Nomads. They roam new lands, find fresh pasture and feed their flock. Osunlade — an ordained Yoruba priest — has something of the shepherd about him. His intricately-woven robes, beaded bracelets and wooden earrings give the underground hero a wandering air. He’s also been known to mentor artists on the road, flying them over to wherever he happens to be. But after our Zoom call it becomes clear that, if anything, he’s more punk in spirit. An unwavering artistic vision and DIY frame of mind has landed the St. Louis native in places as far flung as Puerto Rico, Santorini and Berlin, living solely for the next musical inspiration.
“I’ve never had a manager or a publisher — this is a one-man show,” he tells DJ Mag. “I know I could probably be much further along if I had people in my pocket, but I don’t trust people like that, and I think, if I’m gonna fuck it up, let me do it myself.”
This approach has borne good fruit. After a near-decade producing mainstream artists in LA, Osunlade headed east, took a two-year spiritual sabbatical and launched Yoruba Records. Early on, he established two rules: 1) only sign artists willing to be mentored, and 2) only release works you believe in.