Trench Baby: Lil Zay Osama

HAILING FROM CHICAGO, LIL ZAY OSAMA HAS EVOLVED OUT OF THE DRILL SCENE, WITH HIS SIGHTS SET ON COLLABORATING WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN POP

Words Lily Mercer Photos Claire-Marie-Vogel & Brian-Flynn

‘Trench Baby’ is great, how have you been enjoying the reception?

Man it’s just a blessing to be able to put out a great body of work that the universe can relate to. I worked hard on that project, putting my all into it; my pain and my struggle. I listen to it everyday, everybody around me listens to it everyday, it’s like one of the best projects out right now!

‘Hood Bible’ was a big release from you, did you have a different approach to the two projects?

‘Hood Bible’ was a big release for me but it was kind of a versatile tape to show off what I can do as far as music goes, it ain’t just Drill or R&B, it’s Jamaican and different type of stuff. That whole ‘Hood Bible’ tape was just showing off my versatile side, ‘Trench Baby’ was more like me getting back to my core fanbase. The first approach was to show the different styles, genres and melodies with music and ‘Trench Baby’ was the struggle, the pain and the relationship stuff; real life shit that people can relate to. My fans don’t like when I do Reggae and Pop, I’ve gotta wait ’til I get on a way bigger scale so I can put out whatever and people will accept it.

“Me, I am not the same. I am him. I gotta stand out, I gotta be different”

You’re open with your emotions within your lyrics, were you always comfortable displaying your feelings in your music?

I don’t know how to rap about something I don’t have, or something I haven’t experienced. I only know how to speak from the heart and everything that I go through. Everything I rap about is true, it’s situations I’ve been through or been around and experienced. I ain’t never have to think about it. I gotta be different from these niggas, these niggas don’t be telling the truth in their raps. They believe other people’s lifestyles in music so I gotta be the one to change that cycle and let these people know what’s real.

You’ve come from Drill roots and gone in a more melodic direction, is that how you separated yourself acoustically from your peers?

I’m always gonna stand out from everyone else. Me, I am not the same. I am him. I gotta stand out, I gotta be different.

Were you musical as a child?

I always had a very unique voice, I’ve been playing with my voice since I was a kid. It’s something that happened naturally, I didn’t have to learn with studying.

You were lucky to grow up in Chicago, an incredible place for music! Did you always feel special?

Very blessed! I just know music and it’s the talent that God gave me. It’s just here, I don’t even know how I make the songs that I make other than me putting my real life into it. The melodies, the thought processes, that’s all God. That’s some real talent.

Was there a song from ‘Trench Baby’ that stood out to you?

A lot of them stood out to me because I got personal on a lot of songs, like ‘Exbitch’. I got personal on that song, it had something to do with my real life and things I had going on. That real life relatable motivational shit, that’s Zay.

You told me this is your year…

This is my year, I’m now. I ain’t next, I’m now.

Have you got some surprises coming this year?

I’ve got a lot of big features finna come, I’ve got some videos coming and I’m finna drop a Deluxe of ‘Trench Baby’ and then I’m coming right back after that with a whole ’nother tape so it’s finna get crazy.

Tell me about the Deluxe, have you got any big features?

Yep but y’all gon’ have to see. Y’all just gotta tune in so y’all can see what’s next ‘cause everything’s big and it’s only up from here.

You got a rough date for the Deluxe?

Probably a month. Give me a month!

Is ‘Trench Baby’ a mixtape or an album?

I wanted ‘Trench Baby’ to be an album and I look at it as an album because it’s such a well put together project even though it was last minute. But it’s a mixtape.

Is the next project an album or mixtape?

I don’t think I’m ready for an album yet. I don’t think I’m gonna drop an album yet. I’m gonna just keep feeding them the singles and mixtapes for now and feel if I’m ready for an album for real. ’Cause when I drop an album, that shit gotta go number one the same day; top of the charts. That’s the type of result I’m looking for with my music, I’m confident.

You only had one Chicago artist on ‘Trench Baby’, why was it G Herbo?

