“I don’t wanna be a rapper, I wanna be a sniper.”
When I ask Sniper2004, the voice behind that iconic producer tag, where he stands on rapping, he’s just as conflicted: “I’ve been trying to get more into producing, but everyone I hit up wants to make songs, too,” he explained to me the day before his single, Armoury, dropped. “I want to focus more on producing and have that be valued alongside my rapping.”
For someone who wants to step away from rap, the past seven months have not been in his favor. Since dropping his debut tape on May 20—a five-song EP—Sniper has amassed 50,000 Instagram followers, a feature with On The Radar, and most recently, a song with Sad Pony and Evilgiane of the underground producer group Surf Gang.
His newest project 2000fourrr, released at the end of October, is his first full-length album. Entirely self produced, the album is the culmination of the better part of a year of hype. “I’ve always just liked tapes and albums a lot more than singles” Sniper explained, “I’m more focused on connecting with my fans than getting something to go viral.”
When we spoke the week before his first major performance, Worlds Burning, alongside YhapoJJ, Skaiwater, and Lexa Gates, Sniper was intent on pushing the message that he is a producer-artist. His production style, influenced by favorites The Alchemist, F1lthy, and wegonbeok is an ill-defined combination of hood trap and jerk, a nod to his Florida roots.
His rise to prominence is a masterclass in persistence and branding. Sniper started his career making music under the pseudonym “Cerr” in early 2022, but it wasn’t until he switched his persona that he began seeing success. “I was putting music out under a different name for about three years, but I was trying to succeed with the music, and it wasn’t working out. So I came up with the Sniper name like eight days before I put out my first project.”
Internet Money founder Taz Taylor praised this transition in a now-deleted tweet, revealing how “I know a kid who made a new artist persona and recorded all his music for that persona in the last week, never got label interest before in his life…” and that “now everyone’s tryna sign him off one week of work.”
One explanation for the immediate success of Sniper2004 could be the continued rise of a new genre of rap, initially propagated by artists like Bladee and Yung Lean and now fronted by Joeyy, Shed Theory and smokedope2016, among others. While Sniper2004’s music doesn’t fit neatly into nod, plug, or cloud rap like these genre pioneers, his use of visuals to complement his work and his reliance on popular “meme” culture places him squarely at the forefront of this new wave.
Check out our full conversation below!
Sniping with Sniper…
Tell me about your upbringing. How did you first get into music? What kind of music were you listening to growing up?
Sniper: Growing up, I was homeschooled, so we didn’t listen to much rap music. We only listened to Christian music and worship songs. I went to public school for middle school and started listening to Juice WRLD. During my freshman year of high school, I started getting into making beats and got FL Studio for the first time, but nobody would rap on my beats, so I just started hopping on them myself.
When did Sniper2004 start?
Sniper: During my freshman year of college, I didn’t have much to do because school was so easy, so I was just hitting the pen and rapping on beats all the time. Then summer came, and I locked in and made the tape.
You dropped your first song on Instagram three months ago?
Sniper: Yeah, I was putting music out under a different name for about three years, but I was trying to succeed with the music, and it wasn’t working out. So I came up with the Sniper name like eight days before I put out my first project.
Take us through the creative process of 2000fourrr, what made you want to lock in and release a full tape?
Sniper: I’ve always just liked tapes and albums a lot more than singles; it’s always more exciting for the listener to get a full body of work instead of a single. I feel like longer bodies of work show your artistry more as well. Instead of chasing singles and hoping that one of them blows up online, I’m more focused on connecting with my fans than getting something to go viral.
‘Ungodly’ is my favorite track on the album, what went into the production and ideation of that track?
Sniper: I was in Orlando at my friend’s apartment making that one; I was spending all day cranking out beats trying to make one that was crazy. Once I had the bones for the beat, I did some demo vocals on it with my friend’s mic. When I got back home, I re-recorded everything and added the second part of the verse. I was in Orlando again a few weeks later, finalizing everything, and I added the bit-crushed piano on top and did some background vocals with the built-in mic on my Macbook. I like that song a lot; it has a lot of imagery, and I worked with my boy Chase, who animated the music video, and we just got imaginative with it.
What has the reception been like to the new project?
Sniper: It’s been pretty good, my favorite part of music is seeing how people react to it. It’s just a fun ep, and I just wanna make music that’s fun to listen to. It’s always cool dropping music cause I’ve been listening to the songs off the tape for months, and now I get to share them with a lot of people.
How did “World Burning” go? Any favorite moments from the show?
Sniper: “World Burning” was really fun; they had a string quartet, and Johan did the arrangements for my songs, and it sounded crazy. There were a lot of people there, and it was my first time performing in front of a big crowd. I also met Skaiwater, who I look up to a lot musically, and it was cool talking to them.
Was that your first show?
Sniper: I played some shows in high school; we used to set them up in my friend’s backyard, and we would have about 100 kids. I would do all the audio alongside performing. We also had a small show in Tampa a few weeks ago.
You have developed a unique visual aesthetic and musical style in a short amount of time. What went into the development of that style?
Sniper: It started with making an Instagram to make my friend group famous by editing dumb videos of us, but that fell through. When I was trying to make it as an artist, I was like, “Why not do the same thing?”
You seem to be leaning towards the role of a producer-artist. Are you trying to get more into your producing bag?
Sniper: I’ve been trying to get more into producing, but everyone I hit up wants to make songs too. I want to focus more on producing and have that be valued alongside my rapping. It’s also hard because when I’m producing, I use all the best beats on my songs. I’m trying to get better at sending out better beats.
Favorite producers?
Sniper: I love Kanye; he was the first artist-producer I looked up to. I like The Alchemist and Conductor Williams a lot too. I love F1lthy and Pierre; anyone that works on Carti’s beats. I love wegonbeokay too; I’m trying to get a song with him.
How was it working with Evilgiane and SADPONY on “I Don’t Want to Be a Rapper”? Did you learn anything from working with such talented producers?
Sniper: I’m glad I got the chance to work with them, and it was cool to get that musical validation from producers I look up to. We just worked over the internet, so I didn’t really get the chance to directly learn from them, but Pony sent me the stems to the beat, and I was able to study it and really hear how they put things together, which I definitely learned from.
What is your favorite co-sign you have received so far?
Sniper: I got a message from some dude in the army trying to get me to come out and snipe with them; that’s been pretty cool.
What’s next for Sniper2004?
Sniper: I just spent the past few weeks going crazy on the home studio and setting everything up to sound as good as it can. Right now, I’m just locking in making songs every day, working on my next drop. I’m excited about it; everything’s sounding better and better. I was gonna start working with other producers for a little bit, but I thought about it, and I just want everything I’m dropping to be fully mine, so I’m just trying to learn as much as possible and level up my beats. It’s really exciting to be able to do what I love.