What's Going On? Emerald Apostle (Part 2) In Depth w/Odessa Oda
Welcome to this inspiring episode of Rise Urban Nation, hosted by Taryell Simmons. In this episode, we sit down with multifaceted artist, writer, and entrepreneur Odessa Oda to explore his creative journey through 90s hip-hop, personal grief, and artistic rebirth. Together, they discuss overcoming adversity, reigniting dormant creative passions, and creating new music and streetwear with profound purpose.
Living Legends Connection: Odessa and producer Willmaker first bonded at AT&T over their shared love for underground hip-hop music.
The Turning Point Album: Discovering Souls of Mischief's 93 'til Infinity inspired Odessa to transition from a music fan into an active emcee.
Carrying Crates in Tijuana: After losing his college scholarship, Odessa humbled himself by working as his younger brother's DJ record assistant to stay close to music.
Overcoming Deep Grief: Enduring the consecutive loss of his mother, brother, and grandfather between 2012 and 2014 prompted a ten-year hiatus from public creative work.
Rebirth Through Podcasting: Co-hosting a podcast with his brother M.Y.O. revitalized Odessa's creative spirit and inspired his return to music and fashion.
Early Musical Foundations: Navigating cultural transitions from Orange County to San Bernardino while absorbing 60s soul and 90s lyrical hip-hop.
The MagFlux Era: Creating landmark underground hip-hop with producer Willmaker and earning a Best Hip Hop nomination at the San Diego Music Awards.
Healing Through Hiatus: Navigating severe personal loss and depression, and learning why suppressing creativity damages the human spirit.
Concept Album Creation: Developing a project inspired by Marvin Gaye's What's Going On using third-person storytelling drawn from blues and folk traditions.
Flock Rebel Brand: Designing a purposeful streetwear line that harmonizes 90s prep aesthetics, Japanese streetwear influence, and spiritual faith.
Prioritize Creative Outlets: Stepping away completely from your artistic passions creates a void; honoring your creativity revitalizes personal well-being.
Embrace Flexible Execution: Hold onto your core vision firmly while remaining adaptable enough to pivot when life requires change.
Transmute Pain into Art: Personal hardship and grief can be processed through storytelling that empowers and heals others.
Step Out on Faith: Trusting your unseen vision and taking bold daily action is the true measure of lifelong success.
Odessa Oda is a seasoned emcee, songwriter, podcaster, and fashion designer rooted in the Southern California creative community. As the founder of the streetwear apparel brand Flock Rebel and a key member of the hip-hop group MagFlux, he blends vintage aesthetic culture with deep spiritual principles. Connect with him and follow his upcoming projects on Instagram at https://instagram.com/emeraldapostle and https://instagram.com/flockrebel.
Taryell Simmons: Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another episode of Rise Urban Nation. It is always a great pleasure when we have the homie in the building, my good friend Odessa.
Odessa Oda: I appreciate you. We are here at Willmaker Studios with Willmaker, also known as Tony. If you ever wonder how the vocals get so crisp, it is because of Willmaker.
Taryell Simmons: Tony, say what is up to the people.
Tony (Willmaker): Yo, what is up?
Taryell Simmons: Tell me, how did you and Tony meet?
Odessa Oda: We met at AT&T in corporate America during our first year there. I would see him walking around, and eventually we sat near each other. One day he was playing some indie music, specifically Living Legends. I asked him what he was listening to, and when he said Living Legends, we connected immediately.
Taryell Simmons: It is funny that you met Tony around music too, because that is how Tony and I connected when I was working at Circuit City. I was at the front desk of the warehouse, and he went over to audio. We talked so much about music, back during my radio days at Magic 92.5 and my internship at Bungalow Records in Los Angeles.
Odessa Oda: Tony knew you first and would tell me about you. After you left Circuit City, you became our first manager for Pac-10.
Taryell Simmons: Tell us about the Pac-10 run, getting nominated for Best Hip Hop at the San Diego Music Awards, and how you originally got into music.
