Australian rapper SNY (aka Sonny Stojanovic) lives a long way from the US but finds that his heart is in California. It makes sense as he keeps experiencing serendipitous encounters when visiting there. In addition to his relationships with Norva Denton (VP of Urban Department at Warner Brothers Records), SNY met one of the collaborators for his recent hit “I Might” while vacationing in LA. Hollywood and Los Angeles are an opportunity hub for anyone in the entertainment industry and when SNY ran into a famed music producer who was staying next door to him, small-talk led to sharing of music and a date to work together in the future. Months later, through the aid of the world wide web and music software, SNY has a hit song and a video with hundreds of thousands of views.
When considering the relationship of different countries and the arts, you might not find the US and Australia is the first that comes to mind. Even more so, the idea that the union of this Venn Diagram is rap/hip hop might be even less obvious but SNY is doing his best to change that concept. Working with American multiplatinum selling producer Droyd, SNY created the song “I Might” after a chance meeting led to them sharing musical ideas. Droyd is known for his work with multiplatinum K Pop Groups like EXO yet his Buffalo, New York roots often communicate a heavy brand of hip hop. With some beats supplied by the producer, SNY created the melody, song structure, and lyrics for “I Might.” This less complicated production style is agreeable to SNY who relates, “I prefer to work mostly alone. Droyd supplied the beat but then I went into my studio in Australia. Ten hours later, ‘I Might’ was done. I don’t need a team to make a hit. I write, record and mix all of my own work and that’s where I stand out as an artist. The beat was lively and exciting. Inspiration struck and I freestyled different lines and choruses until finding the perfect combination.” The song is inspired in its take on the everyday choices we are all confronted with. It could be described as existential if it wasn’t so infectious in communicating via such a light-hearted delivery.
SNY concedes that he hasn’t always had the best experiences when it comes to music videos. When director Ben Marc, known for his work with Ty Dolla $ign and Trey songz, explained that his concept for the video mirrored the fun performance of SNY’s recorded version, the green light illuminated. Particularly enticing for the rapper was the location setting of LA where he and Droyd had first connected. SNY is seen amidst the tourists and bystanders on Rodeo Drive and concluding in a Hollywood Hills house party. The video for “I Might” is already nearing a quarter of a million views on YouTube. Along with Spotify and social media, this is the biggest indicator of connection by the public to music in the modern era. The video has captured the attention of industry pros like Norva Denton VP of Urban Department at Warner Brothers Records. SNY relates, “Even though my career is about making music, visuals are important. Connecting to fans on social media is essential to a successful career. I Met Norva in 2018 after he had heard my single ‘I Might’. He’s been really helpful in offering advice on how to set up more avenues for my music and on shooting more visuals for it.” SNY is not only making music for today’s listener, he’s aware of all the various means of presentation which makes one an artist with true connection to the public.