X-tension personally because I believe it was a really real project for me; like it came from my very core. Like I said, I believe art is the expression of your core self. For me that was the “been there.” That was me saying things that really mean something to me. So, yeah. I’d say X-tensions which is a mixtape I released last August.

DOWNLOAD: X-tension (mixtape)- Lagum

5. What would you have to say to your younger self starting out on this artistic journey if you met him today? What would you do again? Or what would you do differently?

I honestly don’t think I’d do anything differently. I wouldn’t tell him anything either. I’d probably keep quiet because I feel like the decisions that I’ve made as a result of me not knowing and what not, are are essential to who I am now, or how my music got released, or the reason a project came out. I don’t think X-tension would have come out had I had the opportunity to go and say, “Yo, do this differently”. So I just generally believe that these experiences that we have in life, good or bad, affect our expression and our core and make the art what it is and I believe this is sacred.

6. What are the dreams (as big as they get) for what you hope to achieve as person with your art? Firstly, for yourself and for others?

Well for myself, it’s just to be known all over the world, for my rap and for my production and music. I want to reach as many people as I can and then, the big idea for me is eventually to start a record label that would be different from other record labels. A lot of other record labels sign artists to take advantage of the unique talents that they have, to exploit and to make money off of that. I’d like to start something that gets developing artists and helps them develop into an even better artist. It would be very much about the artist and not about the label. That would be the big idea for me and for others that I want to do.

7. So how would you introduce “Lagum the artist” to someone? Who do you believe you are as an artist? What do you do? What do you feel defined by? What words express that definition?

Idk. I’ve always struggled whenever someone asked me something like this. I just don’t know how I’d introduce myself to someone but I’d say a very hardworking rapper, producer and singer who is defined by the experiences and situations that he he has gone through in life, and also is defined as someone who believes in the one true God who is right now, looking down on us and loves us. So all these things make me the artist that I am, but the one word that would describe what I’m trying to do is just, love. Like love for all people. The truth is that’s the one commandment in the Bible that just surpasses everything. Once you get that right, everything just falls into place. When you love the way God loved, everything just falls into place.

Agape.

That would describe what I’m trying to do.

8. What artists inspired you to do what you do? Any Ugandan artists on that list? (if there aren’t any Ugandans its totally fine).

There’s a guy called T- streaks. This guy is one of my best friends and he used to make music back in the day. He is older than I am. This guy would make music and I’d be like I want to do that. He would make this music using Garage band. I remember, he made this one song that said, “I want to tell you ’bout my pizza.” I mean I still remember that song! It would so be a hit right now if you played it, and that was way back in 2007. The lines were, “I wanna tell you ’bout my pizza, y’all really need to meet her. On the chef’s menu she’s the only diva and i’ll never ever leave her.” If there’s anyone that ever inspired me to do music, it’s that guy. Like he’s not even a “known” artist. He’s just my homie. That’s the funny thing. But he’s the one person that inspired me to do the music.

Here are some other interviews that can help you know more about Lagum Owor and what he’s doing in Uganda as an artist. Anything you want to ask about? Spark discussion in the comment section and let’s talk about Ugandan Art and rap in Uganda!