MUSIC: Providence Native SweenS Opens For Wale Friday at Lupo’s
Thursday, December 12, 2013
In the realm of underground hip-hop, there's always a diamond in the rough waiting to be unearthed. That diamond in the rough could very well be up and coming hip-hop artist SweenS, a Providence native who'll be sharing the stage with fellow hip-hopper Wale at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel on Friday The 13th. I managed to have a chat with SweenS about what's been going on with him lately and here's how it went:
Rob Duguay: You're opening for Wale at Lupo's this Friday on the 13th, and you're a local guy from Providence so how do you feel about opening for a premier hip-hop act at one of the biggest venues in The Ocean State?
SweenS: It means a lot because it's my home city and I've been doing shows all the way in Texas, Las Vegas and New York. It means a lot to come home and do a show, especially with somebody like Wale. Just to be able to bring national hip-hop scene to my local town means a lot.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTR.D.: I can totally imagine how big that hometown feel must be for you. Are there any other big hip-hop acts you've opened for in the past or is this the biggest one you've gotten so far?
SweenS: I've opened up for Pusha T, Crooked I from Shady Records, Mike Stud who's a local guy and that's pretty much it when it comes to acts I've opened for.
R.D.: How long have you been doing hip-hop for?
SweenS: Professionally for a year and a couple months along with being involved with it my entire life.
R.D.: What made you want to get into becoming an artist? Was it a record? Was it the style?
SweenS: I wanted to prove people wrong in terms of what you chase because a lot of kids that I help out are from the inner city in Providence and they're chasing basketball. For them they're going after school and for them to see me, a kid where I'm from go after hip-hop, it makes them think "People are going to doubt me" so they can understand and go to school and if I'm doing hip-hop then why can't they go and do school & basketball?
R.D.: It's pretty cool they you're doing it for those altruistic reasons. So Alex & Ani and their media agency Seven Swords Media are pretty big entities around these parts and from what I hear they're going to be producing a video and webisode of your performance along with making a full music video of your top song of the night. How did you get that set up?
SweenS: Alex & Ani have been with me for about a year now and I was supposed to go on a tour with them but it kind of never launched off so they've been looking to do stuff but I actually did a commercial with them before that was at a Providence College basketball game on the big screen. So they've been around and it's a great connection because they're local and they're also trying to make a national imprint.
R.D.: Sounds like a lot of big things are coming your way. Next year this video that's going to be recorded and done at Lupo's on Friday will be released in January as well as helping you launch a new national tour. So where else can people see you on this upcoming tour? Do you have any dates set up yet? Any venues yet? Or is it still in the works?
SweenS: It's still in the works right now but I know that we'll be covering the New England area and out to Philadelphia, as well as down to Florida.
R.D.: So pretty much a huge East Coast tour, that sounds pretty sweet. Do you have a full-length album we can await from you next year? Do you have anything else going on other than the tour?
SweenS: My Freshman Tale EP has already dropped and it did 20,000 downloads in the first week along on Datpiff.com. I have an album coming out in the summer, which I've been working on every single night out here in Philadelphia for.
After listening to a few tracks off of his website, I'm pretty psyched to see what SweenS has in store for his debut album. To see this kid spit lyrics into the mic and blow the place apart, head down to Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel this Friday to see SweenS and Wale.
Related Slideshow: MUSIC: Who is SweenS?
Here is the story of how Ryan Sweeney went from a Providence kid to a Nationally recognized hip-hop star.
Special thanks to www.sweens365.com.
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