When the psychedelic hues of Jimi Hendrix meet the eccentricities of Future, an artist like Seddy Hendrinx comes out of the woodwork. It would be a disservice to refer to Hendrinx as simply a rapper because his intentions are not limited to hip-hop. “I'm gonna save music,” he says during his appearance in HNHH’s On The Come Up.
It’s a bold statement for any one artist to make, especially one whose yet to become a household name. But Seddy Hendrinx is different. He’s a visionary with an eclectic list of influences -- from Lauryn Hill to Lil Wayne and Chief Keef. The amalgamation of the array of artists is what turned his single, “LOWKEY” into such an infectious bop. It was this very single that commanded the attention of Jacksonville, and soon enough, the rest of America.
Like many, music was a form of escapism from the harrowing realities that he faced in his city. The death of a close friend at the hands of gun violence became a wake-up call to find a form of expression that he can use to vent. After stepping foot into the booth for the first time in 2016, thanks to close friend Lebanon G, Seddy Hendrinx found an outlet that allowed him to capture his thoughts creatively and push the boundaries.
His first taste of success came when Seddy Hendrinx delivered a freestyle to Bryson Tiller’s “Exchange.” At this point, the song slowly began bubbling across his city and turned him into the next up from Jacksonville. Though the support of his city is integral, the experiences are what drove his hunger.
“Coming from Jacksonville Florida, when you grow up how I grew up, go through what I went through you hungry for more,” Seddy Hendrinx explained. “Not being greedy but I want it all. And I’m hungry for it. So that’s how my city influenced my music and what it’s taught me.”
In the six years since launching his career, Seddy’s earned fans out of established acts. K Camp and Lil Poppa locked in with Seddy over the past few years. However, the release of Well Sed, a collaboration with DJ Drama under the Gangsta Grillz umbrella, put a new set of eyes on him as he traded bars with artists like Fivio Foreign and fellow Floridian, T-Pain.
However, he has ambitious plans for the future. Though he has plans to save hip-hop & R&B, there really isn’t any limits to what he plans to do next.
“To the moon and then past it,” he says. “I’m tryna take it all the way there, everything. That’s where my music gonna take me.”
Watch Seddy Hendrinx as he performs "LOWKEY for HotNewHipHop and peep his interview for "On The Come Up" below where he discusses his plans to save hip-hop, his musical journey, and more.
HNHH: How’d you get into music?
Seddy Hendrinx: I got into music losing one of my closest friends to gun violence and I wanted to find a way to express myself through music. Through whatever vessel at that time, I ain’t even know it was gonna be music but it ended up being music. So that’s how I got into it.
So what year was that?
I graduated in 2015. I lost him in what? 2013… 2013, 2010. So I started doing music… 2016 actually. I started doing music in 2016.
Tell me some of your musical inspirations. What inspired you to get into a band?
You got Lauryn Hill, you got Erykah Badu. You got Kanye West, Lil Wayne, T.I., Plies, Rick Ross, the list goes on -- Chief Keef. I got a good variety of people who really made me wanna do music. Hell, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, Future. I got a good little catalog of people. I got a top 10 of people who really made me wanna do music.
If a music fan were to discover you today, first time, what song should they go listen to?
“Lowkey.” First time ever discovering Seddy Hendrix, we gotta take them to “Lowkey.”
When you grow up how I grew up, go through what I went through, you hungry for more. You always gonna be hungry for more. You never satisfied, you want the newest of the newest and-- I want it all.
What was the turning point for you bro, where you kinda realized you were on your way to becoming successful? What was that moment where that light went off like, “Damn, I’m doing something right.”
First time I dropped a song called “Remember Me.” It was a Bryson Tiller “Exchange” remix in my city, in Duval County. That’s when I realized, “Oh sh*t.” I dropped a song the very next day, it was already at 14,000 views. The very next day. That’s within 24 hours. I’m staying up with my boy Lebanon G at his house, who also introduced me to the music, to the studio, all that, and he created me an email, everything. I didn’t know nothing about nothing, and we just stayed up all night, watching my phone go crazy with the reposts. And that’s when I knew I’m doing something right. My city really rocking with me. Let me keep this going.
