ARTIST HIGHLIGHT

Music has this uncanny ability to help guide and heal people through times of triumph; as well as times of sorrow. Music is in everything we do, say, and talk about on a near daily basis. Some could be making coffee and a beat just pops into their head. Next thing they know, they are performing that song in front of hundreds of thousands of people.

Or maybe you bonded over music with your father like Sam Super-Villin (DropYourKnickers Resident). A Dope Award nominated British Rapper this year, Sam has spent the last handful of years honing his musical presence on Second Life and it has only grown larger and crazier by the day.

Inspired by so many influential artists currently, Sam broke this down for me to understand their influences better. Lyrically, J.Cole IS his idol; from his metaphorical petiry and word play to just the elegant flow of his words. Though Sam says he could never write like Mr. Cole, I have my suspicions that Sam would most definitely achieve those kinds of aspirations. Musically though, if you were to listen to some of Sam’s discography. You would hear twangs of Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber with some hints of Drake and Young MA. So, let’s dive in a little farther and learn more about this saucey British Rapper.

Having found Second Life mainly due to playing other virtual simulation games like The Sims™. Sam found himself in a whole new world of exploration during his teen years and playing on the grid nevertheless. Much like many of us who first start exploring Second Life, he found himself with a full time gig as a Stripper at a few clubs, finding relationships - both romantic and friendly. Through having this new source to explore who Sam is, he had the courage to finally come out as a Transgender Man.

“I always felt like a boy growing up and my [real life] family [was] extremely traditional and I could never express myself, Second Life gave me that platform.” -Sam Super-Villin

After coming out sadly, trends and reactions that some people face was now directed at Sam. For those who never needed to come out, having this purely raw moment in our lives can be so difficult to explain. You are faced with both positive and negative experiences from friends and family. It’s everyone’s wish that coming out shouldn’t have to be this hard. Yet for so many, it is. But its pushing on that saves us from those doubt and anxious moments. For Sam, this moment was filled with music and just exuding creativity in a multitude of different forms.

Like stated earlier in the article, Sam and his father bonded over music. Funny enough, Sam’s Great Uncle made Paul Mcartney’s first guitar - so that passion for all this musical is in his blood. Growing up, Sam was in a band with two other boys. They would play school talent shows and other events like that, giving him his first taste at performing for an audience.

When it comes to Second Life, finding his way was a bit more difficult then one might think. Just starting out on the grid, he wanted to set himself apart from other musicians. Ricky Bobby and Embree, two of his friends, worked together to create parody songs that were made by Second Life. So for example, one of Sam’s first singles was titled ‘TP Me.’

Getting hype for parody songs like this would need something special to get the spark going. So, Sam would go to stores that allowed voice and perform outside the front entrance. To me, it sounds similar to how musicals would play along city streets or in subway platforms. That’s the kind of motivation and drive people need to make their passions and dreams realized. Taking chances and risks for the sake of your art. Those risks definitely paid off for Sam as people went crazy for his music.

“I would play my music with a little guitar attached and hand out flyers to the show. It was so difficult to get people to attend something they hadn’t really experienced before, and get them to believe in it too. We managed to get quite a few people there and everyone went wild for it, we knew we could do more!” -Sam Super-Villin

People loved what Sam was doing; so much so that he even started to get groupies who followed him during his ‘My SLife Tour.’ Merchandise was sold for people to show their support for Sam and his musical endeavors. For him, he had to at least feel like a superstar when all this was happening full of unbridled appreciation and love for music he was playing for the audience.

Throughout his career, Sam performed several dozen times on the grid. Two personally meaningful performances were from this past Summer’s Pride events, He wrote a song called ‘SL Pride’ about his coming out and how young LGBTQIA+ people who might be struggling are never alone. Having the opportunity to create a piece of music that meant so much to him and to the community just solidified for him that what he was doing was correct.

Moments like that just stay with people, and I have no doubt that Sam will cherish those performances whenever he takes his first few steps on stage. Having an impact like Sam has had is very rare here in Second Life. He really is a sweetheart with a heart of gold and wit that just won’t quit. It was an absolute pleasure getting to know him, his story and just who the person behind the avatar is. If you are interested in booking Sam for any event, I would highly recommend directly messaging him or contacting Daisy Gatz in-world.