If you're not familiar with SoloSam, I’m thrilled to be the one to introduce you! One of Chicago's most promising talents, in both music and cooking. SoloSam is an artist all around. He's found ways to creatively meld his two passions while still allowing the audience to appreciate them in their individual aspects. I was able to sit down with SoloSam and have some great conversations regarding what music has looked like for him thus far and the deeper dive into his passion for cooking.

SPARKY: Hey Sam! To start, give us a little bit of background about where you’re from and how you got into making music.

SoloSam: My name is SoloSam I'm from Chicago born and raised. Being from here there's a rich music scene, growing up it was cool to go to open mics and see the community and find my own voice. I was able to find a lot of love for music always listening to music artists I think the thing that really did get me into music was culture. Reading poetry and stuff from a young age that stuff is raw. I really had an interest in being a student of music and seeing the different sounds of different artists. I listened to a lot of old-school music growing up, Earth Wind and Fire, Prince, and The Commodores hearing that I really took to loving music.

How has Chicago impacted your music, coming from such a mecca of different genres?

I get asked this question a lot, how it influenced my music. It isn't a traditional answer. It influenced my identity and less of the sonic side of my music. When you’re from Chicago you have this ability to take pride in who you are as a person. You feel free enough to be who you are. So, instead of thinking how can I make a hit, how can I make something hot? It's more about how can I put my emotions into music, to help you find your voice and love that about yourself and how vulnerable you can be coming from here.

How would you sum up this year in your musical career? Some highlights or any key moments.

Late October of last year, I put out my project PRINCIPLES TO DIE BY that was my first vulnerable piece of work. I wasn't creating it out of a need to appeal to ego but more talking about something that I felt, which was the process of death. In making a project like that you never know how it’s going to be received. It turned out really well which snowballed into gaining a new audience who emotionally connected with my music. I also launched a cooking show, “Principles To Dine By,” by which lead to sponsorship and collaboration with SoHo House to make House Special, where I was able to work with guests and check out their recipes and how Chicago inspires them.

You released a few singles in 2022 what did those tracks mean to you, any story behind them that you want to share?

“Pressure” was one of them I did in collaboration with UZ who is a France-based producer and well-known DJ. That single was coming off of 2019 when we released a song called “Fire.” That was really fun getting back in the studio. “Calabasas,” which features MFnMello, that song really touches on losing yourself in the journey for financial gain and looking at Calabasas as a wealthy celebrity-ville where the rich and famous are. It kinda shows chasing success from a financial standpoint, which is always so dystopian. That song was stepping into that identity that music was something I love, but do I want to go through all the different caveats if I don't truly believe in parts of that culture. You can loose friends and yourself which kinda touched on more of what was on the PRINCIPLES TO DIE BY project. The reception is clear from my fan base that in 2023 they want more music.

You launched your cooking show this year as well, have you always had a passion for cooking?

People ask me that, and how did you get into cooking? I got into cooking cause I didn't want to be broke. It costs money to eat you can’t Uber Eats all the time. Growing up, my dad is from Ghana and my mom is Korean, there was always a lot of good food they cooked. Being an adult, I don't want to spend money on ordering out all the time, I might as well just start cooking! I enjoyed it and put it on my IG story, I shared it with people and it just gained the attention of people who follow me. This is really cool and that turned into me focusing on branding and how you have to market yourself. I don't want to do anything that isn't self-sustainable. I love cooking i’ll focus on that that'll be part of my brand. Putting little Instagram videos on my story led to me being able to have cooking show that's how I got started out of necessity.

Tell us a little bit about House Special, what can viewers expect?

So, I had a cooking show before called “Principles To Dine By.” This is something I'm passionate about that started on my IG story. The name came from being a play on words cause I'm a rapper, haha. SoHo House was the collaborator on it and House Special is a special dish on the menu. Chicago has a lot of great artists that are special and were able to let me interview them. Some guests are Via Rosa who’s one half of an electronic duo Drama, Chuck Inglish one-half of The Cool Kids, a woman called Stitch Gawd, she has done stitch work and jackets for Nipsey Hustle, Mac Miller, Chance The Rapper, and Saba. The show is interviewing these people about what food dishes are important to them. Food is art and getting to know these local identities that you might run into somewhere and give them their flowers is important.

The guests that are joining you, are they all musical, how do you choose them?

The only one who I would say isn't musical is Chef Oskar. Mostly peers who I've always respected, so I reached out to them and they were about it. Via Rosa she’s someone who’s been a long-time friend. When we did a pop up she made the vegan dishes, I didn't want to exclude anyone whos vegan and she used to be a culinary-trained chef. I said hey want to tag team this event? She made vegan dishes and alcoholic beverages. Essentially, peers, I respected and wanted to highlight and they showed up and showed out in the way that they did.

What's the correlation for you between your music and your cooking as art forms?

Yes, so I tend to stay away from being too on the nose with it. Like, I got this new song coming out called “Hot Dish.” I never want it to come out that way. Every food endeavor you watch on my IG story, every collab and every business partnership is rooted in who I am as a person. It’s about what I like to bring which is a community. You might see me drop a project called “Plated,” more about plating as the finalizing, the beautiful part of the art. We rolled the music out with a drink and a cookbook, also relaying food into it but in a tasteful manner.

What can we expect to see from you in 2023, anything exciting to look forward to?

I would say a lot of new music and a lot of collab songs coming out. I’ve worked with an artist named Peter $un out of California, and Johan Lennox. You know also just trying to find a balancing act, releasing music in this day and age with social media and the consumption giving time to appreciate the art and getting better at music

As an artist what are some goals you're looking to achieve in the coming year, anyone you'd like to work with?

I like to give every year a different word and go and focus on that rather than trying to hit metrics. Next year the word is sustainability. Find a way to make being an artist feasible and build relationships that are sustainable that don't cause me to burn out. Focus on the music and food content and have my art be able to enrich me as much as I’m enriched by it.