About

the man behind the music

I am Obsidian Blue, born Clarence Wesley, Jr. A simple man from North Carolina, relocated to Oklahoma because of my Military obligations (Air Force, don't get it twisted).

I was born in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina on April 29th, 1978 to Clarence and Kathy Wesley. It was just us three and my younger brother Kenny in Jacksonville, NC for about 18 years. I graduated from Richlands High School and attended North Carolina Central University for 3 years before joining the Air Force in 1999. The “Obsidian Blue” moniker came to me one day after looking at a pair of Air Jordan XIII’s. Obsidian was the color Nike designated for dark blue, my favorite color. Other than that, my moniker doesn’t have any deep, intellectual meaning. That’s what happens when you’re not ever blessed/cursed with a nickname.

I can distinctly remember the music of my youth, well, back to about 5 years of age. Grover Washington Jr., Phil Collins, The Police, Hall and Oats, Bobby Womack, and Bill Withers flooded my parents' car when I was smaller. It soon transitioned to The Caravans, James Cleveland, and The Mighty Clouds of Joy, but it all sounded great to me. Then one day, I hear A Tribe Called Quest's "The Jazz." Then everything changed.....

I was 8 years old when I first started taking piano lessons. It started off great the first 3 years until I broke my left wrist. In the 5th grade, the parents got me a trumpet so that I could join the band. In middle school I played the trumpet and baritone, and in high school, I switched from baritone to tuba in the 11th grade, due to lack of players. Fortunately, I took to it pretty quickly. I continued to play tuba 3 more years at North Carolina Central University. Even after I left school to join the Air Force, I got to join the Drum and Bugle Corps at Kessler AFB, Biloxi MS, and actually got to Corps Commander (Drum Major, though I never got a chance to lead in a parade).

While I was in basic training though, I gained a growing interest in computers. After listening to the resident nerds in my flight, I figured I could build my own computer once I got to my first base after text school. After about 6 months after getting to Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, my man Ryan Decosmo put me on to Acid Version 1. I had used Goldwave for years, but all I could get out of it was Rza-like loops and whatnot. But Acid provided me an opportunity to add drums and attempt to imitate my favs in hip-hop. Somehow or another, I actually became pretty good......Add in Sound Forge, and the rest is history...

Herbie Hancock, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Jay Dee, and The Art of Noise. I can go on for months, but these are the main influences on the sound. I would like to be a well known, respected entity within hip-hop one day. Though the commercial side of hip-hop is REALLY bothering me right now, but I wouldn't mind a bit if I was on the frontlines to bring it to a new plateau. Contrary to popular belief to those in our cause, we don't have to try and take it back to '94 to do so either. I'd like to think that my sound exhibits the side of me that I aspire to be and that I’m continuously working towards every second of my life.Even If I don't make it, it is wonderful that I have something of such substance to pass on to my children and so forth.

Well, I can’t get all one-sided in this bio, seeing that there is more to me than music. I am a big, 6’3”, 240 lbs kid. I still watch cartoons for goodness sakes. Anime is my forte at this moment, but I’ll still sit back and pull up The Simpsons, Futurama, Family Guy, and what have you. Yeah, I still dig the Looney Toons and older stuff like that as well, as long as it isn’t too punkified. Yes, I said punkified in order to avoid saying the “other” word. I might ask my momma to visit this site, you know? Then of course there’s the basketball that I don’t really play that much anymore. I’m in the mode of getting back in shape so that I won’t die on the court. I don’t really mess with video games like that anymore either, but I could really use some competition in Tekken. I’m decent, but it’s been awhile since I’ve been really frustrated by another opponent. Why can’t Sony put this game online????? Sleep is another pastime that I enjoy, so I’ll close this out now. There is so much more to my essence, but I’m pretty sure that there are other things to do aside from reading about me. If necessary, I’ll put out a book called “Boiled Shrimp and Draws,” sell it on Amazon.com for $45.97, pimp it on as many talk shows as I can get on, and start my own talk show and magazine and pimp it some more. Meanwhile, thank you all for visiting, and keep listening. The best is yet to come.

Love Infinite...