From Material Gworl to Cover Gworl: Saucy Santana Speaks on Taking His Place on Hip Hop’s Throne

Saucy Santana’s infectious personality and lyrics made their way to our screens in 2019 and we have been following ever since. We collectively gained an internet best friend with a knack for rap and entertainment. When we turned to social media to escape the grim realities of a global pandemic, Santana brought his talents to the foreground to brighten up the music industry. Built for stardom, Saucy Santana made his way from working behind the scenes to in front of the camera. His success can be attributed to his relatability and the air of normalcy he maintains online. He has millions of fans around the world using his dance moves, mannerisms, and phrases (on and off of the track) in their daily lives.

Although he has cracked the code for creating viral records, Santana’s reach doesn’t stop with music. The poster boy for the Black luxury aesthetic has been embraced by the fashion elite and continues to set trends not only in his career but with MEFeater. After waking up to his first billboard in Times Square, we talked with Santana, our first male cover star. On ‘Twosday’ 2.22.22, we spoke about his impact, performing, and being free. Although unaware of the date’s significance, Santana is no stranger to reaping the benefits of his manifestations and celebrating the wins of himself and the people around him.

How has your day been? It’s 2.22.22.

Saucy Santana: Everybody is saying it’s a special day today. I didn’t necessarily know what this 2.22 thing was about but I think it’s a lucky day. My best friend dropped his lace glue today. We are going to celebrate later so, that’s the only good thing about the 2.22 for me.

You’ve started music fairly recently in 2019 and have been consistently growing. Have you had time to celebrate your accomplishments?

Well, Covid definitely sat my ass down. I try to reflect every year so, from 2019 up until 2022, everything that I accomplished in that year; I always make sure to sit back, reflect, and try to make sure I’m elevating. Always working, always in the studio, and always making opportunities for myself. That way I can be better going into the next year. And it’s been working for me so far.

Yes, it has. Your recognition has taken a bit of a shift. Was there a big adjustment moving from behind the scenes as a makeup artist and hairstylist to in front of the camera?

I would say more of the adjustment was me being in the spotlight – being my own brand, my own entity. But I’ve always been popular throughout school, I’ve always been someone that people are attracted to. All through growing up, all through being an adult, and working at McDonald’s. Anything I did, people always gravitated to me, my attitude, my confidence, and just my aura. It was definitely a shift to becoming famous and a celebrity. I was used to everybody loving me but, that’s everyone loving me who I personally encountered. Now you have a whole world. If I never met someone a day in my life and they see me at the mall, at a concert, or the store and they are just in love and going crazy just because of who I am to them. It’s definitely been a transition but I am grateful for it.

Why did you switch paths to pursue music?

Me and my friends had a podcast. We were just messing around on Facebook. I was like “Oh, we need a theme song for the show”. We found a studio, went, and recorded a theme song. Once we put the theme song out with the podcast we were doing, I started getting a lot of positive feedback. I was like “Okay, everybody is kinda feeling the rap. They think I could rap. Let me just explore it and just have fun”. I did a remix to “Thotiana”. It went viral and people started requesting me to go out to different clubs. I was like well let me make a very good song- and I initially thought of rap as a hustle. I’ve always been a hustler so, I was just thinking I was going to make a good song. I could get paid to perform at clubs and I didn’t think it was going to go any further than that. So when I put out “Walk ‘Em Like a Dog” on July 4th, 2019, it did a million plays in one week on Soundcloud. And my whole life changed after that.

Now the fashion world really embraces you, for the luxurious way you present yourself and of course your hits, ’Walk’ and ‘Material Girl’. This past fashion week we saw you front row with models walking to your music, is fashion another avenue you are interested in pursuing?

