When you think of Memphis, TN from the outside, landmarks like Sun Studio, Graceland, or Beale Street may immediately come to mind. At the bottom of the city though, you will find South Vegas. This stretch of town flaunts its own “lingo” and what locals refer to as “a little casino with fast cars and gambling.” Sett calls this neighborhood home. He absorbs the unrestrained energy around him and transfers it into searing and scorching rhymes. Piling up millions of views and streams, he welcomes everyone into this world on his forthcoming debut for The New 1017/Atlantic Records and more to come.
“On our street, there’s fools stealing, gambling, and racing all day every day,” he notes. “We’ve got our own way. Everyone knows what’s up with us. Memphis definitely inspired me. It’s different. It’s the new Houston or Atlanta. I’m real; I’m not acting. I’m going to give the city hope though, and I’m setting it off.”
As the ninth of ten kids, he learned how to be heard at a young age. Shuffling in and out of jail, he lost his mom and older brother, but he found purpose in music. Before passing, his late friend Cam encouraged him to rap in 2020, and he adopted the name “Sett” as a nod to the classic film Set It Off.
“I’ve been losing people all my life,” he laments. “This is real life, so I put it in the music.”
He gained traction with “Free Marvin”—a tribute to his incarcerated brother—before landing back behind bars. After hearing Sett on “GOT MOTION” featuring TayG in 2022, Gucci Mane signed him to The New 1017.
“Gucci got me out,” he recalls. “He had confidence in me. He said, ‘We’re going to get this paper’. He showed me how to get myself right. He’s very wise. I watched him, and I learned to make everything count.”
During 2022, the buzzing rapper ignited his next era with “Break Out Dat Cake” with Gucci Mane. Right out of the gate, it gathered over 700k streams and 500K YouTube views. On its heels, he tore through a Zaytoven beat on “First Day in the A.” He consistently developed an incendiary flow punctuated by hard- hitting hooks.
“I’m different,” he says. “I have my own joint. I’m not forcing it. I’m not in competition with anyone. I do what I do. I stick in my lane. I can run anybody over.”
Now, he’s about to take off at full speed.
“When you hear my songs, I hope you’re motivated,” he leaves off. “I stand firm on everything. If I want this shit, I’m going to get it. You can just make it happen. I’m proof you can.”