benny okoto
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Singer/songwritter/producer/rapper Benny Okoto presents the music video for "Ever Told". Directed by Benjamin Coffey, "Ever Told" appears on Benny Okoto's soon to be released album "Lonely Hearts Club". Produced by Jahmal Gittens, the "Ever Told" clip comes on the heels of visuals for Benny Okoto's previous single "Doubletree Doughboy Schemes" (Youtube). Ghanaian-American Raleigh, North Carolina resident Benny says "'Ever Told' is about embracing the low points in life, and instead of self destruction or losing faith, choosing to instead take your time and exude patience. While I was dealing with a lot of life issues and responsibilities, I had remembered conversations with different women in my life. They all told me to take my time in one way or the other. This gave me a new perspective on where I was at and what I know I was blessed to look forward to. The last of those conversations was with my mother, who told me to take my time while I was eating. This repetition of the message became a metaphor for women’s influence in our lives in general."
What can you tell us about the track "Ever Told"? What was your inspiration? Thoughts behind the music video?
Ever Told is a personal track for me. I feel like it's a song that after I made it encompassed and resolved and will resolve a lot for me. My inspiration was reminiscing back on conversations with different women I had encountered in the past. While I was going through an uncertain time, I wanted to find the positivity in the conversations as opposed to focusing on the negative fact our relationship is no longer what it was and remembered that each of them symbolically in one way another to exude patience in life’s toughest moments. I had worked with Ben on a video previously and wanted the direction to be fairy-tale like. Sort of like Goldilocs and The Three Bears vibe, I always love the moral of that story and it still resonates with me today. Having the older womanly character and the younger representation of what could be me we aimed to amply the lyrics with a metaphor for the nurturing nature women possess in general.
How has traveling throughout your childhood affected your style of music?
Directly it influenced the way I talk and come up with words and indirectly it shaped my worldview or at least helped to accentuate it. We would spend a lot of time on the road traveling for soccer tournaments, field trips, and overseas trips. From my earliest memories the radio would be playing and when you get to different areas the station may have the same frequency or number but the music that that station played would be totally different from where you left. So I listen to and am influenced by everything, not just hip-hop. Every place we would visit had an energy, a way of life, people that were represented, that was emitted through the music you would hear in that region just being out and about. I pick from everywhere and don’t want to limit myself to one style.
What’s it like being a Ghanaian-American rapper on the scene today?
It’s kind of crazy. At a time being African in general wasn’t something most people wore on their sleeve like today especially amongst Americans. It was easy to tease Africans in grade school because of the depiction of the African by many media outlets. Don’t get me wrong Africa has progressed a lot since I was growing up, still a ways to go but being a 1st generation Ghanaian-American rapper I think gives me more leeway to not be put in a box and experiment in genres or sounds and looks that may not be typical in the States or in hip-hop but that other parts of the world can and do enjoy.
What are your thoughts on the industry today and the direction it's going?
I honestly feel the artist is wiser today so you will see the three major record companies share or hold on the industry diminish quite substantially over the next few decades or so. Natural course of things as more people experience one thing the future generation learns what to and what not to do when put in similar situations. More rappers, musicians in general are especially becoming conscious of the business side of things or the access to information is abundant and accessible which means that availability leads to people to become financially literate and independent which is good for musicians both new and old. There are more ways to generate income by being a musician but in regards to hip hop they’re expanding exponentially.
Tell us about your organization Ten Steps Ahead, how did it come to be?
Initially I got the equipment for myself to make music only. After that for a couple years, my brother and friends passively started making tracks here and there. It wasn’t serious until I got out of high school and was about to head off to college. We all were always doing creative things where in the entertainment, science, or technology worlds I always wanted to synthesize the spheres I and those around me existed in. I want to make an avenue to let creation flow freely. So we got together that summer before college and formed T$A (the Ten Steps Ahead came later). We had been operating for a couple years doing things here and there and then we decided to make it a company to help better facilitate our goals and visions.
What can we expect to see/hear from you in the future as far as new projects?
A lot more different displays of the creativity and the ingenuity I bring to the game. I got a project that “Ever Told” will appear on, releasing right before the summer. There will be a couple full length projects released before the years up.
Any shoutouts?
Shoutout Muddaland WorldWide for the clothing you see in the video. Go follow and shop. Thanks to Benjamin Coffey for helping aiding my vision on this one. Thank you all for having me on your platform. Shoutout God and God bless T$A.