Today we’d like to introduce you to Samuel tha Kid.
Hi Samuel, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
So I’m originally from Montgomery, Alabama. Everything that I learned in life has been in that city. That city gave me unique perspectives on life and really was the place that taught me how to fly. Every-time I think about my time living there, I get a little emotional but the stories and the lessons I learned there inspired me to stay consistent with music. Hip-Hop has always played a major role in my life ever since I was young. I really started making music when I was a sophomore in high school. My best friend Jonathan Green (a.k.a JOIE GREY) was always making music at his house and wanted me to collaborate with him on a song he was doing. At first, I really didn’t know what I was doing and he can even agree that I was pretty bad at the beginning.
So throughout high school, I would make music to show like my fellow peers. A lot of kids made fun of it which is fine because I always stood out at the high school I went to which didn’t bother me at all. I literally made a song called “Versace Jesus,” so I understand why nobody would take it seriously. Going into college my freshman year, I really didn’t have many friends at the school I was going to. All I had was an interface, a mic, and GarageBand on my laptop. From there, I really took the time to make pretty solid recordings starting with free YouTube beats I found with like hard-hitting Myles Davis samples or like any beat that was well put together to make a song out of it for my Soundcloud. I used to have people come to my dorm to rap a little and that was pretty fun to watch. It didn’t make much noise which is fine a lot of friends seemed to genuinely enjoy it so that really made me take music a little more seriously. My friends can be tough critics.
After my freshman year, I transferred to the University of Alabama and I got involved with the Alabama Student Association of Poetry where I met my friends Jahman Hill and Eric Marable who are big-time poets who really encouraged me to really take the time to bring substance into my music with my storytelling and my emotions. Their art taught me the importance of vulnerability and I’m forever grateful for that. So after my sophomore year in college, I went through I really tough time. I just wasn’t content with myself and I also got very sick. After recovering, I remember going straight to Atlanta where Jonathan lives, to literally make this body of work that I wrote within the times I was sick and literally depressed and that’s when my first serious project titled “MOOSE TRACKS” was born. That came out in 2019. The album title came from my nickname which is Moose. From that point on, I just had this burning desire in me to really clock-in with music. I never felt more free in my life. Later in 2019, I was able to look back on the life I lived so far and really tune-in to my emotions. I witnessed a growth in myself when it came to both my life and my music. I fell in love with this idea of wanting to continuously grow and to never stop growing when it came as a human and an artist. With this concept in mind, my recent project titled “Kudzu” was born and that’s where we are today. There’s much more to come.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all and it’s still not a smooth road. The biggest struggle is getting your name out for people to hear and give you a chance. I’m still on the rough road and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I always try to develop game plans in my head. I literally DM inspirations of mine all the time on Instagram in hopes that they listen and respond back. I laugh about that all the time because they probably get so many messages similar to mine every day. I’m sure it gets exhausting. Chris Brown, if you’re reading, I am sorry. But for real, it’s hard trying to find people to connect and make content when it comes to making music videos, collaborating, or even having someone you look up to give you constructive criticism. I also don’t have much money so that probably limits a lot of things. That’s okay though we will get there.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a rapper and a songwriter. I believe I specialize in my unique expressions when it comes to my emotions. I really love toying with unique word plays and new sounds. Some songs I’m really trying to express how I’m feeling and some songs I just want to feel like I’m on top of the world. I love the way my raspy voice really mixes well by my sound selections when I’m in the studio. I love telling stories of everything I have learned in my life, especially what I’ve learned in Montgomery. I’m known for my different moods in my songs.
My goal is for my listeners to never expect what I do when they first hear my songs. I always like to surprise my listeners for the first term where there like “Yo is that Samuel tha Kid”. I’m the proudest of the growth that I’ve had will have as an artist. What separates from most artists is that I’m literally just me at the end of the day. We have so many artist that want to be the next Uzi or the next Carti. I love those artists too but at the end of the day, you have to be you. Most of my inspiration comes from ATL hip-hop and I spend a lot of time studying the greats like Future or Thug to understand what makes them unique and I feed off that, Artist I listened to encourage me to be the best version of me.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
My inspirations come from everywhere not just hip-hop. I get a lot of inspiration from Elton John by the way he paints a picture in his songs and the energy he brings when performing. One of my biggest inspirations of all time. I get inspiration from Disney by the way they always do the unexpected with everything that they create, whether at DisneyWorld or on the TV. I get inspiration by talking to younger kids and understanding their perspective on life and their dreams. I get inspiration from conversations with people who live in different areas to visualize their perspective on things. I get inspiration when I look at old messages or pictures of myself with friends to see how much I’ve grown. This sounds wild but the list goes on and on. I literally get inspiration everywhere.
Contact Info:
- Email: samuelthakid@gmail.com
- Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/438CiQ9oirj6F7W8jUlpUM?si=5MVzbirgRH6FeJKJlfcksw
- Instagram: samuelthakid_
- Twitter: @_samuelwalker
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/samuelthakid
- Other: https://music.apple.com/us/album/kudzu/1541360923
Image Credits
Instagram: popsthegod
