We were lucky to catch up with Mack OC recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mack, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
By understanding that every other position in this world is already taken. We can only be ourselves. I’ve always believed that God has a big plan for my life since I was a child and He has reminded me of that in many ways ever since. There have been times when I have been humbled or lost confidence, but then I realized that I was trying to find confidence in who I thought people wanted me to be and not who I really am. You can’t be confident in being something outside of who you are because no one can act forever. I started to gain more confidence when I gained more love and appreciation for who I am. Once you believe that you are something positive, others won’t be able to easily convince you that any of your qualities are negative. Then you will in turn only work to better yourself instead of working to be somebody else. I am still fighting to overcome certain things and I am not close to perfect, but these are ways of thinking that continue to help move me closer to who I believe I will be soon.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a 23-year-old Nigerian-American man born and raised in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Growing up as a middle child in my household, I always looked for ways to get attention. From making little songs for talent shows to writing verses for rap battles against older kids in middle school, I only saw music as a way to get people to focus on me.
During my freshman year of high school, a senior who was big on SoundCloud went around the school telling people that I was afraid to rap battle him. Fueled by a mix of peer pressure and personal pride, I was led to respond by recording and releasing my first-ever song on SoundCloud. The track quickly gained thousands of streams, sparking buzz within the school. Although the school faculty said the commotion around the song was too disruptive and had me remove it, the overwhelming reaction from my peers ignited a desire within me to pursue music further.
By my junior year, I began releasing songs consistently, gaining increased interest from people in and out of the school. This momentum culminated in my senior year with the release of an EP titled “Levels” and me putting together my first live show in Minneapolis. Selling over 100 tickets and pocketing around $600, I felt so enthusiastic and hungry to continue my musical journey.
Upon entering college at Clark Atlanta University, I eagerly pursued music until the outbreak of COVID-19 made me transfer back home to the University of Minnesota to complete college. Returning with newfound knowledge and experience, I began cultivating a fanbase in my hometown. Joining other talented artists in the Ozone Creations collective, I found myself immersed in a thriving music scene. Today, I am still based in Minnesota doing shows and making music at a higher level than I had ever imagined.
As I continue pursuing music and growing as a person, I’ve realized that I am still the same curious kid who wants not so much the attention that I thought I did, but to be heard. My purpose now is to talk about real-life topics and influence people that I have, and/or never will, meet with my platform. I want to grow such a large platform so that people will have a reason to listen to my perspective on things and then allow God to speak and work through me. I’m focused on positively impacting as many people as I can and music is a universal language that allows people to feel you even if they don’t understand you. My music has always allowed me to say what I truly feel and be a voice for people who feel the same way but haven’t been able to put it into words or feel as if they have the credibility to do so. As my music grows, so will I and the people who listen because my mission is to be a great person before a great artist.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1.) Faith in anything outside of yourself and your God is unstable. If your confidence comes from anything external it is going to willow away at some point. Confidence in anything else will leave as soon as that thing leaves, but confidence in yourself will stay for life. Faith is very important in any journey that you’ll have in life. Follow God and put all your trust in him to guide your path. However, prayer without work is nothing, and vice versa. Work as if everything depends on you and pray as if everything depends on God.
2.) Everybody else is already taken so your only choice is to be yourself. Focus on creating the best version of yourself rather than jumping ship and doing what someone else is doing because you see it work for them. Nobody can act forever so the real you is always going to show anyway. Be true to yourself and do the things you truly believe are best. People are going to try to change you into something else and make you believe that who you are is not enough, but remember that people do not know what they want until it is given to them. Take chances and put yourself out there because you are the only one who can play your role and every role is needed.
3.) Be disciplined. Do the things you say you are going to do. If you say you’re going to do something and you don’t even believe it when you say it, I promise you no one else is going to believe it fully either. No one can believe in you more than yourself. Only you know if you are trying your best and putting in the work that you know you are capable of. You can play the whole world, but you can’t play yourself. Focus on small achievements before major milestones and get 1% better every day. The things you say you are going to do today, do them, and the things you do not think you could do today, don’t say you will get them done. Once you become someone who believes in their word, you start believing in yourself more, and in turn, your actions will show that.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
I often struggle with holding my judgment and making decisive choices in my craft. In the music industry, people’s careers are almost completely reliant on others’ opinions. As someone moves up in music, there’s a growing need to consider audience preferences and the business aspect of music, sometimes overshadowing personal desires.
The voices can be overwhelming at times for me. I’ve always welcomed diverse opinions on my music, knowing that I can create anything musically and just wanting to create the best possible songs. However, incorporating too many opinions can blur my artistic vision and make it challenging to stay true to my original ideas. Finding a balance has been a struggle for me recently.
To overcome this, I’m learning to trust my judgment more deeply and have faith in my creative instincts. It’s about holding onto the essence of what I want to express while remaining open to constructive feedback. By grounding myself in my craft, I can better discern which opinions to utilize and apply to my music and which to respectfully set aside.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ozonecreationsmn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themackoc/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mack-ibekwe-606b021b8/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWchTu0kP01iTZNwfbmE3BA
Image Credits
@creator_mn @willixmhxwk @eunoiafilms @imnottaye @luis.borjaa @mattwales_ @eujaydoe
