Interview – Siah-Ra Ausar

From Kingston to the Bronx, Siah-Ra Ausar has lived a life that mirrors the very fusion of genres he creates. With roots grounded in reggae, sharpened by hip-hop, and uplifted by the rhythms of afrobeats, his sound is as bold as it is culturally rich. Inspired by legends like Chubb Rock, Heavy D, Busta Rhymes, and Canibus, Siah pairs storytelling with raw energy, making his music both personal and powerful. Beyond music, his journey as a natural bodybuilding champion shows the discipline and drive that fuel his artistry. In this interview, we dive into his story, his inspirations, and the movement behind his sound.

 

Question 1 :

You’ve lived in both Kingston, Jamaica, and the Bronx. How have those two cultural worlds shaped your music and identity?

In Jamaica I grew up listening to roots reggae, mostly Bob Marley and a few other not so well known artists of the time. The music was clean, positive, uplifting and culturally sound representing the life, struggles and movement of the Jamaican people.

The hip hop that I was introduced when I moved to the Bronx was almost identical as far as message. Both the men and women (KRS One, Queen Latifa) in hip hop were so proud of themselves, the culture and were like a voice of the communities.

Both these influences combined at an early age made a lasting impression that music, whatever genre was more about the people, the culture, heritage and the DJ (Jamaican term), emcee (hiphop term) was the deliverer of that message

 

Question 2:

Your sound blends reggae, hip-hop, and afrobeats. What draws you to these genres, and how do you balance them in your music?

Reggae is apart of my soul since birth, reggae sounds are soulful and touches deep within. Hip hop is vibrant, playful and colorful. There are so many unique expressions within one beat. Afrobeats has arguably the most uplifting sound I have ever heard, it picks you up from where you are at instant impact and makes your body move whether you feel like it or not.

These 3 are an accurate representation and even explanation of exactly who I am. I am an African by origin that was birthed in Jamaica due to historical circumstances. I migrated to the Bronx and was introduced to another aspect of my history. I can’t deny any of these so might as well embrace them as part of my identity.

 

Question 3:

Can you tell us about the artists who influenced you most, like Chubb Rock, Heavy D, Busta Rhymes, and Canibus, and how their energy shows up in your work?

The very first emcee I ever heard was Chubb Rock and the song was Treat ‘em Right. His wordplay and cadence at that tempo was amazing. I’ve never heard someone speak so fast, rhymed and it made sense. The message was also positive and simple. Heavy D’s made feel good music, you smiled, danced and had a really good time just vibing. Busta Rhymes on Scenario took the entire hip hop community by storm. His energy was in your face and you felt every word. Thatverse is legendary to this day. Canibus is my favorite lyricist of all time. Everyone at that time was still either nursery rhyming, a few solid punchlines and a select few just graduated to average to above metaphors. Canibus came with something that totally redefined how far you can actually go with words. I was in total awe and still am to this day

All these emcees are also Jamaican and still embraced their Jamaican heritage throughout their music at times, I absolutely loved that about them. They could exist in both worlds without sacrificing the other. This made me realize that I could also push the boundaries of my music to blend the styles I find inspiring

 

Question 4:

What was the turning point that made you say, “I want to pursue music seriously”?

I wrote and recorded a song back in 2022 mut I never did anything with it. Last year I wrote another song and decided to drop both songs on Apple Music  for fun because I got tired of pressing repeat manually. I would play the song every time I was in my car especially when dropping my kids to school. One day I heard a little voice behind me singing the chorus:

look in the mirror tell myself I’m gonna rise,

gotta believe the fires burning in my eyes, nothing can stop this feeling that I have inside

So let me spread my wings and then I’m gonna fly

It was my 4 year old daughter singing and moving to the music. When the song finished she yelled again, play it again. Immediately I knew what this meant. The power and influence of positive uplifting music can be used to raise self awareness, self image, confidence and self esteem. That year I wrote around 10 more songs cataloging me and my teams fitness and competition Journey. All songs had a unique message written as self affirmations for them to reprogram their beliefs and shift paradigms. At the end of the year I assessed and saw that my kids, my team and myself were all thinking and feeling differently about ourselves. We listened to those songs thousands of times that year.

