Life & Work with Josh Ross

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Ross.

Hi Josh, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Professionally, I go by the name RO$$AY and I began my musical journey back in 2013. I invested in a production program called Logic and I used YouTube as a forum to teach myself the art of production. Having a mentor would have certainly accelerated things, but I take pride in being self-taught!

I’ve always been a poet/writer as well and I’ve participated in several poetry slams throughout high school and college. I knew that if I could improve my production skills, I could combine all of my talents and make something special. Looking back, the first 100 beats that I produced were pretty subpar, but at the time I was just proud to say that I completed that many beats. It’s so easy to give up and quit, but I didn’t!

Fast forward to 2021, after years of honing my skills and not sharing my music with anyone. I decided to bet on myself and take my music career seriously. I released two albums (“The Dawn” & “SOL CHILD!”) within 4 months, I’ve performed over 15 live shows this year, and I’ve opened up for legends like “The Pharcyde” and “Termanology”. I’ve started to realize my potential and now I gotta continue to put the work in!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My path hasn’t been the smoothest and I think that most creatives or entrepreneurs can relate. I’ve navigated through the grief that comes with losing close family members. I’ve moved to 3 different states in the last 3 years for an occupation that didn’t allow much time for me to create music. I’ve made life decisions that led me to Denver and put me in a position where I can dedicate more time to the music.

Most importantly, it’s been a balancing act of being ultra-committed to my music, while also preserving the relationships I have with friends and family. It’s so easy to become obsessive with your goals and subsequently strain relationships with people that care about you. That’s why mental health is so important. What’s the point of reaching your goals if you’re just a broken person at the end of it all? I think about that all the time and I try to practice the art of mindfulness as much as possible.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a creative, I would label myself as a Hip Hop emcee, a poet, and a beatsmith. I’m proud of the fact that I’ve only been releasing music since December of 2021 and through sheer determination, I’ve racked up some cool accolades. Thanks to my homie OLDSOULERA, I was able to help open up for “The Pharcyde” in April of this year at YOURMOMSHOUSE in Denver. That was such a cool moment because I grew up listening to their albums and being influenced by their sound.

Most recently, I was selected by SOFAR Sounds to play my first show in front of a sold-out crowd and I’m super excited to rock that show! Those are just two highlights from dozens of shows that I’ve done this year in Denver and Colorado Springs. I think that my sense of urgency, my work ethic, and the uplifting messages in my music sets me apart.

I instill a lot of wisdom in my music and I’m not afraid to speak on societal issues. I think that will help my music transcend age groups and generations. People grow out of certain types of music, but some messages stick with you forever. That’s the type of impression I’d like to leave.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
As it pertains to music, My favorite childhood memory has to be the day that I received my Sony Walkman. Going to Circuit City (I just carbon-dated myself) and picking out singles to buy was so much fun. Being able to play my favorite songs and instrumentals on repeat, really gave me an early appreciation for the details in the music. I think it was the early beginnings of my production ear and my curiosity surrounding how these sounds were made!

Pre Streaming era, you had to work hard to get the music you liked! Now it’s available at the tap of a finger…. CRAZY!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rozzaydontplay.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/r0_zzay/
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC7jh6wLasbH4oyvtAqU9oPw
• Other: https://linktr.ee/_Rozzay 

Image Credits
Alexandra Earth, Andrew Kelly, and Nonlocalshooter