We recently connected with Oladipo Oyediran and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Oladipo, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I knew i wanted to pursue a creative path professionally before i even left to be a teacher in Kathmandu Nepal in 2017. I knew i HAD to pursue my create dreams when the job and my status fell apart and the music brought me through hardships in a foreign land.
I was in Jail in Nepal when i wrote “Magic” by igimeji. And since then i’ve never looked back.
Igimeji – Famous Exchange [Now The FEx] – 808 Saints – Group Nameless: All these projects and artistic lines came from this choice, and it has been all worth it till this day.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve always been into music. I started drumming in church when i was about 10, the John Mayer Trio inspired me to be a guitarist when i was 15, and my years of friendship with Grammy Nominated producer Loren Moore inspired me to continuously pursue my love of music, grow my skills in various instruments and software regarding my music, and be on the path i am today. I am a songwriter, i perform professionally as a guitarist and a drummer in several bands, i help local artists record demos, and i advise people on how to successfully be independent as they move through their creative path. My background as a teacher, and prose/poetry performer for several years has given me the tools i need to help my peers in this field of artistic endeavors.
I am most proud of how far I’ve gotten in my field, and how resourceful I’ve been able to be given the circumstances. I have welcomed the success of fellow artists around me and as a result I’ve welcomed my success, and that cycle continues till today. My brand is SYLA [Support Your Local Artist] . Through this mantra I do my best to help other artists sustain the ecosystem of creativity we have in DFW because i believe, much as they do, that it is very important in life to HAVE that creative community. For mental health and personal growth.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being an artist is the art itself. We often don’t realize just how much creativity has a hand in every other thing we process about our learning and our economy and our value. I’m grateful Dallas has a healthy artist ecosystem, and i want people to know that you can find a place where your skills as an artist are valued intrinsically and financially. It could take some hard work to stand out and make the goals you want, but the fertile grounds to elevate yourself and the community at large exists here and i believe its growing.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Dallas could elevate local artists more than it does right now by giving us the opportunity to share the platforms it has reserved for bigger national acts. This looks like putting us on larger stages, giving us better coverage from journalists, and keeping an eye on the burgeoning art community in the mid cities between Dallas and Fort worth. Those 2 cities have the Fort worth Weekly, and the Dallas Observer – and they don’t / can’t always elevate every artist spanning the metroplex. We have festivals that give some of us that bigger stage, however even that process is still more selective than i’d like to see.

I would love to see mentorship programs that help artists understand the value of independence in their craft.
I would love to see the city subsidize local venues and artists so throwing good shows can be more feasible and less financially straining.
I would love to see more integration of local artist skills in college institutions we already have as resources from the city. this looks like playing shows on college campuses, city halls, public parks, rec centers etc. Any thing to spread the word of our style, and show the average resident how colorful the creativity in their community is. It is not seen or said enough.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sylatx.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/ladi_themusician
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SYLA.MEDIA/?show_switched_toast=1&show_invite_to_follow=0&show_switched_tooltip=0&show_podcast_settings=0&show_community_transition=0&show_community_review_changes=0
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oladipo-oyediran-87013342/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SYLATX
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK8qjBAOHm0nluBbnZFAoAA
• Other: https://li.sten.to/allthingsladi

Image Credits
Images Shot/edited by @baleighkathryn, @trangvuproductions, @alecjgarner, Magic Artwork [4 Busts] by @thirstandcompany