Being an only child can be overwhelming, and for OTUYYUTO, the pressure of balancing solo child life with the life of a multicultural artist is immense. Not to worry, however, as the Hawaii native — who spent a good chunk of his childhood in Japan — proves that he can turn life’s quandaries and nuances into beautiful pieces of sonic art.
“I hone in on my Japanese experiences and talk about normal, mundane things I do such as turning on air conditioning in the hot Japanese summer, but I think that is the charm of this song,” OTUYYUTO said. “Especially with my voice being so ‘boring’ and ‘lazy,’ it’s as if I am sitting on tatami mats in my grandmother’s house just reflecting on my life.”
The multilingual MC even switches to French at one point in “DAMEDA” in homage to one of his primary influences, Parisian rapper Serane. Also on the list of stylistic inspirations for OTUYYUTO are Kanye West, Lucki and Pi’erre Bourne, showing his respect for an amalgamation of work ethic, pioneership and boldness.
“I am inspired by Ye’s work ethic and belief in himself…he made me realize that you might have to be delusional about yourself to be able to make it so far in this industry, especially when the outside noises can be so loud…the same goes for Pi’erre Bourne,” OTUYYUTO explained. “As far as Lucki, I admire his ability to be himself and yet be so popular, and [French plug rapper] Serane is a huge inspiration for me right now…and I take inspiration from his flow switches from language to language and his smoothness over tracks.
Be on the lookout for new content from OTUYYUTO, including singles, music videos and merchandise. The big project is done, OTUYYUTO says, but he would not divulge any more information other than the fact that it would be entirely self-produced.
It’s simply impossible to ignore this trailblazing multicultural maestro from the Rainbow State. If he’s not on your radar now, then just you wait, because OTUYYUTO will show up one way or another.
To learn more about OTUYYUTO, follow him on Instagram and visit his website.
Click here to stream “DAMEDA”
