The love bug never seems to depart from Ogranya as he once again uses his soulful lyrics to convey the omnipresent occurrences of relationship disputes and conflict in "Vanity" with Tha BeatSmith. Vanity is the second producer-artiste project under Ogranya's belt (first being Chronicles of Magik, Vol. 1 with Wondamagik released in 2020).
I listened to Vanity the EP the moment it dropped and knew I had to speak with Ogranya by hook or by crook. When I got his "when do we begin?" message, I was super gassed!
So yeah, I got a chance to ask him some questions and he was an absolute darling, super passionate and eager to talk about the creative process behind Vanity. Let's get into it guys!
Sole Producer of Vanity: Tha BeatSmith
How did you meet Tha BeatSmith & what was it like working with him on 'Vanity'?
"I got introduced to Tha Beatsmith through a mutual friend of ours, Inem Usoro - the Sound Engineer on the [Vanity] project. This was sometime in 2017/18 I think; he wanted to put a producer project together and I was actually going to charge him at first, until the music started speaking to me. Then I just requested for more beats and reached a more sustainable arrangement with him. We made a number of songs together before actually meeting in person too. He is the least problematic creative I’ve ever met - as you may know, we creatives are not without the permissible ‘scoin scoin’ (excesses) but that’s not the case with him. Always willing to listen and very eager to work. Cross him at your own peril though".
Pivot: Vanity the EP
What was the creative process for this project like?
The process was pretty straightforward. Out of everyone I’ve worked with, I think I have the most beats on my computer from him. His music either makes me want to tell stories or contemplate life.
Why did only 4 songs make it on Vanity out of all the songs you've worked on together?
We went with these four songs because they are actually the easiest listens of the bunch - we didn’t want to dive in too deep with our first effort.
How did you come up with the name, 'Vanity'?
The music dictated the name. It’s gotten from the title track of the project and the word seemed to consummately relay the core of what the project was. The tape revolves around relationship disputes and conflict resolution which whenever viewed in hindsight, has you feeling like ‘what was all the fuss even about?...’ or ‘all that could’ve been avoided...” hence ‘Vanity’.
The album art is different from your usual self-portrait & abstract covers. Is there a message conveyed in the cover art?
‘Sometimes, our assessment of ourselves and our relationships become primarily based on other people’s perceptions or better put, the assertion of the third - those looking in. While it is always okay to occasionally seek counsel on affairs that concern the heart, living and loving assumes a certain vanity when we look elsewhere but within.’
[Laughs] That was what I wrote the first time I was asked to describe the art and the project. It’s really about the feeling it evoked. That’s what made us choose the art.
Also, in the title track ‘Vanity’, the state of the relationship is likened to a shipwreck so the image of the coastline just further served the narrative. I hope this helps
From listening, I can tell every song has a story behind it. What inspired each song?
That’s the beauty of the songs we’ve created - every song has a story, either mine or one I was privy to. The details are a bit much for this interview but I can tell you this much; ‘Open The Door’ & ‘Diamonds’ were stories I borrowed from and wrote to (or documented), while ‘Can You See Her’ & ‘Vanity’ were born of personal experience and true stories.
'Can you see her' was really deep, I've had it on replay because that's actually my favourite! Is it fiction (If non-fiction, who/what inspired the song👀)? Do you have a favourite out of the 4 songs?
[Laughs] ‘Can You See Her’ is not fictional - that’s the most I can say.
It is also my favourite song lyrically (It felt like I grew as an artist after writing it). However, with regards to all round execution, ‘Vanity’ is definitely my pick of the lot.
Your work rate has been amazing these past two months! You're literally feeding your fans so much good music. You've already dropped 4 singles this year; is 'Project 52' another project you're working on?
Have I told you that you’re an excellent inquisitor?
‘Project 52’ was actually coined by my manager when we decided we would put out a song every week this year. I thought we were ready for it, but it turns out I was wrong [laughs].
So far so good though - there’s a thrill to this challenge we’ve given ourselves.
Is there another project in the works or are we going to have Vanity for a while?
There will be a project in March, then another in April. We’ll figure out the rest of the year as we go. Be sure to check in with us whenever you feel like it!
I am super honoured to have had a chance to discuss with my fave! I truly appreciate Ogranya for the time he took out to do this with me.
I started listening to Ogranya in March 2020 with the release of his first single in 2020, 'Wicked Somebody' which featured Ghana's sweetheart, Efya. From the first listen, I literally fell in love with his voice and entire vibe. Little did I know that his 'Imperfect' EP was going to drop a month later.
When Imperfect dropped on the 27th of March 2020, I swear I listened to that project back to back, top to bottom, side to side, and bottom to top again without tiring. I listened in awe to his amazing voice and realized he was not just a great singer, but was even further more an awesome story teller and song writer.
Imperfect was my number 1 EP from 2020. Literally every song slaps so please go stream that bad boy and spread the Ogranya gospel!