I only had G Herbo on there because that’s the song I had. I reached out to him and he got back to me as soon as possible. I reached out to Polo G but his people didn’t get back to me in time, everybody else like Durk and ’em, I got songs with. It wasn’t no real reason behind it, maybe next single or something I’ll have some others.

There are some great features on ‘Trench Baby’, you and Lil Tjay sound so good together.

That’s my bro, we’ve got real chemistry. We’ve got a real

bond, a real relationship; that’s my bro I hang with him on a regular. For sure, you gon’ always hear more from me and T.

You explain the politics of Chicago’s streets on ‘Shooters’ with Doe Boy.

Yeah man, it explains how this shit really be going. The same niggas we grow with be fucking with the ops, or these niggas or those niggas, you know? For real for real.

“I’m finna drop a Deluxe of ‘Trench Baby’ and then I’m coming right back after that with a whole ’nother tape so it’s finna get crazy.”

Why is Chicago’s gang culture so established?

There’s so many gangs, everybody’s ego’s up here man. Then everybody wanna be their own boss and everybody don’t wanna follow rules or follow structure. Everybody’s a loose cannon and running wild, that’s just Chicago. Chicago’s different. It’s a good place to vacate as long as you ain’t in no bullshit. Chicago’s a great place, it ain’t as bad as they say. It’s one of the best, I love it.

If a fan came from out of town, where would you take them in the city first?

Really we’d just be riding around in traffic, smoking, getting high, drinking. Go get something to eat, I like eating oxtail so the Jerk place on 22nd Street, fuck around and go there. I eat a lot of steak tacos, we’d go to a lot of restaurants around the hood, you feel me? All depends on how I’m feeling today.

Do you think social media is as important as being in the studio for an artist today?

It’s very important for you to be on social media but use it for the right reasons. Don’t use it for all the negative shit ’cause that ain’t what it’s made for, it’s just people turning it to that. But it’s definitely good to have a platform to promote what you have going on and make money.

Is there anyone in music that you’d work with that we wouldn’t expect you to?

Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Megan Trainor, Lukas Graham, a lot of different people.

You don’t feel restricted to the rap genre?

I don’t wanna just be in the rap genre, I don’t at all. I really wanna explore and get in other lanes and other genres with other people and maybe mix my Drill, my pain and my struggle with what they got. Maybe get on their level and do what they do.

What kind of producers do you like?

I really like using a lot of underground producers. They’re dope as fuck, they’re just not signed to a major platform but my beat man named Fatman, he made a lot of my beats, a lot of my hit songs like ‘Trencherous’, ‘Changed Up’. JTK he’s from Chicago, he made a lot of stuff for Polo G, I rock with him hard, he made ‘Survive’. I was just working with Pyrex and ATL Jacob. I just gotta like the sound, I’m not really picky.

Do you hear a beat and instantly know what genre you’ll create with it?

It depends what kind of mood I’m in and it depends what kinda beat I hear, ’cause if I hear a slow beat, I’m a nigga that know how to do slow songs. If I hear a hard beat I can rap, if I hear a pop beat, I can do that.

Will there be a mix of Drill and R&B on the Deluxe?

I wanna mix the two and I definitely wanna touch the females more, ’cause I know females love Drill songs nowadays more than they love the slow music but I feel like the females getting back to listening to slow music. You got Toosii, Luh Kel, those types of artists, they’re bringing that feel back a little bit, that R&B feel, I gotta put something out for the ladies. I just recorded a song with me and Luh Kel too. I’m thinking about a mix of the two sounds on the project.

Have you checked out any UK Drill?

I’ve checked out your Drill. I’ve been rocking with Kid Laroi before he blew up big, I knew his management so me and him would be in the studio together, we made songs. He used to play me a lot of UK Drill and it was hard, I actually fucked with it.

Is the Chicago Drill scene still active? Most people from the original scene seem to make other genres of rap now.

Nah they make everything now, I mean you got some niggas that just make Drill, you got some niggas that get versatile and make different shit, it all depends on the artist.