A charming combination of notes and chords serenades you back to your most vivid emotion. Music is a language everyone is fluent in when the language speaks your truth rather than you learn it.
Once in a while, comes an artist dawns on the mic as a testimony to what music is capable of.
Ladies and gentlemen, taking the stage, Manhattan’s own OT Dlmez.
Sports star scored in music
Born November 21, 1997, Helmsley Aboagye was notorious for having a great memory in high school, a handy trait for a future rapper. In his early years, he dreamt of following in his father’s footsteps in pursuing an athletic career. He made waves on the court with basketball, but the soccer field became his home.
OT DImez has a rich academic background, having attended three universities: Genesee Community College from 2016-2018, Indiana State University from 2018-2019, and College at Brockport from 2019-2021. His major was sports oriented with a Bachelor’s in Science and a minor in coaching.
He excelled at the turf to the point where going pro didn’t seem so far-fetched. Fate had other plans, and Aboagye shelved his dream.
OT Dlmez’s musical calling was nothing less than a Netflix documentary pilot episode. Observing musicians behind the video camera, Helmsley spent his time making sure artists fulfilled their vision while he was patient with his.
One fine day he decided to grab the mic and pour his heart out into the Blues as he swayed to its Rhythm and forgot about looking back ever again.
Musical Musings
They say inspiration stems from the truest of places. Your art is a concoction of these inspirations blending into a product that describes you best. OT found his inspiration in the lyrically complex world of rap music, where his destination became more apparent with each rhyme and fake verse.
Rap music is stereotyped as an upbeat song laced with a few cuss words and a female singer to cut down on the “ghetto-ness” of the song itself. If only people eavesdropped on the meaning and essence behind the lyrics, their perception would be more rational.
Biggie Smalls had a B.I.G. influence over OT’s development as an artist. The crack commandments taught him the rules to live life to the fullest, from one to ten.
Discography
Music provides a platform for people to vent out the emotions festering inside them. Heartbreak of happiness, condensing into melodies, reaching out to people who relate to them.
Helmsley’s first single, “Dollaz,” was written in the big apple pre-pandemic and recorded in Rochester before his return to college in 2021.
Subsequently, OT Dlmez dropped his two singles, “Ain’t Never Love Me.”
The song nods to Helmsley’s past lovers who did him dirty. It is a love letter to all those going through the ache of finding out that their partner has been disloyal to them. When you’ve given nothing but love to the person you knew wouldn’t take advantage of you but ends up doing just that, it can leave you empty. Helmsley’s record gives you a sense of surety that you are not “Alone.” A song that he wrote too.
His single “Take It” seems to be Helmsley’s most well-known work, blitzing through the charts as he breaks through the indie spectrum. The RnB prodigy quotes, “Glad God gave me the booms and talent to release this track as I feel like it is and will be one of my major songs in the years to come.” A divine manifestation indeed.
OT Dlmez is as versatile as they come. He specializes in 10 genres, with some unreleased drill and neo-soul work still safely locked up, waiting to see the light of day.
Though, where his heart resides is in the tempos of RnB.
The future
OT is currently making moves as an independent artist, whereas many are waiting for a significant contract to be handed to them; Helmsley took the mic and paved his path on his terms.
He is open to offers and happily accepts royalties and clauses leading to a win-win situation, not a win-lose.
Aboagye’s story is a testimony for upcoming artists, iffy about taking the leap of faith just because their current situation doesn’t allow them to pursue their dreams. He sends a message that you do not need a rich musical background to excel at it—all it takes is passion and big ambitions.
Stay tuned for his upcoming album “2 Shades of Hell”, dropping in 2023!
No comments yet