We had the good fortune of connecting with Swirvana and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Swirvana, why did you pursue a creative career?
It really chose me, to be honest. Growing up, my mother was always creatively inclined and she fostered my interest in artistic expression. I started off just wanting to draw and write stories. But I always would make up songs and sing them to myself. By the time I was about 12 I realized I loved writing songs a little more than I liked to draw, so I began to focus on rapping. Luckily one of my neighbors was into rap as well, so he was able to show me how to actually structure a verse and record it. And ever since then, I’ve been hooked.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets my art apart from all these other guys is that I’m not a character. I’m not afraid to be myself and rap about my actual life. I’ve rapped about feeling unappreciated as a man, about being broke. Things that men actually go through but are afraid to talk about because everyone wants to present themselves as these flawless superheroes who never take losses in life. And that’s great motivation, that’s a great thing to aspire to, but sometimes you just want to know that you’re not alone in your struggles. At the same time, I’m not a loser. I don’t NEED to be rich or famous, because I’ve already discovered who I am as a man and I don’t need any validation. That allows me the freedom to truly be myself, which I see MOST artists are afraid to be. As far as how did I get to where I am now in my career, I really don’t feel like I’m far into it. I’ve performed at a bunch of venues and put out a good handful of music and videos, but I’m not where I want to be yet. My goal isn’t to sign to a major label. I just want to be an underground king. And I understand that route takes longer, but when you get to your goal, you own all of your music and retain creative control. You also don’t have to watch your tongue because nobody owns you.
Lessons I’ve learned along the way are: One, be yourself. Houston won’t even allow you to be fake because this city vets its artists so hard. So it behooves you to just keep it real. Besides, your individuality is the greatest gift you can give to the world. You are who you are because you are what the world needs in this moment.
Lesson two would be to keep a tight circle and kick people out if need be. I know that sounds harsh, but some people are literally around you just to stifle your progress. Knowingly or unknowingly. Just because someone is your friend does not mean that they have good advice for you. A lot of people want you to stay at a level that’s accessible to them. So make sure everyone around you has the same goals for you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When my friends come to Houston I have a few spots I always recommend. First and foremost, for food, you have to hit the Stuffed Baked Potato Factory. 610 and MLK. They put so many toppings on top of those potatoes that you can’t even see the potato. Glorious. The good thing about that spot is that it’s right down the street from MacGregor Park. So you can grab a big plate of food, then go to a legendary park in the city and see some of the Houston car culture.

Speaking of MacGregor Park, that’s the place you want to be on Sunday evenings. All of the coolest cars in the city congregate and put on a spectacle. You have to be in the loop to keep up, because the festivities tend to move from spot to spot based on police presence. But if you’re with me, you’ll be just fine.

Monday nights is for the Local Seat, which is right across the street from MacGregor Park. They put on a beautiful open mic poetry night.

Monday nights also have a lot of shows in the city for local rappers and producers.

Weekdays I’m usually in the house, so I couldn’t tell you much of what to do on the weekdays. But my favorite party spots in the city are the hole-in-the-walls. The places with no security checks that let you smoke inside, to be honest.

I have to be honest, in recent years we’ve had so many people move into the city that the party culture has shifted. Places that used to be down to Earth have now started charging for entry and sections. Everything is so “Instagrammy” now. So with that being said, I have to gatekeep some of my favorite spots. If I don’t, everyone will start going there and then next thing you know, they’ll be charging at the door and charging to sit down and doubling the drink prices. I like going to spots that only locals are comfortable going to. The places where out of towners would be nervous to go. And I want to keep it that way. The out of towners can have everything on Richmond and Westheimer. But please, leave the hood alone.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to give a shoutout to my brother London Teyler, my biggest motivator. Without him, I don’t even know if I’d be doing this music thing. I’d also like to give big shoutouts to my brothers Kuhmodo and Jesse, they’ve taught me so much about music and the industry as a whole. I’d like to give shoutouts to my brother Richie Kahdon, one of my right-hand men in this thang. A creative force to be reckoned with. We’ve rocked shows from Houston to Austin and back. Last but certainly not least I’d like to give a shoutout to my Slab Shark crew. 503 JayT, Iced Out Ten, Ray, Aaron, Banks, the list goes on. Shoutout to my boy Ari Frazier, always showing love. Shoutout to Rob Da Giant. Shoutout to my momma! I could go on and on forever. I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am if not for all of yall.

And shoutout to those who stopped rocking with me due to me outgrowing the box you hoped to keep me in. I hope ya see me, baby!

Instagram: @Swirvana

Twitter: @Swirvana_

Facebook: Swirvana

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@swirvana5243?si=i7uW-AfXn7h57JqJ

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.