Before Christmas, I did a post on a song by S’eye called Abstract Soul (Standing Tall). I found S’eye to be a fascinating guy. This is mainly because of where he started in life and where he is now. Therefore, I invited him back for an interview post. I know this will inspire and enthral many of you, so I was very eager to have this post written and published here on Krannaken.com, especially for you.

If you missed the post about Abstract Soul (Standing Tall), you can find it here. You can find information on our interview posts here if you are also interested in doing an interview on Krannaken.com.

So, let’s get into the interview…

The Interview With S’eye

Where Were You Born?

S’eye: I was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on September 20th 1996 🙂

Are your parents or your siblings musical too? What do they play? What genres inspire them?

S’eye: My entire family was built on music. This is a blessing because it has shaped me into the person I am today.

It initially started with my dad, who was a Harmonium player, Tabla drummer, singer & composer of a traditional Pakistani music genre called Qawalli. Qawalli is based on poetic lyrics about life, love and God. There is a group of musical composers, singers and instrumentalists on a stage, generally sitting (like a band) and playing all in sync.

So in my early days, my family would throw these vast events where my father would play and sing for thousands of people. From that first concert, I attended, a musical need was put in my life. As a child, I would dance, sing and embrace myself in this beautiful musical presence called Qawalli.

My older brother VizionVV first started to continue the legacy as a rapper/singer and created a storm in the industry, with me by his side as a producer. Unfortunately, we had many opportunities aligned for us, but covid hit the entire world hard, which put everything we worked for on halt. But I turned something terrible into a blessing because as the world was on lockdown, I was growing and shaping my artistry into who I am musically today. I can’t wait for what the future holds.

How old were you when you first took an interest in music?

S’eye: The first time I took an interest in music was in the early stages of my life when I was around 5. I would be on stage, playing the drums with my dad. They were simple drum loops at the time, but it had sparked the essence of music in my blood.

What is the earliest song you remember from your childhood?

S’eye: Definitely, either a qawalli song that my father would perform, which was called Allah-Hoo, Allah-Hoo, Allah-Hoo by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Sultan Khan, or it was a song from Tarzan called You will be in my heart, by Phil Collins. That was my go-to movie as a child, haha.

What is your favourite memory of music as a child?

S’eye: My favourite memory would have to be when people used to throw money on stage when I was up there with my father. I would say I like The finer things in life, but I would definitely back up the statement that money is NOT everything and that you don’t need money to find happiness. It can definitely HELP you find it, but generally, it is all personal preference. I like to say the financial struggles my family and I had been through built me. Hard times build character, and I would rather work my way up and have a story than have things given to me.

Where did you live as a child?

S’eye: My living situation as a child was all over the place. I have moved so many times and gone to 6 elementary schools. Moved almost 14+ times, year after year after year. From a one-bedroom rat-infested apartment with a family of seven in a van into motels to even beautiful homes for periods at a time.

I consider all these complete blessings. I am a man of experience, and honestly, I always embraced being the new kid. It forced me to be outgoing and challenging and to always stand up for myself. In addition, the friends I have now are a complete blessing. Natasha, Asim, Tyrel, Praveen, Cj, Thomas, and Shane are just a few names of the people I wouldn’t have met if I didn’t move all those times. So would like to thank God for giving me the courage, strength and reason to get through the times when I didn’t understand.

What was the financially poorest situation in your childhood?

S’eye: As a child, there were definitely many ups and downs. Financially specifically, I remember having to use the stove as a heat source because our hydro was cut off. Living in hotels when the 08 crash occurred, water being cut off. Cold showers for months at a time. But I got to say the blessing in this was after two months of cold showers; I got to say having a hot shower for the first time was literally unexplainable. This was during winter, so when that hot water touched my skin, it felt like heaven. So much so that I purposely tried to take cold showers as a kid for weeks at a time to mimic that one feeling. LOL.

Regardless of my situation, we had food. We had water. When it came down to it, my parents did whatever we needed to do to keep us safe and full! Our situation, compared to others, is not even close to bad, so I have to say I am incredibly grateful and extremely blessed for everything that has been given to me.

How did your poor situation impact on your life and your music?

S’eye: Being in situations where money was an issue growing up shaped me into the man I am today. I understand how it feels. It taught me the struggle. And the saying I follow is, “hard times build character”.

