“If it were entirely up to me, I’d put out a song every week.” – SamIsDead
Yonkers-raised multihyphenate, SamIsDead, has traditionally balanced cultural parameters musically through identity. The first-generation Dominican-American grew up listening to his parents’ Caribbean records. In time, the boom-bap raps of his neighborhood helped influence the artist-songwriter differently and better built his Spanglish catalog.
“I represent a nuance of the culture. I was raised in Yonkers, but my family sent me to the Dominican Republic often. I kept one foot near my islander family and the other foot in New York. I include both aspects of my upbringing in my music,” the newcomer confirmed.
With Latinxs co-architecting hip-hop, SamIsDead’s proximity to the birthplace of rap, el Bronx, fueled his love for a musical byproduct of the artform: reggaeton. His minute-long debut track, “97′ Freestyle,” is recorded predominantly in English, with trap elements veering toward its follow-up, “Run It Up.” Still, how the MC’s initial cyber buzz came to be was improbable.
“My cousin, Just Chief, founded UPTOP! UPTOP! ENT! — which I independently record under. He would always be in his studio. Initially, I would come by to support. One day, Chief was rapping — he asked me to go into the booth. I tried a rhyme and realized I liked the recording. So, I kept going,” he said.
The subsequent rap offerings, “Wasted” and “Unlucky Samurai,” helped SamIsDead discover his cadence before electing to pivot into trap en Español. His 2018 fully Spanish-language première, “Die Yung,” elevated his wordplay with Auto-Tuned riffs and replay value. SamIsDead spent the coming months preparing for his summer rebrand en Español. “Listeners would be surprised. “Lento” was not my first pick for a single. It’s ironic. The track I assumed would broadcast the least in 2019 is currently doing the best,” the bard explained.
The slow-wind tune, “Lento,” kicked off what is now recognized as SamIsDead’s true beginning in Caribbean markets. The bop’s push-back-on-it verses accumulated over fifty-six thousand streams on Spotify before reaching American radio stations. “Through my Spanglish experiences, I try to mix and match what I feel my fans want to hear. The sounds of dembow, salsa, merengue, bachata, and reggaeton used to fill my home. Now, I make vibey music — I’m not someone who aims to be a prominent lyricist. I want people to have fun and enjoy my music,” the artist affirmed.
“Dile,” the supporting earworm, stuck to more traditional riddims, adding animated poolside artwork. Fans were becoming acquainted with the budding star’s Kurt Cobain-inspired style. The resulting viral wave set the foundational bricks necessary for SamIsDead to make his first music video appearance “Bendecido.” The NYC optics cemented around his stomping grounds’ produced fanship with “UPTOP! UPTOP!” call-outs.
“I don’t stick to one genre, and that helps my music become more well-rounded. You can’t deny great music. So, I listen to everything. My favorite rapper growing up was DMX, but now, I play a lot of Bad Bunny,” SamIsDead maintained. More than music, his finger is on the pulse of what is next. The entertainer embraces his peers. While every country has its ancestral segments sonically, Caribbean nations are more intertwined than divided.
The love SamIsDead had for the sound coming from a neighboring tropical territory only inspired the refreshed development of his own. In 2020, the vocalist strengthened the respect of his city and leaned into a couple of Spanglish bops, “Freak” and “Brothers.” This explorative chapter birthed new invigorating visuals. The frontrunner “OLVIDARTE” portrayed a love story audiences wished they could erase. The trailing foreign-steered pictorial, “OCUPADO,” glimmered a more rough around the edges poetic. The result? LA MUSA, the 8-track emerging EP — is whirring in the streets.
SamIsDead’s audiences embolden him. Ahead of last year’s introductory drop, an enthusiast said he heard the number “Bendecido” after recovering from a bout with cancer. “The listener told me he translated the song title, and he learned it meant blessed. He went on to clarify that he knew “Bendecido” was for him because he felt the emotions,” the penner asserted. Beyond language barriers, SamIsDead provides evidence that authenticity and music are universally embraced. These aforementioned languages are supported with hundreds of thousands of YouTube views.
Onlookers know something special is brewing. “If it were entirely up to me, I’d put out a song every week. Ahead of COVID-19, my team was beginning to get shows. Some pandemic limitations are being lifted with the vaccines. I will be connecting with fans more on stage starting this month,” the on-the-rise voice confirmed. The recent Uptown collab “Falling Off” with UPTOP! CEO and labelmate — Just Chief — brings forth SamIsDead’s most stunning illustration of all he represents.
Alongside UPTOP! UPTOP! ENT!, the gritty troubadour has given flavor across genres. And he is only getting better. From a bodega crates-meets-floral arrangements mixtape design — to his bilingual composition — SamIsDead author’s all aspects of his creative endeavors from start to finish.
“My goal is to get to a place where I can take care of the people and community that helped me ascend. Recently, I was in a studio session, and an artist asked me to help him write his music. There is so much work to be done. I just want to give back, and rock shows. I can’t wait to perform songs like “Tiempo” for my followers,” he revealed. Label-wise, all eyes are locked in to see SamIsDead’s ensuing segment, but until then, the verse-maker’s story is still being written.