Omar Wilson Talks Being “The Black Sinatra,” Working with Legends, and Debut Album ‘Living Legend’ (Video)

As a three-time Showtime at the Apollo winner, Omar Wilson has thoroughly worked on his career, leading to the confidence of a true entertainer. He has shared the same stage many iconic artists touched, worked with legends in the industry, and did things his way. All of which led into titling his debut album, Living Legend.

“If it was not for the adversary and struggle, I wouldn’t be as strong as a vocalist I am, I wouldn’t be able to connect with the people the way I am, because we all going through something. No matter what.”

Wilson has released multiple singles, including “The Groove,” “96,” “The One.” A major moment leading up to his debut album was winning Showtime at the Apollo. “The Apollo is the founding factor of all of those [talent shows], so to be in that realm, and be amongst the greats just being there was a phenomenal experience, to this day.“

He released Living Legend in 2019, but has been singing and performing for years. He has worked and performed with Angie Stone, DMX, Justin Timberlake, and more. “I feel like you have to speak it into existence if you want it to be,” states Wilson on titling his album.

“It was great process because we wanted to make sure that we had records that had a cohesiveness. I had a lot of great records, some fo them didn’t make the album. But it was all about ‘what is going to be the best reception and presentation of who Omar Wilson, The Black Sinatra is?’ My album is called Living Legend, so we made sure we fine tooth picked each song to make sure that it became a family.”

His debut album is a combination of work, success, personality, and what Wilson will achieve. Wilson has been compared to Sam Cooke, and even covered his song “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Throughout his years, Wilson has retained the nickname “The Black Sinatra,” which he explains.

“That is part of the hook, because most people—-When I say I’m Omar Wilson the Black Sinatra, you see the look on their face like “how dare you put yourself in that same context.” And two, they listen to my music, they hear the passion that I come with on stage, and see what I’m about and have a conversation. And then it makes sense to them. And once again, I think that goes back to; at the end of the day, I want to be legendary. The only way to do that is pay homage to legendary individuals, do the research, and create music that will live forever. 

Check out the full interview below.