For USA Men’s Sevens player Marcus Tupuola, music and rugby go hand-in-hand.
After his debut in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, where he won gold in front of home fans at Las Vegas 2019, Tupuola began to pursue a music career.
“Rugby and music are two things I love doing so it was a no brainer to purse both,” he says. “I’ve been familiar with music since high school but the summer of 2019 is when I started to see it as a business. I want to have another entity outside of rugby to grow on its own. I’m not getting any younger so I figured I should start building music now before it’s too late.”
As an independent Hip Hop and R&B artist, Tupuola fuses melodies with old school rap to create a ‘best of both worlds’ offering under the name I V E R. He’s musical influences span the likes of Kid Cudi, Drake, Capital Steez, Biggie, Pharrell and many more.
“Those artist have taught me to express my own individualism and to push the limits of creation,” he said. “I was always interested in music when I was younger. I used to write a lot in school and freestyle with friends. I gravitate towards music naturally and I have fun being creative while piecing together projects.”
Music has certainly diversified interests and opportunities for Tupuola. Now into his second season with the national team, he continues to lean on his life as an artist and his goal to become an Olympian, simultaneously.
“My goals are to perform at shows, build a fan base that enjoys and supports the music and to create a brand,” he said. “I see music as a business so I’m trying to create more leverage for myself to generate revenue for the long term.”
For Tupuola, rugby and music complement each other. When he needs a mental break from rugby, he can pour his passion into music. And when he needs a break from music, the rugby field is the perfect release.
“Rugby has helped my music career by giving me the freedom and time I need. Both flow naturally for me so I don’t see it as juggling.”
Fans can follow I V E R on Apple Music, Spotify, SoundCloud and YouTube for a taste of Tupuola’s music. Follow him on Instagram @m4rcus7.
