Image via EMPIRE
Steven Louis appears courtesy of Clutch Sports.
Siete7x’s music forms something of an informal Compton Smithsonian museum, and Stucc in the Hole is his audio tour guide with a sapphire blue headset.
The latest full-length is confident, chilly and chamberized. “Feelin’ Me” will be reserved for future barbecues and summertime 405 drives. “Keep Going” is ready for Lakers or Clippers arena warmups. The flow is woozy and the rhythms have traces of 106 & Park-era commercial R&B. But this is a local affair through and through — the features include Bono Rideux, Kalan.FrFr, Lefty Gunplay, Wallie The Sensei and RJMrLA, while Siete himself is something of a self-taught street historian wise beyond his 27 years.
“We in my hood, The Hole,” he says to open the mixtape. Siete confidently recites all the history within his block of Lantana Street. Sure, he’s partial to the money and the women, but the point of all this is continuance of a radical Black tradition.
Much of the rap world found him through Kendrick Lamar’s “Dodger Blue,” the GNX ode to everything south of the 10. He’s on the hook along with fellow Comptonites Wallie The Sensei and Roddy Ricch. It’s a great look — an alley-oop, Siete calls it — but one that’s long in the making.
I linked with Siete outside the Supreme store on Sunset Blvd. We discussed the specific visions for his forthcoming career and why he’s prioritizing patience even with the recent national exposure.
“He respects the game, the politics, the craft and the OGs. The whole nine,” RJ tells me after shopping with him. “He really studies everything about rap and street politics and West Coast history. That’s something I admire about him. Most young guys are running around with their head cut off. But this guy is really trying to be a better man.”
He’ll headline the Santa Ana Constellation Room on April 26, and expects to drop new projects throughout the year. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.