Rising R&B artist Samoht has been on a roll this year with achievement after achievement and accolades coming from everywhere. It started with a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding New Artist, a song placement in Issa Rae’s #1 film ‘One of Them Days’, and a memorable performance at the NAACP Image Awards, on top of his multi-city Red Zone tour that wrapped with an amazing and culturally loving performance in Los Angeles.
“I didn’t expect anything from this year except greatness, I just didn’t know how or what it would look like,” Samoht said, describing how he’s taking everything in. “ This year came in swinging and I am embracing all of it.”
Samhot comes from humble beginnings, growing up in Wilson, North Carolina, attending his grandma’s church where she sang and his mom played the organ. When he wasn’t there, he was running around on the dirt roads with his sister, experiencing the ups and downs of life. Samoht started singing in church, but once reaching adulthood, decided to move to New York for development as a human and artist.
“New York allowed me to get dirty and develop some grit. It’s the level of rawness that New York provided that I couldn’t get in North Carolina,” Samoht said. “ I needed to attend that school, and it pushed me to reach new heights as a person and helped me craft my sound.”
Part of his development as an artist was doing living room performances with strangers at his apartment. Yeah, Samoht was inviting strangers to his place to sing his songs… Southern hospitality at its finest. But what he dubbed as living room tours allowed him to reach an audience that was oblivious to the star living in their area.
“I have a friend who mentioned one day how they went to a house party and there was a jazz band performing, and she encouraged me to do the same thing to create some buzz, so I used Facebook Live to perform and spread the word about my idea. Samoht said about his live performances.”
“Eventually, I held my first event, and it was the birth of my first tour, Living Room tours, and I did that across the country in my apartment and others.”
“Samoht’s music is a representation of his journey and presents you with the current version of him. His foundation is rooted in gospel, which you’ll hear when he sings. The cultural impact of living in North Carolina and New York is evident in his lyrics and style, and his creativity is showcased through his artistry and the way he puts things together.”
“I always strive to be me, because I’m a real artist and I’m not trying to be anybody else in R&B,” Samoht said about his sound. “I don’t feel any pressure being in this space because I always start from the space of the kid that was outside making mud pies and humming to himself.” You can browse Samoht Catalog on all streaming platforms.