Have you ever met someone that made you think, “Not every superhero wears a cape?” It’s a curious thing when it happens and sometimes if you’re lucky, you’ll get to know that person and see all of the work that genuinely goes into simply being who they truly are.
I know such a person and we got to sit down with him and pick his brain about a few things while we had access to him.
Boom Bap Nation: Finian St. Omer II thanks for sitting down and allowing us to glean a few Finisms today!
Finian St. Omer II: (Laughter) No problem.
Boom Bap Nation: Do you think going and staying Independent has helped you over the course of your career? Why or why not?
Finian St. Omer II: Yes, I believe going and staying independent has helped me throughout my career because it taught me how to evolve in the music business as an artist and as an independent label owner. It also gave me the tools and experience I needed to continue to sell a product the world can easily get for free. On top of that, I learned the importance of merchandising, owning my own printing company to reduce my expenses, and maximizing my bottom line. Lastly, it gave me the upper to strengthen my relationship with the people who buy my music and merchandise. Being able to go directly to customers makes them want to continue to support because they are getting it from the source, not a faceless company built on taking the lion’s share.
BBN: You have always been a beast with the features. Who is your favorite artist to collab with?
Finian St. Omer II: Thank you! My favorite artist to collaborate with is Little Brother. From the day I met Phonte and Big Pooh, I knew we would leave a mark on this culture of ours. Their style and signature sound continue to inspire me and pushes my writing to the next level.
BBN: What makes you stay in this industry?
Finian St. Omer II: Running my own label makes me stay in this industry. I can make my own rules and put out the music I want whenever I want. Knowing I don’t have to answer to anyone makes me extremely happy.
BBN: You have a new series out right now. Can you explain the inspiration behind that?
Finian St. Omer II: I wish I had a name for this monthly series of music and videos I’m releasing right now. After the Roc For Raida freestyle, I released in December 2023, the reception I received was wild! It inspired me to keep going but I saw an opportunity to give the world a lot more. I decided to self-produce each song, direct the videos, and release 1 song a month for free. It’s my way to say thank you to the people who have been supporting me since my first mixtape release in 2003 and a way to reintroduce myself using my real name to get them ready for my official album release in 2025. Those will not be a fee by the way!
BBN: You keep your fingers in a lot of musical pies at all times! So, what’s on your plate right now?
Finian St. Omer II: That is a hard question to answer because all of these plates are my plates. But for the sake of answering the question, I have three new solo albums in the works. The Fin The DJ side of my business has been growing so much I am surprised I have time to rap.
Rapper Big Pooh of Little Brother, Tobias Rose of Kompleks Creative, and I have launched a DJ collective/company named A Jam Called Whatevr. We are working on taking that show on the road soon. I am also the President of Programming at a new music video network called Lionize TV! I’m about to launch a new video countdown show. We also have cooking shows and other shows I will keep under wraps until it’s time to officially announce. See how many plates I have? There are more plates to show and discuss but I will save that for a follow-up interview!
BBN: What’s up next for Finian St. Omer?
Finian St. Omer II: What’s next for me? Hmmmm. I plan to complete a screenplay I wrote over a decade ago. PI’m releasing vinyl for the first time next year. What else? Oh yeah, a tour in 2025. That’s it for now.
BBN: Wow my guy, there is even a screenplay coming? I still truly believe that you wake up every morning and quantum leap from one life to the next! Nothing you have uttered here proves me different! Thank you again for sitting down with us and we look forward to seeing the fruition of all the projects you named.
You can follow Fin and find out more about what is on his plate at @finianstomer on Instagram!