Every so often a new artist comes along with a sound so innovative, they are able to help reshape the barriers that confine mainstream music. Meet Outasight, the Yonkers, New York bred musician who brilliantly weaves together the cadenced sounds of popular hip-hop and indie rock with the poignant sensibility of classic pop and soul music to create a fresh, new sound that is all his own. “People are conditioned to see certain images for different genres of music,” says the 27 year-old songwriter. “So if something looks or sounds out of the norm, it’s more difficult to understand at first.”
Growing up an only child in the suburbs of New York City, Outasight’s parents encouraged his insatiable love for making music from a very young age. When he was 8 yearsold, he taught himself to write songs on a guitar passed down from his father. “I was surrounded by thousands of records as a kid,” says Outasight who grew up emulating the diverse sounds he was surrounded by all his life. “I listened to a lot of classic rock, and pop, like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and also soul artists like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. My friends and I would form bands and practice in someone’s basement and then I would go to school and write raps and spit raps on the playground. They were like duel personalities in a sense.”
During his junior year of high school, Outasight started venturing into the city, seeking out open mics where he was able to fine tune his own material in front of live audiences. “I used to perform a lot in Brooklyn at a place called Sputnik,” says Outasight. “It would be a very diverse crowd and I would rap and start singing and they would be like, what the hell is going on right now? Who is this White kid acting all crazy? But there were always people that liked it so I always took any type of acceptance as the fuel to go further.” After performing in the big city for a couple of years, the resourceful young artist started to gain confidence and create some extremely valuable music industry connections. He toyed with the idea of going to college but after taking classes on and off for close to five years, Outasight realized it was foolish not to capitalize on the name he had created for himself in the City’s burgeoning independent music scene.
In 2006, he decided to drop out of college for good and pursue music full time. The following year, he released a mixtape called Employee Of The Year with the help of his friend and business partner Dre Bond. The two started a new company to help promote Outasight appropriately named Daily Grind Music. After promoting the tape on Myspace and up and coming music blogs, Outasight and Daily Grind released his second project, Radio New York in June of ’08 which was featured on the Myspace Home page for three consecutive days—a tremendous feat for any new, unsigned artist. “The amount of people that I got exposed to was incredible,” says Outasight. “We were getting like 50 thousand plays a day! Dre and I made a video for one of the mixtape’s songs, ‘Good Evening’ that fall we got the video on MTV after winning the MTVU Freshman competition.”
In March of 2009, Outasight released his third mixtape, From There To Here, with world renowned hip-hop DJ Mick Boogie and a month later was asked to open for Ryan Leslie at NYC’s SOB’s. After winning over the packed house with his live show, Outasight’s manager, Norman “Storm” Bell of Purfek Storm Management, secured a meeting with Asylum Records CEO Todd Moscowitz who was instantly taken by the multi-talented MC’s growing body of work. That October, Outasight signed a deal with Asylum. Soon after his signing, Outasight released his latest mixtape Further. The project was sponsored by LRG clothing and was his most successful release to date, garnering over a hundred thousand downloads and counting. Due to its overwhelming popularity, Asylum is set to release Further as an EP exclusively on ITunes in March 2010 while Outasight continues to craft his first full length commercial release, the aptly titled, From Here to Eternity. “The concept behind my album is one person’s quest from the present moment to being timeless,” he says, “It’s something that lives way beyond me, it’s about the quest.”
On August 17th, 2010, Outasight released his latest mixtape, Never Say Never, again to much critical acclaim.
Figure 8
Outasight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking for a place with a little bit of life
Been a tough week, can't deny that I thought about stopping
More than once or twice, oh no, some more advice
Keep your head up while you're pushed to the side
And maybe with a bit-bit more luck
You can get picked up from wherever you lie
I know, I know it's not enough, you know, you know it's hard enough
I know, I know it's not enough, you know, you know it's far enough
That you can't get there on your own anymore
[Chorus]
Lately, I've been trying my best
But maybe it ain't good enough
Running in circles I guess, round and round, it never stops
It never stops, it never stops, it never stops just like a figure 8
It never stops, it never stops, it never stops just like a figure 8
[Verse 2:]
Hailed a cab on the early side, looking for a train to get uptown
Uh, think I wanna see home, don't pick up the phone
Can't hear a sound, search our whole lives up and down
For what can't be found instead of appreciating of what we have around
Or what we have now gets tossed to the ground
I know, I know it's not enough, you know, you know it's hard enough
To get a decent chance around these parts-around these parts
I know, I know it's not enough, you know, you know it's far enough
That you can't get there on your own anymore
[Chorus]
[Chorus 2]
Lately, I've been trying my best
But maybe it ain't good enough
Running in circles I guess, round and round, it never stops
It never stops, it never stops, it never stops just like a figure 8
It never stops, it never stops, it never stops just like a figure 8
It never stops, it never stops, it never stops just like a figure 8
It never stops, it never stops, it never stops just like a figure 8
In "Figure 8" by Outasight, the singer is reflecting on their struggles and frustrations in life. The song starts with the singer catching a late train, hoping to find a bit of excitement and relief from their difficult week. They've considered giving up but are encouraged to keep their head up and remain hopeful for a better opportunity. The singer expresses their feeling of being pushed to the side and not receiving a decent chance to succeed. They feel like they're running in circles and not making progress, comparing their experience to an endless figure eight. In the second verse, the singer tries to escape their problems by hailing a cab but realizes that they need to appreciate what they have now instead of constantly searching for something more.
