“Once I saw that I had a way out, it was all in from that point and I never let up. Getting that love in my city really fueled me, man. That’s where I get all the love. Duval 904. I felt like if I could make it in Duval and my city could get behind me, then I’m straight.”

-Seddy Hendrinx

Photo Credit: @shotbydecat

When it comes to the rap scene out of Florida, most would instantly gravitate towards the gritty and gutter style of rap that has come out of there as of late. Names such as Yungeen Ace, Stopemgottem, and Nardo Wick would be amongst the ones who are sporting that rugged and authentic style of rap. However, once there is an artist that blossoms from a city known for a specific sound, and they don’t come out sporting that sound, that instantly makes you stand out amongst the pack. That alone can draw people’s attention to what you have to say and the matter in which you say it.

Straight out of Duval County, Seddy Hendrinx is an artist that has been making a ton of impact within the Jacksonville scene for years now. Placing a huge emphasis on obtaining love from his city first and foremost is something that he holds near and dear to him, and is a testament to where he is today, and where he will go in the future. Having that hometown love goes a long way, and Seddy wants to maintain that fanbase for the ride.

Signed to Generation Now, the record label founded by the legendary DJ Drama and Don Cannon, and home to superstar acts such as Jack Harlow and Lil Uzi Vert, Seddy Hendrinx is ready to step up to the plate. Bases are loaded and he’s ready to knock it out of the park, bringing home another win for the Generation Now team. After the success of his 2020 project Say Less, Seddy recently dropped his follow-up project Well Sed, which serves as the introduction to what’s to come next. Very specifically avoiding calling it an “album”, Seddy made sure to note that he has so much in store for his full-length LP, when the time comes.

I sat down with Seddy to discuss his new project Well Sed, the gems he learned from Drama and Don Cannon, his creative style, how he maintains balance in his musical style, and more.

Read our conversation in full and be sure to check out his latest offering Well Sed below!

LM: What was life like for you growing up in Jacksonville Florida?

SH: It had its good times, and it had its bad times, but the struggle made me. Other than that, I had a good time growing up in Duval, but I had some sad moments too like anybody else growing up in the hood. My city is real treacherous. I come from a long line of hustlers but I done been through a lot of trauma growing up there. It’s bittersweet. A lot of the people that I looked up to coming up in Jacksonville would be Lebanon G. Shout out FMG. Shout out Lil Jug, RIP Lil Jug actually. Those two people and Lil Poppa were one of the first people to give me an open arm in my city.

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LM: Where did you get the name “Seddy Hendrinx”?

SH: My name came from a mixture of Jimi Hendrix and Future Hendrix. Even though Future don’t go by Future Hendrix anymore but it really came from Jimi Hendrix. I used to wear Ray Bans a lot back in school ‘cause I used to be high a lot. I was really into that trippy vibe, you know? People used to always be like “Sed, why are your eyes so red, man? Why you always high?”. So I just always went with that Jimi Hendrix vibe. I let my hair grow out. The scarf. The glasses. You know, the whole shebang.

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LM: At what point did you realize that music is what you wanted to pursue in life?

SH: After my first song ever dropped. I started taking it seriously once I started to see that my city was taking me seriously. I ain’t never play with it. I didn’t sit and do it two, three, four times and then realize I could do it. Once I saw that I had a way out, it was all in from that point and I never let up. Getting that love in my city really fueled me, man. That’s where I get all the love. Duval 904. I felt like if I could make it in Duval and my city could get behind me, then I’m straight. It ain’t no love like getting that love back home in your city. 

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LM: If you weren’t making music, what do you think you would be doing now?

SH: To be honest, I would probably be dead or in jail. If I woulda stayed focused on my academics and all that, I coulda went to Bethune Cookman [University] on a full ride. I would probably be in school tryna get this whole hospital thing off the ground. Focusing on healthcare and all of that.

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LM: Who were some of the artists you admired and were inspired by coming up in the game?

SH: I would say, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Andre 3000. T.I., Jeezy, Kanye West. Trick Daddy, T-Pain, Rick Ross. Michael Jackson. Chief Keef.

For Erykah, 3 Stacks, Lauryn Hill and Kanye, I would put all of them in the same bracket. I loved the way they all stood their ground. Very conscious rap and conscious music at the end of the day. They knew how to make music to get you through and to teach you something. Drop some gems and some knowledge. Shout out to Nas; I put him in that bracket too. 

For the others, such as Wayne and Chief Keef, I love their consistency. I fell for what they did with their music, versus what they were actually saying. I’m not saying that they weren’t saying anything, but I loved how they were moving and what they were bringing to the table.

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LM: Your music has that perfect blend of setting the vibe while still spilling real-life situations; how did you manage to find that perfect balance when creating music?

SH: My moon sign is a Libra if that means anything [laughs]. I’m an Aquarius at heart but I gotta have that balance. It’s cool to turn up, you know, I like to have a good time. But I can get myself a lesson while I’m vibing, that’s a bonus. I done been through a lot of things in my life and I done had some times where I had to smile even while there’s some very treacherous things going on in my life. That being said, it bleeds into my music and that’s how I’m able to make people vibe out and really listen to what I’m saying at the same time. 

