Interview: Swizzle Discusses His New Single "No Games" and How Much He's Grown as an Artist Since His First Song
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Major shoutout to Swizzle who we connected with for an exclusive interview to talk about his new single “No Games”, his creative process for developing new music, and much more.
After reading our Q&A with this California based emcee on the rise, be sure to follow him on his social media so that you’ll stay up to date on all things “Swizzle”!
You come from California where there are so many legendary artists located in Northern Cali and of course in the southern part of the state. Who are some artists who have inspired your creativity?
I've always been a big fan of lyricism and authenticity. It's one thing to sound good on paper, but making me a believer of your stories, pain and life experience is a whole other ball game. Battle rap introduced me to these attributes before I started doing music. Ironically it would end up shaping my taste for hip-hop later down the road. It allowed me to truly appreciate California bred artists such as Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples. They are all successful examples of rappers who can be dope emcees without compromising who they are in real life. Even though I'm West Coast to the death, Biggie Smalls will always be my favorite of all time because he laid down a foundation of believability and lyricism so early in his career. I'd like to think of myself as the West Coast Chris Wallace as I strive to be the best artist I can be.
When someone hears "No Games" for the first time, what do you want them to take away from the experience?
When somebody listens to No Games I want them to see a picture I painted through my words. I took a piece of my real life and created a song for people to enjoy, to relate too. I want the listener to appreciate my ability to drop a radio type single without compromising my integrity as lyricist.
Will "No Games" be featured on an upcoming EP or album? Also, can we expect a visual?
No Games will play as a stand alone single with no plans on a visual. I have a special project I'm working on and in the meantime I wanted to give my supporters something they could enjoy. However, my upcoming EP will indeed feature songs with feel good vibes similar to No Games along with some very dope visuals.
Describe your creative process for us when it comes to new music. Do you typically have lyrics already written or in your head when you come across beats? And what do you look for in beats?
I have a very unorthodox writing process. I haven't touched a pen to a pad for almost 2 years now. I come up with every lyric you hear in my music off the top of my head. I do this process to help filter out anything I might consider to be a "filler" line. If it's not a memorable line, then I will subconsciously scrap it.
I'm not picky on my choice of beats, all that’s required is I vibe to it. I love trap, G funk, R&B bass and even boom bap instrumentals. I feel I'm good at creating different forms of hiphop tracks because I put a piece of my soul on every song I vibe too, nothing is forced. My No Games single is more of a west coast pop feel as opposed to my last single "9/11" which is more trap. Both songs have such a different feel not because the mindset I had while recording them. It showcases that my music can vary because I'm speaking on actual experiences in my life; whether its trapping, my appreciation for the female anatomy or just me wanting to flex my ability to spit bars.
How would you say you've grown as an artist since you wrote and recorded your first song?
I polished my delivery and flow over the years since the first time I recorded at the age of 17. More noticeably though I believe I've really grown in creating imagery when I rap. Story telling and using my own real life experiences have made my music more relatable as opposed to the freestyle, punchline approach I use to take. I take pride in being a wordsmith and delivering substance in my craft.