Being Unapologetic is the Way VI Seconds Chooses to be Himself
The articulate artist talks the experiences that led to his stage name, his evolution as a rapper and his growth as a person.
Standing by his own beliefs, VI Seconds approaches life and his music with a pragmatic attitude formed through his tough experiences. That sensibility, has enabled the New York native to explore the more vulnerable side of his artistry, and to be relentless on and off the mic. “After a while I was like these motherf*****s don’t live for me… once I got to this point here, that was it,” the honest rapper explains.
VI Seconds is a lyricist unconcerned with defining himself as the typical rapper. An eloquent speaker and intellectual thinker who has been refined through rugged experiences and hardships, the Brooklyn-born artist attributes his indifferent but bubbly personality and growth as an artist to tumultuous events in his life. It was the dark moments after these occurrences in which VI Seconds was able to discover himself and how to be accepting of the adversity life throws at him.
“…Once I got to this point here, that was it.”
Refusing to feed into the ordinary machismo and unintelligible music that has become standard throughout the industry, VI Seconds chooses to be courageous and defiant in his artistry. “I feel like what makes a great artist is the ability to really captivate and re-imagine on a consistent level and be able to contest whatever the wave is right now.” And challenging the trends in music is exactly what VI Seconds does through his deep, emotional, and dark lyrics that set him apart from any other rapper.
Going against the grain is nothing new for VI Seconds, who adopted his name after assisting a homeless man and buying him a meal to eat. VI Seconds recollects the story vividly of him skating in Downtown Brooklyn watching two high schoolers bully a homeless guy and kick the money out of his cup. “These two guys come around the corner kick over his cup and start f*****g with him and I got tight. So I got off my board and was like ‘Yo what are y’all doing, this guy has it bad enough stop f*****g with him.’” Depicting natural leadership through bravery, the musician explains how such an experience inspired him to live up to the message he took away from the man. “‘I used to work on Wall Street and everything I had was just gone. My wife is gone. My kids are gone … I was on top of the world and in a mere six seconds everything changed.’ And that s**t did not leave. It rang in my head for months. So rather than cause six seconds that can change somebody’s life I rather be that.”
“So rather than cause six seconds that can change somebody’s life I rather be that.”
Intimidating and unapproachable as VI Seconds may seem on the outside, the rapper carries himself with a vulnerableness that can be sensed from the onset of any conversation. The intellectual artist pieces his ideas together fluently, reflecting a person who not only embraces his singularity, “I wear my heart on my sleeve and what you see is what you get… they can feel how they feel but when they meet me it’s a different story ” explains the New York rapper.
His music embodies the same deep reflection; an artist that is comfortable within their own skin and fearless enough to expose their ideas and emotions unlike other rappers. “For the most part, just how I’m feeling that day, a lot of it comes from personal experiences,” he says of his writing process. Having been formed through rugged trials and tribulations, VI Seconds’ music is an outlet for transparency and honesty.
“I wear my heart on my sleeve and what you see is what you get … they can feel how they feel but when they meet me it’s a different story ”
Even with such sincere and honest art, VI Seconds still enjoys dabbling in making music for fun and laughs while also freestyling smoothly over classic boom-bap beats. And even when it’s all fun and games, VI Seconds remains true to his core, creating music that is different while being someone who is unafraid and ingenious.
“Because at the end of the day, the world keeps on spinning and everybody still going through s**t and whatever it is that you’re going through someone can relate to.”
VI Seconds maintains being remorseless with his art, his emotions, and who he is as a person. A product of hard times and hectic experiences, VI Seconds tackles life with a smile, yet unforgiving of anyone or anything that does not contribute to his maturation. “Over time it was more so just seeing what life and people do, and you kind of just get it,” he explains. In grasping that concept, VI Seconds has definitely succeeded and continued to be his true impenitent self.
