Artist Profile: Okko

Written By G.C. Bellchamber
Okko, a rapper and Louisville resident, stands on a street corner.

Okko, on his latest project The Assembly, showcases himself as a rapper whose potent lyricism is able to swim across splendidly soulful beats. Born in the DC area, his musical journey began with an affinity for the soul of artists like Marvin Gaye as well as the syncopated rhythms of the local genre of Go-Go music.

He lived with his mom in a rough stretch of DC until he was seven, but he was then sent to live with his father in Louisville. There, he was exposed to African music and his Ghanaian roots, but, as he heard rap music on the radio, he naturally gravitated toward the genre. His father was a doctor, and he describes the split socio-economic conditions in which he grew up to be vital to his understanding of the world.

“Going [to Louisville] and then going back to DC all the time, and seeing how f*cked up it was, it made me not take the opportunities that I had, that I do have, for granted… DC just really forced you to grow up.”

At the same time, Louisville forced him to be more focused as an artist in order to gain the credibility that rappers from other, more traditionally hip-hop oriented, cities gain naturally.

“As an artist, [Louisville] saved me because you have to work a lot harder. I think when I tell people I'm from DC, they respect me more when it comes to artistry than if I tell them I'm from Louisville… But still, I think, regardless of what you do, just coming from Kentucky, coming from Louisville, you have to work twice as hard for the respect.” 

This grind is part of what defines Okko as a rapper. He was first exposed to the prospect of recording his raps as a freshman in college, when his neighbors had a home studio set up in their dorm room. Although he went over there with the intent to record, he “didn’t have nothing to say” and left without recording a word. However, by the time he was a sophomore, he had gained some confidence in his abilities and had begun sending voice memos of his verses to his friends, who would then put them over beats to make demo and reference tracks. The COVID-19 Pandemic gave him the opportunity to lock in and fully focus on creating music, ultimately leading to his first official trip to the studio.

Constantly trying to master his craft, he planned The Assembly as a showcase of his various abilities as a lyricist.

Initially drawn to artists like J. Cole and Shy Glizzy, Okko developed his flow with inspiration from their lyrical capabilities and intended to display his full range on the project. However, as the album was nearing completion, he realized that it was missing the full breadth of sounds he had hoped for, and he went back into the lab to write “One Of A Kind”, “Meant To Be”, and, what ultimately became the biggest song on the album, “Legit”.

According to him, this commitment to the depth of his music is part of what sets him apart from the partially saturated market of rappers. 

“I think rap is one of them genres where the barrier of entry is so low now, right? Back in the day, like everything you heard, if you heard it, it was good because there was so many intentional steps that was taken to bring it to you… so I really wanted [“The Assembly”] to be a representation of my versatility as an artist and as a rapper.”

Versatility, indeed, is displayed in full force on “The Assembly”. From slower, more introspective songs like “9314” and “Different!” to upbeat bangers like “Chasin”, Okko’s range of moods is exhibited through his ability to cater his cadence and flow toward the ultimate goal or message of each song.

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