Since he emerged on the scene in 2018 with his debut project Death B4 Dishonor Loyalty Over Everything, Seddy Hendrinx has been on a steady upward trajectory. Now signed to Generation Now, home to rap superstars Jack Harlow and Lil Uzi Vert, Seddy – whose namesake was influenced by the generations-separated legends Jimi Hendrix and Future – is enjoying the fruits of his labor after releasing his highly-anticipated project Well Sed on Wednesday (July 13).
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“Sound-wise, it sounds like a level-up from my last project — this one’s more singing, getting back into my cul-de-sac,” he says. “It’s just a different separation, just like a level up. Sound-wise, the beat selection, the cadence of how rapping… It’s different.”
Known for his interpolated R&B melodies and trap-laden raps, Hendrinx received nationwide attention for his various releases over the last four years, most notably his 2019 single “LOWKEY.” The melodic scorcher racked up 15 million views on YouTube and created a buzz for the Florida upstart.
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“When “LOWKEY” dropped for the first time, that song hit everybody — like it was all over the USA,” Hendrinx tells Billboard. “There is not one part of the USA that didn’t know about “LOWKEY.” When that hit, it went crazy. And so many people were just like, ‘Yo bro, you going places.'”
In 2019, he followed up his debut with Roots II, Black Hearted Demon, and his latest project Sayless in 2020, which included an impressive list of features, including Gunna, Jack Harlow, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, G Herbo, and 24Hrs. Now, Hendrinx hopes to follow in Harlow and Uzi’s footsteps to become the third star from the burgeoning Generation Now label, with his 10-track Gangsta Grillz effort, which features Fivio Foreign and T-Pain.
“It’s been more opportunities. It’s been a family. It’s been all those,” says Hendrinx regarding his deal with Generation Now. “And I’m just striving, working every day to try to solidify a spot in this. And I feel real good knowing I got the goats behind me.”
Billboard caught up with Hendrinx to discuss his new album Well Sed, being part of Generation Now, some gems he’s picked up from labelmates, and what surprises him most about his journey in music so far.
What’s the meaning behind the album name?
How it came about was: I went to the office and I was asked the same question by my manager. He was like, “What do you want this project to mean? What is the meaning of it?” And I said, “I want this to be well-thought-out, well-planned, well-organized.” And I kept saying, “well, well, well….” But we said [Well Sed] and it was like, bam! That’s it.
You’ve been described as having your own unique sound. How do you think that growing up in the Sunshine State helped shape or influence that?
I grew up on the East side and the Southside of Jacksonville, Florida. That’s where I get all my pain, my struggle, my everything. My motivation was just being able to go back and look at everything I would do in the city, and everything I saw outside the city that I wanted for myself. When I used to look at the rappers on TV, or the stuff that my sister used to look up to, or the things that my mama used to want all the time, I just realized that I wanted to be the one to do this for my family. Jacksonville will always be my core go-to for inspiration.
My background is also Haitian and Bahamian. When you hear me do the little raspy sound or sometimes, it sounds like my voice cracks a little bit — that comes from Sizzla and Buju Banton. My mama used to listen to them a lot growing up – that’s the reggae and Bahamas side. I never listened to that much zouk music, because I wasn’t raised by my father. But I always knew my culture. So those play a big role in my music.
You recently went back to your hometown and performed on stage with Nardo Wick and Lil Poppa. How was it being back home and performing for your city?
It was wonderful. It’s always a blessing when you can go back to your hometown and get to sing a song and they are singing it word-for-word. It was a surreal moment. It is like an accomplishment. It made me feel like I’m ready to go. When I leave, I can go back out to the world with the S on my chest, and I got my city on my back. It’s like getting a battery put back in your back.
Do you prefer being in the studio or performing on stage?
I’m starting to fall in love with that stage. I’m starting to really love that stage just as much as I love the booth. But I always choose the booth over the stage, because that’s my real creativity. I feel like the more I get more comfortable with the stage, and being able to bring out toys and fire and sparks and all that — I’m able to say I think I like performing it more than actually creating it.
You were popping in the underground scene for a while. When was the moment when changed things for you?
Actually, I was outside networking, definitely networking a lot. But it was “Lowkey” that changed everything.
Do you feel like you’ve gotten any advice from any of your labelmates or people that have influenced your journey?
Yeah, I’ve gotten advice from my label. Jack [Harlow] told me when I asked him — I was like, “What do you think I need to do if you’re outside looking in?” He was like, “Bro, you’re doing excellent. You know how to capture [the audience].” But he told me to dive in more. Get more deep into it. Stay on topic throughout a whole song. Then, I got other advice from my manager who told me to stop going live all the time [on Instagram] playing new releases, because it’ll help your stuff go way more crazy if they know they aren’t getting the snippet every time you go live. So just preserve your music a little bit more.
In the span of five years, what surprises you the most about your musical journey? Are there any gems that you have picked up along the way?
What surprises me most by my journey is that people that I look up to know my music. When I finally meet these people, they know my music. Swae, T-Pain, Drake, K Camp, [NFL star] Jalen Ramsey. A lot of NFL and NBA players have known me before rappers did. So that’s always a shocker.
And some gems I picked up along the way: Try not to overthink everything. It’s not that complicated. Just go with the flow. You’re supposed to have experiences. Have fun with it. Don’t make it a job. Always have fun with it. Because the moment you try to make it a job, it feels like it turns into that.
What do you hope people take away from Well Sed?
I want people to take this in as a new breath of fresh air. Like — smile again, be happy again. Get some lessons dropped on you. You know what I’m saying? Go hit the dance floor. Go turn up, go call your boo. Go hit your homies up. Everybody go have a good time. I want that to come out of Well Sed. I want it to just be well-rounded music that everybody feels good listening to.