Next Wave: Old Orleans
Photo By: Ryan Stokes
Written By: Sammy Approved | @ChelseaSamuel
An artist with no bounds or limits, Old Orleans is the next wave. The New Orleans bred rapper, creative architect and master wordsmith has cultivated a space in music that allows him to thrive alongside the greats. With community, by living in his truth and utilizing all his gifts, Old Orleans has unlocked his personal cheat code.
The talented artist began creating and releasing his own music three years ago, but his creative pursuits go way back. Though he feels “like a baby” in the game, fans wouldn’t notice by his mature pen and masterfully curated sound.
“As far as just being a creative, I’ve been making art all my life,” Old Orleans comments on his creative journey. “My biggest thing is to just always start. That’s it. Not just saying ‘oh yea I want to get into this new thing’ but feeling not fully equipped or qualified to do so. Just go create and figure out how to get better as you go, and that’s how I’ve evolved. Constantly showing up for myself on a regular basis.”
Old Orleans is how he refers to his brand. He credits the name as a “playground,” where he visits to create in whichever medium he desires. Some of his friends may know him as Uncle Roy or just Ro. Old Orleans is the way he identifies creatively saying, “On a more metaphorical note, Old Orleans is an embodiment of artistic ventures that has no bounds or limits.”
In three years, Old Orleans has released four albums and several singles and EPs. Most recently, he released the “Don’t You Know Freestyle” with frequent collaborator Akeem Ali in March 2024. Old Orleans debuted his latest full length project Magnolia Symphony with producer Don Carrera back in December 2023. The nine-track project takes you on a ride from beginning to end, where he shares witty double entendres that will likely have to run back to fully grasp what he’s saying.
Photo By: Roy Handy
As fans experience the Old Orleans sound and visual aesthetic, they will definitely find inspiration from 70’s Soul, Disco and R&B like Con Funk Shun. They might also hear notes of 90’s Hip Hop stylings from artists like Camp Lo. Old Orleans mixes his love and influence he feels from the East to the West coast. Most importantly, his sound takes listeners on a journey through his city of New Orleans.
“I’m a gumbo pot of creativity,” he shared.
Old Orleans makes music for fans of Hip Hop and true lyricism. He says that his music is “for the people who like to chill but not be too cool to be goofy.” Those fans who aren’t afraid of vulnerability.
“You could throw me on a playlist full of 2009 blog era rappers and I’d blend in beautifully like I’d been making music since then,” he adds of his sound.
Uncle Roy realizes that showing up as his most authentic self is how he continues to not only exist but evolve. He emphasizes that he doesn’t have a desire to be perfect but hopes to show up in his truth while becoming better each day.
“Who I am online is who I am in person,” Roy declares. “I’m not trying to sell the idea of something to anyone.”
What comes naturally to Old Orleans, doesn’t necessarily come easily for most artists in the game. Real is rare, but Unc is here to remind us of our unique gifts in the world.
“The only thing I’ve been placed here to do is to remind people that your purest form of self is the most unique blessing you’ve been given to utilize through life,” he adds. “People will wholeheartedly appreciate and support you for being you.”
As an artist, Old Orleans manages to use all his gifts as a multi-hyphenate creative. When speaking on his process, he creates through problem solving. Since we met back in 2015, Roy spent his early days behind the camera capturing timeless photographs for other beloved artists like DC Young Fly, notable brands such as Base Butter, and his own self- portraits. All which authentically speak to who he and his subjects are in real life. He still wears this photographer hat to assist in sharing his own stories through music.
“I’m a visual artist first, and I understood while making music and releasing music is fun, no one will find it if you don’t put out any visuals,” Roy shared the importance of creating aesthetically pleasing visuals to accompany his sound. “So, I started shooting my own visuals that felt unique to my sound. Then I started to do more collabs with people I respect in music as well and that’s what helped create my lane that works specifically for the goals I have in this art form.”
Old Orleans credits relationship building to how he’s cultivated his online community. He discovered the most effective way to create an experience for his fans, which helps them to engage with his music digitally. The gifted artist hasn’t fully fleshed out his live experience, but he’s mastered a way to draw support online with several viral moments to prove it.
“You have to have a “product” that people want to feel apart of,” Roy educates us. “I haven’t performed live yet because I haven’t fully figured out that experience in person for people, but I’ve figured out what online experiences look like.”
The marketing mastermind shared what works best for him. The Old Orleans community appreciates his cohesive storytelling through captivating visuals and bars to pair.
“Every time I make a song I create a short video of the song that feels like a world where people can enjoy not just the music but the art of the environment I’ve placed them in,” he adds. “Once an audience of people feel welcome in my space, then I know they will
understand and appreciate me as an artist even more because they’ll feel connected to me. It’s relationship building at a massive scale, but it’s still just being genuine to yourself.”
Photo By: Roy Handy
When asked how Roy manages to wear so many hats (many of which we haven’t even covered), he answers with faith, community, and grounding.
“I’m constantly reminded by God and my community to go outside and touch grass, in a literal and metaphorical way,” he notes. “I create all day even when I’m not physically touching something, but I can only be inspired to do better if I put down the devices and engage with the people and things I love outside of making art. The world is art, so I have to remind myself to go look at the art outside of my own little world that I’m cultivating.”
Old Orleans acknowledges how hard it is to step outside of his own world sometimes but recognizes the impact it can have on how artists create and express.
“It gets hard to leave my own world sometimes because it’s fun over here,” he adds. “But what’s better is when you get to see all the other universes out there that allow the colors in your life to expand further.”
Roy thrives as an artist and creator through his knack for cultivating community and by staying authentic to himself, his art and recognizing the importance of personal evolution.
“Community to me is most important especially when the entire community is talented and can connect in more ways than I’ve imagined,” he shared. “I love being able to connect the dots all across the board to help people grow no matter how big or small they are.”
This is evident in his collaborations with other gifted artists like Ali, Carrera and Atlanta based artist Mudy. Old Orleans surrounds himself with like-minded creators, who are also living and creating by the same code of authenticity and pure talent.
“I stay authentic to my true self and understand how to evolve over time,” Old Orleans reminds us of how he flourishes in an oversaturated market. “The key is just having fun and not settling for whatever anyone else wants for you, but to remain true to the reason on why you create in the first place. As long as I’m always walking the path of peace and self- fulfillment, then I’ll always be satisfied with the fruits of my labor.”
Most recently, being authentic and sharing in community has blessed Old Orleans with a sync placement on “The Chi.” When asked how that opportunity came about, he gives credit to artist Remey Williams.
“He pretty much put that in rotation for me, ran down how music syncing worked and we got to it,” Roy shared. “Never imagined I’d have music on TV, and yet here we are. That was a dope moment for sure.”
With just three years under his belt, Old Orleans is happily here to stay. He hopes that he continues to build authentic and long-lasting relationships through music and beyond.
“I’m still new to it all, and I’m working with people I’ve been fans of before I even thought about making music,” he shared. “It’s just nice to be apart of the conversation of great artists out there now.”
Continue to support Old Orleans by sharing his music and content across social media, sending to friends and family, and purchasing merchandise when it becomes available.
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