M’siyah is an independent hip-hop artist based in New York City known for blending sharp lyricism, raw energy, and commanding delivery into records that connect with both listeners and content creators. Drawing inspiration from ambition, pressure, and personal experiences, his music carries a confident and cinematic sound that fits everything from workout playlists to nightlife and sports culture. With growing momentum online and a developing fanbase across streaming and social media platforms, M’siyah continues building his name through authenticity, consistency, and high energy releases like “When I Step.”
With “When I Step” out now, we took some time to hear from M’siyah. Read below to learn more about M’siyah, the story behind “When I Step,” and what’s to come.
Hi M’siyah! Let’s start with how did you choose your artist name?
Honestly, my real name is Messiah, but there was already a really popular artist using it. I always loved my name though, so instead of changing it completely I just tried spelling it in the most unique way possible. I ended up with M’siyah and it actually felt even more personal and original to me, so it stuck.
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
I grew up on Long Island for most of my life, but now I’m based in Manhattan. Being around both environments definitely influenced me in different ways and shaped how I move creatively.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
I’ve always loved writing music. Even before I took it seriously, writing and being creative was something that naturally came to me. I just wasn’t really in a position to fully pursue it until after I graduated nursing school. Having that stability gave me the freedom and confidence to really invest into this passion I have for music and creativity.
How has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound?
I had a rough childhood, so music became an escape for me pretty early on. I loved being able to step into a different world and express myself through what I was writing and feeling. Because of that, I listened to almost everything growing up. I was always searching for different sounds and different emotions in music, which is why I draw inspiration from so many genres now and enjoy such a wide variety of music.
How would you describe your sound?
I’d describe my sound as bold, confident, and unapologetic. I like blending different genres and influences together instead of boxing myself into one style. I also love using wordplay and lines that people might not fully catch on the first listen. I want my music to have layers to it while still feeling energetic and authentic.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
Outside of music, I’m actually a registered nurse in an ICU, which is obviously a completely different world. I think having that balance helps keep me grounded and gives me a different perspective on life and people.
I’m also a huge anime nerd honestly. I love collecting Funko Pops and getting into different anime series and worlds. Anime inspires me creatively a lot too because of the storytelling, emotion, visuals, and the way certain characters carry confidence or go through struggles. A lot of that energy subconsciously influences my music and creativity. I also stay inspired by traveling and experiencing different cultures. Last year, I went to Brazil, Spain, and Thailand, and all three had completely different vibes and energy. Being able to experience new places, people, music, and atmospheres really fuels my creativity.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
That’s honestly hard for me because I love so many different artists and genres. I grew up on a lot of Young Money, so Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne definitely had a huge influence on me. I also really love artists like Rihanna and J. Cole for completely different reasons.
On the production side, I’m a huge fan of Brandy and Darkchild too. I love the creativity, melodies, harmonies, and the way their music feels layered and intentional. Since I listen to such a wide variety of music, I think all of those influences naturally blend into my sound in different ways.
What’s your dream collaboration?
As for a dream collaboration, I would love to work with Darkchild. I honestly think he is a genius. The way he builds records, layers vocals, and creates timeless production is incredible to me and has influenced the way I think about music a lot.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
I still feel like I’m early in my journey, so I wouldn’t say I’ve had a huge career moment yet, but I’m really proud of my latest release, “When I Step.” I recorded it myself, mixed it myself, and mastered it myself, so being able to create the full vision on my own and have it come out the way I wanted was a really proud moment for me creatively.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
One of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned so far is to just have fun and enjoy the process of making art. Early on it’s easy to get caught up in numbers and feel like you need a certain amount of streams or attention for something to matter, but I’ve learned that the most important thing is creating music that actually feels real to you and enjoying the process of making it.
Now onto your release, “When I Step.” What inspired this song? What is “When I Step” about?
When I write music, I really write for myself first. “When I Step” was inspired by embracing confidence and really owning who you are. I think there’s so much power in understanding that you’re enough just because you exist. Sometimes the best way to build your self esteem is to tap into that confidence and even feel a little cocky sometimes honestly. The song is really about stepping into your presence unapologetically and carrying yourself like you belong wherever you are.
What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for “When I Step?”
I wanted the cover art to feel fashionable and confident while still matching the energy of the song. I knew I wanted to incorporate gold and black because those colors feel bold, elevated, and powerful to me. I also wanted to show a little bit of my sense of fashion and bring some of the city into the visuals since NYC is such a big part of who I am and my identity as an artist.
What was the creative process like when making “When I Step?”
Honestly, the creative process for “When I Step” was just really fun. Some songs feel forced, but this was one of those records that almost wrote itself. I was having a lot of fun with the lyrics, especially on the second verse where I’m dropping different artist and song references into the bars. There’s references to BIA, Tina Turner, Passion Pit, and more mixed throughout it. I just loved creating this song because everything flowed naturally and the energy felt effortless the whole time.
How long did it take to complete “When I Step?”
The actual writing process was really fast, honestly. I wrote the hook in less than two minutes and the verses kind of wrote themselves after that. I think the whole song took less than an hour to write. After that though, I spent probably two to three months sitting with the instrumental and singing the song to myself before I finally recorded it. Once I was ready, I recorded it all in one session.
The longest part was definitely the mixing and mastering process because I did everything myself. There was a lot of learning, trial and error, and figuring things out along the way, but it also showed me that I’m capable of way more than I sometimes think I am creatively.
What is your favorite lyric in “When I Step” and why?
One of my favorite lyrics is “You ain’t seeing me, I’m like John Cena.” I love that bar because it’s a funny play on one of his most iconic catchphrases, but it also really represents my personality as an artist. I like making music that’s fun, clever, and makes people think for a second instead of everything being super obvious.
Another favorite is “All eyes on me like ophanim.” A lot of people don’t catch that one at first, especially if they don’t know what ophanim are, but once they get the reference it becomes one of those little “aha” moments. I love putting layered references and wordplay like that into my music.
What do you hope fans take away from “When I Step” and your music in general?
Definitely confidence for “When I Step.” I want people to feel good when they hear it and almost chant the anthem to themselves. I want it to give people that feeling of walking into a room confidently and fully embracing who they are.
With my music in general, I hope people take away that it’s okay to express your emotions no matter how irrational, emotional, or sad they might feel. I think people should allow themselves to really feel what they feel instead of hiding it. I also hope listeners catch little things in my wordplay and lyrics that they haven’t heard before and keep discovering new layers in the music over time.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
Right now, I’m working on a lot of new music and focusing on putting together more of a full EP experience instead of only releasing singles. I really want people to get a bigger picture of who I am creatively and sonically.
I haven’t performed my music live yet, but it’s definitely something I’ve been thinking about and looking into more seriously. Honestly, I’m hoping “When I Step” gives me the confidence to finally get on stage and bring that energy to a live audience too.
Where can we follow you on social media?
You can follow me here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenamesmessiah
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thenamesmessiah
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4RzM8v1K0x1j6jL4P0hL0M
Stream “When I Step”: https://push.fm/fl/whenistep
Before you go, let’s ask you an off-topic question. What’s one of your favorite places that you’ve visited?
One of my favorite places that I’ve ever visited is Brazil. I love the music, the food, the culture, and the overall energy there. Every time I go, it feels really empowering and freeing in a way that’s hard to explain. It’s one of those places that genuinely inspires me creatively and personally.
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
