A high school junior released an instructional dance video featuring said teen showing anyone in the world how to master a clever amalgamation of four signature dances: the nae nae, the stanky leg, the “Crank That (Soulja Boy)”, and the artists own variation of the coolest miracle “whip” ever and the result is “Watch Me”, one of the biggest dance hits in American music history.
After releasing the hit song and its accompanying video independently and registering upwards of 2.5 million streams, the radio smash quickly reached #33 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, then shot to #1 in that urban category earning its way on the Billboard’s coveted mainstream Hot 100 chart where it peaked at #3. The high school phenom didn’t only live the dream, he birthed it alongside in house producer Bolo.
Written by ToneSwep
Images by Ben Miller
The talented teen of mention, Silentó – a personable kid with a kilowatt smile, humble yet confident nature, and sky-is-the-limit upside, was then signed to Capitol Records who won a bidding war for his partnership. To date, the official “Watch Me” video has surpassed 100 million YouTube views while dozens of other homage salute variations have also registered several million looks of their own. Instantly, Silentó was on the BET Awards red carpet as music’s brightest young star. All this, yet it’s hard to believe the guy is just getting started.
Hip Hop is a contact sport and an even more competitive business. The younger the talent, the more time they have to develop, learn the ropes, mature as both a person and performer while perfecting their craft. At least in theory. The reality is this: make a viral hit on your own. Next, a major record label will cosign it (and co-own it), package the potential superstar, and stir the publicity cauldron to magically market the art nationally.
Silentó, as marketable a personality as music has seen since early arrival Justin Bieber, commanded every media engagement, fan encounter, and social media interaction masterfully, drove the single to international chart success in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and France, and continues to grow exponentially as a result. A star is born.
There is a science to success, true indeed. But you can’t take make-believe to the people and make them believe, at least not in this now-era age of transparency. Seeing is believing. The manifestation of the popular ideological kindergarten game “Show & Tell” comes to fruition – you can’t just tell and hope to sell. You also have to put on a show. Few upstart artists can command attention, from virtually any age group, gender, race, or nationality, quite like Silentó.
Even if the music listener is an impressionable loyalist, like a recent Nickelodeon-meets-Disney fanatic graduating along with Ariana Grande and Zendaya Coleman from kiddie curiosity to the quasi-adulthood of adolescence, for example, sight and sound as art appreciation overrules anything PR campaign positioning could ever hope to accomplish. In other words, A-1 sells itself. Silentó is the real deal like his hometown Holyfield in his prime. And due to his proven ability to create and execute a catchy dance craze, his fans are eagerly anticipating a debut project in the form of a mixtape, EP, or full length album.
Born in the relaxed Atlanta suburb of Conyers, about 30 some odd miles east of the city, Silentó was raised away from the everyday hustle-or-starve, trap-enthused, strip club hub the gateway to the southern music scene is known for. Still, music runs in the kid’s blood. He’s from the same town as Outkast, T.I., Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame, Soulja Boy, Future, Rich Homie Quan, and the list goes on. With few exceptions, southern rap stars derive from Silentó’s city. He is the latest in a long line of rap music hit-makers. We can’t wait to see more from 2015’s unparalleled breakout star, a classy young man with the drive to survive and the ambition to win in the worldwide arena known as Hip Hop.
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