The chorus repeats the phrase "lately, I've been trying my best, but maybe it ain't good enough," emphasizing the singer's struggle to improve their situation. The repetition of "it never stops, it never stops, it never stops just like a figure 8" reinforces the idea that their problems continuously repeat themselves, creating a cycle that's hard to break. Overall, the song highlights the frustration and challenge of feeling stuck in a never-ending loop of disappointment, while also encouraging perseverance and gratitude for the present.
Line by Line Meaning
Caught the train on the later side
I boarded the train later than I had initially planned.
Looking for a place with a little bit of life
I was on the lookout for a vibrant environment.
Been a tough week, can't deny that I thought about stopping
It has been a challenging week for me, and I nearly considered giving up.
More than once or twice, oh no, some more advice
I almost gave up on multiple occasions; therefore, I needed more motivation.
Keep your head up while you're pushed to the side
I should remain optimistic, even when things do not seem to be going my way.
And maybe with a bit-bit more luck
Perhaps luck could help me succeed.
You can get picked up from wherever you lie
The possibility of getting a break exists for everyone, regardless of their current circumstances.
I know, I know it's not enough, you know, you know it's hard enough
I am aware that the situation is not ideal, and I understand that it is arduous.
To get a decent chance around these parts-around these parts
It is challenging to find an opportunity in this area.
I know, I know it's not enough, you know, you know it's far enough
I understand that what I am doing is not sufficient, and I know that the goal is still far away.
That you can't get there on your own anymore
I cannot achieve the goal alone.
Lately, I've been trying my best
Recently, I have been putting in a lot of effort.
But maybe it ain't good enough
Despite my hard work, my efforts may not be sufficient.
Running in circles I guess, round and round, it never stops
I feel like I am getting nowhere, and it seems like there is no end to the struggle.
It never stops, it never stops, it never stops just like a figure 8
The cycle of struggle and effort repeats itself, just like a figure 8 loop.
Hailed a cab on the early side, looking for a train to get uptown
I took a cab early in the day to catch a train headed uptown.
Uh, think I wanna see home, don't pick up the phone
I am thinking about going home, and I do not answer any calls.
Can't hear a sound, search our whole lives up and down
We spend our entire lives looking for something that we cannot find.
For what can't be found instead of appreciating what we have around
Instead of being grateful for what we already have, we focus on something that is unattainable.
Or what we have now gets tossed to the ground
We tend to disregard our current possessions or achievements.
It never stops, it never stops, it never stops just like a figure 8
The cycle of struggle and effort repeats itself indefinitely, like a figure 8 loop.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MATTHEW FRIEDMAN, RICHARD ANDREW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Roberto Bermeo
This song deserves more views!
TheKnight27
This deserves so many more views. his song has inspired me to push myself, and whenever I hear 'it never stops' =, I convince myself that I should never stop, and push through.
SpaceBoundLad
This is one of the greatest songs ever made by anyone.Respect and Love.
Megan Camarda
As soon as i heard "tonight is the night" on the radio i wanted to see what other songs he had, and this is soo good too! He needs to get more credit on his music and everything! Hope he goes big! :)
Mykey Cuento
Oh man, this song, with all the stress of the daily grind, hearing it ensures me I'll get through the work day! :) It never stops. It never stops. And it don't matter if Ray brought me or anyone here...your music's awesome, and we went here cause we love your tunes.
ShinhoDynasty7
3:24 - whoever filmed the shot with that girl is just a cinematic genius. She is such a great actor. A lot of charisma!
Leah Tommo
This deserves at least a million views. Love this song
1Mrboylt1
Outasight is actually the kind of person i'd buy a song, because he is amazing and he is a true artist
HannaHaap
I could listen to this all day and all night and it still wouldnt get old
QueenOfHearts
Damn..all his songs are good. Wish they play them all on the radio... not just Tonight is the Night