Few artists have made a more dramatic and entertaining entry into the office than Sosamann, leaping out of the elevator with an emphatic “OOOWEEE” and quickly reclaiming the space as HotNewDripHop. I soon learned what the sauce was all about. There was no telling when it would overtake his physical being, making him need to get up and drip it evenly throughout the room. It can't be turned off; not only is it the sauce the driving force behind his music -- it’s also a way of life, closer to a religion than anything, as Sosa would later explain.
Sosamann is a proud member of The Sauce Factory, a movement began by the Sauce Twinz that has now established itself as a leading -- and refreshing -- influencer in the new Houston scene and culture. Inspired by Fat Pat, Sosa is known to mix in melodic singing with his animated punchlines, switching up his flows in sync with whatever emotions the sauce has him feeling.
Earlier this year, around the same time as the release of his Sauce Eskobar mixtape, it was announced that Sosamann had become the newest addition to the Taylor Gang roster. It may seem like a strange fit at first, but Sosa has long idolized the style and work ethic of Wiz Khalifa, and he’s been intent on joining the Gang ever since he was introduced to Wiz by Trae the Truth about seven years ago. He’s now living out his dream.
Here he is. Sosamann, what's up man?
Just happy to be out here in New York. Tryna spill a whole lotta sauce, let them know what’s going on.
Let’s talk "Sauce Eskobar," the new tape. How has it been received in Houston?
They love it, you know? My town behind me. And then when it first dropped it excited me to the max for the simple fact that I didn’t think the city was gonna get behind me like it did. It was more than just the city. It was other states and other towns that was tweeting me and hitting me with the DMs that they got it. And then recently I got it on iTunes, so people still grabbing it, putting it on, saying that they got it and shit. It’s just a proud feeling.
So it's been a lotta love?
Right right, and I been seeing it grow. The love grow and the fans grow. I just been seeing my growth.
What was the inspiration for "Sauce Eskobar"?
It was really supposed to be "Sauce Chapo." But everybody started taking that El Chapo lane, so I ain't really wanna do that. And it was around the time when the whole "Narcos" Netflix thing was hot, and the Pablo Escobar love on TV shows. So I just learned about him and how he just wasn’t about the drugs and that bad side. He was about his family and his friends, and he wanted to grow and be rich. That’s like what I am with the sauce. I just wanna see everybody do it big in this, and make a whole bunch of money before our time comes. Get more fans and do this for everybody. That’s what the tape really means -- Sauce Eskobar -- so that’s where I got that from. A feeling I got from his aura by watching.
Let's take it back to the beginning of The Sauce Factory. When did you meet the Sauce Twinz?
I'm in something called DBG, Dope Boy Gang. Twinz, they was TSF. They had the little movement going, the little sauce movement. We was all just coming up in the streets. We all had our little buzz in the town, but wasn’t nobody really so serious with the music. It came from Rizzoo Rizzoo and them, who had they little movement on the Northside. So we all had came together, we all had flavor. We all had our own sauce, and it all just happened like it happened.
One time we was all in the studio together, we all just was spitting making music together, and it happened in time. We was all kicking it, we all became brothers, and got on with each other. We all just -- the sauce movement started taking over. I would say like it all happened at once. The sauce movement -- we all put it out there as one.
Was the first big sauce song "Flava in Ya Ear"?
Yeah, that was like the first sauce song that really just caught a buzz in the city. That was the first song that was out there that really made everybody see the movement, like, oh, they really got some flavor for our ears. Shout-out to Rizzoo Rizzoo, too.
What was life like before you got into music?
Man, before all this, it was rough. I can’t really explain, I just had a hard life. I was out doing my thing, hustling, doing how I do. Getting in trouble. But I thought about a way out, and I seen other people around me -- how the superstars did it with music. And I love music, I’m a fan of music, just from what it does to me. It helped me get into another element where I’m not worried too much. Sort of like my trees, it put me into another element where I’m not really worried about all the bumps going on in my life.
