London-based Meath rapper Sam O.G. told David Hennessy about working on the frontline during the pandemic, being the first African-born player to represent Meath GAA when he was selected for the minors and his experiences of racism growing up in Nobber.
London-based Meath rapper Sam O.G., real name Sam Ogungbe, had just played his first live show and was set to play an even bigger one at the O2 Academy in Islington when lockdown brought his live performances to a full stop for the time being.
However, Sam did not have the luxury of feeling sorry or even staying at home as his 9-5 was more like a twelve hours shift on the front line of the Covid-19 pandemic. Sam can only describe those times as ‘crazy’ and admits they took a tollon his mental health.
However, it was his music that got him through by giving him an outlet when all other social or sporting activities were completely off the agenda.
Sam told The Irish World: “I was lucky I had my music to throw myself into.
“It just came out of nowhere. It all happened so quickly. I remember I had my first show on 14th March. The show went on, people came out. We were all pretty sure we weren’t going into lockdown because even the events people were like, ‘Next week’s show at the O2…’ Stuff was being planned and then lockdown came in and work (nursing) started getting crazy. People were getting really unwell and the best way to describe it is just crazy. The hospitals weren’t ready, a lot of the PPE companies weren’t ready. There was PPE shortages going on. It was like, ‘What the hell? This is crazy. This is hectic.
“The people on the front line worked really hard. Not just nurses alone: The cleaners, the catering staff, the doctors, the physios, it was just a big team effort and people are still out there on the front line so credit to them. It’s not easy. You go home, you’re tired and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, I have to do this all again tomorrow’.
“It affected my mental health and I’m definitely not the only one but I’m lucky because I was able to just translate that into my music, I had that outlet. You’re just coming home and you can’t go anywhere because of lockdown and maybe a day or two later you’re back again on the frontline at work. It’s just non-stop really.”
Instead of ruing missed opportunities, Sam actually sees it as a blessing now as lockdown has given him time to work on his music.
“It’s actually worked out to my benefit.
“After the first show there was a lady there and she said, ‘You did really well, I’ll be in touch’. You know when you’re out and about like that you’re like, ‘Okay, whatever’. You don’t really take much notice. You just take the compliment and keep on going.
“Then two or three days later she was like, ‘A lad is doing a headline show at the O2 Academy in Islington, do you want to come and open up?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, of course. I love to perform’.
“And then lockdown happened so that still hasn’t happened up to now but it worked out to my benefit because I have so much new music to show and to perform. Hopefully when stuff opens back up if I’m lucky I’ll get myself onstage in a few more places.
“That’s where it’s at, live performances because you’re getting more exposure and you’re meeting up with new people. which is my favourite part. I love meeting new people. It’s not just creating music in a studio by yourself.”
Born in Nigeria, Sam came to Ireland when he was still a baby when his family made their home in Nobber, Co. Meath.
Sam came to London in 2016 to study nursing. He still nurses part-time in addition to studying to be a Physician Associate.
A former Meath minor, GAA is one of his passions and it is only since he came to London that he started to write music.
“When I was back home in Ireland, I played a lot of sports. I was playing Gaelic and got picked to play with the county for a bit but back then you don’t really have a lot of time to focus on anything else.
“You finish school, you’re out playing Gaelic. You finish homework, you’re out playing Gaelic three or four times a week easily.
“I moved over here and then I had time to just work on myself, work on my craft, work on my own vision. Then I just started releasing music.
“I was doing some YouTube covers. I have some of them hidden now on my YouTube because they’re too cringey to show anybody. When I came over here I got proper into it. I think it was 2018 I featured on my first song and then 2019 I properly started doing my own stuff. 2020 has probably been the best year for me so far because I had more time to make music.”
And you will not hear Sam pretending to be something he isn’t in his music.
“I can’t be out here rapping about drugs and moving a hundred bags of weed and stuff because that’s not what I do. You won’t hear me talk about that a lot in my music but stuff that you will hear me rapping about is stuff you can relate to, just the daily struggles of life and trying to put food on your plate as we all are.”
Sam’s track After Hours in Minneapolis, on his debut mixtape Uncharted Territory, reflects on issues such as race and the normalised images of black people dying in the hands of the police in the wake of the George Floyd tragedy.
“I got a lot of feedback that song. With Uncharted Territory, I was basically saying, ‘Look, I don’t know where this is going but I’m here for the long haul’.”
