In her senior year of college, with just two semesters of her fashion design program at the Savannah College of Art and Design, BOSCO decided to call it quits on college in the name of music.
She never looked back.
Since her decision seven years ago, BOSCO’s career has taken off. In 2013, she was signed to Fool’s Gold Records (alongside the likes of Kid Cudi). Within months, she’d taken hold in the Atlanta scene, combining her love of style with multimedia art and music. Fast-forward five years and her latest EP, b., has launched her onto the proverbial main stage. She hit more than a million streams last year...and she’s just getting started. Read on to hear BOSCO’s take on style, success, and inspiration.
You left fashion school just two semesters before graduation. Was it difficult to make that decision, and how has your education translated into your work as a musician?
It was very challenging but I knew something inside of me was calling for a bigger purpose. I was exhausted with school and keeping up with the institutional practices/studies of what people thought “Fashion” was. For me personally, fashion is about style. You can teach the foundation of it (sewing, pattern and draft making) but you can’t teach taste or style. It’s something that comes from within, it’s your individual language. It’s the way you communicate to people before you utter your first word before you meet someone. I’ve learned so much along the way in regards to fashion, how it translates into my music career, and how things are paired and layered together. I’ve used these skills to help with my releases by working closely with designers from various mediums. It’s a language that has gotten me to where I am as I am well-versed in the arts as well as fashion.
You deleted every photo on your Instagram prior to your latest EP, b. Are visuals as important to your brand as the music?
I wanted people to focus on the body of work which best represented who I am and where I want to go at the moment. As you know, we live in a “fly by night” type of culture where we are constantly fighting to be heard or have our work surpass a shelf life longer than two weeks. It’s crazy to me how much society consumes without fully digesting an artist’s work and discovering new things within it. It’s like reading a book and discovering new things each time. I try to have multiple ways for the consumer to understand my vision by providing multimedia components to my work. Not only do you get the music but you are also apart of the journey whether it’s through gifs, animations, lookbook, videos, or documentaries. I try to cover all bases because people process information differently and we as artists have to be sensitive to different comprehension styles and connectability.
If you could give advice to young women just getting started in their careers, what would it be?
There’s no right or wrong way to achieve success. Surround yourself with people who are going to nurture your gifts and be transparent about your growth and how to improve. “Yes” men will be the death of your career. Find balance when you feel uninspired or depleted. Taking breaks to refocus is okay! Remain a student and don’t be afraid to ask for help. READ AND RESEARCH!
What’s the biggest source of inspiration for your music?
Pain.
What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?
That I achieved 1 million streams in 2018.
What do you hope your listeners take away from your work?
You can do anything you want to do and it’s OK to be vulnerable.
There’s no right or wrong way to achieve success.
Which women in your industry do you look up to most? Why?
Rihanna - She’s a boss, down-to-earth, loves family and is beautiful inside and out. I love her business model because music is the vehicle for everything she’s doing in fashion and beauty. She knows how to sell herself and is unapologetically her at all times and we love her for it.
Issa Rae - She puts on her friends and up-and-coming artists through her show. Her sensibility to the culture and current things that we all are dealing with are relatable. She represents the modern day renaissance woman in every way. She embraces her natural beauty and encourages other woman to do the same.
Oprah - I mean, do I really have to say it? It’s OPRAH!!!!!
Michelle Obama - She embodies everything I strive to be and more. Her love for her family and our culture will forever be engraved in our hearts. What she represents for black women is huge and how she’s able to constantly remind us of who we are and why we are striving to continuously become “me” is incredible.
What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?
When I’m performing I feel the most free and the most at home by connecting with my fans.
When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?
I like to go between design and music which gives me a new perspective when I get exhausted with one medium. I try to look at the positive which is not always easy to do so having a support system and tribe is important. Looking at documentaries is also a great way to stay inspired and motivated.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Keep your eyes on your own journey.
Photo Credit: Cameron Kirkland
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