You mentioned your city Duval county. Tell me a little bit more about your hometown and how it has influenced your music.
I love my city. Jacksonville, Florida influenced me to have patience, stay down, stay hungry. Always hungry and I want more. Coming from Jacksonville, Florida, when you grow up how I grew up, go through what I went through, you hungry for more. You always gonna be hungry for more. You never satisfied, you want the newest of the newest and-- I want it all. Not being greedy but I want it all. And I’m hungry for it. So that’s how my city influenced my music and what it’s taught me. Life, period.
Tell me about a valuable lesson you’ve learned during your come-up.
A valuable lesson I’ve learned during my come-up… I know this gonna sound real cliche but you can not take everybody with you, whether you love them or not. Can’t take-- everybody ain’t got the same vision. Like, you can’t be God. You gotta let God be God and let everybody find their path how they find their path. So, that’s what it’s taught me so far. The biggest lessons… patience, and I can not save everybody. I ain’t even finna waste my time to keep trying. [I] help who I can. If you cross my path, I’ll do what I can ‘cause I’m God’s child but other then that, just be patient with yours and let God be God.
Summarize your debut project, or single, song, and what inspired you to make that.
My project that’s out right now, newest one, is Well Sed, it’s also a Gangsta Grillz. What inspired that is because I wanted a Gangsta Grillz. I’m with DJ Drama. It’s only a few artists from Florida-- I think only one. Plies. Besides Plies, I’m the only artist from Florida to have a Gangsta Grillz stamped by DJ Drama. Well Sed was inspired really by – I wanted my mixtape to sound profound. I wanted it to sound well-rounded, I wanted it to be well-given. I just wanted it to be presented well. Like, I wanted everything about it to be d*mn near perfect, you know what I’m saying? So the “Well Sed” thing just came about off me wanting more and wanting more… perfection. Yeah.
I'm gonna save music, I’m gonna save Hip-Hop and R&B. I’m gonna save it.
Where do you hope your music career takes you?
To the moon and-- what my pops just said. Shoutout Florida Boy. To the moon and then past it. And then past that. Can’t go no past it in heaven so. I’m tryna take it all the way there, everything. That’s where my music gonna take me.
If you could create a dream song, unlimited budget, past or present artists, what would it sound like and who would you feature on it?
It would sound like some funk, gangsta, rhythm and soul. Funk, gangsta, rhythm and soul. And I’d have Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Michael Jackson, James Brown, and I want Kanye and Hit-Boy to produce it. I want Don Cannon and Leslie to mix it and No I.D. to mix it. And then I want Jay-Z and Rick Ross adlibs on it. That’s it.
Man, how long you been thinking about this song brother?
I’ma be real, man-- and how could I get Erykah Badu. So, you said unlimited. I gotta have Lauryn Hill come in there rapping, sing. I gotta have Erykah Badu come in and just talk, an intro. She gotta do that intro like a spell, how she be on. And then I’m good. Swag it out, then I’m good. Bruh, I really love music, and I love what those people did for music. It’s just something about it. It’s crazy. Them people some real G.O.A.T.s.
And then, Andre. I just want Andre in the video. I want Andre and Chief Keef just in the video. Like, just catch them doing them. Andre doing-- he too rowdy to even get on the mic, like all them G.O.A.T.s too but Andre chilling. Chief Keef chilling. Feel me? Then we good. That’s gonna be a crazy video, crazy song. We gotta make that happen. Use the dead [or] alive, use some of them vocals-- we’ll find a way.
That’s why you here my boy.
For sure. I’m trying to save it -- I’m not trying, I'm gonna save music, I’m gonna save Hip-Hop and R&B. I’m gonna save it.
If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring musician on the come-up, what would it be?
Don’t quit. Know that sounds cliche but don’t quit. Don’t stop. And have something worth giving to the people. In a world full of so many people doing the same thing and everybody claiming it’s so different, let the music speak for itself. Let your passion – whatever it is – speak for itself but do not give up. Keep going, have patience and grind ‘cause faith without work is undone. So if you really saying something and it’s really something you wanna do and it’s meant [to be], the opportunity will present itself and if you miss the opportunity go back and work hard until the opportunity presents itself again. Keep going.