They say hip-hop is dead. They say that not even the biggest stars can save it, not even the best rappers can concoct the remedy. So consequently every new rapper that hits the scene claims to have found the Holy Grail, all but one, a Chicago artist new to the scene and already causing quite a buzz. His name is AOmega, but amongst his peers he is simply known as AO, and when asked what he calls his style of rap he responds only with, “I don’t see myself as a rapper; I wouldn’t even say I’m an...
They say hip-hop is dead. They say that not even the biggest stars can save it, not even the best rappers can concoct the remedy. So consequently every new rapper that hits the scene claims to have found the Holy Grail, all but one, a Chicago artist new to the scene and already causing quite a buzz. His name is AOmega, but amongst his peers he is simply known as AO, and when asked what he calls his style of rap he responds only with, “I don’t see myself as a rapper; I wouldn’t even say I’m an entertainer. I’m a teacher, I’m a motivational speaker, I’m an artist… and I intend to paint my picture all over this world.”To understand AOmega fully you have to first look at his background. In August of 1986 Evan White was born into a middle class home in the south suburbs of Chicago. All throughout his childhood an emphasis was placed on education so in turn he excelled in school, but when he was about 9 his dad brought home 2pac’s Me Against the World. It was then that his love for music truly began, and at the age of 11 he started to write his own poetry which eventually evolved into song lyrics.After the divorce of his parents during his adolescence he began to search for a place of solace in music. To his surprise there wasn’t much of a selection, there was a void. So he began to pen soulful lyrics, full of his own pain and laced with the struggle. Little did he know that this would become his “style”, almost like his calling card. Around the same time he says, “I heard God calling me, He told me this is what I’m supposed to do, he gave me the name AOmega and said we were gonna change the world.” From that day forward his conviction along with his skills only grew stronger. This eventually led to major problems with his family, who expected nothing short of a career on Wall Street for their brilliant young son. So when he decided to forego college for a run at the music business he faced immediate opposition; but even with very little support still AO held onto his dream.AOmega is now hitting the rap scene heavy in Chicago; and in only a few weeks has already created a name for himself, all this with only about as much profanity as a PG-13 movie. Look to hear him on WGCI-FM in the coming weeks and be sure to check out his webpage, www.myspace.com/aomega911, which is currently averaging close to 1000 plays a day. It seems that AOmega may have found a way to do the impossible; make songs full of meaning and emotion that are still widely commercial.If you are wondering what AO thinks of all the controversy surrounding the rap industry lately he leaves this statement, “Society has surrounded us with mirrors right now and hip hop is being forced to see its own ugliness. All of our flaws have been exposed but at the same time there is still beauty, underneath the obscenity there lies a pain, there lies a struggle… there lies a soul; the same soul that the Marvin Gaye’s and the James Brown’s sang with in the 60’s and 70’s. It’s still there; our music can still make a difference! We as a culture just need a pioneer who will stand up to the rest of the world and defiantly proclaim I Am & We Are. And if no one else will do it, why not me?”When you listen to this young man speak, it is almost impossible to believe those words are coming from a mind only 21 years old. The world may not be ready for AOmega, but the signs of the times are conveying that it will accept nothing less. From the ashes he rose, like a phoenix taking the sky once again; proving if nothing else that we will never die. AOmega Forever
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