Slayter is the newest artist signed to Jonny Shipes’ Cinematic Music Group, someone they’ve been developing for years.
Born in Puerto Rico but moving to uptown Dyckman at one year old, Slayter has been rapping since the young age of 5. His music yields lyrics of his upbringing in New York via vivid storytelling, unveiling his deepest, truest emotions over dark, trapped-out production.
Most recently, he tapped Sada Baby on “Louis V Umbrella,” with an explosive visual to match. Slayter spits on the first verse, “How we in the hills we just some n#ggas from the ghetto / 30 on the chain feeling like gold medals, rose gold bezels.”
Fast forward to 2020, fans can’t wait for his forthcoming project fittingly titled World Got Me F##### Up Vol.1.
One thing Slayter can count on is music as a coping mechanism to get what he needs to off his chest. His vibrant personality includes love for exotic sodas, wild trips to Ibiza, and his new kitty named 30 Clip.
Slayter embodies the definition of a rose rising from the concrete, a success story proving music can be the ticket out the trenches. AllHipHop caught up to discuss his upbringing, working with Benny The Butcher and more.
AllHipHop: How’s quarantine life over there?
Slayter: S##t wack man. I’m always outside, so I’m not used to this. Every once in a while, I pop out to the studio. Get my studio fix, go back to the crib. I got the mask though, so I’m staying safe.
AllHipHop: Coming up in Dyckman, what was the household like growing up?
Slayter: I was really young. Growing up was regular. Staying out the way. I was trying to stay out of trouble.
AllHipHop: Biggest influences?
Slayter: Not going to lie, a lot of Puerto Rican music. I was bumping a lot of Don Omar, Daddy Yankee. Then I was bumping 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks was my favorite at the time. He’s that n##ga. Jadakiss. I really wanted to be a Justin Bieber, no cap.
AllHipHop: When did you realize this music thing was forreal?
Slayter: S##t, when I signed. Oh s##t, I’m signed to the record label. This is my job, this is what I have to do. When I signed, I was 24.
AllHipHop: How’d you land at Cinematic Music Group?
Slayter: It was one of Jonny Shipes’ interns, he showed him my music. Shipes signed me. Not going to lie, Shipes has been trying to sign me for a couple years. First, I didn’t know s##t about how the label works. I remember the first video I shot, back then I was in high school. I didn’t know s##t about budgets, I get a Lamborghini for my video.
COLD AT NIGHT “COLD AT NIGHT was my first tape. I’m like “damn, I spent a lot of money out the budget on this s##t.” We spent mad money on videos, different studios, things I learned you can do for cheaper on your own. We originally shot a video 3 times that we didn’t end up using. For my second project, World Got Me F##ked Up, we were a little smarter with the spending. I did most of the videos on my own, one of them even with a handheld VHS camera. We also got mad organic features. I got 22Gz on that, Jay Critch, Benny The Butcher, Maxo Kream, Sada Baby, Luh Kel”
AllHipHop: How’d you link with Benny The Butcher?
Slayter: Benny The Butcher’s a real legend. I met Benny at Rolling Loud, I came up to him and told him I f##k with his s##t. Then I seen him again at Cinematic, we chopped it up a little bit. He’s like “lil bro, let’s work.” He has one of the best verses on my tape, he went crazy. It’s a posse cut: me, Benny the Butcher, Smoke DZA all on the same track.
AllHipHop: A posse cut, that means you f##k with hip-hop.
Slayter: Exactly. I’m trying to bridge the gap with the old heads in hip-hop. Right now, music is different.
AllHipHop: What is your take on the state of hip-hop right now?
Slayter: Now, it’s getting realer. But last year when they had the punks, tatted up on the face, hair-colored. You know who I’m talking about. This year, you have artists like Yungeen Ace, Polo G, J.I. We’re coming back with this s##t, we don’t have to do extra s##t to get attention. Just good music. Before, that s##t hurts my ears man. It was cool, but it wasn’t real music. I like music with soul.
AllHipHop: What does it mean to be “Hood Famous”? What’s your relationship with Yungeen Ace?
Slayter: I’m 4 minutes away from my block, I’ma show you. We really in the hood right now. RIP Pop Smoke [shows painted mural]. This is Hood Famous, I’m on the block with my chains on. We can walk around outside. Yungeen Ace, we’re signed to the same label. Mind you, there’s 20 other artists assigned to the same label. But me and him, we’re vibing. We don’t really f##k with a lot of people, we’re to ourselves. Me and Ace just clicked. We really only made 2 songs. Every time he comes to New York, he calls me like “where you at Slayter?! Let’s get in the studio.” Get in the studio, make more songs.
AllHipHop: How do you create a vibe in the studio?
Slayter: I usually smoke. It depends on the song I’m making. If it’s a personal song, I like to be by myself in the studio.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-dIdW1J9uV
AllHipHop: Where’s your cat at?
Slayter: My cat 30 Clip’s at the crib with my cousin, he’s babysitting while daddy’s at work. I don’t bring him out because he has no fur, it’s cold outside. I got him last month, it’s great. He actually makes me happy. He’s funny man, he’s so funny. Every time I’m in bed and I’m looking for him, I can’t find him because he’s so small. When I wake up, he always ends up sleeping next to me. [laughs] I have to make 30 Clip an Instagram. His name was Draco at first, my man’s friend’s like ”f##k Draco, name him 30 Clip.” We stuck with 30 Clip. Shipes said “add the Mister,” so now his name’s Mr. 30 Clip.
AllHipHop: Who’s in your Top 5?
Slayter: NBA YoungBoy, Kodak Black, Polo G, Lil Baby, and Slayter.
AllHipHop: You named YoungBoy and Kodak together…
Slayter: Yeah, I’m mad they’re beefing right now. I’m mad what’s going on right now, I wish that didn’t happen. I don’t like taking sides when s##t has nothing to do with me. If YoungBoy was my man man for real, if I knew YoungBoy for real, I’d ride with him. If Kodak was my man man, I’d ride with him. But I don’t really care what they got going on.
AllHipHop: How big is loyalty to you?
Slayter: Loyalty is everything. If you’re my man and you’re even around someone you know I got problems with, it’s over. You’re not my man anymore, stay that side. I’m good without you. I got a small circle, a really small circle. I could count 5 friends. I got family, a proud big family. But I barely have friends.
AllHipHop: What are some goals as an artist at this point?
Slayter: I’m about to do a partnership with Cinematic, Coldgame Cinematic. I’m about to sign my first artist, 41st Narco. We’re in the process right now. He just dropped his first song ever 5 days ago, “Big Homie.”
AllHipHop: So you have to work on your own s##t and your artist?
Slayter: Nah, not even. Look, I’m focusing on myself. The more I progress, the more he will too. I’m giving him game. Like “bro, should I drop this?” I have no problem doing little s##t like that.
AllHipHop: Are you religious?
Slayter: I believe in God, and I believe in heaven. I know my grandmother’s watching me, I know my father’s watching me.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
Slayter: You have to believe, I have “believe” tatted right here. You have to put that positivity into the universe. World Got Me f##ked Up on the way. I like your Drake poster in the background, don’t be surprised if you see Drake hope on one of my tracks.