Sam made history as the first African-born person to play GAA for Meath at any level when he represented them at minor level. Although he admits he knew nothing about this at the time just being delighted to be selected like anyone else on the panel.
“I didn’t even know anything about that until after the match. One of the Nobber coaches called me and said, ‘I gave your number to some chap, be expecting a call’. And I was like, ‘Okay, whatever’. Someone from the Meath Chronicle called me and they were like, ‘How do you feel?’ I was like, ‘I’m just grateful for the opportunity really’. I wasn’t thinking of it like that. It didn’t even occur to me. I was just grateful to be playing county like anybody else. I think my mum has the newspaper at home.
“It was definitely a proud moment. Now when I look at the GAA scene there’s a lot more people from different backgrounds playing the sport than when I started. I remember when I started playing the sport I would finish a match and a ref would be like, ‘I’ve never seen a young man like yourself play the game so well’, and I’m like, “Errr… thank you, I guess’,” Sam laughs. “You know, what do you want me to say to that?
“Now it’s nice because it’s becoming more diverse. When I started playing with Nobber there was just me. I love all the lads that I played with. Now I see there’s some Polish kids playing, you have some people from African background. It’s nice to see. It just shows the growth in diversity in Ireland itself.
“Gaelic is a community sport. It brings the community together a lot. To see different people from different backgrounds having the chance and the opportunity to play is nice.
“When I was 14, 15, it wasn’t that diverse, it’s changed a lot. It just shows how far we’ve come.”
Growing up as one of a small number of black people in Nobber, was racism a problem for Sam? “For me to say it’s not a problem I would be lying.
“There was a time with me and one of my close friends. We were the two black people in our school. We were playing GAA and the ball got stuck on top of this big canopy kind of thing and I was like, ‘Bro, climb up there and get the football down’. Because he’s taller than me. He went up to get it and one of the teachers walked outside and she was like, ‘Get down from there, this isn’t the amazon jungle’.
“It doesn’t seem like much but it’s not really the best term to be using.
“The teachers would always get our names mixed up. There was only two, me and him. They would still get it wrong. Stuff like that, it’s not like a big thing but at the same time, ‘Why can’t you get our names right?’
“Then you have your normal racism in sport. Even though I say it’s normal, it’s not normal. Countless times you would be on the pitch and someone would say the N word at you or something and then when you retailiate you, you’ll get sent off. There’s nothing put in place to stop that from happening.
“Racism is always going to be there but we can at least strive and work towards making it a better place for everybody. It’s not nice to be taunted like that.
“Thinking back to when I was a young guy, say 15 or 16. You don’t want to be that guy, ‘He’s no craic. He can’t take a joke’. I don’t want to be seen like that. Sometimes you might just hear some stuff that’s kind of racist but you’re not going to say anything. Now I think back I’m like, ‘I should have said something’. But I can understand my mindset back then because you’re like, ‘I’ll just let it slide’. Because you don’t want to be the one that’s like, ‘You can’t have any fun around Sam’.
“It is what it is. It’s gotten a lot better but there’s still a lot of work to be done. There’s nothing stopping us from all getting along. Once you understand somebody else, that alleviates the fear.”
Being a former Meath minor and not based a million miles from Ruislip, has Sam thought of playing GAA here? “I was tempted because I really enjoy playing Gaelic. It’s such a fun sport and I was half decent at it as well but I just don’t have time.
“Summer just gone I played some Gaelic with the club back at home in Nobber which was a lot of fun. My fitness level is definitely not where it used to be.”
Sam has been working on his follow-up mixtape that he expects to release in May. It’s clear from how he speaks about it that he’s passionate about music, following his dreams and empowering others to do the same.
He says of it, “The mixtape that I’m working on is called Dark Days and Bright Nights. It’s showing two sides. Before lockdown night times we used to all come alive but with lockdown you haven’t really had the chance to do that. That aspect of life has been restricted.
“I always say once you create good music the rest will follow. This year I’m trying to show that there’s a certain amount of growth from the mixtape last year: This is how much I’ve grown as an artist, as a person.
“Do what you wanna do. Don’t be afraid of what someone else is going to say or what they might say because if you’re afraid of that you’ll be afraid your whole life because people are going to comment whether it’s good or bad.
“As long as I get the opportunity to perform I’m happy. That’s a blessing to me. There’s no stage that’s too small or too big.”
Dark Days and Bright Nights is coming soon.
For more information, click here.
