On the outside looking in, the life of Olu, also known as Johnny Venus—one half of the Atlanta-based hip-hop group Earthgang— seems like a never-ending party. There’s the euphoria of creating art that influences and resonates within a generation. There’s getting to see the world and collaborating with other artists.
But, there is also the pressure to Basquiat when pen gets put to pad. Or the stress that comes with feeding a hungry fanbase, and the weight of fulfilling self-aspirations while achieving a level of success that draws you further away from what guided you toward achieving it in the first place.
During a chaotic 2023, Olu says that while physically he felt great, he was just making it from one day to the next both mentally and spiritually. After a four-week long retreat to Bali, Indonesia, at the top of this year, the Atlanta native returned feeling lighter and more aware of what serves him. Never one to hoard insight, Olu launched his wellness brand COMPXSS.
Through this platform, Olu wants to create a community environment that provides access to the practices that helped him recenter and refocus. He spoke with M&F about what led him to launch the health and wellness brand, why he felt it vital to share his insights with the world, and the importance of making health and wellness more of a priority in our lives.
A Reset For Mind, Body, and Soul
Before he made his way to Bali, Olu went through a 30-day yoga challenge. Physically, he looked great but emotionally and spiritually, he felt otherwise. “I was just making it and that’s so common for so many people,” he says. “It’s like, you look good, excel in work, you’re making sure the kids get to school and they got all the things they need, but you’re just making it.”
Once arriving in Bali, Olu was surrounded by nature and a stillness that was foreign to him. He was away from the things that had been weighing on him. With no distractions or obligations, he could focus purely on himself, see where he was, and start the journey of who he wanted to grow into. Not since the pandemic had life slowed down to the degree it had. He completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training to get his certificate, but he also gained valuable insights and tools to help him avoid getting to the very stage that had brought him to Indonesia.
When Olu returned home in late January, he took about two months to begin the process of slowly integrating himself back into his social circle. While he physically returned the same, he did feel a noticeable difference.
“I felt a lot a lot freer, a lot more sober-minded and just more aware,” Olu said. “I think sometimes we lose awareness in life just because there’s so much going on, especially with social media and being constantly inundated with other people’s lives. You’re constantly bombarded with what other people have going on. It’s just so much information and so many things going on that you don’t get a chance to have supreme awareness of yourself outside of everything else that’s going on.”
Equipping Others With Their COMPXSS
Since that retreat in Bali, Olu has established the frequency at which he wants to continue to move. If he’s tired, he will rest. If he doesn’t feel like going to the club, it’s going to take something monumental to deviate him from his first thought. Most importantly, he has established time for himself during the day that is free from e-mails and social media. He also prioritizes connecting with his loved ones.
These insights were direct results from his time of reflecting in Bali. Returning back home with a wealth of knowledge and not sharing it would be going against how Olu was brought up. So that’s why the artist founded COMPXSS.
“It’s such valuable information and I think our fans, the communities that follow us, the partners that we partner with—our goal is always to deliver value because that’s why people rock with us in the first place,” Olu says.
“In order to have a real journey or to find your way to continue to progress where you are going, you have to know where you are. That was the experience over in Bali. What am I carrying that is keeping me from getting to this next space? I’ve never done overnight camping, but I’m sure it’s like that. It’s like if you don’t stop, rest, and figure out where you are, then you will end up walking right off a cliff.”
Being Disciplined To Avoid Burning Out
Due to the way music is consumed and streamed these days, many artists can feel pressure to consistently feed their fans new material fearing that they may lose interest or move onto something else. This also extends over to social media as engagement is a part of staying on the radar when new music isn’t dropping. Olu knows this firsthand and has seen it cause some of his peers to burn out. He says that it takes discipline to navigate this terrain and believes that time away from the limelight should be used to reset and plant seeds in other avenues.
“Everything in the world and life has its season,” Olu says. “There are offseason in sports. The NBA is in its offseason, so some players are either with their families, practicing their skills or they’re working on other aspects of their business, so come November, December, and January — you’ll be able to see the fruits of that labor.”
Aside from making sure you’re getting proper rest, Olu says that there should be time in each of our days that is dedicated to yourself. It can be the first hour you wake up to meditate or to take a walk. Avoid the stimulation that comes with picking up your phone and focus on how you’re feeling, how you want to feel, and aligning things within yourself to help reach that destination.
Helping Others Live a Healthier Life
Through COMPXSS, Olu aims to provide others with the tools, resources and even the guidance to live an overall healthier life in a way that is welcoming. He wants provide others with the knowledge to be able to listen to their bodies and mind to better understand the things that aren’t positive for them and how to better align their focus to things that bring sustainable happiness.
“I think it’s just really important that we shift from doing into being,” Olu said. “I feel like our lives are predicated by how much we do and not only do we value ourselves by that, but a lot of times we think that the more we do, the more we get and sometimes, you waste energy by doing that. You waste so much energy by always answering every phone call, and text, and reading every tweet. Do you know how much mental capacity it takes to read every tweet on your timeline?
Olu’s Current Wellness Routine
Part of the reason for the retreat was due to last year being filled with partying, going out, and doing so on only a few hours of sleep a day. He had just returned from performing with British electronic music duo Snakehips in San Francisco and wasn’t set to go on stage until about 1:30 in the morning. So, from seven to midnight, Olu was fast asleep. Whether he’s at the gym, doing yoga, or just walking around his neighborhood, there is a priority placed on exercise and movement. Along with eating healthy and drinking lots of water, Olu also prioritizes what he’s consuming in terms of content as well.
“I’ve been working on energetically cleansing my space,” he said. “I consume a lot as an artist. As somebody who has to have a public profile to continue to update and communicate with the community and the fans — you have to be mindful of what you’re consuming. Some days, it’s OK to just say, I’m not going to be available today. And when I do make myself available, I’ll have value.”
Clearing His Head to Re-establish More Creativity
When it comes to his creativity, Olu feels that a lot of the smoke has been cleared since he’s centered and aware. There were times in the past when he would put something down to feel accomplished and to keep up with a routine. Now, there is clarity where he can go to the studio and tell the story he wants to without any of the unnecessary fluff filtering through his mind.
Olu says he is envious of artists such as Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, who made their debuts toward the start of when social media was beginning to take off and not where it is currently. They can be part of the social chatter around hip-hop without engaging in or around those conversations. And when they do drop anything, it’s like they never went anywhere. Olu says he’s teetering on finding that balance. In a lot of ways, he’s still the same tree he was before he went to Bali. Only now, several new branches are bearing new fruit.
Follow Olu a.k.a Johnny Venus on Instagram @johnnyvenus
Follow COMPXSS @compxss_