Meet Boston Artist Splash GotEm
Q: When did you start seeing an interest in rapping? What do you like most about rapping itself?
A: Growing up in Roxbury, you are constantly surrounded by hip-hop culture. I have always been a fan of rap music, but I really started pursuing a career and taking this shit seriously after a gunshot incident in May 2017. It left me blind in my left eye & put me in a coma for 11 days. Throughout that time, I had some crazy dreams & visions. I even met my Grandma who had passed before I was even born! They said it was a miracle that I even woke up, but when I did, I KNEW that I had to change my ways. I had to stop what I was doing and pursue this music shit. I love everything about rapping! The whole process of recording, selecting beats, and all that, but I feel like I thrive when I’m on stage performing. I just feed off the crowd’s energy & they feed off mine, so that makes me mad happy, you can tell too! Can’t help but smile when I am on stage doing my thing with my team. It is just a great feeling, I love that shit!!!
Q: What is one of the most important aspects in your life?
A: My son is definitely one of the most important aspects in my life! I am doing this so that he does not have to go through what I had to. Life will present everyone with their own struggles, regardless of where you are from, streets or not. I just want a better life for him, the rest of my family, and, of course, my people from Roxbury. I consider them my family just as much as my real family. Blood couldn’t make us any closer!
Q: How do you turn a struggle into a strength?
A: Honestly, I think that every rapper in the industry is on their own unique path. It is so easy to let the struggles of street life get to you and suppress your positive energy. I also believe that what doesn’t kill you ABSOLUTELY makes you stronger. It is easier said than done. You gotta take your struggles and turn them into a lesson, wisdom, and personal growth. Struggles will make you a stronger and smarter individual with learning from these experiences.
Q: If you could work with anybody in the industry who would it be & why?
A: Oh man!I gotta go with Famous Dex! That is my favorite rapper right there! I love his flow, his delivery, his voice, and absolutely everything! His music evokes a certain type of energy that makes me want to party and just go crazy! But more importantly than that, Famous Dex’s music helps me maintain a positive state of mind and takes my mind off certain negative aspects of my life. The negative aspects are not worth my energy! I would love to make a track with him at some point in my career, so that I can help spread that positive energy to the people going through the same shit I had to.
Q: What is one thing you would want the public to know about you as an artist? How about yourself, personally?
A: As far as myself an artist, I would want my fans & the public to know that I am just out here trying to spread positive vibes and put a smile on people’s faces, man. If someone is having a shitty ass day and nothing is going their way or they feel like giving up, I want them to be able to put on my music and just smile! I want to take their mind off the negative bullshit & make my listeners realize that the next day is going to be better. I have been in those dark places before so if I can help just one person get through that shit, I will be happy. Personally, I would want them to know that I am just a normal kid from Boston who refused to give up.
Q: Who is your biggest inspiration in the industry?
A: Mannnn, honestly, I hear new dope shit everyday and it all inspires me! There are a lot of dope artists making their own, unique wave in the industry right now. In regards to my BIGGEST inspiration it is definitely gotta be my gang, my fellow Bostonians, no doubt! Jefe Replay, Fabzabove, Donald Grunge, etc. When I hear their shit I get inspired cuz it makes me want to go that much harder! They push me every day, mentally, to be a better version of myself, so physically, it shows to my supporters who really have been there since day 1 of my accident, they the ones really praying I become greater than ever. They believed in me when I did not even believe in myself, so they definitely my biggest inspiration, musically!
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Q: If you could be on tour right now with anyone, what tour would it be?
@splashgotem
A: Damnnnn, that’s a tough one, there is a lot of dope artists on tour right now, but I would have to say the Bawskee Tour!!! I know me and my crew would fit perfectly with the type of energy Comethazine brings at his shows. Last winter, he actually came to Boston to do a show at Brighton Music Hall. My gang and I got the chance to open up the show for him it was crazyyyy. I remember during my brotha Jefe Replay’s set shit got hectic, I was fucken crowd surfing, everyone was raging, the energy was just insane and so positive. I can not wait until I am headlining on my own tour & just get to interact with fans from different places I have not been to yet. But for right now, yeah, I’d say the Bawskee Tour for sure, shout out Comethazine one time!
Q: What is your major career goal?
A: To keep it real with you, I have tons of goals & aspirations in this music shit. As of right now, my major career goal is to make random people happy and inspire those going through the same rough times I went through. I want to use my music as a vehicle to show them how I came back, fought my demons, and helped take my family and peoples out the hood. If I can make random people happy & use my music to help people get through their own daily struggles, it’s an extra push to be the BEST me I can be & take care of everyone who helped me when I needed it. The same people who inspire and motivate me every day to take the necessary steps TOWARD the musical success and AWAY from the negative bullshit the hood puts people through. If I can make random people happy, gain new listeners, and grow my fan base in the process, it is just a bonus! Right now, I am just tryna stay focused, make good music, and become a better rapper than I was yesterday. That is the immediate goal.
Q: What is your favorite Splash GotEm song?
A: Punjabi!!! The second track off my debut project! My brother David Walker showed me this beat randomly in a studio session & I heard the first drop and knew I needed that instrumental! I recorded it about five or six months after my accident. This was done right when I got my voice back! I felt the beat & started freestyling to it just off of raw energy. I feel like I finally found my sound after that. I showed it to my brothers before dropping cause they always tell me what I need to hear and keep it honest. When I played the track for them and started to see smiles on their faces from really enjoying the shit, I knew they were not only proud of my growth physically and musically, but I knew I was onto something special with that track. That is a special one for me definitely!
Q: What are the benefits (if any) of being an artist in Boston?
A: Hell yeah there are benefits of being an artist in Boston! I get to see my fans at my shows, I get to interact with them on a personal level, which is dope as fuck. The connection is authentic and genuine. Boston is such a small city with a relatively small underground hip-hop scene, other cities want to count us out and sleep on us just cuz we not from LA or NY. Yeah it makes it harder for us to grow our fan base and attract new listeners but the fact that we some underdogs keeps us THAT much hungrier. You can kinda see it in our sports teams. Boston is a city of winners, point blank period. When other cities and hip-hop, markets count us out before even hearing our shit. We have the benefit of transforming that bias into musical motivation. So, some artists might take that as a negative but again it is about turning those struggles into something positive, something we can learn and grow from.