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If you've been on TikTok or Instagram at any point in the past few years, then you've definitely seen Subway Oracle on your feed: sporting a red durag, his videos usually start with a POV of him running up to someone at a subway station before stopping them to ask random, chaotic and sometimes downright crazy questions. In a recent video, he stops a commuter frantically, as if for an emergency, only to ask him, "Are tortas taking over the world?"
If that didn't translate in written form, it's not meant to. The nonsensical videos capture the essence of New York's subways, which, like Subway Oracle, are disorganized, frustrating and perpetually frazzled. It reminds us that everyone else in the city is also a little bit insane.
We went to La Noxe, a bar located inside a subway station, and sat down with Morris Cordewell—yes, that's his government name—to ask the 24-year-old prankster what he's learned from years spent trolling the subway.
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How did Subway Oracle come about?
“I started by doing prank videos online. Then me, Drew and David [his co-producers] made Subway Oracle, which was inspired by a segment from a longer show they had. We started with predicting people's futures on the train.”
Do you ever get anxious when you run up to people?
“I do get nervous, especially in big crowds. Sometimes people recognize me on the side and take pictures while I'm filming a video, and that makes me nervous.”
Are people recognizing you when you're out and about?
“Yes, sometimes they even call me by my first name.”
As a native New Yorker, why did you decide to choose the subway as the setting for your videos?
“I used to watch videos of pranks that were done on the subway. But as a kid I didn't even take the train like that, I used to take the bus or walk.”
What are the top four craziest stations where you know you'll always get good content?
“I like Broadway Junction in East New York. I like Fulton Street in Downtown Manhattan. I like Barclays in Downtown Brooklyn. Also 34th Street in midtown is a favorite.”
How can you tell when a video is going to be good?
“If I laugh in the video, that's probably a good sign. When the whole team sits down and plans, it will usually do good.”
What's are the craziest or coolest videos you've done?
“We have a little girl fake hundred dollar bills. We did a video with A$AP Ferg. We also had a video where we used a drone.”
Is subway oracle an extension of you or a completely different person?
“I think it's a boosted version of me. What I say on Subway Oracle is what I say randomly everyday. It is boosted though because the camera is there and I get to talk to random people, which is cool.”