Meet Rochester, New York’s own Slump6s, a rising star whose vision stretches from the past into the future
A man on a mission, Slump6s has had his sight focused on cementing a place for himself in music since he was a pup. Proving that age is much more than a number, the 18 year old hailing from Rochester, New York, began his journey studying videos of Michael Jackson. He would sit in front of the screen for hours, taking in every move, and committing the lyrics to memory. When it came to his family, the apple fell right next to the damn tree. Slump’s father, a producer in his own right, owned a recording studio in town. This space provided a plethora of opportunity for a kid finding his own musicality. By the age of 6, Slump had progressed from regurgitating to creating for himself, recording himself singing over the beats his pops had made. Usually around 5th to 6th grade, kids are given a choice: band, choir, or orchestra. Given the amount of time Slump had already dedicated to his voice, it might have seemed only natural he would end up in choir. Instead, Slump opted to go the band route. He initially wanted to play the saxophone, but with seemingly every kid wanting the same, he found himself in the brass section blowing on a trumpet. After figuring out he wasn’t going to be the next Louie Armstrong, Slump made the jump to percussion. Whether he knew it or not, Slump was setting himself up perfectly, learning about timing, rhythms and harmony, as well as overall composition that would pay off when he got to making music for real.
Slump6s was in 8th grade when he began dropping music on SoundCloud, just as the SoundCloud wave was beginning its crest. The impact the platform had on the hip-hop game can’t be overstated, changing the game forever by giving artists around the world the opportunity to drop music easily and for free. Entirely new genres and sub-genres and sub-sub-genres were created, creating more pockets for artists to find themselves than on a pair of cargo fishing pants. The most direct evidence of SoundCloud’s impact came when the 2016 XXL Freshman cover was dropped. Hate them or love them, almost all those artists have gone on to have (at a minimum) solid careers, if not blowing past superstardom. One such sub-genre, lets call it hype rap (not to be confused with the work of a hype-man) catering to the same type of kids who would have most likely been punk rock fans in the 1990’s, flourished as a place for the youth to come together and release the burdens of life. Home to artists such as XXXtentacion and Ski Mask The Slump God, there was something about the raw energy propelled through the genre that drew Slump6s in. Their presence on stage would kick start emotional vortexes in the crowd, a melding of energy into a greater force. Those were integral parts of those images that Slump has committed himself too. When Slump6s is on stage, the influences of XXXtentaction and Ski Mask The Slump God emerge full circle. Morphing from a rapper to a full blown entertainer the second the mic is in his hand, Slump is well on his way to becoming a household name as an entertainer.
As someone who grew up ensconced in social media, Slump realized early on that understanding the ebbs and flows of the internet was the key to unlocking the door to stardom. It is one of the numerous reasons Slump has gained a size-able following so quickly, having amassed 245,000 followers on Instagram and almost as many on TikTok (235,000). That understanding has helped him evolve his branding strategy, which really isn’t a strategy, it’s just Slump portraying his day-to-day life with no filters. Fans connect with the honesty, allowing his relevance to grow with each post allowing them a window into his mind. It is a beautiful reactionary cycle, Slump dropping organic, original content, receiving the support from his fans, and then continuing to delve even deeper into himself to pull out the highest levels of artistry possible. If Slump keeps evolving, there’s no doubt his combination of originality and dedication will allow him to leave a permanent mark on hip-hop.
SLUMP6S SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @slump6s
TikTok: @.slump6s
Music Linktree: https://slump6s.lnk.to/B4GEN
The Come-Up 