Hoosh Feels Like He's Just Getting Started

Since last year, rapper and singer Hoosh has been hard at work touring and releasing music.

"I feel like everything leading up to this is like a prelude in the book before you even get to the first chapter," the 28-year-old says.

Last year, his track "Santa Monica" appeared on the Netflix romantic drama Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between, he landed a brand partnership with Converse, and he opened for JID and Smino on their Luv Is 4ever Tour. Hoosh also performed at Rolling Loud's Thailand, Toronto, New York, and California festivals. Up next, he'll perform at the hip-hop festival's editions in Miami, Portugal, and Germany, as well as Lollapalooza in Chicago.

"I'm just super grateful for this position that I'm in. Every morning I think about this shit, and it's a reminder that not everyone has this opportunity. I'm doing shit I would've killed to do as a kid," says the musician who chose to take his music seriously in 2016 along with the support of his management, Gone Till Never.

Citing influences from Drake, Kid Cudi, and Frank Ocean, Hoosh has established a unique genre-blending rap/singing style that he pairs with alternative, indie, and R&B guitar-driven tracks. The slowed-down instrumentals give the perfect space for listeners to hear his authentic lyrics. Releasing music with an honest message, sharing who you are and what you've experienced, can be a vulnerable exercise for any artist, but for Hoosh, it's worth it if someone listening can connect to it. "I've always been a very open person since I was a kid. I think I get that from my mom because we had an open line of communication, and she instilled that shit in me of being honest about whatever the fuck you're going through, and I've carried that throughout my life," he shares.

Born in Sudan, Hoosh spent part of his childhood in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. He's been Miami-based for 11 years and calls the city his home.

Last October, Hoosh released "Slow Dance," a collaboration with producers Paperwater, who will support Hoosh at his next show at Shirley's, the backroom at Gramps. Hoosh says the show — a collaboration between Backroom Sessions, Gone Till Never, and Rolling Loud — is his way of connecting with the community after a long year of touring away from the city.

Although he won't reveal details about what projects he's working on next, Hoosh promises to deliver.

"I'm so hungry to make the best music I can. Guarantee this next stretch of singles people are going to hear will be my best work," he says.

Hoosh. 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, at Shirleys at Gramps,176 NW 24th St., Miami; gramps.com. Tickets cost $15 at backroomsessions.com.