Southeast Hip Hop Magazine recently sat down with rising hip hop recording artist Syn'Zere to discuss his music, his current mixtape Reflections hosted by DJ YaBoyEarl, his inspirations, his past, present and future and more! Check out the interview and step into the world of the young, talented recording artist known as Syn'Zere.
Southeast Hip Hop Magazine: How are you Syn'Zere?
Syn'Zere: I'm fine! Thank you for having me!
Southeast Hip Hop Magazine: Why do you call yourself Syn'Zere?
Syn'Zere: I call myself Syn’Zere because of the sincerity I have for everything. Whether its from the love I have in my heart or my passion in what I do. I believe that whatever an individual decides to do then they should do it with their hearts in it. Syn’Zere was the perfect name for an artist such as myself because you can see the pictures I paint and the stories I tell with such sincerity in them. I chose to spell it differently because as I tried to research the name I saw they’re so many artist who spell their names exactly like I was so my manager Darrold Johnson and I decided to place a “Y” instead of an “I” and a “Z” instead of a “C” to make the name stand out from everyone else’s.
Southeast Hip Hop Magazine: What inspired you to start making music?
Syn'Zere: Honestly I grew tired of hearing the same thing on the radio. Hip hop isn’t like it was back in the 90’s and the early 00’s. Music just doesn’t have meaning anymore. Everyone I listen to, even local artist only talk about gang banging, having sexual relations with women, money, and the amount of drugs they sell and do. I got tired of hearing it so I decided to make something with meaning in it. Have of the so called “rappers” today don’t even have “bars”, they only have a nice ass beat and lyrics that don’t even make sense, they just sound good. What most artist don’t know is that most of their listeners follow their footsteps. I’m tired of seeing young die from getting shot and I’m tired of losing young people to the drug game. God is not blessing the trap if people are dying in it. I make music about the streets but I’m not in the streets. I tell stories that make people think about what actually goes on in the world or right outside their front doors, I don’t just make a bunch of words up and throw them together and call it good music. I’m an Artist not a rapper. Yes I am an entertainer and yes I feed the people but I would rather feed the minds then bleed the mind of knowledge they should be aware of and embracing.
Southeast Hip Hop Magazine: How long have you been rhyming?
Syn'Zere: I have been making music since I was 11 years old. I recorded my first song at 12 years old on Jay Z’s “DOA”. I always loved music and I have always had a passion for it. Around the time I was 16 or 17 my older brother Kendall actually influenced me to expand my craft and I began listening to artist like Nas, J Cole, Ice Cube, and hell even 50 cents first album. Music is a passion that runs deep with me because it’s a release of my feelings. Whether its happiness, anger, etc. music are what feelings sound like. My heart goes into my music, it always has and it always will.
Southeast Hip Hop Magazine: Who are some of your influences artistically?
Syn'Zere: My top 5 music influences in order would be:
J Cole
Nas
Ace hood
Lyfe Jennings
Kendrick Lamar
All of these artist inspired me from the way they tell stories about the hood, politics, vices, etc. The way you can close your eyes and see their stories and every word they say. To me that is inspiring because I want to be able to tell a story just like them and have someone see my story with their eyes closed too.
Southeast Hip Hop Magazine: How would you describe yourself as an artist?
Syn'Zere: I describe myself as a story teller more than anything. I’m honest and truthful, I would rather the fans not listen to me for being truthful than for me to fake and be someone I am not. I’m the truth, love me or hate me I won’t change.
Southeast Hip Hop Magazine: You have a mixtape out called Reflections, could you tell the viewers a little bit about that project?
Syn'Zere: “Relfections” is my first project ever and in my personal opinion it is the hardest mixtape out because it is different from everyone else’s. The tape talks about the things that go on in the world around us that we ignore. I speak on the way the industry is letting in artist that don’t speak about anything, guys being insecure and cheating on women, myself being cheated on and being the cheater, getting heartbroken, and more. The project is 18 tracks of straight fire story telling. There are no features on it at all, it’s all me. The project is amazing and will forever be a classic, I advise all of the readers and followers to go listen and see for yourself then judge it on your own.
Southeast Hip Hop Magazine: How did you hook up with DJ YaBoyEarl?
Syn'Zere: I heard about Earl from him hosting Kevin Gates mixtape and of course Earl is from Baton Rouge, LA. I was on Instagram one day and I saw his page and I hit him up and asked him to do it for me and he agreed. He gave me a game plan and showed me how to promote my own self. Honestly he’s one of the coolest down to earth individuals I have ever met. He basically gave me the game and showed me how to brand myself.
Southeast Hip Hop Magazine: What are your plans for the rest of 2016?
Syn'Zere: I’m actually setting up a tour where I will be headlining in 10 different cities. The tour so far is being set for Fall 2018. I will most likely have another tape out by then because I am in the process of working on something better than my last project if that’s even possible. Also I will be on the cover of Hype World Magazine in the month of May so be on the lookout for that. Of course I will always have singles dropping but my main focus in 2016 is continuing to brand myself and get my name more attention than it has. My follow crowd as of 2016 is relatively big but I’m always trying to reach out and touch more individuals.
Southeast Hip Hop Magazine: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
Syn'Zere: In the next 5 years I will be the talk of the south. I am greatness I the making and so is the music. I can’t predict the future, but my hustle and my grind will never stop so I expect nothing less than greatness for the next couple of years.
Southeast Hip Hop Magazine: What has been one of the worst experiences you've faced as an artist and how did you learn or bounce back from it?
Syn'Zere: One of the worst experiences I have faced as an artist had to be when I learned to make a single. I literally have so many bars that it was very difficult for me to create a single for the radio. It actually surprised me because the fact that I can make 18 tracks but can’t create a single was beyond me but I got through it with the help and motivation of my manager Darrold Johnson.
Southeast Hip Hop Magazine: Could you name 2 of the biggest highlights in your career so far?
Syn'Zere: The 2 biggest highlights of my career would be the fact that I’m on a magazine cover! I was like man I must really be making big moves. The second would have to be the fact that I worked with Dj YaBoyEarl who is one of the most well-known Dj’s who broke Kevin Gates and Lil Snupe. Just the fact that I have this man’s number and I can call and text him was a really great experience for me. The fact that he hosted my mixtape was a feeling of accomplishment, I felt like I was making major progress and I was going somewhere.
Southeast Hip Hop Magazine: Is there anything we haven't covered that you would like the readers to know about you?
Syn'Zere: I’m extremely transparent to my fan base. I have nothing to hide when it comes down to my music or myself because I believe like Kevin Gates said “ my fans are my extended family”, if it wasn’t for these individuals listening to me and telling people about my music I would still be a nobody. To God and my fans I appreciate you.
Southeast Hip Hop Magazine: Is there anything you would like to plug? Any shout outs?
Syn'Zere: Shout out to my manager and my second father Darrold Johnson who mixed and produced my mixtape, Dj YaBoyEarl for hosting and believing in me, all of the individuals who share and support my music and my movement. It’s truly because of you and your support that motivates me to keep making good music.
Listen to more music and get more updates from Syn'Zere at these direct link.
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