Siyla

SIYLA is the artistic vision of Josh Chandler, coining himself as the “unorthodox rapper” with his own set of rules he abides by.. and it works out pretty well.

From Tulsa, Oklahoma, (a city still confused about whether they’re midwest or southern), SIYLA mixes smooth jazz-sampled instrumentation with hype in-your-face flows/vocal deliveries, making him a master of crafting “laid-back bangers”. He was born into a classic rock household, but still remembers the day his neighbor wiped his iPod nano clean, replacing all the music he had with thousands of rap songs, including rappers Lil Wayne and Eminem. They both gave SIYLA an early inspiration to write songs that convey his message in ways that are sometimes absurd, uncomfortable, or just plain weird. Songs that keep you head banging all the way through, but leave you questioning what you’ve just heard by the end of it.

SIYLA has aired on both local and foreign radio stations like KOSU, and has done numerous live performances in and out of the country. One of his most memorable gigs occurred in Bob Marley's hometown, Kingston, Jamaica; at the same venue where he started his career. He has also opened up for Hip-Hop legends such as The Pharsyde, Suga Free, CyHi The Prince, Afroman, and Reason.