A conversation with Ghostie could possibly be endless. He doesn’t ramble, however. There’s a certainty when he speaks, an unwavering sureness about things he’s seen and been through. Born in Virginia but residing mostly and currently in Baltimore, the 23-year-old artist knows what he stands for and runs with it. With a brotherhood among anti-world, the recent journey of being a father, and a forever commitment to music, Ghostie knows what it means to have hard work pay off.
“You caught me at a great time,” he sighs out after a lengthy oration about the diligence of his collective. He’s tipsy but very clear-headed, in a way that one would be after a few beers with friends at Owinillsin’s studio. Anti-world is more than a group of like-minded musicians. It’s a promise of acceptance, regardless of appearance or status, for the sake of creation and expression. “We’re not popular. We’re not cool kids. Whatever a cool kid the fuck is, anyway. We’re just ourselves.” That’s how members like Eric North fit right in. Dedication to remaining true to oneself is how anti-world operates. There is no middle-man.
There was a reluctance to reminisce upon the past, which is fair. Moving between PG County in Maryland, Orlando, DC, and Baltimore, it was not uncommon for Ghostie to lose close ones along the way, including three this year. “Baltimore taught me a lot about myself, about others”. Being an openly bisexual black male adds extra layers of social prejudice on top of already circumstantial hardship. But that certainly doesn’t hinder his ambition. Ghostie is always creating, even when he’s not in the studio. The rapper/singer/engineer/producer is also an aspiring model, with a passion for cooking as well. When surrounding oneself with industrious energy, limitations cease to exist.
Ghostie did not grow up a stranger to the music industry. His father is a prominent drum player in the DC area, and his mother used to work for the WKYS radio station in DC. He remembers passing out promotional fliers for shows with his younger brother and older sisters. Attending band practice and studio sessions with his dad gave him an immersive perspective of production at a young age. His deepest inspirations? “My mother and System Of a Down. That’s everything to me.” Ghostie’s music bursts with fervor and often fury, not dissimilar to the progressive intensity of SOAD. Lyrically, he digs into bodily recesses we forget exist and puts all its bawdiness on the table.
Family and friends are the grounding forces behind his misfortunes. “My mother has been the biggest impact of my life. So is my daughter and certain friends around me who I deem family.” Once a devout man of Muslim faith, he no longer practices Islam. His 9-month-old daughter, Iman, is named for the Arabic word for “faith.” Her existence is what gives Ghostie the power to carry on. He vaguely outlines a plan he has for her future, one that involves sacrifice and perseverance now that will set her up for success later. “Music doesn’t come first. People do. Nobody else is gonna do it for us.”
Ghostie fans shouldn’t worry about a lapse in content any time soon. A solo project, collabs with several anti members, and a tour that continues into 2019 are just a few of the events on Ghostie’s creative calendar. With the amount of time he spends in the studio and with fellow creators, masterly crafted art pieces are surely just around the corner. Explore Ghostie’s unique verses and production quality on Soundcloud and Spotify.
This interview took place at 6pm PST on July 16, 2018.