If you haven't heard of Mooski, a Southern rapper making waves in the industry, you've definitely heard his single, "Track Star." The single gained Mooski in the Billboard Hot 100 and went viral on TikTok, thanks to a user named @cityboyj.
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The 23-year-old spoke with Audacy to discuss the story behind "Track Star," his viral single, his inspirations and how music is his "therapy." Mooski explains the track is about an "experience of being with somebody who's always running away from everything [...] and you're the complete opposite." When it comes to the viral challenge, the rapper is grateful for how organic the song has spread and his favorite variation is when people incorporate a countdown.
Mooski expresses the recording process came easy and the video, with visuals resembling Rihanna's "Work" and starring fellow rapper, Coi Leray, showcases the song's premise with a fun plot twist towards the end. With his first two singles being related to love and relationships, we had to find out what love means to him.
"Love means forever. Love means through everything. Love means just rocking with somebody through everything, wanting to see the best version of themselves and seeing them at the worst. Seeing growth. That's what love is," he expressed.
Inspired by Drake, Michael Jackson, and others, Mooski wants to be known as "an artist who can do everything." So, rest assured he will be expanding his palette beyond love on his forthcoming album, Melodic Therapy For The Broken, slated for a release later this year. While remaining tight-lipped about the LP, he did say the album comes with a "new sound." He continued, "it's therapy. It's therapy for me. [...] I was broken and I was talking about a time when I was dealing with losses with my family."
Growing up, he was the second oldest of four and due to his parents' health struggles, the financial burden caused him to begin working at 15. He joined the Marines at 18, but while in boot camp, his father passed away from heart failure. Years later, his mother suffered a massive stroke, stripping her of the ability to walk or talk. It wasn't until years after his father's death, that he was finally able to grieve through a song, "I Cry" and it was then he realized music was how he healed.
With his forthcoming album, he did give us a hint that his favorite song is very personal to him and with that said, we are eagerly awaiting to see what's next from the rising star.
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