So before the music, it was just me tryna make money, tryna run the streets. Me just being hot-headed, but I had to make a way out. I got tired of getting in trouble. I finally grew up and figured out that trouble wasn’t good. That’s what was before that, a whole bunch of violent stuff.
I know I've heard Sauce Walka say that he was saved by the sauce. Is that how you feel?
It’s a religion. It’s a whole new lifestyle that we live now. Like I said, the lifestyle before this, before the sauce, we had a rough lifestyle. That mean we tryna get up out of it still. Like my brother said, the sauce saved us. We got a real reason now to do what we doing. Cause now the people love the sauce, and now we got a big movement that’s around the world that’s going global, which is the drip. We gotta keep it going cause we can’t give up on the people now -- they already love us, they digging the drip. So we cant let nobody else take the drip and run with it. Yeah, the sauce saved us for real.
There have been allegations about people stealing the sauce, the drip...
--Well I wouldn’t say they stealing it, I’m saying it’s contagious. Once they is hit, there’s no help. They got to do something like it. But they drippin' now, and I love it. I’m not gonna sit up here and complain about it, or try to make somebody stop it. Whoever drippin', stay drippin', keep spilling that sauce. But just acknowledge who it came from. PUT SOME RESPEK ON IT!
So your only issue is about paying homage?
When the homage is not paid, that's when we have to say a little something.
You and Walka teamed up with Migos for "On Top." Does the sauce movement get a lot of love in Atlanta?
Yeah I love Atlanta, man. Shout-out Atlanta. I love Atlanta a lot. They love us out there. I mean, we different. People at first, they was tryna compare us to Atlanta, but it was just so different. Our movement was so different. When the Screwed Up movement hit Houston, we coulda came with that, with the same type of flow that they came with. We different. It’s a new day and age, and a new time, especially in our city. So we had to put out our mark and leave something that they gonna remember forever. So that’s what we doing with the sauce.
Some uninitiated listeners might think that the sauce is all about turning up, but there's some real heartfelt energy that y'all bring to the music.
They feel that, too. I mean, we don’t make the lyrics some spiritual songs, but we make songs from the heart, from our point of view. But you still gonna feel it. Some of my songs on Sauce Eskobar, they come from the heart, and they different. If they feelin' it, they gon' vibe off it regardless. If it’s something that they can relate to, and that’s what we do.
I was thinking like "Just Wanna Win."
BING!
And "I'ma Get It"
BINGGGG!
Those are deeper, more introspective songs.
Right. Cause I’m reflecting on the times when I came from nothing. When I had nothing. Now look at my life. So I’m just letting people know it’s possible. Especially the people that come from the corners and the projects and from the bottom where I'm from. It is possible. All you gotta do is keep going, stay humble, and drippin' your flavors. Keep on how you do, things gon' prosper for you. On sauce.
Something that sets your personal style apart is your melody and different singing flows.
Right. It’s good that you peeped that out. Yeah, I love to go into singing. Growing up I listened to Fat Pat -- he used to sing and rap. I always wanted to do that. I always thought about when I rap, I'ma sing and rap just like him. But it’s gonna be my way. It’s gonna be my flavor. You know I got into doing it, and I finally caught my snap with it. I love doing that.
Tell me about your process when you get into the studio.
I gotta have my 93 now, and then I gotta have my red lean. I gotta be comfortable. Then it's just -- I might wanna say what I’m doing today, might wanna rap what I’m doing today. I might wanna rap about something I been through. I might wanna rap about something my homie been through, somethin' they made it out of. It’s just about how I’m feelin' when the beat cut on, what type of flavor that they can give me to marinade in. If it’s the right flavor, the right seasoning, the right sauce in it, it’s gonna come out like gumbo pie. They gon' love it.
I saw you were recently in Hollywood for the "I'ma Get It" video, kicking it with Taylor Gang.
It's Gang Gang for life. I was out there just vibing with the gang. Brought out my family, doing music out there. Messing with my brother Wiz. Just vibing, dripping, adding flavor to the game. Being there so everybody can catch my drip.