I received a lot of encouragement from a lot of different people that they loved my music and it got them through hard times. The feedback was overwhelming positive and pushed me to keep going. One feedback stated I was the modern Will Smith but better. I didn’t pay attention to the numbers all year then one day I checked and saw I got close to 65,000 streams in about 20 different countries and radio play a few budded times. Once I decided to step more into music away from bodybuilding, things in my life flowed more naturally and I am way more happy with what I am doing.

Question 5:

As someone who was once known as “Sire” and gained recognition with IMS Music, how has your evolution into Siah-Ra Ausar reflected your growth as an artist?

Initially I did music because the people I was hanging around at the time were die hard rappers and looking to get signed. I enjoyed hopping on songs with them, hanging out am experiencing the culture. I had no ambition on being in the music industry. However, a few solo projects I worked on had immediate success and the people around me were aggressively pushing me to go further. My heart wasn’t in it so one day I got up and walked away. Looking back now I know it’s because my lyrics, lifestyle and sound didn’t accurately reflect who I was and I was confused.

I wrote a bit here and there and helped write for a few projects but nothing I truly cared about. Life, experiences, trials and triumphs has a special way of educating us all. Once you’ve made it to a certain point in life most ask themselves the question “why did I go through all that to learn those lessons!” My answer came quickly, “so you can educate, uplift, support and inspire those coming behind you and those still seeking answers to those questions.”

Now as I emerge, I feel joyful, abundant, prosperous and tremendous gratitude for the opportunity to share my gifts with the world

 

Question 6:

Your storytelling stands out. Where do your lyrics usually come from—personal experience, cultural observations, or both?

Both personal experiences and cultural observations. But I also realized that I can tell a story any way I choose to that will be the most meaningful. I can recreate a past experience and take a different viewpoint that would’ve been better had I known at the time. One of the most important aspects of my writing though is I talk to people how I want people to talk to me. I say the things that I want to hear, like help me don’t hurt me. Don’t tell me what’s wrong without giving me a solution. I try my best to stay away from anything negative or criticism to prevent the same energy from coming back.

One powerful thing as well about stories is that not every detail has to exact in order for the lesson or message to be received and understood. Before I write anything I always start with asking myself what is the intent of this message and will the impact be a positive one

 

Question 7:

How has your background in natural bodybuilding and fitness shaped your discipline and creativity as a musician?

Bodybuilding like music is Art. In bodybuilding, your body is the canvas. The gym and food are tools and equipment you wield to create your personal masterpiece. You must first visualize how you want your masterpiece to look, what parts will stand out and areas will be highlighted.

My creative process in music is exactly the same just different instruments being used. What sets music apart for me though is I’m really and deeply I tuned with my feelings. It has to carry a certain energy that I would want to receive back from the world. It has to add value to the world. Once I write and release it no longer belongs to me so I just move on to create the next thing

Between these two one commonality besides discipline is focus. You have to lock into yourself and minimize all external inputs because you are the creator

 

Question 8:

Winning professional bodybuilding titles and being named Natural Olympia Champion takes incredible focus. How do you carry that same mindset into your music?

Music comes much more easier and naturally than bodybuilding for me. There’s a ton of repeated physical arduous labor that takes a long time to yield exceptional results. Bodybuilding is also so subjective that you have to be able to emotionally disconnect from the competitions so you don’t walk away feeling like an absolute failure if you don’t win.

Music is fun. My heart is light and joyous. Creation is almost instantaneous. My latest song Blessed took me about 30minutes to write and I immediately knew it was number one on the Billboard Hot 100, Apple Music 100, multiplatinum and Grammy award for song of the year. Music feels like this is what I was supposed to be doing with my life, bodybuilding feels like a fun hobby.

 

Question 9:

Do you see your music and your fitness journey as two separate paths, or as different sides of the same story?

They are both different sides of the same story for sure. Bodybuilding gave me a purpose and identity when I was transitioning out the military trying to figure out who I was without a uniform. Music gave me my voice and self expression to release what’s been inside all along. All the pain, disappointments, regrets, anger and a mix of so many emotions that I’ve been suffering in silence for years I can now perform Alchemy in my heart. Change it to what I want it to be and release it constructively

 

Question 10:

What message do you want listeners to take away from your music?

