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Hailing from the Aloha state on the island of Oahu, 8RO8 makes it his mission to spread the talents of Hawai’i to audiences worldwide. Named as one of Spotify’s 2024 APIHM Artists to Watch, 8RO8 is renowned for his innovative take on Hawaiian Reggae classics and seamlessly blending genres to craft a signature sound all his own. As someone from the same island, I had the pleasure of speaking with 8RO8 on all things music, the island’s influence, and, of course, Oahu’s best food.

OnesToWatch: Who is 8RO8?

8RO8: 8RO8 is a dummy from Mākaha. Hahaha. Nah, wait, serious answer though. I'm just a guy who makes shit from Hawai’i.

So how did you first get started making music?

Uh, I went to Pau High School in 2017. And so after that, I didn't want to go to college. So I did what any other broke 18-year-old would do and I tried to be an artist. And that's been going on for the past five years now. 

How’s it been going?

Oh, fucking cherry. So good. I met so many cool people. They're flying me out to LA like I'm famous but they don't know that I'm still catching the bus. Shit, it's pretty cherry.

How has Hawai’i inspired and influenced your music?

I think probably 99 percent of my inspiration comes from Hawai’i and 1 percent from K-Dramas and anime. Before I even start writing a song, I'm like, “Oh, how would people from Oahu perceive this?” The whole goal is just making stuff for people from my hometown. Cause there's not a lot of that, at least when I was growing up.

If you had to recommend any local spot to visit in Hawai’i, where should people go?

Fucking Kainalu Surf Shop in Nānākuli, they have the meanest poke nachos, and they have this cookie butter milkshake. Oh, Fuck, dude! Yeah, but only go Nānākulii. I can't guarantee your safety if you go past it. That's pretty good, yeah. Kainalu Surf Shop in Nānākuli, that's the one. 

If you could describe your music without using genres, how would you describe it?

This is perfect. Cause you're from Hawai’i. You ever had a mixed plate? 

Of course.

It's just like different cultures in different sections, but like, they're all very harmonious and they work really well together because it's all about the selection and the palette you go with. 

Hopping on this. What would your dream mix plate be?

So the top left would be like a specialized fried rice. And then the top right would be a mac salad from Queen Street Cafe. Kimchi for all my K-Drama lovers out there. And then, uh, frickin corn. I love corn. Then for the main entree - all of the above.

If you were to give someone a song to listen to from your discography who hasn't listened to any of your stuff before, what song would you give them? 

Oh, from my discography? Probably “Chee hoo! - freestyle.” There's singing in the hook and then there's rapping in the verse. So it kind of shows I don't really shy away from a certain type of style. And it's pretty recent too. 

 What was it like working with another up-and-coming artist from Hawai’i like Royce Fisherman? Your guys’ new collab, “My Side?”

What a gorgeous young man. Can we just take a second to just appreciate how amazing that young fellow is? Creative-wise, I was actually in New York when we were working on that song because I went out there to spock out the billboard Spotify put out. But then while we were in his tiny New York apartment, he was like, yo, let's make some music.

He's really good at knowing what he wants to hear because not a lot of artists can request something from somebody and then have the bravery to be like, “Oh bro, that wasn't good. Can you do it better?” And I mean, he didn't say it like that. He was a lot more polite about it like, “Oh, I was wondering if you could actually hit something like, like a more catchier tone.” And then we just kept rehashing it. And then finally turned into something we both liked, which was really enjoyable. 10/10 would do it again.

So, what's next for you? 

Oh yeah, dog. I just dropped my reggae project Loose Shakas. It has some pretty big boys on it. It has a J boog on it. Like, Big Brother fucking Boog from Cali, yeah? I know he's from the mainland, but then, like, he just took roots in Hawai'i, but I'm super excited to get my name exposed in that area, because I'm not really known for reggae, so shout out Big Brother J Boog for putting this on. 

And then after that, I have this Bay Area project with OMGKENNY!. Might call it Queen Street, might call it Seki… We’ll see. But I dropped this teaser with, Nueve Lio a few weeks back and all the Filipinas and LA is going crazy. So just a lot of good music. Good collabs. Yeah.  

Is there a date we can look for that?

It’s looking like November or December of this year.  

Who are your OnesToWatch?

Oh! My ones to watch? Daju, Lucky Roux, THANKQ, Joetae, and Boto Bangers. Basically all my boys from Hawai’i. Amazing artists. Everybody from Hawai’i is super talented. I think we just need more exposure.

Anything else you want to share?

Um, shoot. Yeah, fuck. If you're in Hawa’ii, catch the bus, bro. Support your aunties, your uncles. Go ride the bus.