OMAR WILSON

Interview by Lissha Sadler of Hardcore Grind

A Taste of Soul

Omar Wilson is no stranger to the music scene and has performed in New York City and Connecticut clubs for over a decade. With a personality and sultry voice that is contagious, Wilson always leaves a long-standing impression wherever he goes, as fans everywhere instantly gravitate toward his unique and gritty vocals. Omar Wilson is a 3-time Apollo winner and was named Best R&B Male of the Year for two consecutive years at the Underground Music Awards held at BB Kings in NYC. Wilson has opened for artists like Boys II Men and The Neville Brothers. Growing up in Norwalk, CT, Omar’s influences included Sam Cooke, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Lauren Hill, Mary J Blige, and old-time soul acts like the Delfonics. His music speaks to his personal experiences growing up in an urban environment bridging the gap between Hip Hop and Soul. Through his journey and struggles, Omar has finally understood his role as one of the industry’s top new Soul singers. The Omar Wilson experience is like no other; I just had the great opportunity to interview “The Black Sinatra” on The Press Meet-Up curated by The Hollywood Steppa himself, Ge Holla.

LS: How did remaking Quincy Jones’s “Secret Garden” come about?

OW: The idea for Secret Garden came about initially. I would do it with another artist and myself, with me doing the low parts and having him do the high parts. And then once I brought the idea to my label of BSC recordings, sounds B&C recording, so I called my big homie strings, we won’t be the owner of the label inside so when I said that I wanted to do the record. And I told him the idea that idea I initially had. And the following day, he called and said, check your email, check my email, and it was the track, and when I heard the track, and I heard out eloquently, they had put it together. I sit down and can’t mess with the synergy of how this record wasn’t balanced initially. And then my mind thought: how can I create this the right way and pay homage without damaging it. It was a journey itself, trying to figure that out. But I knew I needed to do something so impactful that it would destroy me forever and put me in a position for a lifetime. There was pressure, but I knew I needed the pressure for this to be great.

LS: Since age six, you have had the gift to invoke emotion with your voice. What does that power mean to you?

OW: It means that God gave me the ability to make people happy, to make people feel something that they don’t feel every day, to make them see something in themselves. It’s the greatest thing that they can think of because I am a flawed individual. I’m trying to be perfect, but I am the best, and it’s taken me a long time to get to this statue, and I want people to know that it’s a climb. It’s up, down, up-down. Disappointments and good times allow you to be the best person you are. You cannot shy away from the pain even though it hurts. It’s the best motivator and some of the best energy; those stories connect you with everybody and let you know that you’re no different and can achieve greatness.

LS: Setting the atmosphere and being intentional is very important. You have consistently set the atmosphere in your music to ensure you have that legendary structure around you. Working with legends like Angie Stone and DMX paving your lane early in your career, solidifying your smooth and sultry voice in the music industry. Tell me your vision when you created the song “The One?”

OW: You want someone you think about the first time you wake up and the last thing you think about when you’re going to sleep. You think about them when you’re dreaming. It’s a beautiful intoxication, passing in love. So, when we thought about that song, there were a couple of components. We wanted to do a song reminiscent of a Marvin Gaye groovy record. So, when I sat down with my big homie Lou Humphries and my brother Jazz Joiner who did the production for the record. We needed to do a record in that vein, not a copy but something in that vibe. I think they listened to Liberian Girl by Michael Jackson. So, when I heard the track, it said so much to me. I already had the vision for penning it as “The One,” but the record of the track had so many different applications to it. I felt so many things in that song. So, it’s a blessing when fans listen to the song and share the same vibe. I know I had assembled a temple of greatness.

LS: Where does your creativity flow like what are the things that you need to be able to get in the zone to do what it is that you do?

OW: I’m constantly evolving, so it varies. It’s like life, something new and different every day. I’ve been blessed to have lived and been to many places and have done so many things from 17 to now, so there’s always something to draw off. Stories go in and out because it’s been decades on this journey, something to think about, or if it’s not my personal life, I can think about it in the third person or see somebody else’s perspective. It’s always creativity out there to be inspired by.