So I think the big deal -- you signing to Taylor Gang -- happened in March or so, but it had been in the works for a while before that. When did you first meet Wiz?
I first met him in like 2009 or 10. With Trae the Truth. He had introduced me to Wiz. I was just a kid that was hustling in the projects, doing my thing, grinding. And I was listening as I was hustling. It was so different because my friends would come in, and they ain't know nothing about him. So when they come in, and I’m jamming him -- you gotta think, they jam screw and slow music and all this Jeezy, like trap music. When I was jamming Wiz, people was looking at me weird, like, "Damn, who is this guy you listening to"? I always was a fan of his music.
And one day Trae wanted me to meet him in Houston, and he called me like, “Wanna go meet the Wiz dude you was told me about?” So I’m like, “You gotta come pick me up and take me with you!” He had took me out there to meet him, and from there on, I knew. I went out there with my camo shorts on, my Chuck Taylors. I knew what was going on. From there, I just kept in touch with him. Never lost contact.
How old were you back then?
I'm 26 now. I was like 20 when I met him.
So you've known Wiz for a long time.
Right, but then my music started. At the time, I was just a young cat that was in the streets. When I start doing music about two years ago, I see it start growing. And one time Wiz came back -- he did a show in Houston, then he had came back to the club afterwards, and my song got played in the club. And the club went brazy. The next morning, when he had a little time, I guess he was at Walmart or something, and then he had posted on Instagram and said "Did a Lot of Shit" -- the song was called "Did a Whole Lot." He had posted that on his Instagram standing on a basket at Walmart, and ever since then, I seen he fuck with my music. That’s what’s going on. I knew then. I knew I wanted to be there.
Has anything changed with the Sauce Twinz since your new situation [with Taylor Gang]?
Nah, that's never gonna change. They my family, my brothers. I’m sauce forever.
What do you see yourself bringing to the Taylor Gang team?
Flavor. Something different. I don’t sound nothing like them, but I’m fit for it. I been wanted to be Taylor Gang. I smoke 93 all day, I'm fit for it. I want them to show me the rights and wrongs of this, and lead me down the right path.
Was "Not the Vine" an in-studio collab with Wiz?
Yeah, I think bro was sleeping while I did that. He woke up out his sleep like, "I'ma get on that." "Yeah you can get on that!" And he just jumped in the booth and did his thing straight outta his sleep, like he was dreaming or something, like he was working in his sleep. Shout-out to Mr. Cap, he a hard worker, man, especially with his music. I sit and watch him all the time. I learn a lot from watching things, my eyes catching things. Like I be watching Cap, and he a hardworking man.
You were able to get a couple of Taylor Gang producers on "Sauce Eskobar."
Yup, shout-out to Sledgren, man. And my boy Ricky P!
Having those guys on the team has opened up a new sound for you.
Right. I just marinade it in they flavors. You can give me techno beat, anything, I'ma add the splash.
I've heard you and the Twinz say that you don't call yourselves rappers. What's different?
We give the fans life. There you see it. We make a movie, we make 'em speak a whole new -- you know when they in church and they speak that [speaking in tongues] “sha-la-la-la-la” -- we speak Sauce-a-nese, know what I'm sayin', kickin' flavor -- Sauceome. Saucetastic. Saucetacular. We gotta whole sauce Bible to this, rules and regulations to this, commandments to this thing that we doin'. It’s a religion at the end of the day, something we live by.
Sosamann, thanks for coming by. Give us the lowdown on the new music you've got coming our way.
I got a lot of collabs coming. I’m really just finna keep on workin' Sauce Eskobar and drop more videos. Then my next tape, I'ma give y'all Sauce the World. Twin got his Holy Sauce gon' drop. Rizzoo Rizzoo got Flavor God on the way. Khalifa out right now. Rolling Papers 2 on the way. Chevy got something he finna drop real soon. We just working. Both my teams, we just working.