Description:
Seafood Sam is a futuristic artifact. If that description might sound confusing at first, it matches theeclectic dualities found in true originals. With his effortless cool and timeless style, the North LongBeach native defies convention and exact comparison. Hes a virtuosic rapper, a stop-you-in-your-tracks singer, and a symphonic producer. Welcome to the lavish life of a laid-back transcontinentalman of mystery, rolling in old school Cadillacs, eating caviar with a blade in his pocket, and makingplays in vintage Pelle Pelle gear. A blaxploitation icon for the Instagram age, blessed with the barsof a 90s legend and 23rd century swagger. Seafood Sam is a true hero of modernity.
On his full-length album debut for up-and-coming label drink sum wtr (Kari Faux,Deem Spencer,Aja Monet) debut, Standing on Giant Shoulders, Sam splits the difference between Snoop Doggand D Angelo, Curren$y and David Ruffin. The songs reveal a forward-thinking sensibility rooted inancestral soul. He creates spiritual hymns for the streets that tap into universal ideals and irrepress-ible groove. In an era plagued by short-term thinking, his ambitions reveal a crate-digging depth ofmusic history and a meticulous ear for detail.
The giant shoulders in the albums title refer to James Brown, Bobby Brown, and Miles Davis theholy trinity who inspired Sams process. From the Godfather of Soul, Sam took a perfectionists rig-or and focus. The example of Bobby Brown lent an unshakeable confidence and self-belief. Whilethe constant artistic left turns of the trumpeter that birthed Ccool offered an aspirational archetype.The story starts in the glory days of Long Beach hip-hop. As a young child, the G-Funk erasoundtracked rides in Sams fathers car. Some of his earliest memories are trying to memorizeSnoops verse on Nuthin But a G Thang. Beyond gangsta rap, the LBC has historically doubledas a capital of lowrider soul and carwash oldies. At any intersection, you could hear Dogg Foodor Brenton Wood, Warren G or Barbara Lynn. This too was absorbed via osmosis. It also just sohappened that the art of performance was always in Sams blood. So at family functions, he and hissister supplied entertainment by singing karaoke renditions of The Isley Brothers. While his HarlemShake remains a thing of local lore.
Long Beach is a culturally diverse mecca of skate parks and gang life, street fashion and trickydance moves. This is the place that raised Sam on a diet of Wu-Tang and Nelly Furtado, Lil BowWow and Allen Iverson. He was the middle ground between his two older brothers: one who gang-banged, the other who graduated with a masters degree from UC-Santa Barbara.But it wasnt untilthe end of high school that Sam started to take rap seriously. Alongside long-time collaborators likeHuey Briss and Reaper Mook, Sams name began to make waves on the northside of the city, buthe was partially distracted by a modeling career that paid the bills and took him all to way to walk inParis fashion week.
The first turning point arrived with 2018s Ramsey, a self-produced, slick-talkanthem with over 10,000,000 streams across all platforms.With each subsequent release, Sam showcased his peerless consistency, building buzz both onlineand in the city streets. Spin hailed his smooth and unhurried cadences and understated lyricism...that sounds like nothing else in Long Beach. Clash raved about Sams evolution as an artist,cruising through nostalgic production with slick, witty rhymes.The culmination arrives with Standing on Giant Shoulders. Its the evidence of a master, a youngsensei in the model of Quincy Jones. All rhymes, singing, production, and arrangements werehandled by Sam with an assist from his close Long Beach kinsman Tom Kendall from the groupSoular System. Its hard-edged and lyrical enough for disciples of Larry June and Roc Marciano,but orchestral and melodic enough for fans of Anderson .Paak and H.E.R.
TRACKLISTING
01. Saylo
02. Cant Take the Hood to Heaven
03. Attack of the Dreadlocks (feat.Rae Khalil)
04. Lynns Lullaby (Interlude)
05. Brownskin Cinnamon
06. Grey Seas (feat. ReaperMook)
07. Cowboy Leather (feat.Pink Siifu)
08. Overseas Sam
09. Bullets from a Butterfly
10. Pearly Gates Playlist
11. Things Grandma Told Me
12. Bygones
13. Lagonda (feat. Goya Gumbani)
14. The Card Players (feat. Jayellz)
15. When I Met Rose
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