REAL TALK: SNYP LIFE

YONKERS, NEW YORK | SNYP LIFE

INTERVIEW: REALIFE

SNYP LIFE, AN EMCEE FROM YONKERS, NEW YORK, GREW UP AS A CHILDHOOD FRIEND OF FELLOW YO HIP-HOP TRIO THE LOX. CAPABLE OF STANDING ON HIS OWN 2 FEET LYRICALLY, HE REMAINS AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST AND KEEPS CREATIVE CONTROL OF HIS MUSIC. VALIDATED RECENTLY SPOKE WITH SNYP LIFE AND HE EXPLAINED BEING THE “NY 90’S GOLDEN ERA GUTTA BABY”, HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THE ADVOCACY OF CHILDREN LIVING WITH AUTISM AND SPREADING AWARENESS, HIS UPCOMING EP AND MORE.

VALIDATED: GROWING UP IN YONKERS, NEW YORK, WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP-HOP CULTURE?

SNYP LIFE: GROWING UP IN YONKERS MY EARLIEST MEMORIES WERE OF MAKING BEATS ON THE WALL IN THE STAIRCASE FOR DMX WHO WOULD ALWAYS ROLL THROUGH MY HOOD. OF COURSE RAPPING WITH THE LOX ON THE STREET CORNERS WHERE WE LIVED, RAPPING AT THE BLOCK PARTIES AS A SHORTY THE DJ WOULD SAY PASS ME THE MIC. LOL

VALIDATED: YOU CALL YOURSELF THE "NY 90'S GOLDEN ERA GUTTA BABY” EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS.

SNYP LIFE: “NY90S” IS THE GOLDEN ERA OF RAP THAT I WAS RAISED IN, THAT’S WHAT I REPRESENT IN THIS CULTURE AND I’M A GUTTA BABY, MEANING I COME FROM THE GUTTER, MY INSPIRATION IS THE PAVEMENT AND I STARTED YOUNG. I WAS A BABY BUT I WAS OUTSIDE ON THE LATE NIGHTS. LOL 

VALIDATED: WHICH HIP-HOP ARTISTS INFLUENCED YOU AND WHAT IF ANYTHING DID YOU “BORROW” FROM THEM?

SNYP LIFE: WELL MY MOMS HAD ME LISTENING TO BIG DADDY KANE AND RAKIM EARLY. THEN FOR ME LISTENING TO BIG, JAY AND NAS AND BEING AROUND DMX AND THE LOX GAVE ME ALL THE INFLUENCE I’D EVER NEED! WHAT I GOT FROM THEM WAS HOW IMPORTANT WORK ETHIC WAS ALONG WITH BEING CONSISTENT AND SHOW PERFORMANCE, GOTTA CONTROL THE CROWD. 

VALIDATED: WHICH NOTABLE HIP-HOP ARTISTS HAVE YOU COLLABORATED WITH?

SNYP LIFE: WELL BESIDES OBVIOUSLY THE LOX, I’VE WORKED WITH MAINO, FAT JOE, JEWELZ SANTANA, JOE BUDDENS, FAME FROM MOP, CON WAY THE MACHINE, YOUNG JEEZY… THE LIST GOES ON. LOL 

VALIDATED: WHAT’S YOUR AFFILIATION WITH D-BLOCK?

SNYP LIFE: WELL I GREW UP IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD AS SHEEK, STYLES AND KISS, LITERALLY COMING OUTSIDE RAPPING AS A SHORTY AROUND THEM. ALWAYS WAS THE NICEST IN MY HOOD SO IT JUST MADE SENSE. I DIDN’T JUST GET DOWN WITH DBLOCK ‘CAUSE WE FROM THE SAME BLOCK. I WAS LITERALLY OUT HERE MOVING AROUND DOING MIXTAPES, BATTLES... JUST MAKING A NAME FOR MYSELF. I HAD ALREADY INCORPORATED MY COMPANY (354ENT) BEFORE I GOT DOWN WITH THEM. 

VALIDATED: AS AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST YOU’VE DROPPED OVER 10 SOLO MIXTAPES THROUGH MULTI MEDIA OUTLETS WITH OVER 250K DOWNLOADS AND WELL OVER 500K STREAMS. WHAT DO YOU CONTRIBUTE TO THESE ACHIEVEMENTS?

SNYP LIFE: WELL A WHOLE LOT OF HARD WORK! I WAS GOING HAND TO HAND WITH MY CDS LITERALLY OUT THE TRUNK BUT ALSO HAVING A STRONG TEAM TO PUSH MY MUSIC AS FAR AS ONLINE WHEN IT WAS POPPING TO DROP MIXTAPES ONLINE ON SPOTS LIKE DATPIFF. I WAS DROPPING WHOLE VOLUMES OF MIXTAPES LIKE A 1 THROUGH 3 OR 4, THEN JUMP ON A WHOLE OTHER TAPE AND DROP THAT TOO. LOL A LOT OF HARD WORK, TRUST ME.

VALIDATED: YOU REMAIN AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST BECAUSE OF YOUR REFUSAL TO ALLOW A LABEL TO HAVE CREATIVE CONTROL OVER THE MUSIC YOU CREATE. WHAT DOES FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ARTISTIC CONTROL MEAN TO YOU?

