Omni: From “Somewhere in Georgia” to Everywhere

Jul 6

Omni has come a long way, and yet their ceiling seems non-existent. They’ve changed the name of their group (formerly Insubordinate), refined their sound (three early projects have been removed from streaming services) and felt the entire range of emotions creatives can feel on the journey. A 3-piece hip hop group based out of Rome, GA, Omni already has highlights most artists will never achieve, but not without being overlooked by those they grew up around - which many creatives can relate to.

The boys knew from the beginning that alienation would come with the territory. David, producer and vocalist, was the first to make beats, but he didn’t want to rap on them alone. He went to his classmate Jaime, recalling “I knew we were gonna get clowned, so we might as well get clowned together.” One doing the clowning was Jordan, another attendee of their high school, who soon became the third member of Omni at the urging of their friend Brody. They released 3 projects prior to 2021’s DOPEBOYS, but didn’t gain much traction and were frustrated at how little they had to show for their efforts. Per Jordan, “Three years ago, Omni was miserable.”

Towards the end of 2020, they sat down together to develop goals for 2021, hoping to build momentum. At the top of the list was getting the attention of west coast hip hop act AG Club. Jordan had discovered AG Club at the beginning of the pandemic and fell in love with their sounds, visuals, and attitudes - reminiscent of how he felt finding Brockhampton several years prior. He had talked to Baby Boy (one of AG’s two vocalists) on Twitter, but aimed to impress with what Omni had up their sleeve. David had doubts about releasing “Willie” - the lead single for DOPEBOYS - but thankfully was overruled, as both Baby Boy and Jody Fontaine (AG’s other vocalist) retweeted the video.

“[It meant a lot that] someone we didn’t know believed in us.”

— Jaime, Omni ! vocalist

Unfortunately, having their heroes watching didn’t bring the avalanche of opportunity they hoped for. They dropped DOPEBOYS in 2021, but felt like the moment came and went. Omni was going through it - depression, anxiety, breakups, and suicidal thoughts put both the group and its members in jeopardy. Jordan didn’t mince words about this era, saying “I was working three jobs. It was lonely as fuck, we weren’t having fun.” They hit rock bottom and felt like they didn’t want to make music anymore. But in December of 2021, “a moment that will always stick” with Jaime happened. Mike Dass contacted the group and got them on a phone call with Julian Swirsky, Senior VP of A&R with Columbia Records. The boys thought it was a scam until it happened, but when it did, they realized Omni might be working out after all. “[It meant a lot that] someone we didn’t know believed in us.”

Omni was learning to cope with reality - it wasn’t always going to be pretty, but greatness could be found through the grit. Jordan had contacted Laith, the manager of Florida collective Barely Legal, and sent some music. Laith responded by asking for a phone call with Omni and extended the invitation to perform at Barely Legal’s forthcoming project’s release party. The three rappers - along with Brody, now their DJ - piled into Jaime’s car for the 8 hour drive to Tampa, arriving at 7am and performing that evening. Upon meeting the members of Barely Legal for the first time, the two groups immediately hit it off, and have been close ever since. Jordan recalls the next day fondly, sharing that he, Kid Dre, Chowder Band$ and Laith talked at length about anything and everything - and that they spent more time on basketball and Fortnite than music!

In typical Omni fashion, the trip to Tampa was not without drama. The boys had recently made what they called “one of our best songs”, named “Fayetteville”, and ended up losing it when the hard drive it was stored on was dropped and stopped working. However, the trio quickly turned that negative experience into something positive, as they proceeded to make “Nerd” and “Pardon”, two standouts from 2023’s Peachtree, that same day. “[Losing the hard drive] really fucked us up for a good 5 hours” recalls Jordan, smiling. This sort of opportunistic alchemy has been thematic in Omni’s timeline - their resilience has brought them back from lowest lows to reach highest highs, repeatedly. That consistency is how they survived a full rebrand and revitalized a career trajectory they worried was stagnant.

In 2022, AG Club went on a nationwide tour in support of Denzel Curry. The boys of Omni failed to secure tickets for the New Orleans, NYC, and LA shows, so in September they headed north to Nashville in hopes of meeting the collective face to face after 2 years of virtual support. On the way to the show, a close friend, Davis, asked the question: “What’s the best thing that could happen?” The response? “They bring us on stage and let us open for them on tour.” Well, Baby Boy recognized them immediately, brought them on stage while AG Club performed their hit, “Memphis”, and, as you might guess, asked if Omni would like to open a show of theirs in LA in November. The boys flew out to LA and did their thing. Their set was well received, they were able to bring out close friend and collaborator Shemar for a track, and even Atlanta’s own hip-hop-legend (and fellow Active Management signee) Killer Mike popped out specifically for their set - telling the boys they “made Georgia proud.”

“[DOPEBOYS] is more of a feeling, but Peachtree was intentional. We intended to do that.”

