Seven Questions With KiD Swoop.
SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH KID SWOOPKiD SWOOP has been making waves throughout 2018 with his album "4SoLong" & has rose to become one of the prominent names when mentioning artists from Pontiac, MI. For my latest installment of Seven Questions I chop it up with Swoop about this years releases among other topics. Here we go...
COMMi$$ION: It’s been an eventful year for KiD SWOOP packed full of performances & releases. What are some of the favorite moments for you when reminiscing 2018?
KiD SWOOP: One of my top favorite moments of 2018 was dropping my debut album, “4SoLong” and watching everyone who doubted me crumble into pieces of disbelief. Accumulating over 100,000 streams within 4 months authentically has been a huge success! Moreover, simply knowing and witnessing my life change from what it was just a year ago is a massive blessing, I’m forever thankful for every little step. For the love of SwoopNation you guys keep supporting and I won’t let up, we have a couple more months until 2018 is up so it’s a lot more to be done!
COMMi$$ION: The year isn’t over though. You’ll be performing alongside Bizarre & King Gordy Oct. 27th for the Bizarre Halloween Party & on Nov. 11th at the Cobo Convention Center for the Inferno Hair Show. When it come’s to performing what elements do you find to be most important as you hit that stage?
KiD SWOOP: My Uncle Tony is my main element I can’t stress it enough. Before I ever had fans or supporters he was my number 1 everything. Therefore, once he committed suicide that took a huge toll of me. His last words ever spoken to me were, “Nephew if I’m not here to witness you succeed in this music field promise you will.” I promised him that exactly and I’m forever standing on that leverage. I refuse to keep a chain reaction of my generational curse of settling for 9 to 5s, being a “typical” civilian, and settling for where the world manages to place us. I can’t live the life of struggle I’m used to living anymore, so every time my feet hit that stage and those lights begin to beam off my forehead I give it my complete all until there’s nothing left.
COMMi$$ION: You put out two very different releases this year with your album “4SoLong” followed by the free mixtape “Ruò lǚ”. How would you explain the contrast between these two projects & what drove you to go two different directions in the same year?
KiD SWOOP: That’s a wonderful question and I’m glad you asked. 4SoLong was my breakthrough solidifying my standing ground within the industry. Giving the viewers insight on me as a person as well as a character knowing that I can go from local to global so quickly competing against the greats. 4SoLong is official industry content coming from KiD Swoop himself. On the other hand, you have SwoopieBaby, KiD Swoop’s arch enemy in which is his evil twin. The most clutch thing about SwoopieBaby is he knows when to be sweet and create a Don’t Pick Up The Phone moment, then on the flip side he gets raunchy with a Ruò lǚ moment when things get out of hand. Ruò lǚ came along due to critics believing I was just some sort of laid back artist and dancer who doesn’t want any smoke quote on quote. Little do they know smoke is what I’m definitely all for every bit of it. This mixtape was strictly for my nitty gritty underground following and the raunchy “knuck if you buck” audience. Ruò lǚ is that slide music, down for anything and I’m willing to die tonight music. This is my Hit Em Up, No Vaseline, and Ether directly to the streets. I chose to go this specific direction with two different approaches in one year to prep SwoopNation and the world for my highly anticipated 2nd studio album, “yo, KiD” in which will be phenomenal and include every aspect of music itself! My artistry intellect is on a whole new approach that the industry hasn’t seen, but is highly prepared for and if not so KiD Swoop is definitely breaking the doors and hinges down for so.
COMMi$$ION: When in the lab crafting a brand new record what sort of things do you draw inspiration from during the creation process?
KiD SWOOP: Pain. Pain running deep within my soul draws inspiration because during the struggle creativity was needed to survive. I treat my creation process as if it was me back at 10 years old sitting in a home with no heat, water, or lights and having to think of vast ideas just to get by. Music is universal and unifies, so why not be as open and vulnerable to the audience as much as I can. Vulnerability sells way more than commercial. I just stay true to myself while crafting a new record I refuse to be someone else. SwoopNation follows me and believes in me because of that ya digg.
COMMi$$ION: How do you view the current climate of the industry & if you had it your way what sort of changes would you like to see come together for artists in this digital era?
KiD SWOOP: The climate right now is one tracked minded and filled with clout. Everyone’s thinking with one brain that’s why my generation is so dumb founded. Now, it’s all mind control social media has affected the music industry terribly and continuously fails us everyday. For example, if Drake composes a record speaking on Fashion Nova while throwing a couple trend setting bars or quotes out there and it goes 3x platinum or whatever, the next millennium of artists are going to use the same exact formula just for some sort of status. Knowledge is missed nowadays in Hip-Hop, structure is definitely forgotten, and the sense of bars not even in the sake of intellectual or lyricism wise is obsolete. Bars are no longer needed within these artists anymore which unknowingly places them in this whirlpool or bucket of crabs. That whirlpool is so over saturated that the audience embraces it gravitating these rappers to the top. However, it’s only for the moment, none of these rappers are true artists nowadays and won’t even see a solid 5 year career. The word “rapper” has become so devalued that the music no longer sells itself anymore. That’s why you have payola and all type of paid promotions going on via social media. It’s pathetic that my generation only has 2 artist they consider top tier which is Kendrick Lamar and J.Cole, if they decided to retire today for good what would happen? Music would be junkie material in which it already typically is. The damn industry is looking like an ongoing project X party that’s controlled by a Hypnosis Trance. If I had it my way is an understatement because I honestly feel it is my way on my end as an artist. It’s my duty to stay true to myself and give the industry something real, give my generation a voice, give the streets a voice, and give my people a voice. The enemy has been winning for too long, now it’s time for a young jit to show up and show out. Fear is not an option, and being different isn’t going to change I must approach the industry like no other and I will definitely do as told!
COMMi$$ION: Scenario Question: You’ve stumbled across a time machine & can go back in time to be a part of any recording session in history. What artist/album session would you choose to be in attendance for?
KiD SWOOP: Tupac, Michael Jackson, and MC Hammer. Those sessions would be hella lit dipped in some Swoop sauce. Tupac and I record would have some sort of nitty gritty universal approach touching basis with the rural and urban streets. Seriously, Pac would’ve been my ace boon coon for sure! That Michael Jackson collaboration would be wild and filled with inexhaustible energy to the point your great great grandparents would have no choice but to hop out they graves dancing and going crazy. Michael Jackson and Chris Brown are my dancing idols. Furthermore, my joint with MC Hammer would’ve been powerful far as performance wise due to how much energy we both bring to that stage. Those days were just awesome, I honestly feel like I was born before my time definitely.
COMMi$$ION: Thanks for taking the time to chop it up with DetroitRap.com! Before we finish what can fans or followers of KiD SWOOP & the #SwoopNation movement expect as we look forward into 2019 and beyond?
KiD SWOOP: The industry rise of KiD Swoop and Family & Friends Entertainment. With my 2nd studio album being set to release New Year’s Day, that sums it up right there. These numbers about to triple, we’re aiming for those Grammy boards, that KiD Swoop and Chris Brown collaboration, touring all over, meeting new people and fans, and much more. One very specific milestone everyone needs to look forward for is my film, “One In The Head,” debuting on Netflix and others. Be on the lookout for “yo, KiD” January 1st preorder will be available by November. Time to witness history mark it in your calendars, much love to DetroitRap, HearItNation, ThaMuzikShop, StereoStickman, my family, and SwoopNation!
