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Okumura – a.k.a Okumura Music Group (OMG) is a hip-hop centric group consisting of vocal artists, producers, and content creators looking to impact the world with their uniquely branded “Life Music”, art encapsulating the daily struggle and all that encompasses it. The four member group is made up of the two Newsome siblings (Robert a.k.a Elder Maikis and MASTER), Hawk Luxxington a.k.a Luxxryder & Darius Roberts a.k.a Shadowbyrd.
Recently known for their hit song “ITADAKIMASU” heard in the Nintendo Switch Classic “No More Heroes 3”, involvement in the original soundtrack of Paradise Killer (Side B), and recently released album “Back To The Drawing Board”, Okumura intends to make their mark on not just the music world, but the many worlds of entertainment, gaming, and anime alike.
“We are clearly influenced by life in general. Everything around us is reflected in our songs, hence the number of references to nerd culture”
“Racism fueled my career. As a fifth grader in Marion, Iowa, I began rapping. I was one of four black kids in his school, including my brother, Master”, declared Robert Newsome a.k.a “Elder Maikis”. He goes on to say that there was a time when he was unable to truly express himself as he really was due to expectations of what “black” should be. “The act of writing song lyrics enabled me to find not only what the right words should be, but also the right way to express his feelings”, he reiterated.
Along the way, Elder learned not only how to rap, but also how to make beats, mix & master, and create track art for songs he’s created, as well as mixing and mastering songs for his peers on the same journey.
In addition to checking on his peers and fellow artists, Elder also makes sure to check on his own mental, psychological, and emotional health. The lyrics he writes are meant to motivate and inspire those who hear them. Elder views the Okumura community as a village of like-minds, which inspired the “Elder” part of his name.
“To Master Newsome a.k.a “MASTER”, his name represents a vision of “freedom” as much as it is name. It is the ability to create art unrestrained by generational shackles, to be the “MASTER” of yourself and your creations”, He stated.
Artists such as Imogen Heap inspired Master’s musical roots; Master is often inspired to create music that is equal in beauty to Imogen Heap’s. It wasn’t until his brother Robert aka “Mystic Elder Maikis” began making music during the siblings’ formative high school years that MASTER thought, “he can do it too.”
From Childhood, Hawk Luxxington a.k.a “LUXXRYDER” has always been obsessed with anything involving a motor, more specifically cars. As his interests grew, he became increasingly interested in video games and music, with the latter becoming his therapist and motivation. That’s how he met Master and Maikis in 2007. In the years since, he discovered his voice and abilities in the world of streaming and motorsports activism, advocating for diversity and inclusion in this very exclusive sport. Additionally, he is passionate about spreading a positive message of inclusion and community among his own viewers. The sky’s the limit when it comes to what he can achieve to help diversity and inclusion in Motorsport and throughout the world with help from his family in Okumura.
Darius Roberts a.k.a “SHADOWBYRD” was always heavily influenced by video games. He has been an avid gamer since he was just 2 years old. Video game music has always captured his imagination due to its ability to transport us to different universes with only the music. SHADOWBYRD discovered music production via YouTube at the age of 19 after being introduced to his first ever DAW.
Since 2011, he has been learning FL Studios and producing his own beats. He has always wanted to create sounds that could transport people to new worlds and take them away from this earth and make them forget the stresses and troubles of life if only for a few moments. And since joining Okumura in 2017, his passion for beats has grown stronger than ever.
Okumura has big plans in store for 2023 and we can’t wait to watch as it all unfolds.
