Sheckwes is undoubtedly “coming up” in the rap scene, having performed with Migos, the 18 year old shows promise through his different take on rapping. Sheck uses hard hitting vocals to achieve a story through his music. Sheck agreed to have an interview with me for the school newspaper. He was in Los Angeles so I facetimed him later that week with a set of questions.
A: Who is Sheckwes?
S: A brand, a person who influences others to be themselves to do the right thing, who vibes and loves and lives his music. Having fun and being a kid that’s what being Sheckwes is.
A: Where did you grow up?
S: I grew up in Harlem and in Milwaukee. I would do my school year’s in Milwaukee and I would do my summer’s, spring and winter breaks in Harlem with my father… I moved back to New York when I was 13 and I’ve been there 5 years… So I was raised between two cities.
A: So you like Harlem more than Milwaukee?
S: I love Harlem, Harlem is me Harlem is always me.
A: What can you look forward to?
S: Um.. I don’t know, doing music and getting to the point I’m at right now, I’ve only been doing this for a short while. I’ve only been releasing music and being an artist for a short while. I was in Africa I came back from Africa, it was stressful but a real learning experience it shaped me into who I am. I was going through a religious study there for four months.
A: Sheckwes but I like listening to some people like James Brown, Bobby Schmurda, 808s & Heartbreaks I listen to makonnen.
A: Makonnen’s so good.
S: Yeah.
A: You listened to his two new songs?
S: I think, I might have. He’s so gay now, he’s so flamboyant with it.
A: He looks so different, he lost so much weight.
S: Yeah.
A: Why do you rap?
S: It was a hobby I was into before I was playing basketball and basketball is one of my many loves. Rapping made me feel good, it made me feel good when people sang my lyrics and when people dm me telling me I inspire them and like they be fuckin like mother’s dming me like “Hey my children listen to your music.” Like that shit why would you not want to keep doing that?
A: Yeah, how is L.A?
S: Sick, I freestyled for 41 minutes straight.
A: Are you serious?
S: Yeah and a 15 minute track.
A: What is something in your life you still want to do?
S: I want to go to every single continent except for antarctica.
A: How many continents have you been to so far?
S: I only haven’t been to south america and I only haven’t been to Australia.
A: Wow, so you’ve been to like…
S: Yup every continent almost.
A: Oh that’s right you went to Hong Kong right?
S: Yeah, I’ve been to Asia, I’ve been to Africa.
A: How was Hong Kong?
S: Probably one of my favorite cities n***** word, crazy lit. I was the only black person there. A rare sighting.
Sheck had to eat lunch so this is all I got. Sheckwes continues to inspire and create great music. He recently signed with Cactus Jack music and Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music.