Born and raised in South-Central Trinidad, John Orpheus is a multicultural musician, author and performance artist. “Get Right!” is the title track introducing his new EP out on June 21st, which combines his playfulness, fluency and affection for the past. Lush with hip hop swagger and “whole school” vibes, he demonstrates an evolving set of tastes that maintains his vibe of welcoming in the whole diaspora: from dancehall to hip hop to funk to Afrobeats.

Funky, fun, and wavy, Orpheus excitedly shares that the lead single is about: finding your swag, securing the bag, and eating well. It’s a party vibe with an old school funk energy reminding you to get up, get down and get right. The goal is to dance and shake off whatever is holding you back from your best and baddest self. Sauce is what you put on food to give it flavour. This tune is the sauce.

“Get Right!” is accompanied by a music video directed by Agata Waclawska and Alex Exists, with Agata revealing that “the secret to John‘s coolness lies in his ability to not take himself too seriously yet simultaneously deliver a meaningful good time.”

Since releasing his album SAGA KING in 2021, he has been busy promoting his memoir SAGA BOY (Penquin Random House), writing two children’s books and a forthcoming debut novel titled BLACK CHEROKEE (Simon and Schuster). John Orpheus and his writing alter ego Antonio Michael Downing are co-creative forces on an artistic roll in 2024.

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically? 

Our sessions were spontaneous: myself, producer Mike Schlosser and drummer Adam Bowman went to the studio without any prep but with the intention to be as FUNKY as possible. On the first day of the first session when I walked into the studio, Adam was testing the drums and Mike was testing the mics by recording him just playing around. I heard what he was playing and immediately started writing lyrics because it felt so wavy. That is how GET RIGHT! was born. It was a no-brainer as the first single because it captures the world we wanted to create: The Whole School. A vibe that exists in all eras at the same time. 

2.What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)? 

Moon Reel Media are known for their bold and fashion forward visuals and that is exactly why I worked with them on GET RIGHT! I wanted it to feel energized, engaging, with a lot of personality in the clothes, sets and dancing. This vision we evolved catches the danceable, fun, tongue-in-cheek vibe of the song. 

3.What was the process of making this video?

The recipe was: 1. Invite 20 badass musicians and artists and performers in their own right. 2. Dress them to the 9s 3. Turn them up to 10 4. Have fun for 8 hours on a Sunday and capture it all.