A native of Toledo, Searius Adishin, more commonly referred to as “Searius Add,” is no stranger to the Columbus area. While attending Ohio State, Searius Add created hip-hop mixtapes, music videos, hosted events and shared his poetry.
Now he is promoting his latest project, “Lyrics & Love Unplugged.” He said he is in the process of developing a tour for spring which will take him to Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh and cities throughout Ohio.
He said he’s not as serious as people think, but his spoken-word poetry and his rap lyrics cover a variety of serious topics.
“My music is witty, creative, honest and artistic,” Add said.
He said that he has managed to continually reinvent himself throughout the years because of his passion for music. The love he has for creating music and the circle of love from his supporters kept him going, Add said.
Unlike the majority of hip-hop produced today, Add’s music doesn’t use expletives or derogatory language. He said his decision to not use foul language initially was because he didn’t have the budget to make clean versions of his songs.
Searius Add said that he continues to make 99 percent “clean” music because he wants it to be familiar and relatable to the audience.
Although he has nothing against those who choose to talk about drugs and violence, he said that those lyrics don’t reflect his values.
He said he would like to think that his music doesn’t have a target audience, but he said that professionally it would be “silly” not to have one. He said that he receives the majority of feedback from people ages 21 to 36. He is involved in so many areas that he is not sure if his music is the main thing that attracts his fan base, he said.
His most popular topic of discussion is anything related to women and relationships. His inspiration for his works comes from personal elements, he said.
Searius Add has not been signed to a major label, but he would be willing to if he wouldn’t have to compromise his artistry, he said. He said he likes the freedom of being independent, but he wouldn’t mind a major label budget.
Beyond his music and poetry, Add is a business owner. He owns “Nine-Tenths Media Group,” which was originally called “Bag Back.” The company was renamed and re-launched in June 2009. The company has a full staff but no artists yet.
He said the goal of “Nine-Tenths” is to create innovative, creative entertainment by merging it with education. He said he wants to stress the importance of education and developing a skill or trade.
Add has also created his own blog, seariusthoughts.com. He wanted to give his fans more insight into him as a person and provide them with inspiration, he said. The idea for his blog developed from text messages that he would send out daily to friends, he said.
His concerts broke the attendance record for Tuesday nights at Skully’s Music Diner in November 2009. His upcoming performance will be his unplugged show. He said those attending the event can expect a live band and a few surprises.
He said the performance is going to be, “really just quality, soulful, honest music.”
Searius Add will be performing at Skully’s Music Diner at 1151 N. High St. on March 16. The event is free and doors close at capacity.