Yes definitely! Fashion I feel like definitely brings out the ‘material girl’ in Santana. I’ve always loved shopping. I think that I got it from my dad as well as my mom. I’ve loved shopping since I was a kid. My dad used to always pick me up, take me to the mall, and buy me new clothes. My mom always bought me new clothes. Clothes and fashion are something that I love. Ever since I was a kid, people would ask for PlayStation5 or Xbox. I’m like ‘I want clothes!’ So definitely fashion is something I’m interested in. It (fashion week) was fun, it was really a good experience for me because I’m more of a streetwear person. I like to dress comfortably. You know, Balenciaga sweats, Gallery Dept. outfits, things like that. But fashion is fun, so it’s fun putting on six-inch heels, furs, corsets, and just being a material girl.

The Black and Queer community has been setting the trends in fashion and music since the dawn of time. We are now seeing queer artists get mainstream recognition. Do you think barriers are being broken or are we just making a dent?

Barriers are definitely being broken. The world is so different now. Gay is becoming very normal. When you turn on your TV, your favorite hit shows have gay scenes, your favorite soap operas have gay people – your favorite movies. Almost everything that you watch on TV now has at least some kind of gay scene or clip. I was just watching Power, everyone watches Power, and even though it is such a gangster TV series, you have the boy that’s gay and sneaking around with a boyfriend. It is just becoming very normal. I definitely think in the music industry I’m breaking barriers with everything that I’m doing, the respect that I’m gaining, the rooms that I’m in, and the places that I’m going. When I first started rapping in 2019, it wasn’t like this. I wasn’t getting as warm of a welcome as I am now because it was still kind of abnormal and foreign to people. I definitely think that we are breaking barriers in the industry.

What inspires your music, for tracks like “Walk ‘Em Like a Dog”, are these your experiences or something you and your homegirls went through?

My music is 100% my life. A lot of the things that I rap about, I have actually done or things that I’m actually going through. Whether it be with haters, whether it be with n****s, whether it be just things in the industry, everything that l rap is really you know- ain’t no cap in my rap. My inspiration literally comes from things that are happening in my real life or even things that I might be manifesting. In 2019, when I made the song “Material Girl” that was around the time that I first realized I knew how to rap and was being looked at differently. Like he is not just a viral sensation, he actually has talent.

So, I was manifesting all the things that I have in 2022, in 2019 when I made that song. “Walk ‘Em Like a Dog” was a song about just dealing with you know men and all their flaws and different heartbreaks you go through. Just dealing with n****s. Even growing up, the things I saw my momma go through, things I saw my cousins go through, and that’s why that song was a hit. Because it was so relatable. I just feel like the formula is that a lot of my fans love Santana because they feel like they can relate to me. So, if you can relate to me I feel like you will be able to relate to my real life. Even if you are black, white, or polka dot. Men are men, they still gon’ break your heart, lie, cheat, they still do the same thing. Whether you’re Spanish, Italian, or white, everybody wants a Chanel bag, everybody wants a Birkin. I feel like my music is relatable for everybody.

On dealing with men, what’s the best relationship advice you’ve ever received?

I normally have to give my friends relationship advice! I would say maybe the best advice I have gotten was to learn how to be submissive. I’m very bossy. I think I get it from my mom so, sometimes dealing with different men they would tell me I make them feel – you know. Like a man got pride, he’s the boss, they be like “Damn you make a n**** feel a little less than”. When people see me I just give this sweet presence, so I was like let me tone it down. I don’t have to be so mean and bossy all the time. But I am real like “Don’t play, don’t play at all”. I think that’s the Libra in me too. Libras are dominant, so sometimes you have to be submissive so that you have a softer ear to listen and see what’s going on versus being so dominant. I had to learn to grow out of that.

Whether you’re Spanish, Italian, or white, everybody wants a Chanel bag, everybody wants a Birkin. I feel like my music is relatable for everybody.

Saucy Santana

People gravitate towards your music because it is relatable and it brings back fun. With the lyrics and the dances that come with it, there’s always a bit of comedic presence. Is it intentional? How do you approach making a song?

