Swazy Baby Interview
by Terri-Ann Thomas
More than just a rapper, Swazy Baby has created a buzz in the industry with hard work and dedication. At such a young age, he not only writes his own music but also produces and makes his own beats. Newly signed to Slip N Slide records, known for talents like Trina, Rick Ross and Plies, this Georgia-bred artist is building a name for himself and paving the way for young artists after him.
Swazy Baby has remained true to himself and to his music. Not only talented, but also intelligent, this rising star has made a conscious decision to put out his debut album when he feels the timing is right. With his mixtapes, performances and videos (one already featured and supported on Worldstarhiphop), Swazy Baby is giving his fans everywhere a reason to anticipate his debut album.
This week, Swazy Baby spoke exclusively with MVRemix about his music, his influences, his first time meeting rapper, Trina, his celebrity crushes and future plans.
MVRemix: What’s up Swazy Baby? How are you? You ready to get into the interview?
Swazy Baby: I’m good, I’m good. yeahh, I’m ready.
MVRemix: Ok, let’s get straight into it, for those that don’t already know you, in your own words, who is Swazy Baby?
Swazy Baby: A[n] artist. Some people [are] rappers, some people [are] singers, some people [are] beat makers, some people [are] producers, you know what I mean? I feel like an artist, cause I don’t just rap, I mean, I rap, sing, write, make beats [and] produce. I call my self a[n] artist, a true artist.
MVRemix: Why the name Swazy Baby?
Swazy Baby: I had to keep Swazy cause my uncle was the one who inspired me to do the rapping thing. I was looking up to him, and he gave me the Swazy, so I just took the Swazy and ran with it. The Baby came from the females.
MVRemix: What was it like growing up in Georgia, I know in a recent interview you said if you weren’t doing music, you’d be selling drugs or in jail?
Swazy Baby: yeahh. As far as I can remember, I was used to growing up in the projects. My mama was strict on me, she made sure I went to school, you know what I mean? . I wasn’t no bad child or nothing like that. I really didn’t get into a whole lot of trouble at home, you know what I mean? I kinda got in[to] trouble at school, like fighting and stuff. I mean, we struggled every now and then with bills and everything. She [mom] was raising us by herself most of the time [and] my grandmother helped out. My mother, my aunties, my uncles [all helped]. I wouldn’t say I struggled worst than the next person. I feel like everybody done went through trials and tribulations and I made it out, so I thank God for that, cause I could have been in jail or doing stupid stuff. The music kind of saved me.
MVRemix: And you’ve been rapping since you were 9?
Swazy Baby: yeahh, I started rapping when I was 9.
MVRemix: Like you said, you’re not just a rapper, you’re singer (yeahh I heard that little falsetto track you did, don’t worry I won’t ask you to sing.)
Swazy Baby: [laughs] Ok, I appreciate that. Most people when they see me they want me to sing.
MVRemix: And you write and produce. What do you love doing the most?
Swazy Baby: Hmm, I have to say producing. I like producing.
MVRemix: What do you like about producing?
Swazy Baby: I mean, the fact that I get to do me. I record myself most of the time. I only get to record when I’m out of town. I record like 90 percent of everything I do [myself]. So, I get to know like, ok, I like this, I want that done and I don’t got to depend on nobody else. Some producers like to put their own little twist on it [tracks]. So, when I’m at the crib and just doing me I get to do whatever I want to do, so if I feel like something ain’t right I can take it out, or if it needs something I can add it on. That’s what I love.
MVRemix: As the newest artist signed to Slip N Slide Records, how has being signed changed your life so far?
Swazy Baby: Awe man, my popularity grew, first of all. I was popular in my area, but now my music is reaching other states and stuff like that. I got little kids running up to me asking for autographs. I really wasn’t used to it. I never thought that people would be running up to me and saying that they love me, or love my music, or give me a[n] autograph or take pictures, I mean, stuff like that. It was like 12 o clock one night and I was coming out the crib and this dude seen me walking out and said he was out there for like 10-15 minutes, cause his little boy wanted my autograph. So that kinda made me feel good, you know? To know people love me like that.
MVRemix: You mentioned Plies, as being one of your influences, how has he influenced your music?
Swazy Baby: I got a chance to meet him in Atlanta, when I met him he gave me some good advice, first of all. He told me, “don’t let the people that signed you stop you from doing what you was doing that made them sign you.” It was something like that; I really didn’t get it until now. When I was just sitting around waiting on the label to do this and do that, it kinda dawned on me. I was putting music out before Slip N Slide came, so why not continue to do that? When I started doing that my buzz started picking up, everybody was talking about Swazy Baby, you know what I mean? I feel like, I’m not gonna say I can relate to all his [Plies] music, some of his music be off the wall. Some of his songs I listen to off his old mixtapes, like the one about God [Plies “God”], I like that. He talks about real life situations, [even] with females and stuff like that. He influenced me that way. I keep my music real.
