RESPECT. Interview - Slayter UNCUT: His Road To Success

“These rap n***as mad weird” – Slayter

Let’s take it back a little bit to the beginning. It’s about 6pm on this cloudy Thursday afternoon in Florida – where I reside – and all the way up the map on the east coast in New York is Slayter. One thing I’ve taken away from this conversation with him is that he’s always on the go. Matter of fact, this whole interview was conducted while he was out on the block, trains running in the background and walking to get a shapeup at his local barbershop. I can see that his mind and body are constantly on the move. Two entities that go hand-in-hand, carrying the other in each step he takes as he breezes the streets of his hometown.

Some people may view rapping as the cliché gun violence, gang affiliation, sex, money, drugs, amongst others but this specific rapper known by Slayter takes the time out of his day to discuss with me music and its impact on his life. There are so many stigmas that come with such a title of “being a rapper” but it seems as though this young, 22 year old sustains humbleness and his speech/diction provides a soothing effect that is both relatable and welcoming to its recipient(s). New York is a culturally diverse state, basically a melting pot of different people from all around the world. Being born in Puerto Rico and moving to New York when he was 1 years old allowed for Slayter to not only carry his native roots with him but helped him to adapt to such a huge and totally different society.

Rough exterior with a compassionate side; straightforward, uncut and real. He knows what he wants in life and will not stop until that certain task is completed. If he’s not feeling it, it isn’t going to happen. That’s the way the cookie crumbles.

He had to form a totally different mentality to survive in this vicious societal world. But, along the way he has endured some rough patches from losing his grandmother to breast cancer at the age of 9, his father murdered when he was just 1 years old, getting into physical altercations with kids almost everyday and constantly seeing his friends go to jail. It’s evident in his music that his sharp-edged lifestyle shaped his sound into something dominant and progressive. His use of real life instances incorporated into his lyrical stories through melodies and harmonies helps tell his story: a timeline of rough ends that leads to an epiphany of higher thinking that’ll aid in the success of his future.

“Just keep going. Don’t let anyone stop you.” – Slayter

His ability to fly through gritty, uptempo beats with venomous lyrics is astonishing and impressive; not many hip-hop artists can deliver and succeed in that way. Not only has Slayter dipped into creations of his own but has been featured on DonMonique‘s single Tha Low which features Danny Brown and Slayter himself. His recent EP produced by Theolonious Martin titled Dirty Game features names such as DonMonique and Michael Christmas. “DonMonique is like a lil sister to me you know?” he says, “I support her and wish her nothing but success. She’s actually leaving for tour today and I know she gon’ kill it. I’m proud of her.” When it came to Slayter and DonMonique getting together in the studio for recording the chemistry between the two were fitting and flowed together so smoothly, “The vibes from her were just natural..they never seemed forced. So collaborating with her was dope you know what I mean? There wasn’t a point in that time when putting the pieces together for the music felt staged. DonMonique? I really f**k with her. Shoutout to her.”

“Collaborations aren’t really my thing. Rappers out here are weird. They act like they’re too scared to tell me they f**k with my music. That’s why I’m to myself a majority of the time cause most of these rap n***as and industry n***as weird.” – Slayter

Creating music is a lifestyle for him. Each day he’s pushing for something different, something to get his hands on. He breaths and lives for music because according to him, “It’s all I really got going for me.”

“Dirty Game is my life. From Track 1 all the way to Track 6. From the beats I picked to every word I’m saying it’s like my official first project so I’m really just getting started.” – Slayter

Slayter just knew he would make it in the game. The progression from his previous work up until now he says, “My progression is 110% from when I first started. I started recording when I was like 16 with some Logitech headsets I stole from summer school, recording on this program called Cool Edit. Now, I get to work with some of my favorite producers. I get to tell my engineer how to f**k with my vocals and I’m still getting better.” There’s no doubt to his confidence and that’s what some artists nowadays lack: a sense of confidence. Who is going to push you to do your best when the people around you deserted you? You are. Evident that Slayter is a survivor at heart in the streets and mentally. His goals in the future are pretty straightforward: to give back. How is he going to do it? By opening up a summer camp called, Cold Game Hotboyz Camp.

“It’s where I’ll basically take in these young kids and have them express themselves through music; taking them through each stage in the process.” – Slayter

This artist is the key to the future and I don’t say that about many. He has created his own lane filled with what only is of his own interest. Social norms are dead to him because to him there are none, they mean nothing to him. He has no need to “fit in” or squeeze into a space where he’ll receive attention or popularity; popularity doesn’t pay your bills. He seeks respect, not fame; he’s just trying to survive in this world of hurt.

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