I don’t think that I have a comedic presence in rap. I’ve heard that before, but it’s definitely not intentional because I don’t see it. Maybe people can see that because I am being myself. I’m rapping as actual Saucy Santana, who people know and enjoy watching and listening to so it’s not really intentional. My rapping is just me being me.

The root of your lyrics seems to stem from unwavering self-confidence that can be used to get what you want. Whether that’s ‘materials & serials’ or even a man. Have you always had that? How did you develop that confidence?

I’ve always had that confidence. When I was seventeen, that’s when I came out as being gay. When I came out, I already bust out of my shell. At seventeen, I started getting my nails done, started wearing makeup, and started exploring female clothes and things like that. I just always had the mindset of f*** what people think, I am going to do what makes me happy. So I just always carry that confidence with me. It took a lot to go out in public, seventeen years old with nails, makeup, and a beard. And mind you, I couldn’t even do my makeup that well at the time so, the makeup was looking crazy. It was giving Nicki Minaj, pink lipstick and blue eyeshadow – it was a lot. I just had the confidence that I was happy, I was free, I was being myself. I’m very big on doing what makes me happy. I don’t want to be a prisoner in my body, my mind, soul, or spirit. My confidence just comes from exuding self-happiness.  

“Shisha” was a collaboration with the City Girls that fans were dying for because it just made sense. We know you are a hardcore Gucci Mane fan, what is a dream collaboration of yours that your fans may be surprised to hear?

Everyone knows I love Gucci and City Girls was a given. I think people would be surprised to know that I want a song with Lizzo. I love Lizzo, I think that would be a good sound. Lizzo is free. That just reminds me so much of me. I have always been free ever since I came out, being myself, loving myself, and not really caring. Of course, we are humans so, the things people say on the internet can get to us. But, I just feel like she is so liberating, so fun, and she is Lizzo. Even though she is a pop star she still has her urban ways and she is still very black. I love Lizzo and love everything she represents.

Your personality is infectious, the numbers and engagement in your lives are proof. With so many fans interested in what you do, will we see that translated to the big screen someday?

Definitely. I’ll be on the big screen soon. I have been getting a lot of calls about it but, I am very particular with TV shows and things like that because TV is kind of made for drama and entertainment. I want to be put out into the world in a positive way. Gays already have the stigma of however people view us. With me having a big presence in the world outside of social media, having a big following, and a lot of eyes on me, I don’t ever want to get on TV and present anything that is not me or that is not helpful to my culture. Especially in a time when we are already trying to break barriers and get people to accept us.

I am just very particular in what I indulge in and what type of narratives and storylines people try to create. But definitely, I will be on the big screen. I’ve had a couple of movies and things reach out but, just before I really branch into that, I want to make sure I leave a stamp on music. I feel like this is a big obstacle for me. It’s a big obstacle for the LGBT community and I am kind of the pioneer of this s*** right now. So, before I leave that behind, I want to make a stamp on music. I want to make a stamp for my community. So, if I don’t want to rap no more, the door has already been opened for everyone else to come in. You know? I don’t want to leave the job half done.

After building such a large following, what’s your relationship like with your fans?

My fans love me. It’s so funny when I run into people. It’s like my fans act as if they already know me because I’m such a relatable person. Just me being raw and my authentic self, a lot of times when I run into my fans, they feel like we are best friends. They feel like I’m their family member, they love Santana and they already know Santana so, I have a really good relationship with my fans. They are diehard.

Every day I don’t come outside like “Caresha please!” “Walk ’em like a dog!” “Ahh!” “Material girl!” I’m still a regular person.

Saucy Santana

A lot of your fans are young as well, how important is it to show them to be themselves?

