Today we’d like to introduce you to Mochii.
Mochii, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Well, my name is Kwame. I was born in Louisiana, in a small town called Houma. I was the youngest child of 6, and yes, the stereotype of being the baby in the family is true haha. Of course I was the annoying little brother, but it was always love. It was just us and my mom most of the time. My uncle was around too. My pops wasn’t so my Unc was like my father figure. My first memorable introduction to music was going to Best Buy on Tuesdays with him because that’s when the new cd’s dropped. I remember one CD we got was Kanye West 808s & Heartbreak. When I first heard it, it felt like a new world. I honestly don’t know how to explain it, but it just felt good in my soul. Man when I tell you we bumped that CD like it was a job! We’d be rich if they gave us a dollar for every time we played it! It was really good and I was inspired! I was already messing around writing songs with my brothers, but that winter I realized I wanted to make music that made people feel how that album made me feel. So amazing! It’s amazing! That’s a Kanye reference haha!
But, 18 years later here I am! Making waves under the moniker “Mochii”. A recording artist putting on shows around the US, audio engineer, producer, studio owner, dog & cat daddy, inspiring people out of the big city of Houston!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think anybody pursuing something they’ve never done before is going to have a smooth road. My main struggle was figuring out how to do it. “It” being, having a career in the music industry and supporting myself. I think we all know that the music don’t make the monies when you’re first starting out. I struggled and I struggled hard. I was fresh out of the army when I moved to Houston to actually do something about making music my career. I had a lil savings when I got out, but my transmission went out and my key fob broke when I was on my way out here. I had a 08’ Mercedes Benz C-Class. That took all of my money. 1st day in Houston and I was already $1000 in debt. What in the actually f***! Plus I had rent that I had to start paying now so, you know how that goes. Grind until you could put the bills behind. It wasn’t easy. There were moments where we had to go with no electricity for a couple days, eating red beans and rice everyday because that was the cheapest meal at Walmart, being behind on rent, getting eviction notices on the door, etc. I have a very supportive family but I would be damned if I asked them for help. It was my problem, not theirs. Plus, my pride wouldn’t let me. I had to do it on my own. That was my biggest struggle. Trying to handle all the sh*t life threw at me while trying to fund a music career. That’ll cause insanity, but I guess you got to be insane sometimes to do something you’ve never seen before.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I do a lot of things. I’m an artist, studio engineer, live audio engineer, producer, and I’m a rigger for different stage production companies. I specialize in audio. I own a studio in Jersey Village called The Happy Place where I work with artists from all over the world. The Happy Place is what I’m most proud of because of the journey it took me to get there. I think what sets me apart is that I am both the artist telling the story and the person behind the machinery making the story come to life. I’m not confined to one identity, I understand music from both sides of the glass, and I turn my experiences into concepts that people can see themselves in.
What matters most to you? Why?
Family and my health. If this all went to sh*ts and I quit, my family wouldn’t still love me and I’ll still be in great shape!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/iammochii
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iam.mochii
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@iammochii3
- Other: https://www.chiileaks.com
