New local artist

By: Breanne Guevara

Asante Carroll, also referred to as SECKO, is currently a student here at Niagara University who is trying to make a name for himself in the music industry. Secko makes hip hop music and rap, in a interview he said, “In today’s music rap has a new definition and it can be many different things.” Secko has done 2 performances so far, his first being in high school and his second performance held on Feb 8 of this year in Tonawanda. Being a new and upcoming artist can be very nerve racking, especially when you’re trying to establish your bearings and figure out exactly who you are. When asked about performing Secko said “The first time I ever performed I was nervous but I just wanted to make sure I said everything the right way… it would look weird if I messed up the lyrics to my own song.”  Going into his second performance with the same mentality, Secko performed his hit single, Green Light which has racked up almost 1000 plays only after 2 weeks of being released. Green Light was a pivotal song in Secko’s career, when asked about the inspiration for the song Secko said “the inspiration was a lot of different experiences. However, a lot of my friends have went through relationships problems and I pulled inspiration from that as well. Also, the title came from the Great Gatsby, and the significance of the green light was Gatsby’s obsessive love for Daisy.”

Artists like Drake, Jhene Aiko, J.Cole and Big Sean inspire Secko’s music, however he does not have a favorite artist, he says “I go from listening to Lauryn Hill to Playboi Carti, I just love music” Secko’s mission is simple and genuine, “I want to make music I like, and I want to make a refreshing sound that people have never heard before.” Being apart of a cutthroat industry can be discouraging because in order to be successful you have to advocate for yourself and be self-motivated, “When I first started creating music people told me the software and quality wasn’t the best, now that my music is more popular, a lot of people really enjoy it.” When asked about the struggles with making music Secko said “trying to make money from people for my craft, whether it’s shows or features, as well as studio time.” Even though Secko faces many challenges he has a promising and driven vision for himself in the next 10 years. He hopes to be signed to a music label making money. Seckos next performance is still pending, however he plans on releasing his EP this year. You can find Secko on SoundClound as Secko and on Instagram as only1secko.