In the senior class, there are artists, photographers, and sports stars, and among them is OVS’s rising rap star Charlie McGregor.
What started as a joke between him and his friend turned into two songs on Spotify. With the support of his friends and family, Charlie began his rapping career. Although he says it has never been something serious, he puts a lot of thought into his lyrics and what he writes.
“I try and incorporate all my lyrics with my life… so I’m not a rap capper because that’s not something people like in the music industry,” said Charlie. “I always try to speak straight from the heart.”
Charlie has two songs out on Spotify, where he goes by the name Lil Charles. His first song “All Day” was released in 2022, and his newest and favorite song “Red Hot” was released last year. This is also his girlfriend, sophomore Josie Williams’, favorite song.
“I think it’s pretty cool… He’s putting himself out there,” Josie said. “I support him. I think he’s gonna have a big come up.”
She is one of Charlie’s biggest cheerleaders. She supports him and encourages him to continue to pursue this career. She is always telling him to make more songs and has even made t-shirts with his cover art.
Other than his family and friends, his biggest inspiration is the rapper Yeat, whom he models his music after. Charlie takes inspiration from Yeat’s lyrics, beats, and flow he uses.
“The way that he blew up…and his lyrics – I love this style,” said Charlie. “He’s just such an inspiration to me.”
But inspiration is only one step of the music-making process. Charlie takes it further getting into the right mood and headspace to produce the lyrics he raps to. Charlie “hits up” his producer, who sends him a few beats. Charlie’s producer is a close friend of his, who has produced songs for other artists. From there, Charlie listens to each one, feeling the vibe and choosing the track to his next big hit.
“I don’t release that many songs,” he said. “It takes a while for me. I have to be in the perfect mood and the perfect setting to write a song. It honestly just takes time, but I enjoy writing songs.”
Charlie’s process takes a while because of how much dedication he puts into it. He takes the experiences he has lived through and puts them into words. Although he is not sure of his future rapping career, he is willing to see how it will go. He is not giving up on his passion; it all depends on the popularity of his music.
Although he has no new singles as of late, we can expect a new song from him in 2024. Keep an eye out for the next big hit!
“I be rapping all day cause this s*** is my life,” raps Charlie in his song “All Day.”