Dru Hepkins joins us again to discuss his music, his inspirations, and what we can expect from him in the future! Make sure to check out our interview below:
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
The music that I create is an encapsulation of my mood and thoughts at specific times in my life. I never tried to write to achieve a particular sound or genre, I didn’t try to be a star or sound like anyone or anything. I just made music because it was in me.
Please tell us more about your album “Declamation of Useless Genius” How did this album first come together and what is the inspiration behind it?
The album is pretty much an anthology of the songs I’ve written through the years that I never released or pushed. But recently due to a little push from loved ones in my corner I’m doing it now. If you have a gift for anything it’s in your best interest to nurture it, cultivate it and share it with the world.
What were the biggest initial hurdles to pursuing your musical dreams and how did you overcome them?
I had to achieve a certain level of enlightenment. That said, I had to shed the old concept of “making it”. Our gifts and talents belong to us and are ours to do what we want with them. The idea that we need corporate validation had me simplifying myself, not realizing my power and chasing the wrong things. I can do whatever I want to on my terms.
Which release of yours has had a large impact on your life, whether the storyline was based on a life experience or the process of putting the song together helped you approach music production differently?
That’s like asking to pick a child. They’re all uniquely special. All of them.
What according to you holds the most importance, fame, respect, or money?
Absolutely none of these things. Well, eh…money a little bit. Has it’s usefulness and allows me to do certain things. But fame is not necessary or important to me. And if you live your life right and with integrity, the other 2 things should fall into place.
What’s your motto or the advice you live by?
I don’t live by motto’s, have favorite this or that’s etc. I live and learn everyday. But as for advice, I think it’s vitally important for people to make sure their minds are free and clear. There’s a spiritual war going on in full swing and it’s very important not to get swept away in programmed hive mind thinking.
Do you have a favorite musical project that you’ve worked on?
No. This one because I’m in the moment.
Thank you for speaking with us! For our final question, is there anything else you would like to add?
No, not really. But in the spirit of this album, I’d love if everyone checks it out and realizes what it symbolizes. It’s important to me because a friend who didn’t really know how adept I was at music cried upon hearing some of my music and all but demanded I get back out there immediately. And I promised I would. That’s what this album represents. Be who you are and don’t hide yourself. If there’s a book you’ve never written but wanted to, go write that book and finish it. If there’s something you keep saying you wanted to do, go do it. Don’t die never sharing what you could have. Not only could it touch and inspire many people, it’s good for the soul and personal development. Never leave passions unfinished or unattempted.
When a former football player tosses the rulebook for modern music, the results can feel braver than any tidy genre label. That is the lane King Jay Da Blountman keeps choosing, a Florida based St. Augustine artist with one foot in hip hop, one in country, and both planted in sheer hustle. His 2025 album “Versatile” has been picking up momentum as one of the year’s more convincing independent releases, partly because it refuses to sound like it is trying to fit a template.
A clear highlight is “Fish’n,” a 2-minute-and-54-second feel good cut that shows how naturally King Jay can blur styles without turning it into a gimmick. The track grabs you fast with a cadence that feels lived in. Instead of sitting on top of the beat, his voice folds into the groove, so the vocals and the production feel made for each other.
That ease matters because “Fish’n” leans into the space where singing and rapping overlap. King Jay slides between the two with a smooth rap sing touch that keeps hip hop and country in the same frame. The song lands like a snapshot of a mood, one that pulls you outdoors and away from the buzz of everything else.
The imagery is simple and it works. You can picture the fishing gear, the boat that is ready to go, the cooler packed with beer or whiskey, and the sun hanging in the sweet spot. “Fish’n” carries that particular kind of freedom you only get when the day is yours. It makes a fishing trip feel overdue, along with the permission to take a real day off. The music stays relaxed while still earning repeat listens.
There is crossover charm here that recalls Shaboozey’s 2024 hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”. The difference is that “Fish’n” stays unmistakably King Jay. It draws from lived experience and unfiltered real talk, and it keeps its own shape even as it nods to multiple worlds. The hookiness is the point, a cadence that lingers after the last note fades.
The best moments come from the tight fit between performance and production. King Jay’s vocals lock in with the beat, reinforcing the track’s quiet confidence and natural flow. It is the kind of song that belongs on open roads and open water, and it rewards listeners who like their playlists with fewer walls.
“Fish’n” sits on “Versatile,” a nine track project that earns its title. The album has been performing strongly, with several songs quickly becoming fan favorites, including “Whisky Man,” “Respect,” “Blue Cheese,” and “Kings.” Each cut shows a different angle of King Jay’s approach, yet the project holds together through a consistent sense of authenticity and risk taking.
You can hear how this run builds on what came before. “Versatile” follows the success of Jay’s 2022 album “Level Up,” which included the track “By the Water,” now with over 104,000 streams on Spotify. That earlier momentum set the table for what he is doing now, expanding his reach while sharpening his sound.
King Jay Da Blountman has always moved across lanes, from drums to raps, funny videos to serious storytelling, and the streets to global streaming platforms. His story reads as growth and openness, an artist still stretching toward the next version of himself. With “Versatile,” and with a standout like “Fish’n,” he shows how music crosses borders through heart, honesty, and a beat you can live inside.
As King Jay keeps spreading his wings globally, one jam at a time, “Versatile” works as both statement and invitation. Come as you are, grab a drink, and press play.
