Q: Bachi, to start off can you tell us a little bit about how you got your start in music?
A: I’ve been around music for years. My mother is a world renown gospel singer so being around that I learned how to song write, and I learned how to do digital audio workshops around 10 and 11 years old. I always kind of knew the business of music and things like that but I never wanted to pursue it until college. That’s when I got my real nack on like “I can make music, I can make rap and things like that” so I started doing music officially, I’d say sophomore year of college, like 2016.
Q: Bachi, who would you say your biggest influences are in your music career?
A: It’s probably different for a lot of other rappers. I really like Busta Rhymes and Ludacris because they’re the most animated rappers I’ve ever seen. So when you listen to a song with Busta Rhymes [and Ludacris] they’re like a character in a comic book. I love that energy, so that’s also a big reason to why I keep things fun and animated in my stuff cause I want people to see me bigger than rap. I’m more of a character in life, you know.
Q: So would you say a lot of your influences come from Early 2000’s Hip Hop and Rap?
A: Most definitely. You know I even got the headbands on like Bow Wow and Nelly but that’s for a different reason. Other influences for consistency are Drake and you know I like the happy vibes KYLE brings around but for the most part Busta Rhymes and Ludacris. Those are my two guys.
Q: Living in Tallahassee, how do you plan to put Tally on the map? A: Wow so I’m always around the nation but Tallahassee is like a place where a lot of gatekeepers actually live and you find new talent. I really just wanna go out, get other dope artists like jusLo and Apollo1027, and just really make the best music as possible. I like to stay close, stay in reference and affiliation with people I believe in, and bring those opportunities that I’ve been getting out there in Atlanta and L.A. right to the city. And more rappers if you ask about it, they’ll let you know I reach out to them and I try to give them as much as I can, but really just putting Tally on the map because we’ve got a good sound up here. It’s not like you know our brothers down there (down South), but it’s very, we’ve got a new wave and I think it’s a breath of fresh air. Q: One thing I want to talk about is your headband man. You wear these headbands all the time with different colors, can you tell us a little bit about that and how it started? A: Yeah definitely. A lot of people like to call it a gimmick, but I actually started wearing caps because I thought I was Bryson Tiller. But that dies out quick, and I started wearing headbands one time after a show and I felt alive. I felt like I was some sort of an anime character, ya know. I love anime and things like that but there’s something about main characters; they always have that one distinct thing they have and I feel like I can be whoever I want to be. I’m Michael Poole, you know that’s my original form. But with the headband, it comes with the confidence, the energy. It comes with that “I know I’m that person in this building” you know I’m gonna run this place and I’m gonna let everyone know who I am. It’s that. So when people see a headband and they always takes pictures and send it to me, I want that to be like “Wow, I’m thinking of Bachi when I see a headband”. And I’m athletic, I like doing a lot of headband things you know. The photoshoot today I did, I was chilling and someone saw a headband and said “I knew that was Bachi!”. I was like exactly, that’s the goal. Q: Diving into your new music, your progress on your new singles have been insane. You dropped ‘Wit It’ in March, you’ve got 218,000+ plays on Spotify for that alone. ‘Fluffy Luv’, ‘No VVS’, ‘Lionel Richie’. Do you have anything new for the fans you think you’ll be releasing soon? A: Yes, actually it’s been tough times. Really just trying to reflect on what’s been going on in the country and using the time more as an advantage to really understand what I’m doing it for again. You know trying to find out how they can capitalize on injustices and COVID, but I’m more of like “Okay, I’ve gotten a slap in the face. Let me find out why I’m doing this again. Is it for the clout, is it for the money, is it because I want to spread a message.” So I’m honing in on what I’m doing this for and I’ve got two albums worth of music ready to go crazy. Something is coming soon regardless. Let’s say around my birthday, and for the fans who know when my birthday is, they’ll know. But we’ll keep that between us.
Q: What artists have you been working with lately?
A: Oh I’ve been working with, I’m trying to find out which ones I’m allowed to say. Well I will say this, I have been working with Apollo1027 very closely. He is amazing. He’s one of my favorites, that’s somebody I always want to give the torch to. I’m working with Parris Chariz, he’s a super dope artist. Very positive and coming out with new waves. I got a song with Sam Stan that’s unreleased. I’ve got songs with people I don’t know that I can announce yet but I will very soon, maybe we get another interview for that. You’re going to see my credits on a lot of some of your favorite rappers and singers albums coming up so I’ll be ready to share those.
Q: What’s your next move? What’s next for you?
A: Next for me, honestly I think is the Takeover. That’s next. All these years you’ve been seeing me do things kind of a different way. You know I’m not someone who drops a song every week or every month. I do very strategic drops. I want people to appreciate the music and I want people to listen to my stuff that I dropped years ago, today. So next is the actual takeover. You’re going to start seeing some major people joining my team, major corporations and people that just want to see me win. You’re going to see me on TV, you’re going to see me on radio, you’re going to see me on film, I’m doing everything. I’ve even got an anime I’m working on right now and it’s almost done. So with the Takeover, you’re going to see me everywhere soon, that’s the next move. Obviously the music is coming, but you’re going to see me in a different light. You’re going to see the character opposed to just the rapper because I’m bigger than that, you know I’m way bigger than just music.