Wacko Genius: The art of slow beats
Wacko Genius defines his sound by opting for smooth and mellow beats in his musical compositions rather than the frantic and fast-paced beats.
By taking the longer and scenic route with his music, he has been to differentiate himself from other hip-hop acts in Brunei, churning popular tracks such as ‘Chimes’.
We sat down with Wacko Genius to ask him more about his musical style and his aspiration as a hip-hop artist.
Listen to his latest song ‘Usaha’ on Progresif Radio> On Demand> Locals Only. Download the Progresif Radio App on Google Play and the App Store.
Can you introduce yourself?
Hi, my name is Wacko Genius. I’m a rapper and I make pretty chill songs.
When and how did you get started into music?
I started getting into music in 2016. I was studying in Singapore and I didn’t make lots of friends there, so I ended up making my own music in my room to express myself and hopefully inspire other people as much as how the music I listen to has inspired me.
You can listen to his new song, ‘Usaha’ by downloading the Progresif Radio App on Google Play and the App Store.
What genre would you classify yourself as?
I consider my music to be the chilled kind of hip-hop and rap.
Who have been your major influences on your sound?
Major influences to my sound would be definitely Earl Sweatshirt, J-Co and XXXTentacion. I think that J-Co has this thing where he can just speak his heart and that’s what I’ve been trying to emulate.
Do you have a pre-gig ritual?
I’ve only done one gig so far and I wasn’t really one of the lineups. I asked them if I could perform and they said yes, and so I performed a brand new song which I wasn’t familiar with the words yet, so I messed up. So yeah, no pre-gig rituals yet so far.
What are your upcoming projects?
I’m currently working on my second mixed tape right now. Hopefully, I will release it sometime this year, but it could be next year.
What does the word progressive mean to you?
Being progressive is about growing into something bigger.