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[INTERVIEW] Up-and-Coming Hip-Hop Artist Big Daddy Swolls + 'Get With This (Remix)'

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Big Daddy Swolls is an up and coming hip-hop artist out of California. With a classic West Coast vibe, his music combines hip-hop vocals and heavy dance beats that create unique and exciting new hits which everyone can enjoy. Having a natural drive for success and a passion for making new music, Big Daddy Swolls is one of the most energizing new sounds out of the West Coast.

While his music has always been upbeat and energetic, Big Daddy Swolls has had his fair share of difficult experiences in life. Born Matthew Evans, he spent much of his younger years moving from city to city, as his single mother struggled to maintain the family. He often lived in towns that were notoriously rough, with violence and loss remained a constant threat. During school, constant bullying forced his grades to slip and for Matthew to become very shy. His struggles never really ended, but soon Big Daddy Swolls came to the important realization that no matter what, he would always be himself and nobody could change that. Refusing to give in, this attitude helped turn his life around for the better. Matthew served in the Marines after high school, which would inspire him to return to school for a business degree. Moving to Los Angeles, he worked as a bodyguard for major name artists.

Working closely with these artists, he realized just how much he appreciated the music industry. Currently, Big Daddy Swolls is working hard to take his career to the next level. The result is popular hits like “Get With This” that definitely makes it worth the wait. This track has been one of his most popular to date, as it is a perfect example of his unique sound. It has a true dance beat that is filled with smooth break downs and Swoll's signature vocal style. Other popular tracks by the artist include “Burn Up” and “Summertime”, filling the artist’s discography with a diverse range of sounds.

Stream the new "Get With This (Remix)" and check out our Q&A with Swolls below:

 

Has music always been a passion for you?

My whole life, everywhere I went I tried to bring music with me. I was that kid in the apartment complex that got so many complaints from the neighbors and cops kept getting called on me that they almost evicted me. So I started renting houses so I wouldn’t get in any more trouble.

What's the story behind your stage moniker Big Daddy Swolls?

My first name came about when I was a little kid, I had to wear the same pair of clothes to school every day for two years. The kids started to call me scrub, because how broke I looked. Eventually, it turned into harassment and being picked on and bullied. Not anywhere big enough or strong enough to defend myself, I took my built-up aggression out in a different way. During that time period, I had one little radio and one tape of MC Hammer's "Please Hammer Don’t Hurt Em" album. Along with that, I had a radio that was missing the cover of where you had to put the tape, so I had to rig it a special way to get it to play. I would clear a small place in my room where I would just sit there and do push-ups while playing that album again and again. This was the only way I was able let out my frustration from being bullied.

Later in life, I found my way into a neighborhood gym that the owner would let me use in exchange for hair cuts my mother would give him. This lead me to become bigger and stronger, which enabled me to start defending myself better. During lunch, the gym teacher would leave the weight room open for me while all the other kids would do whatever they did. I started bleaching my hair blond, which lead to my second name Swoll Shady due to a similar resemblance to Eminem, I was told (I still don’t see it). The name stuck till I went through the Marine Core and eventually college where the football team would knock off the name "Shady" and just call me "Swoll" or "Swolls." After the economy took its hard hit, it was the same time I lost my little brother to suicide and a bad break up with a girlfriend all while going through my last semester in college. Due to lack of jobs being offered, after I graduated, I started bodyguarding MC Hammer. As time went on and I kept gaining size, Hammer just said, “Nah, that’s not Swoll’s anymore that's BIG Swoll.” As time went on, the ladies starting calling me Big Daddy Swolls and that is how I landed where I am today.

You were a bodyguard for the likes of MC Hammer, Nicki Minaj and other major artists. What was that experience like? 

I loved working and traveling with these people. Only thing I hated was the airplane seats because I was too big to fit into them. The only negative thing I would say was that I wasn’t able to eat as much as I would of liked because these artists are always in constant hustle mode and when they move, you move. It’s part of the job. So I ate when I could.

Do you still bodyguard? Why or why not?  

I travel with the ones I’m close with, but I do it for free because I just enjoy their company and love seeing them perform.

How would you describe your sound?

I was actually talking to my manager (Greddy Greg) about this last night, and to be completely honest, I can't because I don’t really know what it is. It's like a cross between a lot of genres. My music can land almost anywhere and to anyone’s ear. I actually prefer the broader approach because more people get a chance to hear it.

Who are some of your musical inspirations?

MC Hammer, Flo Rida, Pitbull, E 40, 2 Pac, DJ Quik, Bone Thugs, Dr. Dre - mostly artists who created their own lane and didn’t follow anyone else’s style. Reason being, it creates new sounds and styles that will, in turn, last longer in the public's ear because it's new. I also look at the entrepreneurs: Easy E, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Master P, etc. - people who took the music game to a whole other level.

What's you're creation process like when writing/recording a song? 

Finding the right beat first. I have to be excited by it to where I want to put it out just by the beat alone. Next is sitting with it, feeling what the song is about. Could be about a girl, a fight, a hardship, making money, a party, it could be anything, it just has to talk to me. Then, for hours on hours, I'll sit there coming up with 50 melodies of cadences and flows then placing them in the right places, and possibly coming up with new ones that might even sound better as the song progresses. The whole song becomes one big surprise to me at the end.

What message do you want to convey with your music?

Life. Real life feelings.

What's next for you?

Well, I’m a businessman and I want my hands in whatever is fun, creative, and will take care of myself, my family and friends, and eventually be in a position to where I can make my small little dent of good in this world.

 

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