After years of consistent work, which included his Growth EP, The 6 Page Letter mixtape and an appearance on Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow, 24-year-old rapper Ausar has been making waves in Chicago’s music scene. Throughout 2020, Ausar has dropped a handful of singles like the standout track “Sunday Morning Cleaning” and now has his eyes set on the release of his upcoming project Flight of the Honeybee. 

Highly anticipating the release of his next project, we took a moment to catch up with Ausar to learn more about his music-making process while in quarantine, being memed on Twitter, and his plans for the future.

Read our Q&A with Ausar below and be sure to follow and listen to him on Spotify and Apple Music.

How has the music-making process been while in quarantine?

Honestly, it’s caused me to dial in a bit more. No shows means I have more time to actually cultivate my creative process. For the first time ever I feel like I actually have a concrete rollout for the next few months to come. I finally know what real preparation feels like. Lol. It’s also made me more comfortable with experimenting. I don’t feel as pressured to push things as fast, so I can stockpile ideas and really just be fearless in the approach I take while creating.

It seems you have a good relationship with supporters especially with them memeing you on Twitter, how did that relationship happen?

Really I just have some very funny and creative friends, lol! I never intentionally expected for this to be the outcome. But it’s been like that for years. For my 20th birthday a few years ago, there literally was a #memeAJDay hashtag (please don’t look that up. I am actually begging you.)

I do make sure that I stay as interactive as I can with the people who support me though. So that could also aid in the overall relationship. I feel like that’s very important, and I want to make sure that everyone knows they’re appreciated. I’m a firm believer in the fact that nobody owes me support, so when it’s given, it means a lot. 

What are you hoping people take away from your new project?

I hope they feel seen. I really hope this EP resonates with people and allows them to see how essential they are to the world around them. I want them to understand that their contributions mean so much more than they may realize. No matter how big or small they may be.

That’s really what FOTH means to me. It’s a call to action/call to focus on the individuals who work daily to make changes in the world. 

A lot of your notable songs have soul samples on the beat, do you prefer those types of beats to rap on?

Those types of beats were what I started with, so they always feel like home. I think I just love anything that makes me feel something when I hear it. It doesn’t always have to be a soul sample, but soul samples often do carry a lot of emotion in them. I’ve spent the last year or so kind of trying to expand my sound, while still remaining true to my own artistry. I think the next few drops we have in the pipeline will be able to showcase that a bit more!

Who have been your main influencers in your music-making process recently?

The artists around me. Josi Green, Ro Marsalis, all of OUTER(Net), Brittney Carter, etc. Just having a bevy of different talented artists around me have just had an effect on my work ethic and my overall approach to music. It’s been a learning process that I’ve really enjoyed.

How have things been going with Outer(net)?

GREAT. Everybody is making their own individual accomplishments and it’s so great to see. We have a few things in the works as a group as well that we’ve been putting together. Once everybody finishes up their own individual projects, we’re right back to it! 

What are your plans for the rest of 2020 after this EP?

The goal is to just continue to build momentum. 2020 is far from over. There’s a lot of work to be done, and a lot of goals that can still be accomplished even from home. I think a lot of the second half of the year will be spent pushing even more content and finding more creative ways to engage w/ supporters through whatever resources we have to our avail!