I want to effect positive change for good. All that starts in the mind. Feed yourself good foods and you get a healthy body. Feed yourself good words, vibrations through music, affirmations and fellowship you can literally change your entire life for the better. Speak nicely to yourself, dare to dream and dream big, speak your future into existence into what you want to happen vice what is or what was. Focus on solutions, constructing and building

 

Question 11:

What was it like contributing to Marine Corps Hip Hop Cadence Vol II and reaching such a unique audience?

I thoroughly enjoyed helping the engineer/producer out. I saw his vision and passion and he was also trying to impact change in the military culture through music. That definitely resonated with me. I am also a firm believer in doing good for a good cause without wanting personal gain, that’s expected because that’s how life works. Do good and good things will happen to you and for you

 

Question 12:

You’ve built a loyal fan base through your commanding presence. How do you stay connected to your supporters?

I respond sincerely to every comment, I show my gratitude for every milestone and I celebrate every win because there’s no such thing as a little win for me. I stay grounded and present and I try to always remember what I admired most about the artists that inspired me, always stay connected to the people because in ways you are thier voice and can articulate things they may not be able to through your music

 

Question 13:

Can you talk about a moment in your career that tested your resilience, and how you overcame it?

I just exited the military and trying to find my personal identity. Personal relationship fell completely apart, financially I’m in hole, personal attacks coming left and right from people for different reasons out of my control, bills stacking up and an absolute Mount Everest of other challenges. Needless to say I was not happy with myself, my overall performance on certain things and where I was at in life, definitely not what I had imagined.

The one thing I had going for me was I was excelling as a coach and competitor in bodybuilding but it wasn’t making any money for me. I thought about cashing it all in and taking the safe route and just coming back to this bodybuilding thing later after I straightened out my life. The voice in me quickly responded if you stop now, you’re not gonna get another chance it’s now or never. Immediately it became clear that if I was going to get myself out of this hole, I needed to commit full time and go all in so I did. I dieted longer than I ever had before, trained harder and got smarter with coaching. I set my intentions to compete 8 times to win the prize money. I ended up competing 10 times and won 8 of them including 3 of the 5 major prestigious titles.

I bet on myself. I believed in myself. I knew that I could and I did that’s why I wrote the song No Stoppin

 

Question 14:

What’s been the most rewarding part of blending your Jamaican roots with the Bronx’s hip-hop culture?

The most rewarding part is the flexibility it gives me in writing and creating. Also with my delivery and voice I get to play with different sounds. Reggae mus has grown much more popular over the last 2 decades as well so it’s widely more accepting by non Jamaican people. I am really grateful and appreciate that I don’t have to choose I can do both which is what I want to do

 

Question 15:

How do you see your music as a “movement” rather than just entertainment?

I’ve personally witnessed the impact it has on my kids and my team. They speak differently, they take big moves towards their dreams. They change their self image into what they want and not what is dictated by society or popular culture. They take the authority and control over their lives knowing they can choose what they want to do, how they want to feel and who they want to become

My music has brought together several generations and cultures into one community which I coach because at heart we all want to be apart of a family that uplifts, motivate, inspire and encourages us be our best with absolutely no judgment

 

Question 16:

What do you hope the future of reggae, hip-hop, and afrobeats fusion looks like—and where do you see yourself in it?

Honestly it’s a space that so far I know I’m the only one doing it and I don’t think just anyone can do it or should do it. It’s about blending the cultures and bringing the best of people together. That takes leadership, understanding, compassion and empathy. I would love to collaborate with more artist in each of those genres but for now I’m enjoying the space all by myself

 

Question 17:

What can fans expect from your upcoming projects?

I am about to start working with a few known artists in Uganda who reached out for collaboration. I also specialize in personal development coaching so I created a lot of unreleased material on topics that speak directly to what I believe is the need of people right now. Most importantly I am just excited to create what I feel, everything I do comes from a good place with good intentions