Samie
Portrait with Briscoe Savoy
Description: A young man looks into the camera. He layers a blazer on top of the New York Rangers’ hoodie with the Samie logo on the front. Behind him, there is a synthesizer and laptop showing him performing. The wall features cursive writing with his lyrics.
Portrait with Zachary Maxwell Stertz
“In order to get somewhere you've never been, you have to do things you've never done before. You have to get used to the uncomfortable, and getting comfortable with the uncomfortable.
All my life, I've just been the type of kid to stay to himself. I never was the type of person to feel like I have to be a part of a social setting. I'm just fine rocking with myself. But I know that if I want to be able to network, I have to push myself out there. Go past the comfort zone.
One of my main goals is that I want to be part of a conversation. If anyone’s talking top five lyricists, I want my name to be mentioned in that conversation. Along with that, I would definitely love to perform my work in front of fans who really appreciate my craft and everything I have to deliver. I don’t really need a million dollar check to be able to do what I want to do because I just love to do it. The thrill that I get from writing, I feel like everyone needs to hear this, I need to get it out there.
I'm 20 years old. I live in Brooklyn, New York - Bedford Stuyvesant. Both my parents are from St. Lucia so I take pride in that. At the end of the day, I’m an American, but how I identify myself is an African-American, West Indian, and Carribean. I could go anywhere else in the world, and then when I come back to the block where I grew up I feel at home, and everything’s familiar to me.
Growing up, my mom always kept me inside this little bubble because she didn't want me to go down certain roads that she seen other kids my age was going down. She didn't want me just chilling by the delis, nothing like that. She wanted me inside. That presented challenges within itself because I'm introverted and I don't really feel the need to be socially interactive with everybody. Now I feel like I have to get past the discomfort of being open with everybody.
With music, I feel like I can definitely express myself a lot more than I can by just having a basic interaction with somebody.
I look up to Joey Bada$$, Biggie, Nas, Jay-Z, Redman - not only for inspiration, but just seeing how different they are in their own sort of lane. It serves as a reminder to me that I’ve got to find my own lane and be different as well. Entering into music, I want to last. I want to have an impact, and be one of the greats. My style is more of a conscious rap. I want to have a presence and a legacy. When I listen to some artists, they really be giving you a certain message. This is to be yourself, stay true to yourself, and just have patience. The energy that you put out is the energy that you will receive. Things will come in time.
My portrait is something more private, and for myself. I know that I'm special, but it's all still forming, like a diamond in the rough. Everything’s still in progress, still in the works, to become a certified diamond that everyone’s going to be amazed to look at.”
New York, 2020