SNYP LIFE: I FEEL IT MEANS EVERYTHING BECAUSE YOUR CREATIVITY IS WHAT SEPARATES YOU FROM THE PACK. MY MUSIC IS MY LIFE LITERALLY. I CAN’T LET SOMEBODY ELSE CONTROL MY FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS I PUT ON A RECORD. THERE’S A VERY FINE LINE BETWEEN TRYING TO SELL RECORDS AND STAY GROUNDED TO THE CULTURE. I FEEL LIKE YOU GOTTA KNOW THE BUSINESS. SOME CATS NEVER HAD NOTHING, THEY TAKE THAT 50K ADVANCE OR WHATEVER NOT REALIZING YOU ALREADY IN DEBT WITH THE LABEL BEFORE YOU DROP! YOU GETTING WHAT, 10-15 CENTS OFF A RECORD FOR YOUR “COMMERCIAL” LOOK? SCREW THAT, I’LL TAKE $5-$6 BUCKS OFF MY CD, DO MY OWN LEG WORK AND FLIP MY SALES RIGHT BACK INTO MY CIRCLE. IT’S JUST LIKE THE TRAP GAME. LOL

VALIDATED: YOU’RE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE ADVOCACY OF CHILDREN LIVING WITH AUTISM AND SPREADING AWARENESS. WHAT’S YOUR PERSONAL CONNECTION TO THE CAUSE?

SNYP LIFE: AUTISM IS A REAL PART OF MY LIFE AND FOREVER WILL BE. MY YOUNG SON IS 13 NOW, HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM AT 3 YRS OLD. I’VE  BEEN ADVOCATING FOR HIM EVER SINCE. HE’S NON VERBAL SO I HAVE TO BE HIS VOICE AND USE MY PLATFORM TO SPREAD AWARENESS.

VALIDATED: YOU’VE RELEASED A SOLO EP ENTITLED "PUZZLES IN THE SKY", AN ENTIRE MUSIC PIECE DEDICATED TO YOUR SON AND ALL INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH AUTISM. WHAT’S BEEN THE RESPONSE TO THE PROJECT?

SNYP LIFE: AHHH, MY BEST PROJECT I EVER RELEASED! LOL I HAVE A LOT OF STUFF OUT, THIS WAS SO PERSONAL THOUGH. IT HAS THE MOST MEANING OF ANYTHING I EVER DONE. NOT 1 CURSE ON THE WHOLE PROJECT. I’VE BEEN GETTING SOOO MANY RESPONSES FROM PARENTS AND ACTUAL PEOPLE WITH AUTISM THAT IT’S BEEN OVERWHELMING, I’M TRULY HONORED. IT’S DOING WHAT WE HOPED IT WOULD DO, PLANT THE SEEDS OF UNDERSTANDING, AWARENESS. IT’S MAKING PEOPLE SEE THAT IT’S OK. IT’S COOL... IF U HAVE AUTISM YOU’RE SPECIAL. IF I’M A PRETTY COOL GUY SAYING HEY, “AUTISM IS NOT A DISEASE. IT’S NOT A SICKNESS, IT’S A WAY OF LIFE FOR SOME PEOPLE. IT’S COOL THOUGH, THEY’RE COOL, THEY’RE ACTUALLY GENIUSES.” THEN MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WILL APPROACH THESE INDIVIDUALS WITH MORE UNDERSTANDING AND COMPASSION.

VALIDATED: YOUR EP TITLED "BAP2" (BACK AGAIN PT2) IS SCHEDULED TO DROP THIS FALL, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT?

SNYP LIFE: “BAP2”... YEAH, “BACK AGAIN PART 2” IS GONNA BE FIRE, I PROMISE THE PEOPLE! I NEVER REALLY LEFT BUT PEOPLE MOSTLY KNOW ME FOR THE FEATURES ON THE ALBUMS AND MOSTLY MIXTAPES. I NEVER DROPPED A SOLO ALBUM SO THIS WILL BE WHAT I CONSIDER RECORDS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIGGER THAN MIXTAPE FREESTYLES. REAL RECORDS FOLLOWING REAL THEMES. I PLAYED IN A DRUM CORE AS A KID SO I’M VERY PARTICULAR WITH DRUM PATTERNS AND BEAT SELECTIONS. EVERY SONG WILL BE TREATED AS A SINGLE AND NOT JUST ON SOME RADIO TIP, I MEAN EACH RECORD IS THE BEST OF THE PACK OF WHATEVER TYPE OF SONG I RELEASE ON THERE. “BAP2” THIS FALL, GET READY!

VALIDATED: WHAT ELSE CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

SNYP LIFE: MORE MUSIC DEFINITELY! MORE CAMPAIGNS FOR AUTISM, I WILL BE WITH THE LITTLE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITIES HANDS ON FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT! I’M ALSO TRYING MY HAND AT THIS ACTING THING, I’M WORKING ON A SCRIPT AS WE SPEAK FOR A FILM BEING RELEASED ON NETFLIX NEXT SUMMER. FUN FACT, I USED TO BE A REAL BOOKIE TAKING SPORTS BETS, I’M HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH SPORTS ON THE ANALYTICAL SIDE. LOL I’LL BE RELEASING A WEBSITE SOON DEDICATED TO HELPING YOU WIN SPORTS GAMES ONLINE. CLOTHING, BUILDING MY “PUZZLES IN THE SKY” BRAND AND EXPANDING MY ARTIST ROSTER ON MY COMPANY “354ENT”. I’LL BE AROUND... WORKING!

VALIDATED: WHAT’S YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS?

SNYP LIFE: I’M ON INSTAGRAM: @SNYPLIFEDBLOCK, ALSO ON TWITTER: @THEREALSNYPLIFE, AND FACEBOOK: @SNYPLIFEDBLOCKPAGE