Over the past 3 or so years Isai Morales has been releasing quality content as both an artist and producer. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Isai has been exploring his musical skill since high school where he first started rapping. With the help of cousin Emilio Morales, Kellbender, and a solid amount of time in the studio, he quickly brought his production skills up to par with his evident vocal talent.
Morales originally began producing work under the name ‘Eazy El Loco’; growing up with the nickname ‘Eazy E’ the name made sense to the young artist. However in 2017, Morales decided it would be more beneficial to go by his legal name as both he and his sound matured.
Isai makes smooth, captivating tracks easily identified by velvety beats and memorable themes. With upwards of 2 million streams on Spotify, it’s not surprising Isai’s lo-fi rap sound has found itself a loyal audience.
“As far as reach and getting myself out there, all I’ve really done is ended up at the right places at the right times. I go to the places and events where I’m bound to meet the right people, and just let the relationships build themselves. I’m not the type of person that likes to put my music in people’s faces, so I let them discover it after already becoming acquainted. That’s been my strategy for years and it’s built a strong enough foundation for me to be able to do some cool shit in and out of Ohio.”
Clearly talented enough to let the music spread itself, Isai also has some impressive collaborations in his library. Working with names like xanarchy member $teve Cannon and mainstream artist Alex Wiley, he likely has the potential to double his following in years to come.
Taking inspiration from artist/producer threats like Pharrell, J Dilla, and (old) Kanye West, it’s clear reaching a respectable standard of production is important to Morales. The sheer amount of time he has spent during his life exploring artists and their respective content is impressive even for someone involved in the industry.
“As a kid I listened to a lot of stuff I shouldn’t have been. I used to save my money in school as a kid, and there was this music store right down the street from my school, Omega Music. My grandma would take me there after school and I would buy anything that I would recognize. The first CD I copped was Guerilla Warfare by Hot Boys, back when Lil Wayne was like 14 and Cash Money Records was beginning to thrive. The owners of Omega back at the time would put me onto the right music for real. But as a kid I was listening to all of the hip hop essentials, from Jay-Z when RocAFella had just started out, to Snoop right after he left death row, and everything in between. I loved to study albums and just listen to them over and over again… I could write a whole book on the artists I look up to and all the reasons why.”
On top of the extensive music influence he provided for himself, Morales was also raised surrounded by heavy Latin influences. Isai recalls attempting to tune out the classic salsa, jazz, and 90s Latin pop he was exposed to during his mother’s time as a salsa singer, but later looks back to realize it taught him a lot about what goes into the creation of a song. These early Latin influences are evident in his sound throughout his whole portfolio of work.
While the entirety of Isai’s library is worth exploring, his most recent and self produced release “On a High Note” has been a favorite of mine lately. The addictive sound of his vocals and a well rounded beat to support them makes this track one you’ll want to play on repeat.
Keep an eye out for more content from Isai in the near future and follow @isaixmorales to stay up to date on his frequent live performances.