Artist Spotlight: Santa Sallet

1. Tell us your story! What inspired you to become a rapper?

I was 12 and living in South Africa. I came home from school one day and saw the music video for "Gimme Some More" by Busta Rhymes. I didn't know what rap was at the time, and I was fascinated by what was happening on my TV screen. Here was this man, with high-energy, depicting all my favorite cartoons and going crazy to this track! I loved cartoons and Busta Rhymes showed me that it was possible to grow up and essentially be a living cartoon. Even though I did not know what he was doing, I knew that whatever it was, I wanted to do the same.

2. You’re working on releasing your first mixtape “Plutography: The Mixtape that Makes You Richer” under your label, MSP Records. What’s the mixtape about?

Plutography is essentially the B-Side to my upcoming album *C*R*E*A*M*. Plutography has all the songs that didn't make it onto *C*R*E*A*M*. It includes collaborations, freestyles, and some fun experimental songs. My first two projects, Plutography and *C*R*E*A*M* are about my success and failures with money. Plutography means the depiction of luxury and the lifestyle of the rich, with "Pluto-" being the suffix for money. I discovered this word when I was trying to find the words to describe my obsession with money. I am a Pluto maniac.

3. What are your thoughts about the music scene in the DMV area?

There is a solid underground music scene in DC. There are a lot of extremely talented musicians and artist who do not get enough recognition. With DC being the seat of the government, I think the DC market is a bit bougie for the underground scene though... I find that our community likes larger, organized events, where they can be "seen". The clout chasing vibe does not lend itself too well to upcoming artist who have yet to gain the clout they seek. Otherwise, I personally love it. I wish there were more opportunities to come together and collaborate.

4. What type of musician would you prefer to collaborate with?

I would prefer to collaborate with musicians who are open to experimenting. Let's make something weird. Let's push the boundaries. You can't be scared when exploring your creative side. I also want to work with artists who invest in marketing their craft and growing their career. As much as I love rapping, I am also trying to go places, so I need to surround myself with likeminded people. So, let's experiment, find something unique and awesome, and then let's go capitalize on it.

5. How do you feel DCMS can continue supporting the local music industry and beyond?

I think DCMS is doing a great job. I think the one thing artists can't get enough of is more outlets for their music. I think creating a database of people and more networking opportunities. For example, "speed dating for musicians", where it’s not dating, but more so a networking event where you can quickly meet a lot of people in an organized format to find opportunities to collaborate. So, more mixers. I think we try to have a lot of events and performances and what not, but sometimes it’s just nice to get together, chat, and connect.

6. What is one fun fact about you?

I love games. It doesn't matter what kind; I absolutely love games. It's not about the competition, it's more so about the strategy. It tickles me.

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