— David, vocalist and producer

Opening for AG Club in Los Angeles was the biggest taste of stardom for Omni yet. “It felt like a movie,” said Jordan. The adrenaline rush pushed them to finish their 2023 album Peachtree - which, at surface level, feels adjacent to DOPEBOYS, but once unpacked, the changes in focus become clearly evident. Peachtree was heavily inspired by Outkast, specifically tracks like “Hey Ya!”, where the casual listener would tap their toes and smile until learning how dark and unhappy the lyrical content was. Said Jordan of the tone shift, “I think we realized how music [the industry] worked and it kind of bummed us out.” Adding to that, David said “[DOPEBOYS] is more of a feeling, but Peachtree was intentional. We intended to do that.” Peachtree’s vulnerability is a direct response to the trials and tribulations experienced by the members of Omni since DOPEBOYS. But, just because Peachtree is more tender and less ignorant does not mean that they are any less proud of it. “Once we deleted all our stuff, we had to start all over. So DOPEBOYS was basically making a statement, and Peachtree’s just like, okay…we can be consistent with that statement.”

Post-Peachtree, all three agree they’re in a better place. Making music is fun for them again, thanks to more effective collaboration and quality improvements. Jordan mentioned how they used to get together and make multiple throwaways in a night, whereas now they can make two songs in one session and be fully confident in both of them. Echoing that sentiment, David said “Peachtree and DOPEBOYS, we were just learning how to make music. I feel like now, we know how to.” The group is energized and as hungry as ever. Said Jaime, “You see a whole crowd of people and you’re like, ‘I want this.’ We performed in front of a crowd that big, but like, I want it to be to the point where they’re there for us.”

Omni’s most recent release is a mixtape called Brody Billfold. As mentioned, Brody is the DJ and essentially the fourth member of Omni. Jordan has nothing but praise for him, saying “We love Brody. Brody was the first Omni fan, we thought we should give back to him; [he’s the] nicest kid in the world - let’s just make a whole album for Brody.” I was warned to not expect a concept - this is a collection of songs the boys feel are hits. They’ve been focusing on having fun with the process, and after an emotionally draining project like Peachtree, they’re happy to again share the brighter side of Omni. Spoken like a true Tyler, the Creator fan, Jordan said “Peachtree took so much out of us, I don’t want to make another album for 2 years.” A storm of rumors swirled around the room during this discussion, including Brody Billfold being a recurring series, and the second installment potentially coming within 2 months of the first.

It would be unprofessional of me to discuss Omni’s trajectory in depth without acknowledging the role that faith has played in their journey. David’s dad is a pastor, and while he has kept the faith throughout his life, Jaime and Jordan did not always see eye to eye with him on the subject. It took the post-DOPEBOYS despair and desire for the metaphorical lighthouse for them to understand how David felt. Jordan recalls “I would start seeing it. [David] would start praying, and things would happen.” There was a point where they asked God to tell them if a career in music was His will, and for the next week, they saw God’s will being acknowledged in various mediums. The name shift from Insubordinate to Omni also tips a hat to the omnipotence and omnipresence that Christians believe God has - as Jaime puts it, “I wanted a name to just kind of represent everything, all at once.” David tied up the group’s theology nicely, saying “For us to be in a video game (MLB The Show 23) and open up for AG Club at the level we’re at - shouldn’t be happening to normal people. That’s God.”

“I wanna be able to say I toured the world with my best friends and made the best shit I could.”

— Jordan, vocalist

I was interested to hear what the members of Omni are hoping for in their futures. David answered quickly, saying “I just love hip hop, for sure. So [what I want is] just being able to add to the culture of it that I love so much, being a part of it and being able to inspire others.” Jaime made us all laugh when he came back with “When we’re established, I’ll probably just bullshit”, but then thoughtfully added “The lifestyle we’re trying to commit ourselves to is loud and all over the place, so I definitely wanna have some peace and quiet with my family in the future. But I’m committed to this lifestyle, I’m ready for what’s coming, Lord willing.” Jordan showed he’s definitely considered this before, stating “I wanna be able to create movies, direct, TV shows. I wanna run Adult Swim. I definitely wanna do a clothing line for sure. I think more just, art itself. Stepping outside of music and being able to have different names, like how Donald Glover and Tyler have Actor, Director, Fashion Designer.” He closed wholesomely, saying “I wanna be able to say I toured the world with my best friends and made the best shit I could.”

Omni has journeyed a long and winding road to get to this point. They’ve gone through life together almost a decade, showing resilience in the face of defeat, and consistency in the midst of chaos. They have molded their philosophy, both in and out of music, to better serve each other and the goals they are pursuing. Omni has adapted time and time again, showing that they’re not going anywhere but up. Their music speaks for itself - the boys aren’t putting on a facade for some followers. We may be early to the rollercoaster ride that is Omni, but it will never be too late.