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sgpwes Interview: Rising Atlanta rapper is ‘Surrounded’ by new wave talent

A part of SoundCloud’s next generation, sgpwes is perhaps one of the most underrated acts in the new wave. Touting collaborations with SSGKobe, KA$HDAMI, Slump6s, OnlyBino! and more, the New York-based sensation is bringing more energy — and burgers — to his ever-growing fan base.

“I said burgers once on TikTok and I don’t know why, but I just kept saying it,” he said, holding a plate of McDonald’s patties while letting his fun, carefree energy shine on camera.

The Atlanta native’s sound is not only consistent with the underground’s budding superstars, but finds balance in the off-kilter, electronic soundscapes that meld the confines of hyperpop and plugg. However, Wes’ deep flow and vibrato elevate his aura ten-fold, creating a sense of nostalgia around his music.

Surrounded” by a slew of talent, his hit single has eclipsed over 330,000 total streams — a testament to Wes’ grip on rage-rap’s signature sound. On more experimental cuts like “Fr” with KA$HDAMI off his 2022 project luna, Wes proves his ability to tear off flex-filled bars laced with hypnotic autotune and polarizing production with ease. On other tapes like celestial and his most recent EP hiatus, Wes not only showcases his slow-rising, otherwordly cadence on every beat he graces, but attests that his musical inspirations stem from beyond the stars

“Luna is a crescent moon. I really like space and Astro sh-t, so ‘luna’ and ‘celestial’ kind of were the same [idea], but I kind of just changed things up with ‘hiatus’.”

sgpwes to OGM

While each project offers a different layer to the young emcee’s sound, his stunning string of singles over the course of 2021 initially brought him to this point of acclaim. Rising in underground circles on both SoundCloud and TikTok, Wes has quickly become one to look out for — touting just over 32,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. It’s hard to believe the realization of his talent came from the initial “joke” of him making music, among other things.

“I was making music as a joke at first… just to get the girl. That was my main goal at the time. Then I started to really enjoy it. I was recording on Audacity because I thought FL was too difficult — and I was just doing it for fun. I didn’t even use auto tune until I downloaded FL. It was crazy.”

sgpwes to OGM

Linking up with close collaborator Slump6s after following each other on Instagram, Wes is definitely one you need in your rotation moving forward. Sitting down with OGM host Hakeem Rowe, sgpwes spoke on his hit single “Surrounded,” relationships with OnlyBino!, Slump6s, BoxFest and more in our latest Our Generation Music exclusive.

Watch sgpwes’ OGM exclusive below!