SymbaSyd Is “Enjoying Each Day As It Comes”

Written by Vocalo Radio on April 4, 2022

SymbaSyd spreads positivity with February single “Walk.”

SymbaSyd’s new single “Walk” is bringing her brand of serene R&B-infused hip-hop to Vocalo’s March “In Rotation” playlist. Hailing from the South Side of Chicago, she now resides in Nashville and has been releasing singles since 2020’s “Always.”

“Walk,” her latest release, sounds like what driving around on a sunny day with the windows down feels like. According to SymbaSyd, it’s about setting aside time for yourself to celebrate where you are in life. The song also features a killer verse from rapper Kelly2Face and placid guitar samples from producer DISC 2.

The track’s colorful accompanying music video matches its vibe perfectly, centering on SymbaSyd, Kelly2Face and DISC 2 rapping the song in the back of a pickup truck.

SymbaSyd is also a community activist, working with non-profit organization The Mechanical Licensing Collective to help ensure artists and publishers receive the mechanical royalties their music earns.

We talked with Symbasyd about her work with the Mechanical Licensing Collective, soundtracking for film and the making of her single’s music video.

Your bio says you grew up on the South Side of Chicago, but you’re also spending some time in Nashville. How would you compare the music environments of both cities?

This has actually become quite the hot topic recently! I would say that Nashville is naturally a great place to learn more about the music business, because a lot of the business is here. If I had to compare the two, I would say that Chicago has a huge amount of talent, and Nashville has that niche community/hub for connections. It’s not all country music like one might think!

In addition to making music, you’re also working on the business side of the music industry. Can you tell us a little bit about what you’re doing on that front?

Absolutely! I work for a new non-profit organization called The Mechanical Licensing Collective, The MLC. The MLC is designated by the U.S. Copyright Office to collect and distribute digital audio mechanical royalties to songwriters, publishers, etc., where I serve as a rights management specialist. I encourage all self-administered songwriters to sign up!

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A post shared by The MLC (@mlc_us)

You’ve said your new single “Walk” is about taking time to enjoy life and celebrate how far you’ve come. What’s your favorite way to relax and enjoy life when you can?

Walk is basically the opposite of Kelly and I’s song “Runnin.” After quarantine, I made a vow to never neglect my relationship with God or myself again. So nowadays, I’m not putting too much pressure on myself. I’m enjoying each day as it comes. I’m in a healthy relationship, I’ve been hanging out my family and friends and I found a great new church home. I also do puzzles — those are really calming!

We love the DIY style of your music video for “Walk.” Where and how was it filmed?

Thank you! We shot the video earlier in the fall. I loved the color of the leaves on the trees by Kelly’s house. One day after a studio session, I walked by his truck and randomly thought it’d be cool to shoot a video in the back of it. So, we called our talented videographer [Chris Evans], @chrisxvisuals, and put it in motion — literally! It was fun rapping up and down Kelly’s street in the back of a truck. It’s always an adventure with the Fear Ear gang.

Speaking of film, you’ve talked about how music supervision is one of your favorite aspects of film. Would you ever consider scoring a film or curating the soundtrack to one? And if so, what genre of film would you most like to score?

I would love to curate the soundtrack for a film or TV show. I’m always inspired by Black love films like Brown Sugar and Love Jones, and shows like “Insecure.” To me, the music can make or break a moment or scene. I have quite a few ideas I’d like to see carried out, and I hope to see my name credited as
music supervisor on a project one day!

It’s pretty clear from your social media that fans are always excited for SymbaSyd merch drops. If you could design one brand new piece of merch, what would it look like and why? Are there any other specific kinds of clothes or accessories you’d hope to have as merch in the future?

If I could design a new piece of merch, it would be a dad hat that says “Thank You, God” on it. Not only is it my personal tag, but it’s a simple, yet powerful praise. I’d put it on a hat because I feel like it would be the most visible, but I could also see it on other things like hoodies, t-shirts, etc. I’d like to see some cool shorts in the near future, especially since it’s getting warmer outside. That might be coming sooner than
you think, so stay tuned!

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A post shared by SymbaSyd (@symbasyd)

Do you have any upcoming shows in the works or anything else listeners should be on the lookout for in 2022?

The team and I are always working on new and exciting things! Definitely be on the lookout for new shows and music this year. There’s a special project we have in the works, but you’ll have to keep up with the socials to find out what it is!