Meet Fucius: An Interview with Syracuse’s Newest Student Rapper
Get to know Fucius, the SU rapper whose new album, Commercial Break, dropped this May.
Words By: Alex Wojcik / Graphic by Lily Greco
In July 2020, Michael Loya, a.k.a. Fucius, or Yung Confucius at the time, began his rap career with the release of the single, “New Haircut,” a comical diss track toward a fellow Fairfield, Connecticut rapper. With his constantly laughable roasts over a trap instrumental, it was hard to determine Fucius’s intentions as an artist from this single alone. Was it just an elaborate joke or the unique beginning of an aspiring musician’s craft? The latter would appear to be the case, as after three years and the release of a few increasingly improved singles, Fucius released his debut project, Commercial Break.
The project is short but compact with energetic beats and infectious, entertaining flows that illuminate how far the East Coast rapper has come as a musician. Fucius is an impressive lyricist, with clever bars like “I’ll anchor down like Holt on the news, I stick to green like dew” being common and almost expected throughout the album. However, Fucius channels a new, melodic side of his sound on tracks like “Bon Voyage” and “Highs and Lows.” Diversity in vocal performance is a prominent theme throughout the tape.
“I know no one wants to listen to the same ‘dorm-room rap’ over and over again,” Fucius stated in our interview. “I try to experiment with different beats, deliveries, flows. I enjoy tinkering with other genres.”
Exposing his talents and capabilities was Fucius’s main goal with the project. When asked what one thing he hopes his listeners will take away from the album, Fucius answered “What I’m capable of. The title kind of encapsulates this. Commercials aren’t meant to make you pick up your phone and immediately purchase their product, but to get the product in your head. I didn’t think I was going to magically become Drake when I dropped [the album]. I just wanted people to know I got some skills.”
Just becoming noticed is the central goal of all small artists, and Fucius is highly aware of the effort this takes. “Commercials only last for so long, so I got to start making shows.”
Other themes that Fucius is never shy to maintain are his family and friends. “I got supporters down in Brockway, BBB got me stunned” is just one of the comical but meaningful references to Syracuse in his lyrics.
“Most of my listeners right now are my friends and family,” claimed Fucius, “so I like throwing in references that they’ll understand.” Yet, Fucius’s acknowledgment of his supporters goes beyond lyrical references, as his siblings played a crucial role in the project’s production. The cover art for Commercial Break was photographed by his sister, and his brother Andrew – a.k.a. alo – produced and mixed a few tracks while also featuring on the track “In Da Bih.”
“I love working with my siblings,” said Fucius. “If I were to ever gain traction with my music [alo would] be right there beside me. I’ve told him how awesome it’d be to do a show together sometime, him coming out on stage just as his verse starts. Hopefully, we can make this dream a reality.”
The future is bright for Fucius, now having a complete album mixed in with his catalog of singles. Despite the extended time it took the Connecticut rapper to complete the project, the rapper does not plan to slow down his output any time soon: “The songs I have out now are not my best songs. They’re not my ceiling. I have so much to learn and things to improve on. I’ve got a couple of new songs in the vault that hopefully meet this standard, and I can’t wait to see what people think.”