Somnea recently released his debut music video, an homage to love called “Mona Lisa.”

Born in Lafayette as Joseph Marcel Sampy, Somnea attended Loyola University, where he studied Music Business. He was temporarily a member of the band Black Circuit, but has since opted to pursue a solo career in hip-hop and spoke with OffBeat about “Mona Lisa,” the art of music and more.

How did you get started in music?

I developed a curiosity for music at the early age of four, upon receiving a child-sized guitar from my maternal grandparents. My father influenced my siblings and I as we grew, through rap sessions he would hold as a form of entertainment. At the age of ten, I joined the school band playing flute and quickly took the title of first chair flute. This title was held for a multitude of years thereafter. At the age of 13, I was gifted my first electric guitar, which I used to compose numerous rock songs and perform in school talent shows. Around the age of 16, I was enrolled into the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and Arts. By this time I’d developed a preference for metal and edm, which I began composing, producing, and performing around campus.

Who are some of the New Orleans artists you listened to growing up, and who influenced your own sound?

My sound is strongly influenced through metal and rock, however I hold Juvenile and Lil Wayne in high regards because of their contributions to the New Orleans hip hop music scene.

What inspired you to write “Mona Lisa”? 

I was inspired to write “Mona Lisa” during and after my encounter with a woman that I liked to an unparalleled degree, compared to all the women I’d encountered before her. Everything about her seemed to complement me, in almost the way a fantasy would. However that died out, but I still had lingering feelings that I needed to let go of. I put those feelings into this song. This song was self produced, engineered, and written.

What’s the idea behind the music video? Please list the names of people who helped you make it

The idea behind the music video was to capture a rather cryptic and bastardized version of the world I envisioned in relation to my music. With this song it was a world of mysterious romance with added visual metaphors such as painting the “Mona Lisa” white to iterate a clean slate or fresh start. The script was written by me; however, the actors maintained creative control to give the video more life. With significant contribution from Abram Fletcher (known as Yung Abe) and Lonzell Clark (known as Lonzell Clark Films) the audio visual became a reality.

Other actors and helpers include:
Jovana Tanchez
Jade Parker
Yashua Stevens
Abram Fletcher
Joshua Lewis
Donald Sampy
Pablo Polanco
Sherwood Gaskins

To learn more about Somnea, follow him @somneamusic. “Mona Lisa” is available on various platforms here.