By: Shirley Ju (@shirju)
If you heard SimxSantana’s “FLEXIN N’ FLASHIN,” you already know what type of energy he brings.
The Philly hip hop artist blew up off this breakout single, which accumulated over 6.5 million views on Youtube in just a few months. Whether it was his dance challenges going viral or the fact he’s spitting that real, the organic growth does not go unnoticed.
https://www.instagram.com/simxsantana/?hl=en
AllHipHop: For those who don’t know, who is SimxSantana?
SimxSantana: Feel me, I’m a rare breed coming out of Philly. I blew up off a song called “FLEXIN N’ FLASHIN,” my whole city went wild off it. Probably took 3 or 4 months for it to do what it did.
AllHipHop: What was it about the song “FLEXIN N’ FLASHIN”?
SimxSantana: For me, I took a year break off of rapping. I’m like “alright I’ma try to get back out there, and this is gonna be the song I’ma do it with.” It was something new, something totally different. They took that joint crazy, kept going with it. Then I did a little dance at the cookout, that video went viral. Everybody’s like “damn, I‘m trying to do that dance!” They start making them Dubsmashes, Instagram videos. When they’re doing this, they’re using the song to do it. It just kept boosting it.
AllHipHop: Talk about signing with Columbia Records.
SimxSantana: I f##k with Columbia. That was the best suit for me from the fact that when I actually went into the meetings, they actually cared for their people. They actually will support you to the fullest. “Whatever you need, we got you.” I’m like yeah, this the one for me.
AllHipHop: What did you do with your first advance?
SimxSantana: I’m trying to think… it wasn’t that long ago. Probably a month and a half ago. I don’t know the first thing I did though, probably bought clothes or something.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkohfaMEKkA
AllHipHop: Who’s your favorite person to follow on IG?
SimxSantana: Prolly my homies. Besides them, celebrities probably Meek Mill. ‘Cause he’s from my hood, he’s from Philly. I was raised in South Philly and West Philly, he was raised in South Philly too. We went through the same struggle. Everybody’s got similar struggles growing up Philly, ‘cause it’s the same s##t. The same s##t, all day everyday.
AllHipHop: What was it like getting that Meek Mill cosign?
SimxSantana: It was genuine, because I grew up listening to him. To see that he f##ks with my s##t, that’s a different joint. It’s mutual now. I been f##king with his s##t for the longest time, now he f##king with my s##t. It’s genuine.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzcC9D1AG8s/
AllHipHop: What was your reaction to his tweet?
SimxSantana: It was normal because at that time he was already following me on IG. I said “oh yeah.” I had a feeling it was gonna happen sooner or later, ‘cause he shoots love to everybody.
AllHipHop: Have you been able to tap in with him?
SimxSantana: No not yet, but we did a show not too long ago together.
AllHipHop: Talk about the #GetWitMeDance challenge, you nice with it?
SimxSantana: I’ve been doing their dance for a couple of years. It was old to me but new to a lot of people. When I bust out and did it in the video, everybody’s like “damn, I wanna try that joint.” We been doing that for a little minute now.
