Review Fix Exclusive: Sam Adams Interview

Without traditional radio exposure or a promotion campaign, Boston-born Rapper Sam Adams topped the iTunes Hip-Hop chart back in March with a preview of his full length debut album. With the immediate success of ‘Boston’s Boy,’ released in July with four new tracks, Adams is currently touring the states.

From busing tables to making records, Adams, a political science major at Trinity College had a lot on his plate. Working diligently with his high school best friend, Alex Stern, the two created demos and promoted him across college campuses and the internet. Luckily, someone pirated and unloaded a song Adams wrote ‘I Hate College’ (a remix of Asher Roth’s single) to YouTube gaining three million hits in three months.

Inheriting his creative talent from his parents, music has been apart of his life since the age of six, playing the piano and drums. Not even an artistic mother and a father who plays the drums could have prepared Adams for his sudden rise in the music industry.

“When I wrote ‘I Hate College’ the immediate response we got from three million people in the span of six/seven months; it was such an amazing feeling having a song be that popular. It gave me confidence to write music,” said Adams. “After that it was like, ‘Wow we have an audience.’ We went around the country before I was out of school, did small venues at different schools and it came together.”

Zack Johnson, CEO of 1st Round Records, a pup label among the sharks, scouted Adams while he was free styling on the beach in Nantucket, Mass. Talk about being at the right place at the right time.

“He [Johnson] was like ‘I have a friend down in USC that wants to fund you and start a record label.’ I thought that was a little far-fetched. You can’t just build a record label,” he said. “We’re obviously a young label so we have a lot to learn. I got hooked up with them by luck. Zack’s been a friend of mine and he’s believed in me. My investor out in LA took a leap of faith and nailed it.”

Selling 200,000 copies of his single, “Drive Me Crazy,” and 39,000 combined copies of digital and physical albums, the 22-year-old not only stunned himself, but his label consultant and publicist who have been in the business for 11 years. Never have they seen sales escalate 15 to 30 percent after months of circulation.

“It’s cool to go on iTunes and see my white ass on the cover with all these other guys who are on major labels that I look up to. It was overwhelming when I was at number one. I got on a plane to LA and in the middle of the air I signed on to WiFi Version America and I’m number three overall. I was like how does this happen? Then it dawned on me with 12,000 fans. I think we did 8,000 in the first week,” said Adams.

By jotting down everyday occurrences in his Blackberry, Adams is able to knock out two verses and a chorus in just 20 minutes.

“All the stuff on the record and on the new mix-tape and the new record coming out they’re coherent. They’re not scattered lyrics. They all have to do with the same thing,” he said. “Learning how to do that was the hardest part. A lot of people didn’t like some of my other songs before I dropped my album. I had to step it up and become a more mature experienced writer. I realized the best way to do that is to write what you live.”

‘Boston’s Boy’ is unable to be categorized into one specific genre as it is a culmination of different sounds. The album ranges from high energy beats of ‘Comin’ Up’ and give you a glimpse into his mind with ‘Just Love Here’ describing the emotions he battled while pursuing his music.

“It’s my introduction to hip-hop. At the same time it’s my introduction to creating this new genre. If you listen to the album it’s not just a rap album or a hip-hop album, but it’s not a pop album or dance or electronic,” he said.

Adams’ professors were understanding when he took time off from attaining a 3.3 GPA and the Trinity soccer team to go on tour with rappers Snoop Dogg and Drake.

Setting out on his own two month end of summer tour, Adams has sold out about 90-95 percent of his shows since the release of his album.

“It’s incredible being in front of a sold out crowd you know loves you. Seeing the openers; knowing how it feels to be an opener that’s something I definitely took into account with the kids who were opening for me,” he said. “I wanted to talk to them, because I was in their shoes six months ago. In terms of sold out venues, 3,000 people came to see me in my hometown. Selling out a venue that hadn’t been sold out in two months is wild.

A celebrity among the college crowd while on the College Tour, Adams’ success comes from his ability to stay grounded and focused. When he gets time off from performing and recording, Adams enjoys clowning around with his friends from back home just like old times.

“Modesty and determination and gradually building confidence. Learning from my mistakes in terms of shows. I watch the crowd; see what they react to,” he said. “But definitely surrounding myself with the same friends I had before I had some fame. That’s one of the most important thing, because my boys just shit on me and make me feel like I’m not important and it’s just great.

With a hit debut album, a sold out tour and a new mix-tape on the way, the only thing left on Adams’ agenda is to take over popular radio stations. ‘Still I Rise,’ a track off of ‘Boston’s Boy’ is in the process of being pushed to JAM’N 94.5, a favored Boston radio station with the goal of making it on America’s Top 40 count down.

“I’ve only been doing this nine months, plus Posner has that huge song on the radio and that came out almost two years ago. It got redone and remixed. I think we’re probably going to get somebody huge to do a remix and try to go to radio with that. We’re testing the waters still with radio to see how people are reacting. But it’s a machine [the music industry], so it’s frustrating when you can’t get on radio, because it’s the only thing we’re really missing.”