MEET THE LEGEND: Syd
Upcoming PA Artist Syd talks to us about his creative process, his biggest influences and much more
Originally from Lehighton, artist Syd has been making some big moves as of late, and we got the chance to get an inside look on how he thinks, how he's grown, and what his plans for the future are.
Q: Who are you?
A: "I'm Syd, it's short for my first name which is Sydney. I'm most likely going to end up changing my artist name sometime next year though. I want something that has my whole first name in it."
Q: What keeps you motivated?
A: "Definitely the fact that I don't really have a plan B outside of music. This is what I want to do and I'm not afraid to put everything on the line to pursue my dream. So with all that being said, it's go big or go home. I have to always give 110%, otherwise I'm just wasting my time."
Q: What was it like growing up where you did and how did it influence you?
A: "I moved around growing up, but I spent most of my high school years in a town called Lehighton. It's your typical PA small town really. It had an influence on me because a lot of my success comes from the support I've received from there over the years."
Q: Any other creative outlets/ hobbies?
A: "I love playing video games. Hit me up on Playstation to get your boots smoked @TheRealSyd3. I also love football. I'm a die hard New Orleans Saints fan and avid fantasy football player."
Q: Creative role models/ influences in general?
A: "50 Cent is definitely my biggest role model. I remember being a kid and I wanted to be just like him one day. Looking back on it I laugh because I would've never guessed that 16 years later I'm really on that career path. Some of my other influences are A$AP Rocky, Jimi Hendrix, and Big L."
Q: When did you start making music?
A: "I couldn't even tell you that to be honest. I've been making it so long that it's just wired into my brain. However 3 years ago I started taking music serious as full time career right before I turned 18."
Q: How would you describe your style/sound? How has it evolved?
A: "I don't really know how to explain my sound other than it's just me. I try to be myself and not emulate others like crazy. Of course there's always going to be some form of influence, but people go overboard nowadays with the style jacking. As far as it evolving, it's doing so constantly. To be honest with you I'm still trying to find myself as an artist."
Q: Who are some of your favorite local artists/ creatives right now, if any?
A: "Definitely my homies Remi LeBeau and Xavi. I'm a fan of BROKE BOY$ as well. They're cool dudes and I actually have my first out of state show in NY coming up with them on Dec. 16th. Big shout out to the AOK (Art of Koolin). They actually put us on the A Boogie show back in November. I also enjoy Kashito Suave from Reading."
Q: Who do you work with?
A: "I mainly work with First Class Family. We're a group/collective that I began building in 2015. I have lots of great music coming out with them in 2018. I also work with Timmy Price often. He's been my video director going on 4 years. My main producer is Stix. Him and I have so much music together that it's not even funny. We have it all saved up for next year, so be ready for that."
Q: What sets you apart?
A: "Like I said about my style, I just be me. Another thing that would definitely set me apart is the fact that most artists feel the need to represent a big city like Philly or New York. I wanna be the artist who puts on for the small towns and makes it cool to be out in the sticks too."
Q: What’s your creative process?
A: "If you give me a nice beat, then I'll write you a nice song. I like to listen to it, write for a few hours, spend a day or two revising and getting my flows right, then it's time to hit the booth."
Q: Are you working on a project right now? If so, what makes it different from previous projects?
A: "Right now I'm working on a project called 'Someone You Doubted'. Majority of the songs are produced by Stix, but there's some other producer creds in there as well. The music is a lot different than what you'll hear on my Soundcloud. I personally don't like a lot of the music on my account, but I leave the old stuff up for my OG fans. I plan on making a new one when I re-brand myself under a new artist name."
Q: Favorite career memory/ moment?
A: "Probably last month at the A Boogie show. It was so cool to see how the crowd reacted to us. I knew we were going to do good and people were going to enjoy our performance, but I wasn't expecting it to be that great. I'm glad people are digging the wave we're on.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years/ future plans?
A: "I'll still be making music. Hopefully within 5 years I'll be a well known artist. I know it's a long shot, but I have a lot of faith in myself as well as the people around me that we can make things happen."
Q: Something most people don’t know about you?
A: "My favorite genre of music is Classical and I think mayonnaise is the most disgusting thing known to man."
Q: What does your perfect day look like?
A: "Any day that I can either make money or find ways to take steps in the right direction is a perfect day."
Q: What do you think the secret to success is?
A: "Definitely believing in yourself and staying consistent. Both of those things are way easier said than done to constantly do, but in my opinion that's what it takes. Of course there's a few other things as well, but I think people lack those two the most, including myself at times."
Q: Any words of wisdom/ anything you wanted to let people know?
A: "Don't be so caught up in what everyone is doing and saying. Music isn't a race either, so don't try to rush things. Take your time because slow and steady wins the race."
Make sure to check out TimmyPriceFilm's footage of Syd opening up for A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and follow him below!
shot by: TimmyPriceFilm
Soundcloud: TheRealSyd3
Twitter: @TheRealSyd3
