Daily Inspiration: Meet Ali Oyo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali Oyo.

Hi Ali, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Born in Haiti but moved to America when I was five years old. I was raised in Winter Haven, Florida so that’s where a majority of my adolescent and childhood memories stem from. How did I start music? I would say my journey into music was a puzzle piece. So my grandfather was in a jazz band in Haiti, so I grew up around music being played all around the house. But it would be in French-Creole which is the native tongue of my people. So when I came to the states, my first memory of a song would be me hearing Destiny’s Child on the radio that day we got picked up in Miami. In the year 2000 at the airport. What a crazy time, fast forward to say middle school I was one of my first friends to get a computer around the 6th grade. Around that time, that’s when limewire and three-way calls were a thing, which means I was the dj while my friends spoke on the phone. At the same time, I always wrote in a journal, and one day I remember being on YouTube and rapping what I wrote over a “Young Jeezy” beat I think.

So secretly through middle school, I always kept a hot 16 but never had the confidence to show it except to a few homies, haha. I ended up making my first song in 10th grade in my friend’s garage, and after that I knew it was something I’d be doing for a long time because it just felt right. Like blissful almost in a way time would freeze when we make music. So from high school to college, I would release songs on the internet and I built a fan base throughout the years. Ended up dropping out of Florida A&M to pursue my dreams in the music world, and since then I’ve gotten the chance to do some pretty amazing things. Along the way. Which I’m thankful for, around this time last year I was working at one of the top recording studios in Los Angeles. To now starting up my own label and running my own business and being an artist at the same time.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Anything worth having is never going to be a smooth road. Some keys for life to be honest, because some of my struggles along the way include the extreme of dream chasing. From car crashes to Homelessness, working endless dead-end jobs, not being able to see your family for a long period of time. All these sacrifices that some may say for what? But it’s the love of music. The language of the soul that holds no boundaries and I think you know, I wouldn’t trade any of it. Especially to make someone’s soundtrack to their day. You gotta go through the struggles to tell the story of it so it can be a human experience when you play a song.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am Ali Oyo, and I make the music that free’s the soul. Known for bringing people together and making smiles happen. I’m most proud of my growth and the person I’m evolving into everyday. What sets me apart is there’s only one of me.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I wouldn’t say luck because everything happens for a reason. I would more say just go after what you want and if it’s for you, it’ll happen. Even if it takes some time, use the time to prepare for what you want and asked for. That’s how things play out in my life and business.

Contact Info:

• Email: Oyo2Ali@Gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingoyo
• Twitter: twitter.com/everythingoyo
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU5-zNmmluGYS6U5BMZU9LA/featured
• SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/alioyo
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7310QoFZKKZy2ouVbJQcUs

Image Credits
Matthew Cowen