Swavy is Cut From a Different Cloth

Check out the Toronto musician’s new single, “Have Her.”

Photo by Malique Stone

Since surprising the music scene with his debut album, A Different Breed, in 2023, Swavy has been a master of unpredictability. The Toronto rapper, while valuing his listeners’ feedback, refuses to be confined to a single sound. His music is a fusion of PARTYNEXTDOOR-esque melodies and trap beats, delving into personal topics such as relationships, struggles, and his journey in the music industry. With collaborations with Vory and PARTYNEXTDOOR lending their vocals to his tracks, Swavy is poised to become Toronto’s next musical sensation, a genre-bending superstar.

On Friday, Swavy unveiled his latest video for “Have Her,” a melodic single that echoes the styles of Don Toliver and Lil Baby but with Swavy's unique twist. Prior to these recent hits like “Can’t Be a Friend,” “Nights On Hill,” and “Hard To See,” he has garnered co-signs from some of the biggest names in the industry, including Drake, NAV, Future, and Meek Mill. This global recognition has not only solidified his position in Canada but also sparked excitement worldwide. 1202 MAGAZINE had the opportunity to chat with the rising star about his meteoric rise, recent music, and what’s next for the artist.

What’s the feedback been like since releasing A Different Breed?

Honestly, it’s been better than I expected. Coming from a kid who was making music in his mom’s basement, I just had a passion for getting music out no matter what. What I love most about it is reading DMs and comments from people where they say they feel like I’m a breath of fresh air and my music actually speaks to them. I take pride in that because I don’t want to make music that people can’t relate to. It’s been a great response. I’ve had celebrities reaching out to me and posting my tape everywhere. There have been a lot of connections from it.

Do you base a lot of your music on fans’ feedback?

Definitely. I listen to them, but I’m also a very versatile artist. So, I never try to stick too much to what they tell me. I want to give them surprises. I want to be able to drop music and they won’t know what’s coming. I feel like I’ve done that with my tape. My tape has shown them that I’m able to make any style of music. I’ve ventured off a lot of times in the studio to be creative. My process has been so different with taking more time to make the music. I’m all about quality over quantity.

You also have Vory on the album with some PARTYNEXTDOOR vocals. How did these collaborations and relationships come to be?

All of it was natural and genuine. Vory reached out to me when I put out a track called ‘Side Eye,’ which is funny because I recorded with PARTY there. He said he needed to hear this, so I sent the record before it came out. He was constantly playing it, and eventually, I ended up going to Los Angeles to get some work done. Vory was there at the same time. We linked up and realized we had a lot of similarities in our personalities. We have some anxiety putting music out sometimes. We made that song very quickly.

My story with PARTYNEXTDOOR goes deep. It was a full-circle moment. Before I was signed with Columbia, I was just making music and going broke for it. His manager reached out to me because PARTY told him I was fire. It was the first time anyone’s ever reached out to me. I remember sitting at home nervous to even talk to the guy. Nothing ended up coming out of it, but I learned to keep my head up. A year later, I get signed, my name goes crazy, and I see that same manager at a party. We get to chop it up, and he plays the beat for ‘Side Eye.’ I was humming the melodies, and he said, ‘You should just get on the beat.’ We started that in like ten minutes, but it came out so good.

You’ve been co-signed by Drake, Nav, Future, and Meek Mill. How has that helped you kickstart your career?

It was big and so crazy to be acknowledged by people that you idolized and always wanted to be one day. In the music game, it’s great having a core fanbase and having people pay their hard-earned money to come and enjoy their time with you. I never could have imagined it. I’ve always thought about moments like this, but when it came, I was still working all the time. When celebrities like Drake would post me, I would be wiping toilets and scrubbing walls. People probably thought I was in a mansion reading those posts, but I was working. I knew I had to keep grinding. It was an amazing feeling.

What was your job before your career skyrocketed?

I was a maintenance cleaner at a community center. They would call me on the walkie-talkie to tell me that someone had thrown up, and I hated it with a passion. I was so broke because I would miss work to go to the studio. I couldn’t do that for the rest of my life. I definitely took a risk, and it paid off.

When did your music journey begin, and what inspired you to start?

I was always musically oriented. I have a big family, and we grew up around everyone playing instruments and singing. My mom would sing and play the bass a lot. She would make me play the drums when I was five years old. Music has always been a passion of mine. Around 2020 before COVID-19, me and my boys were bored with nothing to do. We started going to the studio, having fun at first. It was nothing serious. I was rapping, and I wasn’t confident in my singing voice at all. Once I put the music out, it gained a little bit of traction. In 2020, I wanted to give up because I was taking it seriously, but nothing was happening. I was on the phone with my boy telling him I was going to quit. He told me not to quit because he felt like something big was going to happen soon. A week later, people and managers reached out.

You’ve mastered the art of blending rap, hip-hop, and R&B. What does that creative process when you’re experimenting with fusing these genres?

I get into a mind space. I think of a topic that hasn’t been spoken on. I’ll go into the studio and say whatever comes to my mind. A lot of times, I’ll play the beat. If I’m feeling the beat, I’ll freestyle some melodies and flows. I work really fast. I’ve had nights where I have four or five-hour sessions. We made ten whole songs. I have a lot of music. I work fast, but my process lately has been to try to take more time. The more music I make, the harder to pick what you want to drop.

Do your lyrics stem from personal experiences or scenarios?

Personal experiences. Whatever I’m going through at the time is the type of music I make. I want to make relatable music, and I don’t feel like people can relate to your music if it’s not actually something you’re going through. A lot of times, you can just feel it. My pain and any type of thought I have are all of my experiences.

Do you want to venture out to try any more genres?

I’ve been making more pop music. I’m always trying to expand. I never put myself in a box. Why not be the best at everything? You don’t have to only be good at rap. I’m an artist. I can make everything.

Do you also make beats, or do you work with producers?

I have producers, but I’ve definitely been hands-on lately. I’m very picky. If they were here, they would tell you I’m very picky when it comes to what I want. It can be frustrating for a producer because they may be accustomed to people who just like to get on a lot of things. But me, I feel like taking my time and precisely picking my beats.

Can you talk about some of your new songs?

‘Nights On Hill’ came out on May 10. ‘Hard To See’ released May 24. I’m trying to drop music every two weeks. I have a lot of music and I want to get it out. Summer’s heating up, so let’s get it out. ‘Nights On Hill’ is a club vibe. Grab a drink, have fun, turn up in the club, and forget what happened. ‘Hard To See’ is more R&B. It’ll have you crying in the whip while you’re driving. You’re gonna feel that one.

What are you looking forward to as your career continues to take off?

I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. I want to stay in the moment and stay focused. When things happen very fast, you forget everything you went through, especially when it’s in the pile of just one month. It’s all so new to me. Things happen so fast that I sometimes forget to enjoy the moment. A lot of people don’t get these experiences so early in their careers, so I try not to take them for granted at all.

I’m also working on some Swavy merch. I’m wearing it right now, and it will be coming out very soon. I’m working on another tape too. I’m a person that loves bodies of work. It’s like piecing a story together. Expect some good features.