Chicago's free-spirited Towkio (aka Preston Oshita) has made history as the first rapper/singer to go into space. Launching his trippy debut album, WWW., in February, Oshita fearlessly journeyed beyond the stratosphere via helium balloon.
"Honestly, it wasn't my idea," Oshita confesses today. "I mean, you would think that I would have suggested it — but I couldn't visualise it." In fact, when his manager proposed the scheme, Oshita thought he was "crazy". But on researching it, Oshita determined that a high-altitude album stream was tenable. "It was almost like it was meant to happen."
The ebullient star will hit Australia for the first time with Splendour In The Grass. As he chats, Oshita is waiting to hear KIDS SEE GHOSTS — the joint album from his hero Kid Cudi and Kanye West. "I'm actually in California, so I'm going to go to the listening party." Oshita has learnt that Aussies embraced Cudi early, deeming this auspicious. Nonetheless, his current live set was inspired by Beyonce's Coachella spectacle. (Oshita attended the Cali fest with buddy Chance The Rapper, who was celebrating his birthday.) "We've put together a very beautiful show," he enthuses. "We got some crazy visual effects."
Oshita describes himself as "a product of America". He has an intriguing dual heritage. Oshita's mother is a Mexican migrant who settled on Chicago's south side. Yet his father, from the city's north, was born to a Japanese-American couple who met while interned during WW2. Initially, Oshita leaned towards his Hispanic roots. "Growing up, I identified more with my Mexican side. I didn't even really tell people I was Japanese. I didn't really care about it. Most of my friends were Mexican and black, so I identified more with them."
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The aspiring hip hopper formed the SaveMoney crew with Chance, Vic Mensa and Joey Purp. Oshita generated heat with 2015's mixtape .Wav Theory. He also cameo'd alongside Justin Bieber on Juke Jam, off Chance's Grammy-winning Coloring Book. In the interim, Oshita found a "guru" in Rick Rubin. He became the first rapper signed to Rubin's American Recordings in 20 years. Oshita cut WWW. at Rubin's fabled Shangri-La Studios in Malibu — where he regularly stays. "This place used to be Elvis [Presley's] old beach home and he sold it to Bob Dylan — Eric Clapton and The Band made music here for a couple of years. Then [Dylan] sold it to Rick Rubin. Now I made my album on Bob Dylan's old tour bus. There's magic in here — over 60, 70 years of magic at this place [where] I'm talking to you right now. I think that it comes through in the music."
Oshita is a philosopher as much as a space geek. Conceptually, WWW. references the so-called 'Overview Effect' whereby astronauts gain a profound new perspective on humanity when orbiting Earth. "At first, I put three 'Ws' together and it made a wave — so I wanted to make a worldwide wave that could touch all around the world."
Oshita's hip hop is unusually uptempo — and housey — for 2018. Though he's long collaborated with the Norwegian electronic producer Lido, Oshita knows of Chicago house godfather Frankie Knuckles and acknowledges footwork as an influence. Still, Oshita considers himself modishly post-genre. "My music is influenced from everywhere — it's just its own thing. I wouldn't say I make house music or I make one style of music. It's kind of just interpretations." Among WWW.'s highlights is Morning View — an ethereal duet with SZA.
Oshita often discusses his artistic purpose. "If I have the pure intention behind my music, then my music will resonate harder than if my intentions were only to make money." And furnishing WWW. has given him greater focus. "Now I'm getting into a new flow and trusting myself a little bit more. But I learned a lot through making that album. I had to make that album so that I could move to the next step." Quizzed on a follow-up LP, Oshita is elliptical. "I already know the next two!" Regardless, he'll be exploring his cosmic awakening. "Once you go to space, you realise that nothing else matters in the entire universe other than life — life itself and then life on Earth," he says. "We need to better the quality of life while here and not be so caught up on our day-to-day [affairs], not appreciating what we have."