MVRemix: Have you done any records with any of your label mates yet?
Swazy Baby: When I first got over there, I got on a song with Qwote. I did a song with Camar, he’s on the label. Hmm, I did a song with Trina.
MVRemix: What’s that track called?
Swazy Baby: “Talk About This Money.” It’s on a mixtape. I forgot the name of the mixtape [laughs]. It was nice working with Trina, she’s real cool people. The first time I got signed, they had me down there [in Miami] for a month just recording. She came to the studio one day [and] I had never seen her in person before [and] I kinda wanted to see how she look. I was young watching Trina on TV. So when I seen her, she didn’t have no makeup on or nothing, I was like, she’s beautiful and nice shape and everything. She really is the baddest. No makeup on, no nothing and she was beautiful. I told her to check couple of my tracks out. She was like, “you’re real good.” So since then we’ve been cool. She showed me love, so I respect Trina for that.
MVRemix: Are you still touring right now?
Swazy Baby: The Yo Gotti tour? Nah, I got off that.
MVRemix: Why?
Swazy Baby: There was no money in it. [laughs]. I had to keep it 100. I want people to know Swazy Baby is real. I did the first show and I was like, “Where my cheque at?” I know it was Yo Gotti tour and I ain’t no big major artist or whatever yet, but once I surface, 80 percent of these rappers? I’mma kill ‘em. So, I just took myself off of it. I called my CEO and let him know how I felt and he got me with another DJ, now I’m gonna do my own thing. I’m gonna go to these cities and do a little promo. The free stuff, I done did that. It’s time to get some money now. I can’t just sit around making music and not making money.
MVRemix: So, when is that tour starting?
Swazy Baby: I think it starts next week, down in Florida. I gotta hit him up.
MVRemix: What’s your favourite song to perform?
Swazy Baby: Awe man, I feel like the songs that I made now are better than the songs that I did then. So, I’m kinda waiting to perform these new songs that I done did. I feel like they got a better club vibe to ‘em, people can just rock with me. I’mma show out. The song that I performed the most was, Half Of It, my swagger song. I went to a high school one time and performed it and I didn’t even really have to rap it, they was rapping the words for me. That was a good feeling. I always wanted to be on stage performing and be able to hold the mic out and then a whole bunch of people just saying the words. That felt real good.
MVRemix: You’ve successfully put out mixtapes and videos, your new video “Yeen 100,” was recently featured on Worldstarhiphop, what has the reception been like for that video?
Swazy Baby: I mean I got a lot of good responses, mostly. You know you’re gonna have somebody that’s gonna have something bad to say about it. Especially on Worldstarhiphop, I done went on people’s [stuff] who had great music and they’re like, “Man you suck.” I’m like, man ya’ll trippin’.
MVRemix: They’re always hating on there.
Swazy Baby: Yeah they be haters. But overall, I had good responses.
MVRemix: What do you have to say to people comparing you to other artists?
Swazy Baby: [laughs] They gotta listen to my music, they can’t just judge me off of one song. Like on my Yeen 100 video, they talking ‘bout I’mma old Jeezy and all that, I was like that’s just one song. First of all when Jeezy first came out, Jeezy wasn’t rapping like this, Jeezy had a different type of style, you know what I mean? I feel like it’s all about finding yourself. When Plies first came out, he wasn’t rapping like how he rapping now. When T.I. first came out he wasn’t rapping like how he rapping now. They find themselves, you know what I mean? They become more confident and when they get to that point, they be[come] great artists. The Yeen 100 song, I did that a minute ago, so if you listen to the music now and you listen to that, you be like, yeahh I hear the growth. You gotta know how to rap different ways, you can’t just rap the same way on every song. You gotta switch it up sometimes. Don’t nobody really own no way of rapping, I mean, you got your word play of what you talking about, but a style of rapping, I don’t believe that.
MVRemix: One thing about you, you’re always working, always in the studio. What other songs and videos can we look forward to you putting out?
Swazy Baby: I just did a video with a local artist from Duval, Jacksonville, Florida called “Go Hard.” It’s mad super chill, it should be on youtube. That’s “Go Hard,” featuring me and Magazeen from Maybach music Group. I shot a video for a single off of The Young Bosses mixtape, with me Lil’ Webbie and Lil’ Phat. I shot a video for my very first single off my first mixtape before I got signed. Let me see, what else? I think that’s about it.
MVRemix: When can we expect a debut album from you?
