At the outdoor taking a look in, the lifetime of Olu, often referred to as Johnny Venus—one part of the Atlanta-based hip-hop team Earthgang— turns out like a endless birthday celebration. There’s the euphoria of making artwork that influences and resonates inside of a era. There’s getting to look the sector and taking part with different artists.
However, there could also be the force to Basquiat when pen will get put to pad. Or the strain that incorporates feeding a hungry fanbase, and the load of gratifying self-aspirations whilst reaching a degree of good fortune that attracts you additional clear of what guided you towards reaching it within the first position.
All over a chaotic 2023, Olu says that whilst bodily he felt nice, he used to be simply making it from sooner or later to the following each mentally and spiritually. After a four-week lengthy retreat to Bali, Indonesia, on the most sensible of this 12 months, the Atlanta local returned feeling lighter and extra conscious about what serves him. By no means one to hoard perception, Olu introduced his wellness logo COMPXSS.
Via this platform, Olu desires to create a neighborhood atmosphere that gives get entry to to the practices that helped him recenter and refocus. He spoke with M&F about what led him to release the well being and wellness logo, why he felt it necessary to proportion his insights with the sector, and the significance of constructing well being and wellness extra of a concern in our lives.
A Reset For Thoughts, Frame, and Soul
Earlier than he made his technique to Bali, Olu went via a 30-day yoga problem. Bodily, he regarded nice however emotionally and spiritually, he felt another way. “I used to be simply making it and that’s so not unusual for such a lot of folks,” he says. “It’s like, you glance just right, excel in paintings, you’re ensuring the youngsters get to university and so they were given the entire issues they want, however you’re simply making it.”
As soon as arriving in Bali, Olu used to be surrounded via nature and a stillness that used to be international to him. He used to be clear of the issues that were weighing on him. With out a distractions or responsibilities, he may center of attention purely on himself, see the place he used to be, and get started the adventure of who he sought after to develop into. No longer for the reason that pandemic had existence slowed right down to the level it had. He finished a 200-hour yoga trainer coaching to get his certificates, however he additionally received treasured insights and equipment to lend a hand him keep away from attending to the very degree that had introduced him to Indonesia.
When Olu returned house in overdue January, he took about two months to start the method of slowly integrating himself again into his social circle. Whilst he bodily returned the similar, he did really feel a noticeable distinction.
“I felt so much so much freer, much more sober-minded and simply extra conscious,” Olu stated. “I believe from time to time we lose consciousness in existence simply because there’s such a lot occurring, particularly with social media and being continuously inundated with folks’s lives. You’re continuously bombarded with what folks have occurring. It’s simply such a lot data and such a lot of issues occurring that you simply don’t get an opportunity to have superb consciousness of your self outdoor of the whole lot else that’s occurring.”
Equipping Others With Their COMPXSS
Since that retreat in Bali, Olu has established the frequency at which he desires to proceed to transport. If he’s drained, he’s going to relaxation. If he doesn’t really feel like going to the membership, it’s going to take one thing enormous to deviate him from his first idea. Most significantly, he has established time for himself all the way through the day this is unfastened from e-mails and social media. He additionally prioritizes connecting together with his family members.
Those insights have been direct effects from his time of reflecting in Bali. Returning again house with a wealth of data and now not sharing it might be going towards how Olu used to be introduced up. In order that’s why the artist based COMPXSS.
“It’s such treasured data and I believe our fanatics, the communities that apply us, the companions that we spouse with—our purpose is at all times to ship price as a result of that’s why folks rock with us within the first position,” Olu says.
“To be able to have an actual adventure or to seek out your technique to proceed to growth the place you’re going, it’s important to know the place you might be. That used to be the revel in over in Bali. What am I sporting this is conserving me from attending to this subsequent house? I’ve by no means performed in a single day tenting, however I’m positive it’s like that. It’s like if you happen to don’t forestall, relaxation, and determine the place you might be, then you’ll finally end up strolling proper off a cliff.”
