RESPECT. Interview: Mooski Talks Debut Project ‘Melodic Therapy 4 The Broken’, Names Drake As Dream Collaboration + More

Image Credit: Publicist

Mooski is one the rising stars in music thanks to the popularity of his runaway smash single “Track Star.” The versatile 24-year-old has been riding a wave of success since releasing the track last June, but his journey has been anything but easy. Born Darien Hinton, Mooski was raised in a religious household in Opp, Alabama, where he grew up listening to and performing faith-based music. The second oldest of four kids, Mooski and his mother and sisters were often part of the praise and worship services at their church and it wasn’t uncommon to find family members singing around the home. Despite their faithful foundation, Mooski’s childhood was marred by both parents’ struggles with poor health, and arguments between his mom and dad often revolved around the financial toll taken due to frequent ambulance calls to their home.

Determined to start earning income to help with bills and buy his own clothes, Mooski began working part time jobs when he was only 15, building a strong work ethic that would serve him well when he joined the Marine Corps at just 18-years-old. “I talk about the unspoken,” Mooski says. “When people listen to my music they’re going to be like, ‘Mooski was in my head.’ It’s going to be personal to them. I know how depression works. I didn’t grieve my father’s death until two years later. I’m going to talk about things I was thinking and things I was going through, stuff I didn’t want to talk about. I’m going to put it in the music because I know these are things everybody is going through.”

Most notably known for his break out single “Track Star,” and the follow up remix featuring Chris Brown, A-Boogie & Yung Bleu. His viral “Track Star Challenge” took the internet by storm over the summer receiving over 100M views with posts from Drake, Tiffany Haddish, Halle Berry, Chloe Bailey, The Shade Room & more. Mooski’s debut project gives listeners a vulnerable inside look into the mind of a young Black man battling the emotional traumas and healing generational curses on his pursuit to fame, fortune and happiness.

We got a chance to speak with Mooski to discuss his debut project, his creative process, his dream collaboration, his certified platinum hit “Track Star”, how social media has changed his life + much more. Get into the interview audio below.