Swazy Baby: They’re telling me the fourth quarter of this yeahhr, probably like October or something like that. But me personally, I don’t wanna drop a[n] album until I feel like everybody know[s] Swazy Baby. Not everybody, but at least a whole bunch of people. Right now I’m still building my fan base, so that’s why I’m doing these mixtapes and stuff, trying to get my name and my buzz up. I don’t wanna set myself up for failure by dropping an album and don’t nobody even know me like that. So that’s why I got like three or four mixtapes out, I’m still working on them and trying to get them heard across the world. I’m not really doing features now on my mixtape, cause I want people to like Swazy Baby as a[n] artist, not like, nobody else. I wanna gain loyal fans, so I just do a whole bunch of music by myself. So when I do drop and album I know it’ll be a success and it won’t fail, or I won’t get dropped, like a lot of people do.
MVRemix: When that time comes, what artists would you like to see featured on your album, besides your label mates?
Swazy Baby: I want some R&B cats on my album. I don’t really want no rappers on my first album. Probably like Trey Songz, Pleasure P. Well, as a rapper, probably Nicki Minaj.
MVRemix: My favourite song of yours is “I sang,” [which is now available on ITunes], are we going to hear more melodies like that from you?
Swazy Baby: Oh yeahh, you can expect a whole bunch of melodies like that. That’s my main style. I told you I’m versatile, I got different styles, but that’s my main style. To tell you the truth, that song came up because [laughs] a DJ I know from around my way, he was picking at me on twitter talking ‘bout, “I’m bout to release Swazy R&B album on twitter.” Cause when I was local, I did a half R&B mixtape and a half rap mixtape and my buzz really got big ‘round my area, especially when I dropped the R&B stuff. That’s where the [name] Baby really came from, like when I dropped that R&B mixtape, man them girls went crazy. All I heard was baby this, baby that. So I just threw it on Swazy. Next thing I know, everybody was like Swazy Baby. So like I said, I was in the studio and my cousin sent me a beat, I was already singing, so then when it came out, it was like, yeahh, I sang. I kinda kept it G, you know? Even though I was with the melodic style and singing, I was knda like saying some G stuff, I wasn’t so soft with it. I gave it both at the same time.
MVRemix: Now that you have your foot in the door and doing so well, what advice would you give another artist on the come up?
Swazy Baby: Don’t forget the ones that helped you get where you’re trying to go. Keep it 100 with yourself before anybody else. Don’t let anybody tell you to fake this and do that. You will feel better, believe me.
MVRemix: You’re young, just 19 right? Or are you 20 now?
Swazy Baby: yeahh, just turned 20 in February.
MVRemix: Ok, so are you single? You know the ladies wanna know that.
Swazy Baby: [laughs] yeahh I’m single.
MVRemix: Any celebrity crushes?
Swazy Baby: I like a couple people, as celebrities [go]. I don’t think I’d date a celebrity. I’d probably just let them know I like them or whatever. I like Hannah Montana [laughs]. I like Demi Lovato, I like Nicki Minaj, I like, who else? Hmm, Meagan Good.
MVRemix: And this is just crush-wise, right? Why wouldn’t you date a celebrity?
Swazy Baby: yeahh, just crush-wise, I wouldn’t date a celebrity. I mean, first of all, they rich already. I don’t feel like they would date me if I wasn’t signed or if I wasn’t on the come up, if I was a regular person. I don’t think they would pay too much attention to me, if I was just to say, yeahh I got a crush on you, I wanna date you. So that’s how I feel about the situation with the celebrities and stuff. I’d just be cool with a hood chick, [just] a regular girl.
MVRemix: yeahh, I think the regular girls will be happy to hear that. So remember, if the regular girls come up to you, you gotta give them a chance.
Swazy Baby: yeahh, fo sho. [laughs]
MVRemix: Before you go, let’s play a quick little game. Tell me the first word that comes to mind when I say a phrase or word. You ready?
Swazy Baby: [laughs] Alright.
MVRemix: First one, “Swazy Baby.”
Swazy Baby: Sex, sex, sex. S-E-X, sex.
MVRemix: Music.
Swazy Baby: Great.
MVRemix: Family.
Swazy Baby: First.
MVRemix: Women.
Swazy Baby: Awe man, I love ‘em.
MVRemix: Ok, the word, love
Swazy Baby: Hmm, damn I’m thinking too long huh? Umm, I don’t believe it all the time.
MXRemix: Last one, future.
Swazy Baby: [laughs] Damn, I’m not good at this game.
MVRemix: You should have said bright, your future is bright, c’mon.
Swazy Baby: yeahh, I had that on the tip of my tongue [laughs], but yeahh, bright, I’ll say bright.
MVRemix: Ok, we’re gonna make sure I get credit for telling you that one though.
Swazy Baby: [laughs] Alright then.
MVRemix: Nice, you did good. Where can people hear more music from you? The best place they can follow your career?
Swazy Baby: The best place? I gotta say Slip N Slide World, first of all. They got all my updates, and where I’m gonna be at and the newest music. My MySpace page, Twitter too. My Facebook, and my YouTube. Of course you can find me on more websites.