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LM: What is your creative process when going into the studio? What does the setting have to look and feel like?

SH: It looks like pineapples, candles lit, have the lights real dim. Sometimes have the lights up real bright. Sometimes super deep. Sometimes I wanna be solo-dolo in there. A cameraman gotta be there, you know, vloggin’. Some good recreational activities going on. The studio setting is very important to me because I’m a creative person. Anything that’s off in the studio can throw my whole creativity off and then I won’t even want to make music anymore. 

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LM: That being said, if you’re having a solo-dolo studio session, who do you seek validation from when you make records?

SH: I know when a song is fye. Shit, even when I do seek validation, it doesn’t matter at the end of the day because I know when a song is raw. I could come to you and ask you “Ay, is this song fye?” and I’m already knowing it is; I’m just tryna see what you gon’ say and test your ears and see what you know and hear. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want no “Yes men” around me now. If something is trash, let me know it’s trash. If you feel like I can do better, let me know. But nine times out of ten, I’m asking just to see where your ears are at. 

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LM: You’re signed to Generation Now, how does it feel to be up under Drama and Don Cannon, two legendary acts in the rap game?

SH: Shout out to Lake too; it ain’t nothing without that third mind as well. But man, it feels great. It feels great to be up under two people that I’ve always wanted to work with. When I started rapping, I knew I wanted to go to Drama. I was like I know what he can do, I know what he gon’ do, I know how he moves. His track record is undeniable; you literally can’t compete with it. I done learned a lot of things from them. I learned patience, perseverance, never assume too much, and I learned to be prepared. When that time comes, you always gotta be prepared. I was prepared when they discovered me. They wouldn’t have signed me if I wasn’t ready to go. I got signed off of potential. I only had 20k followers on IG. I had songs out but they wasn’t streaming anything. I was just a known dude in Florida. 

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LM: How has it been for you to adjust to fame and the life of being in the industry?

SH: It’s been great, actually. This is the most support and love that I’ve ever gotten from the industry. I done seen almost the whole industry post my tape when it dropped and it felt amazing.

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LM: You put out a couple of tapes before being picked up by Generation Now, so what is the difference between dropping tapes solo and now dropping them under a label?

SH: Getting picked up by all the blogs now. The PR and the organized aspect of it. Definitely more organized for sure. It all has a purpose now. Even though what I was doing before had a purpose, I was just shooting blanks back then. Now we have a specific target and we hit it with more accuracy and it’s more impactful. 

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LM: Two years have passed since your last project Sayless; what has changed since then?

SH: My following. My life. My mental. Spiritually I’m at a different place in life. Emotionally; everything has leveled up. My focus is more driven. I’m hungrier than I’ve ever been. It’s been a constant growth. Opportunities were always in my face so I’ve been ready for them. What keeps me going, shit, I ain’t got my mama no bigger house yet. I ain’t rich yet. I can’t walk into a label and tell them what I want to do when I want to do it yet. 

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LM: Your new project Well Sed just dropped, tell me about the inspiration behind this album and where the title came from?

SH: I remember I was sitting in the room with my manager Willie Joe tryna figure out what the next tape would be. Cannon had just told me “Yo, make sure all your tapes line up”, you know? He wanted me to make sure they all align so when people go back, it’s not just a bunch of random tapes with weird names and covers. So I was like okay, we coming from Sayless, what’s next. He was like “What do you represent?”. I was like I’m well dressed, well planned, well preserved, well thought of, and well said. And when I said “Well Said”, he slapped the counter hard as hell and said that’s it right there. But instead of “S-A-I-D”, we both said it at the same time and said “Well S-E-D”.

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LM: You got to collaborate with T-Pain; a legend and another Florida native. What was that link-up like and how did the song “Body 2 Body” come about?

SH: Shout out to Cannon; T-Pain had already been in tune but Cannon was able to put a face to the name. T-Pain was one of the first people to hear the tape. We pulled up on him to play it and he was like This is crazy; I know what this is about to do”. I’m like, “What you mean?”. He was like “I’m not gon’ lie, I thought you was gonna come in here singing some whole other stuff, but this right here, is the one”. He showed me so much loved for real.

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LM: What are some of your favorite joints from this album and why?

SH: I would have to say “Well Sed” the intro. I’m really talkin’ my shit on that one. I love my cadence on there. I love the way I was snappin’. The bars that I was sayin’, the melodies I was gettin’ off. That song is one of my favorites for sure. And I don’t even sip lean no more; I been sober for seven months. The whole tape is so good to me; every song is a vibe and I love it so much. 

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LM: What are some other ventures you want to get involved in?

SH: I want to own my own hospital and work on my own health care. I want my own art gallery. On the executive side, I wanna get into being an A&R. I just want to help people. I love to help people out and put them into positions. 

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LM: When it’s all said and done, what do you want the world to remember Seddy Hendrinx for? 

SH: I want people to think of me and say he was a genuine and honest soul. A caring and giving man. Stood on his business and held integrity. Real stand-up guy. He was a hard-bodied shell with a soft heart, and all he wanted to do was help people and put people on. 

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