Being Disciplined To Keep away from Burning Out
Because of the best way song is ate up and streamed this present day, many artists can really feel force to persistently feed their fanatics new subject matter fearing that they are going to become bored or transfer onto one thing else. This additionally extends over to social media as engagement is part of staying at the radar when new song isn’t shedding. Olu is aware of this firsthand and has noticed it reason a few of his friends to burn out. He says that it takes self-discipline to navigate this terrain and believes that point clear of the limelight must be used to reset and plant seeds in different avenues.
“The whole thing on the earth and existence has its season,” Olu says. “There are offseason in sports activities. The NBA is in its offseason, so some gamers are both with their households, training their abilities or they’re running on different facets in their trade, so come November, December, and January — you’ll have the ability to see the end result of that exertions.”
Except for ensuring you’re getting correct relaxation, Olu says that there must be time in every of our days this is devoted to your self. It may be the primary hour you get up to meditate or to take a stroll. Keep away from the stimulation that incorporates choosing up your telephone and concentrate on the way you’re feeling, how you wish to have to really feel, and aligning issues inside of your self to lend a hand achieve that vacation spot.
Serving to Others Are living a Fitter Existence
Via COMPXASS, Olu objectives to supply others with the equipment, sources or even the steerage to reside an general more healthy existence in some way this is welcoming. He desires supply others with the data so that you could concentrate to their our bodies and thoughts to raised perceive the issues that aren’t sure for them and find out how to higher align their center of attention to objects that deliver sustainable happiness.
“I believe it’s simply in reality necessary that we shift from doing into being,” Olu stated. “I think like our lives are predicated via how a lot we do and now not simplest can we price ourselves via that, however a large number of occasions we expect that the extra we do, the extra we get and from time to time, you waste power via doing that. You waste such a lot power via at all times answering each telephone name, and textual content, and studying each tweet. Have you learnt how a lot psychological capability it takes to learn each tweet in your timeline?
Olu’s Present Wellness Regimen
A part of the cause of the retreat used to be because of closing 12 months being full of partying, going out, and doing so on only some hours of sleep an afternoon. He had simply returned from acting with British digital song duo Snakehips in San Francisco and wasn’t set to head on degree till about 1:30 within the morning. So, from seven to middle of the night, Olu used to be rapid asleep. Whether or not he’s on the gymnasium, doing yoga, or simply strolling round his group, there’s a precedence put on workout and motion. At the side of maintaining a healthy diet and consuming a variety of water, Olu additionally prioritizes what he’s eating when it comes to content material as neatly.
“I’ve been running on energetically cleaning my house,” he stated. “I eat so much as an artist. As someone who has to have a public profile to proceed to replace and be in contact with the neighborhood and the fanatics — it’s important to keep in mind of what you’re eating. Some days, it’s OK to simply say, I’m now not going to be to be had as of late. And after I do make myself to be had, I’ll have price.”
Clearing His Head to Re-establish Extra Creativity
In the case of his creativity, Olu feels that a large number of the smoke has been cleared since he’s focused and conscious. There have been occasions previously when he would put one thing right down to really feel completed and to stay alongside of a regimen. Now, there may be readability the place he can pass to the studio and inform the tale he desires to with none of the needless fluff filtering via his thoughts.
Olu says he’s resentful of artists equivalent to Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, who made their debuts towards the beginning of when social media used to be starting to take off and now not the place it’s lately. They may be able to be a part of the social chatter round hip-hop with out enticing in or round the ones conversations. And once they do drop anything else, it’s like they by no means went anyplace. Olu says he’s teetering on discovering that steadiness. In a large number of techniques, he’s nonetheless the similar tree he used to be sooner than he went to Bali. Simplest now, a number of new branches are bearing new fruit.
Apply Olu a.ok.a Johnny Venus on Instagram @johnnyvenus
Apply COMPXSS @compxss_