It is very important and I know I have a lot of young fans because of TikTok. I try to speak through my sister. Make sure she’s doing the right things she’s supposed to do on TikTok. People find out that I’m her brother or that her brother is famous. My little sister is just like me so, I always tell her you’re a baby Santana so you got to hold it down for your age group. I sometimes feel like my music isn’t for the kids because I’m kind of vulgar sometimes. I’m even on my sister like “Ahh I don’t want you listening to that”. Don’t go downloading my albums. If something trends on TikTok then okay, but I don’t want you looking up my name and going to listen to everything. I just make sure when I interact with kids I leave them with something. Sometimes I have bad days and I don’t want to take pictures, but I never tell the kids ‘no’. I always try to do charitable things for kids when I see them because I understand that they are younger than me, so there are some things they may not understand yet. I want them to fall in love with the best Santana that they can at least see for themselves.

You are very transparent online, what’s one thing we don’t know about you?

I’m very serious in person. I hold it close to me just being able to still be a human. Sometimes when you become a celebrity, people don’t think that you’re human anymore. I still put my pants on one leg at a time like a normal person. When I wake up in the morning, my breath stinks like everybody else. I’m still a regular person. On a day to day if I’m out at the grocery store, if I’m running errands, at the gas station pumping gas in my car, I feel like those are my off days. Those are my days where I’m doing regular things, being at peace.

Every day I don’t come outside like “Caresha please!” “Walk ’em like a dog!” “Ahh!” “Material girl!” I’m still a regular person. I probably broke up with my boyfriend, my dog probably died, I probably don’t feel good today. Every day a person is not what you see on the internet or in music videos. A lot of times in person I could be grocery shopping, I could be taking my little sister to the park, I could be out having lunch with my mom. I tell people when they like “Are you, Saucy Santana?” I’m like “Probably this weekend, but I’m Rashad today so we are just going to keep it light”. Sometimes when people see me in person they are just on ten already and I’m just like ‘whoa’. I make sure I always still show gratitude and show love but I let people know it’s not giving that right now.

You are on tour with Latto and Kali in March, with some festivals lined up. You have been hitting stages without needing a microphone, since your fans can sing your songs word for word. What do you enjoy most about performing?

Such a blessing, that’s my favorite part. My favorite part about performing is seeing all those flashing lights in the crowd. If I have a mic malfunction or anything ever happens, the crowd can carry the entire show because they know all the words. Just seeing that influence, that impact of all those people screaming for you, rooting for you, and cheering you on. Just happy for you. Even the comments I get after shows, the DMs, and different things people tell me. They enjoyed the show, I’m such a good performer and I make them happy. That it was the best night of their life. All of that is my favorite part of performing. Just looking at the crowd and seeing everybody participate with you. I’ve seen people perform and the crowd was just giving crickets, you could hear a pin drop. I’ve seen people perform and it’s no phones in the air. I just think it is a blessing that I have had such an impact. That my fans really rock with me and support me and just engage. That’s what a performance is, I’m feeding off of your energy.

Now completely in the midst of your stardom, with your hustler mentality, what’s next for Saucy Santana?

This year is just going to be very big. I woke up this morning to my first billboard in Times Square and I have deals on the table that I can’t really talk about right now. I have a very big collaboration coming in a couple of months and I can’t say the name because it is not my song. But, it’s going to be a great year. It’s so funny because my life is so spontaneous. I often wake up and get a call like “this is happening today”. Literally, the other day when I woke up, they called like “Can you perform at Summer Walker’s concert?” And I’m like “Huh? Me?” Things are so spontaneous so, I always try to stay on my toes and be ready for whatever’s coming. I couldn’t even tell you what’s coming this year. I just know it is going to be very great in 2022. 

Creative Director(s): @gabrielleamani, Nancy Williams 
Production Manager: Simone Clarke
Photographer: @braylendion
Production Coordinator: @taylor.amarii
Assistants: @chris.phero @dionrollee
Photo Retoucher: @rarediamondzz
Set design: @sentribe 
Make up: @akilaface 
Style team: @sequine @prdorianjihad 
Article editor: @felicialafantaisie 

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