I never judge people and respect everyone for who they are, no matter their financial situation. Everyone is human. Everyone has a heart, and everyone has been through something that we have no idea about. So treat everyone with respect. For all we know, our kindness has saved hundreds of lives, and we don’t even know it. Compliments and small kind gestures really make a difference. I wouldn’t say I like to put it out there, but I love helping and try to help wherever possible.

I don’t like the word “charity”. The term “charity” feels like you’re putting someone or something below you. Instead, I say a favour or help. This is because whenever I do something, I ask the person to do the same to someone else when they are capable. It keeps the cycle going.

How did you do in school? What was your most significant educational achievement?

S’eye: Humbly, I’m proud to say I did very well in school. I was always on the honour roll, which I could say I am proud of. My most significant educational achievement would probably be making it into a national tournament. Long story short, we had to pick a Canadian topic and write an essay/project about it. And apparently, mine turned out very well, making me compete nationally with the other students.

On Spotify, you have 645 monthly listeners right now. What is your best advice to new and aspiring artists to get that many listeners?

S’eye: The advice I would give all other artists is to NEVER STIOP BELIEVING IN YOURSELF! I believe this is the most important in achieving success in the music industry because, as an up-and-coming artist, you can easily get discouraged when you put so much time, effort, emotion and thought into a project. No one wants to listen to it. You want to give up, you think no one cares, and to be frank with you, most people don’t.

Most people only look at your success and don’t bother to look at the struggles that got you there. There are billions of sheep and only hundreds of lions in this world. In other words, there are more followers than leaders. The followers only look at your success to deem you a leader (in their eyes). But with belief comes a plan. With a solid plan comes consistency and dedication. Keep on that path, and you will get where you want to be with patience.

I release a song every two weeks, and it’s hard. Extremely hard, but if I don’t chase my dreams or slacking off, I am disrespecting and letting down the people who believe in me. Network, collaborate, help people in need, and make some good ass music. It will get heard with consistency and professional content.

On YouTube, you have 1,270 subscribers. What is your best advice to new and aspiring artists who want to grow their YouTube channel?

S’eye: Just like increasing Spotify listeners, YouTube generally has the same strategy in addition to investing in quality content! You have to invest time and money in getting professionally done content. You have to invest in yourself, or no one will! Thus, producing high-quality content. Get a proper music video done with stunning visuals that amplify your song. People will take you more seriously, and so will you!

Do you use any marketing tools to grow your YouTube and Spotify numbers? If so, what are they, and how much do you pay?

S’eye: I haven’t used too many marketing tools, but I will definitely venture into playlist placement. I heard nothing but good things about it, as it organically increases your following. I will keep everyone updated when I start using that service. 🙂

If you could write a letter to your 14-year-old self, what would you say and what would you advise yourself?

S’eye: I wouldn’t go too deep because I do like who I am today but more along the lines of “Don’t be a WUSSY, go to Muay Thai. Get some fights in! Music is your passion; you will realize it three years from now, so learn how to produce and start releasing! Also, start going to the masjid more!” haha.

What is your best advice to new and aspiring artists?

S’eye: For all aspiring musicians, the simple yet more forward-driven method I use is If you are truly dedicated, passionate and genuinely believe in yourself (Those are the first steps in achieving any goal), then you must leave no retreat.

Any plan B you have, take it out of existence. There is no plan B, only plan A. It’s only success or death. You must push and want it so bad that you will never give up. Giving yourself no other option but success in your goal pushes you to limits beyond what you thought you were capable of.

What is your biggest ambition as a music artist?

S’eye: My biggest ambition as a musical artist is to help people become who they are meant to be, honestly. I do care about the fame, and the money, of course, haha. But changing people’s lives or helping them through my music would definitely be my biggest ambition. One of my sayings is, “music is a language we all understand, so this is how I will communicate”.

Are you open to collaborations on musical projects with other artists?

S’eye: Yes! I am absolutely open to all collaborations. Let’s create a masterpiece. Anyone interested in collaborating can email my team at Asielum@hotmail.com.

Where and how can people reach out to you?

S’eye: Social media, email, or you can come to one of my Dj sets to see me perform live 🙂 All social media links are as follows: Instagram: Youtube: Spotify: Email: Asielum@hotmail.com

Thank you for reading this post on the life of S’eye. Please click the link if you would like to be interviewed on Krannaken.com.