Today we’d like to introduce you to OH.Tae.
OH.Tae, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It all started in the 4th grade when I joined the school choir and wrote poems in my first diary. Like everyone in adolescence, I was finding myself and didn’t quite know what to do with what I knew I could do.
I was super shy and never really blended into any clique – also made it more awkward that I was the only kid starting out in high school that didn’t have a phone until I was 16. My parents believe that you have to work for what you want, so I did just that and got a job at Wendy’s.
When I graduated high school in 2014, I started a YouTube and YouKnow channel under the name Etasia, singing covers of popularly known songs. I started to gain some traction and feedback from my voice and style but was inconsistent with posting due to my enrollment into the Psychology program at UTSA.
In 2018, I started to take my original music more seriously the more recognition I got from performing at open mics in San Antonio and Austin. In February of 2019, I released my first piece of original music on SoundCloud called “You Know”. My first paid performance was in 2019 at The Creator Awards hosted by Project Forward and 5’oclock Productions team Kinyo and Danielle.
Through them, I was able to meet with Xavien Mac, CEO of TLE (Trill Links Entertainment), and Prince Ivy, TLE artist. We did multiple shows together with OH.Tae as a feature, and in 2021 I was made an official partner in the Trill Links Ent. LLC. A few months after meeting TLE, I teamed up with long-time friend Drigo Felixx, the CEO of Blackshxxp Productions, and also associated with the Blackshxxp collective at performing showcases.
From October 2019 to January 2020, I took a break from performing to make my first ever EP. In February 2020, I started performing again, debuting “High Standards (feat. Xavien Mac)” and “Need” at Breathe Lounge. In July 2020, the “Resilience” EP was released as my first independent project, mixed and mastered by Blackshxxp and TLE.
Since then, I’ve released 2 more EP projects and collaborated with multiple artists on different projects independently. In February 2022, I invested in what is currently my home studio. I’m now fully functioning as my own singer, songwriter, and producer of my music, and I’m just getting started.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a bumpy road, but I’m blessed to have had fewer potholes with the help of my family. In my early adulthood, I was easily influenced and my self-confidence was super low. I hung out in some of the wrong crowds and got involved in some not-so-favorable situations.
I gained people who I thought were my friends, who in the end betrayed me and took the clothes off my back with them. During these times (2014-2017), I was under the influence of a not-so-great company and continued to go down the opposite path of music. My family was there, but I was super stubborn and withheld lots of details about my life at that time.
It wasn’t until the end of 2017 when I had a heart-to-heart with my grandmother about my situation and received some life-changing advice that goes like this: “ No matter what you do, make sure you do it for you and because you like it. Not everyone is for you and has your best intentions at heart.”
After many moments like this, I decided to take my life back into my own hands and rid myself of negative influences.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My name is OH.Tae (singer, songwriter, and producer) in San Antonio Texas. My main genres are R&B and hip-hop, but I don’t like to put myself in a genre box. I’m known for bringing quality lyrical and melodic styles to any song that I make or feature.
I’ve been nicknamed “1 take Tae” by many of my creative peers, and have been complimented on sounding like Jhene Aiko, Kehlani, and Summer Walker. I’m most proud of the fact that I currently have my own home studio where I can fully submerse into my creative flow and allow others with the same energy to come into my space and do the same.
In my opinion, what sets me apart from others is that not only do I know what I want, but can provide amazing feedback to any of my peers about what they want and what we can accomplish together.
My goal for the past couple of years has been to collaborate with as many artists as possible, and I pride myself on pushing my boundaries and going above the status quo.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my favorite childhood memories is going to South Padre Island for the summer with my family.
From elementary to the middle of high school, we would go to the same condo, ride horses and eat great seafood from the Gulf.
I remember every May, I would look forward to building the biggest sandcastles with my sister and cousins, finding the best seashells on the shore, and getting ready to feel the summer sun on my skin.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ohtae.com/
Image Credits
Rodrick Williams and Stilo Jordan
