It’s all too common for Swedish rappers to look to the west for inspiration and try to conceal their middle class lives behind a gangster facade. Osten af is not one of them. Osten af keeps it really real. Hailing from Västerås, Osten af has been around a minute. But he always keeps walking his own way.Like that time when he released “Farväl Örebro,” Sweden’s first official music video in sign language! And when he dropped “Hiphophjälten” (‘the hip-hop hero’) which climbed Swedish Radio’s Digilistan chart, as well as out-performed “Gangnam Style” for several weeks on iTunes.
With his colloquial lyrics, worldly themes and powerful honesty, Osten af is probably the one rapper in Sweden that the most can identify with.
What is your background? tell us where you grew up and some information about your upbringing/experiences as a youth:
I grew up in the city of Västerås, Sweden. The home of Looptroop Rockers. So back then they got me in to hiphop and I also became an vinyl addict because if you wanted to listen to Looptroop you also needed a record player. I was on a concert with them and got blown away. Told my friends we must try to rap as well because it seemed so nice and fun to be on stage spitting dope verses.
At what moment did you know that music was part of your life and what feelings did you have towards making an active impact with your music?
When I first started it was just for fun and I had no thoughts of doing this for the rest of my life, but when i released my first cassette, I got so much props and I felt for the first time in my life that I was capable of entertaining people.
What artists inspired/influences you and if you could collaborate with any artist (alive or passed) who would it be and why?
Artists that inspires me is Masta Ace, Pharoahe Monch, Common, Nas, Percee P. to name a few. And if i could have made a song with Big L that would have been of the hook.
What do you think about the current state of hip hop/mainstream music?
I think there is a lot of crap at the moment, but there still dope lyricists thats makes music with their heart. But it’s much harder to get over good music nowadays. And I usually don’t listen to mainstream music on the radio. That’s not my cup of tea.
Currently, what projects do you have in the works that you are most excited about?
I have a EP coming out this fall with a couple of tracks. And I’m really excited to make more collaborations with Americans. This has been the dopest thing ever.
What are your short term career goals within the next 6-10 months?
Get the EP done, put it out on vinyl and make a shorter tour in Sweden.
What are your long term career goals within the next 2-5 years?
Then I hope I’ve made more songs with MC:s all over the world. And made shows in other countries.
If you had one song out of the catalogue you have created to show a person what song would it be and why?
The Avengers, the greatest project iv’e been involved in, and i still can’t understand how i got this thing together.
To the person who had never heard of you what is it about your music and story that you would tell them to entice them to be a supporter? Im keeping it real, and I always walk my own way, got colloquial lyrics and worldly themes and rap with powerful honesty.
If your music could be described in five words what would those five words be?
Honesty, Real, Colloquial, Worldly Lyrics
What do you bring to the game that is unique and different?
I rap in swedish and I try to make unique videos you never seen before, one of my videos called ”Farväl Örebro” is the first Swedish official music video in sign language. and I also made a video called ”Sprääängs” which takes place in the woods of Sweden, starring a mountaineer, me as a fly-fisher and a hiker, i came up with this because i wanted to show Sweden from a different angle, and how most of Sweden looks like.
What are your social media profiles and where can people purchase/download your music?
facebook.com/ostenaf
twitter.com/ostenaf
instagram.com/ostenaf
soundcloud.com/afmozzarella
You can find my music on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Play and many more places.
What are your final words you would like to say to people that you have left out?
Be yourself do more of whats makes you happy!