The World Has Slayter Fucked Up
Check out the interview and WORLD GOT ME FUCKED UP Vol.1 below.
Congrats on the new album.
Appreciate it, bro.
How are you living these days?
Everything’s been cool, man. I've been staying out the way and staying inside more than ever.
Have you been outside recently?
I’ve been going outside occasionally, slight random pop-ups where I’m needed. I just did a mural in Dyckman for my project, had to pop out for that. Private studio sessions here and there, pop out for those. Occasional video shoots too. I recently did one with Jay Critch.
How are you feeling about everything going on in the streets? (ie; Black Lives Matter movement).
I’m originally from Puerto Rico and have been familiarizing myself with the true history of my people. I posted this as part of my original project announcement — my stance is unity between Black and Brown people. We have to support our Black brothers and sisters, protect them, and most importantly do better not just now, but through our daily actions. We need to focus on building up our communities and making sure they have access to proper funds and resources. It can start by putting them at the forefront of government discussion, rather than police departments and what they claim to need. What I do goes beyond me, it’s also for my people. It's change that needs to happen. It has been known to us for a long time.
Your album feels more topical than ever. I know you’ve been working on it for a minute, but does it feel like it all clicked together?
My cover has been able to resonate on a greater scale, touch more people. This is because a light is being shown more than ever on the topic right now. People are tuned in. My project is able to contribute to the conversation at a time when the more unified and vocal we can be, the better. No slowing down.
Do you think if you had the time you would add more songs to speak to our moment or are those on the way?
My ideas and vision for this project felt like they couldn’t wait. I felt like I had to make this statement right now. It wasn’t something I could keep to myself. I’m very observant of my surroundings though, I’m always peeping what’s going on, making mental notes, and writing stuff down. No question, I will be making music in the future that touches on what's happening now.
The cover goes hard. How do you think people will connect with the message?
Yeah, the cover is of course relevant right this second. But, I could have dropped it at any point in time and I still would have felt the same way and hoped that my message was received. This is a reality, and change needs to happen.
Do you think what’s been going on will push you to go deeper in the themes in your music or do you think you were already on that momentum and the moment is catching up?
I was already on that; I think me having shot my cover six months ago shows that it’s not new to me. I've experienced encounters with police in the past— where you're not sure which way it's gonna go. As well as many of my friends and family. That's something that's always sat with me.
What’s your quarantine life looked like?
It's been calm, also productive. Been recording at my new studio set up. We built out a studio in the crib. I also got a new cat named 30 Clip.
How do you feel about New York opening back up? What do you see in the future? What’s the energy in Dyckman?
In Dyckman, the energy is very much still alive. People are finding ways to enjoy their summer even though we’re quarantined. We don’t have the Dyckman basketball games this summer, which is typically a way for everyone in the community to come together. But we’re all making it work.
Princess Nokia makes a special feature on the album, she narrates a lot of what’s going on. What’s your relationship with her?
That’s gang. She’s been showing love since day 1. It was my idea to ask her to narrate the project. I thought she’d be a great fit. She’s always putting me on game and giving me ways to stay healthy.
You have a lot of features on this album, what kind of energy were you trying to create?
I was going for that old mixtape vibe, Coke-Boys era, Bullets Ain't Got No Name, that type of energy. It was originally supposed to be even more feature-heavy. I have a lot in the tuck I’ll share down the line.
What’s next for you?
This summer, I’m doing a second collab for my brand Coldgame with Anwar, founder of the Carrots brand. I'm Definitely focusing more on my Coldgame clothing. I like the Office Mag merch too, you guys got some good pieces. On the music side, I’m almost done with Vol. 2, that’s where my focus is recording-wise.
