It was kind of hard to adjust because even when I was on tour, I had to deal with them after school. I would go to school three times a week – like Monday through Wednesday. Thursday through Sunday I would tour the world. To go from being a star Sammie to your everyday average 12-year-old was kind of hard to juggle. Once I finished touring – I think I was touring for like two, two and a half years, it wasn't an easy decision to make because I love music. I live and breathe music but I just wanted a sense of normalcy. I went to school. I played basketball for two years in high school. I was homecoming king. I was in the choir. I got to do things that everyday average students get to do but I know a lot of artists my age miss out on. So it was kind of a luxury.
Did you feel that since you were so young, it was worth the risk, since you would probably have enough time to grow and still be young enough to make a relevant comeback?
I always knew one day I would attempt to come back. I'm not going to say comeback because it's kind of hard to leave for six months and stay relevant, let alone four years. So it was never really a thought-out plan.
The plan was to be a kid, that's all it was. It was never like "I'm going to be a kid and then when I graduate, I know I'm going to come back and I'm going to re-sign with Dallas and everything's going to be perfect." It never was that way at all. You know what I'm saying? When I was in high school, I was truly in high school just living high school life – actually filling out college applications, taking SAT and things like that.
The hunger didn't come back until my junior year going into my senior year. You have to make a decision: do you want to go nine to five or go to trade school or go to college? One thing I've always been good at was music. That's when I decided to attempt to come back. It's scary now actually saying that – when I stopped singing I took a big risk because there was no guarantee I was going to be able to come back.
Article comments
1 - Nowthebiz
Mr. Perry, this interview is incorrect, Sammie is currently signed to Empire Entertainment an Atlanta based Label, he may have started his own company, but it was clearly in 2009. Sammie is tring to get a release out of his current contract, his claim to be releasing an album is just that. I have followed his very short career from the beginning & would like the truth to be printed, Sammie being Un loyal to his fans for not telling the truth & to his Recording company that has supported him from his 5year break. Sammie is a has been & the only reason you are even talking to him is because of Soujia Boy's song.
2 - Miss M.
Great interview, Mr. Perry. I gave two different opinions about young Sammie and his plans to "come back"- I was impressed to hear him talk intelligently and coherently about his childhood, transitioning in the industry, and his plans to be the number on db artist out there. I worry though that like some other artists, he just doesn't have that 'it' factor right now. I mean, he's cute enough, his voice is nice enough, his swag is pretty generic... I want him to grow up a little more and do some self discovery. At 22, I didn't know who I was and at 25, I still don't. So all I'm saying is, before he starts referring to himself in the third person and owning labels, I really want him to get his feet firmly planted, get some well produced, well written, appropriately marketed track and a unique selling point that is truly his, and then he'll be ready. I love to see a young black man being positive and trying to make it... I want Sammie to do well and I think that if he's careful and meticulous and really works on his craft like he says he wants to, people will support him and really help him become to superstar he wants to be. Good luck, my Brotha!