Odessa Oda: As a listener, I have been into music forever. My mom was the first crate digger I knew, collecting 60s and 70s rock and R&B records. My grandfather was a jazz musician who played in gospel bands. My parents did not really like hip-hop, so I snuck around to listen to N.W.A, Big Daddy Kane, MC Hammer, and Vanilla Ice. I am originally from Orange County, living in Latino neighborhoods and attending private schools. At age 13, I moved to San Bernardino, which was a culture shock and a black boot camp. In high school at Eisenhower High School in Rialto, I met fly individuals who were smart and had style. The album that made me go from being a fan to trying to rap was Souls of Mischief's 93 'til Infinity. Hearing how they put their words together inspired me to jump into rap.
Taryell Simmons: Tell us about the transition when you went off to college and did music out there.
Odessa Oda: When I went to college in Atlanta on a community service scholarship, I connected with like-minded brothers called Divine Minds, who still create today under Divine Sons. I met producer Chris Kraft, who was starting a magazine, and wrote for him. My California brothers Jesse and Eddie and I also started a promotion company, promoting for LaFace Records, Uncle Luke, and parties. However, I lost my scholarship due to wilding out and letting grades slip. I came back feeling like a failure. My younger brother was DJing in San Diego and Tijuana, and I became his record boy, carrying crates up flights of stairs just to get into clubs for free.
Odessa Oda: Healing took time, and when I started working at AT&T, I reconnected with Tony. That began my era with MagFlux as part of the second generation.
Taryell Simmons: You were tearing up the clubs and got nominated for a San Diego Music Award. It was a beautiful era.
Odessa Oda: Toward the end of that era, I got married. Then I was hit with back-to-back tragedies: I lost my mother to cancer in 2012, my brother Luke died in 2013, and my grandfather passed away in 2014. My brain was a wreck and I was depressed. I backed away from public creative life for over a decade.
Odessa Oda: Out of the blue, my brother M.Y.O. invited me to co-host a podcast with Kyle and Yacine. Every episode felt better, and for the first time in years, I felt rejuvenated. That inspired me to reach out to Tony about redoing our Marvin Gaye What's Going On concept project. I wanted to honor 60s and 70s soul alongside 90s hip-hop, while expanding my palette into blues, folk, and Americana. Instead of first-person lyrics, the songs tell stories of people dealing with life after incarceration, families destroyed by war, drug addiction, and redemption.
Taryell Simmons: What do you hope listeners take away from this project?
Odessa Oda: No matter what we go through in life, we can be more. When you give up on your creative passions to just survive, it drains the joy from your life. Stepping out on faith and trusting your vision is where true success begins.
Taryell Simmons: What is your take on the current hip-hop era and the Big Three debate with Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and J. Cole?
Odessa Oda: In the 90s, when artists like Jay-Z and Nas beefed, there was real animosity and high stakes. You did not see public apologies during a battle. Today, it feels more like entertainment without genuine hostility. Drake using AI Tupac was a clever troll referencing Kendrick's past dream story, but the dynamic is completely different from our era.
Taryell Simmons: How did your clothing brand, Flock Rebel, come to be?
Odessa Oda: I have always loved fashion and finer things. Flock Rebel represents a flock of black sheep rebelling against the grain. The designs blend 90s streetwear cuts, classic preppy Polo aesthetics, and international streetwear vibes I picked up from Japanese exchange students in San Diego. It also carries spiritual themes, reminding people to believe in something outside themselves and believe in their own vision.
Taryell Simmons: Tell the people where they can connect with you and support your work.
Odessa Oda: Follow me on Instagram @emeraldapostle and check out @flockrebel for the clothing line. The What's Going On project is coming very soon. Big shout out to Willmaker Studios and everyone who supported our journey.
Taryell Simmons: Thank you for joining another episode of Rise Urban Nation. Support those who uplift our spirits and feed into our ancestors' wildest dreams. Peace.
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