Ro$ama’s Journey from Cassette Tapes to My Forte

Before Ro$ama had a studio, he relied on a PlayStation, a cassette recorder, and a circle of friends in Paris, Texas. He used instrumentals from the 2009 game 50 Cent: Blood in the Sand to spark his creativity. “Once you beat the game, they give you all the instrumentals,” he recalled in a conversation with Newsweek. His process involved positioning the television beside the recorder, pressing play, and freestyling at nine years old. The act of making music became a family ritual. During reunions, relatives expected Ro$ama to perform. “They knew we would freestyle on the cassette tape, so they would make me rap during the family reunion,” he said, laughing about the requests that continue today.

A Family Name Finds Its Sound

These early experiences are now reflected in My Forte, his newly released solo album. The album title connects musical ability with his maternal lineage. “Forte is my mama’s last name,” Ro$ama explained. The word’s musical meaning and its association with a person’s strongest skill opened a path toward a deeply personal concept. “Music and my mama’s last name correlated,” he added. This coincidence provided a broad framework for varied subjects while showcasing his range. The album’s 20 songs allow Ro$ama to explore reflection, flexing, and regional storytelling. He aimed to present different types of topics and skill-based songs to demonstrate his versatility.

Writing Backward, Landing Forward

Ro$ama’s ambitions were shaped by artists like Lil Wayne, T.I., and DMX, who treated rap as a proving ground. Wayne’s wordplay became an especially demanding benchmark. “I love how he played with words and how he made you think,” Ro$ama said. A competitive urge grew inside him to prove his own capabilities. His process involves starting with a beat that suggests the emotional route. His bars emerge from the destination, moving backward. “I write backwards,” he said. “I find my last bar of the four-bar setup, and I work backwards.” With the final punchline fixed, he builds the preceding bars to increase their impact. This method lends a structured feel to his verses, utilizing similes, metaphors, and layered meanings around impactful narratives. “Rap was always storytelling, lyricism, double, and triple entendres,” he noted, rooted in an East Texas perspective.

Two Sides of the Story

On “E.T.,” a beat switch allows Ro$ama to maintain personal storytelling across two energies. The slower opening enabled him to build through storytelling. The production change offered an opportunity to accelerate while preserving the narrative. “When the beat switched, I was like, I can pop it and keep the story going as well,” Ro$ama said. Another track, “93,” addresses conditions around his hometown, while “E.T.” reflects his current life stage, including highs and lows. Together, these songs showcase his ability to blend autobiography with community observation. Although the album focuses on skill display, the strongest tracks are grounded in lived experiences. His instincts have led him into film music, appearing on “BEAST MODE (Godzilla x Kong).” By previewing the movie and visualizing its scale, Ro$ama aimed to outpace BigXthaPlug’s verse. This competition suited a song tied to cinematic giants, reflecting the competitive logic driving his solo work.

From the Room to the Center

The collaborative project 6WA provided Ro$ama with a broader platform, changing audience perceptions. “I felt like I was in the room, but people didn’t notice me,” he said. The project’s release in February 2026 connected listeners with the artist behind the voice. 6WA brought Ro$ama together with BigXthaPlug, MurdaGang PB, and Yung Hood under 600 Entertainment. For him, the project was a tryout leading to new expectations. “6WA was like the preseason, like trying to make the cut,” he stated. His performance at Rolling Loud marked a shift, reversing a familiar arrangement with BigXthaPlug. “Instead of X bringing me out, I brought him out,” Ro$ama noted, signifying growth from being overlooked to controlling the invitation. With My Forte, Ro$ama seeks to reveal the full range he has honed since those cassette-tape days in Paris, Texas. “I just want to let them know I can do everything,” he concluded. “I’m coming for everything.”