Fast-budding Nigerian artist Omaye’s single “Tell Them” arrives with assurance that usually takes artists a few releases to earn. He keeps it tight, too. The track runs 2 minutes and 17 seconds, and it uses every second with purpose. In a lane where bigger often gets mistaken for better, Omaye shows how far a clear idea can travel when the writing and performance stay focused.
“Tell Them” plays like a self-empowerment chant built from a hardened, never-say-never mindset. The message is straightforward: put in the work, stay locked in, and trust destiny to meet you halfway. Omaye delivers it with a calm steadiness, the sort of quiet confidence that suggests he already sees the finish line. You can hear the belief that his moment is on schedule, and that nothing is going to shake him off course.
The sound matches that mindset. Omaye’s Afrobeats foundation gives the record its swing, while gurgling Amapiano synths bubble underneath and add a subtle lift. The production stays clean and restrained, leaving plenty of air for the vocal. Omaye’s delivery is crisp and polished, gliding over the beat with clarity. He never rushes the pocket. Each note feels chosen, each inflection considered, as if he’s more interested in landing the feeling than showing off technique.
What makes “Tell Them” linger is its emotional balance. It’s catchy and undeniably infectious, yet it carries weight. The hook sticks because the sentiment does, and the track rewards replay for more than its bounce. Omaye isn’t reaching for drama or putting on a persona. He’s capturing a mindset shaped by struggle, resilience, and self-belief, then letting that honesty do the heavy lifting. By the time the song ends, the confidence feels earned rather than advertised.
With “Tell Them,” Omaye comes off as a storyteller who knows what he wants to say and how to say it. The track reads as proof that he has the tools to connect with fans of Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Hip-Hop alike, and to do it without diluting his voice. The direction is clear. The hunger is right there in the phrasing.
Now streaming on Apple Music, “Tell Them” lands as a statement of intent and a clean introduction for anyone meeting him for the first time. If this single is a preview, the question around Omaye’s rise is timing, not possibility. Time feels like the only gap between him and the next level.
The release is also a milestone: “Tell Them” is Omaye’s first professionally recorded single, and it sets the stage for his upcoming EP “17EEN,” which is close on the horizon. Keep the name Omaye in your head. You’re going to hear it again.
IurisEkero has always had that producer aura where every synth feels like it’s holding hands with your feelings. On AURA, that instinct expands into cinematic storytelling. He even marked the release with a sunset ceremony at the base of the Andes, like he was unlocking a secret level in a music RPG. You can’t fake that kind of commitment. It gives the album a clear vibe: this is meant to be lived, not treated like something you leave running in the background.
He stays in a contemporary pop lane, polished but heartfelt, digital yet soft around the edges. The textures are warm. The vocal layers feel like a hug. And there’s a sense that each song stands as its own emotional chapter. The point is mood-building, not novelty. AURA ends up feeling like 16 different emotional passports, each stamped with a slightly different shade of hope, doubt, desire, or relief.
The album kicks off with “The Password Of My Heart,” a title that sounds cheesy until the production hits. Then it turns into a confession wrapped in shimmering synths. He moves gently, almost whisper soft, and the chorus floats in like he’s opening a door you weren’t sure you should walk through. It’s a smart opener because it sets the standard early: sweetness, yes, but with detail and control.
“Didn’t See You Today” brings the jolt. It’s dance pop in full gear, bright, jumpy, and built around a beat that sounds designed to rescue someone from a bad mood. The female vocals glide across the instrumental with precision, as if they arrived already locked into the same emotional tempo. The track is glossy, but it keeps the album’s softness intact, the warmth never drains out.
In the middle, “Aura” sits like a breathing space. It’s modern pop with emotional density, yet airy enough that you can drift with it. This is the one you play while staring at something far away, pretending you’re in a movie even if you’re just sitting on a bus. The hook doesn’t have to shout. The feeling does the work.
The crown jewel is “We Are All In One,” the single that has already pushed past 222k streams on Spotify. The appeal is immediate. The lyrics read like a sunrise pep talk from your favorite person:
“Woke up dreaming. Sky is clear, got the world beneath my feet…”
“Every moment, every glance feels like magic.”
“You’re my fire, my best friend.”
It’s warm, melodic, and sweet, and it carries an electronic bounce that keeps it from getting too soft. Romantic, yes, but it avoids the clingy tone that can flatten songs like this. It lifts you up without turning into a self-help poster. This is the track for the walk home after a long day, the moment you need a reminder that life can still glow.
The deeper cuts give the album its emotional spine. “Even Miracles Take a Little Time” and “Invisible Gravity” lean into introspection with an almost therapeutic honesty. Then he pivots into higher energy with “Let’s Ignite the Night” and “Cut Loose,” tracks that feel like the soundtrack to the moment you decide to stop overthinking everything. The shifts don’t feel random. They read like a real emotional arc, the way a night out can start with doubt and end with release.
As the album closes with “Don’t Get Your Hopes Up,” he returns to vulnerability, the real kind, not the Instagram caption version. The yin and yang in his music stays front and center, joy alongside uncertainty, light alongside shadow. That duality is what makes AURA feel human.
And that Andes launch seals the whole concept. He turned an album into a communal moment. As the sun dropped, each track played like a ritual chapter, a shared breath between strangers. It transformed AURA from a playlist into a lived memory. Artists talk about unity. Here, he actually staged it.
If you want more than background music, AURA is a recommendation. Each track is layered with feeling, melody, and energy that makes you hit replay before the last note fades. Stream it, share it.