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In order to improve, occasionally the previous must be left behind - a lesson Swerzie is here to teach. Leaving the UNDO collective, alongside other previous members such as Jetffrey and Shrub, was one of the largest turning points and advancements we’ve seen in this artist's young career. Not only this, but establishing his current collective, Icy Rotten alongside few other founding members truly drove the authenticity behind Sergio Velasco’s artistry through the roof. Being founded in 2015 in Chattanooga, TN, Icy Rotten has expanded to include artists from all over the globe - such as downtime, Zotiyac, Keadrean, Apollo The Gemini, as well as SoyMilkChachi.
In recent years, Swerzie has gained many new listeners and fans from his 2017 project dubbed Ice The World. This 6 part album featured two of his most well known tracks, Diamonds and Heavensent, one of the tracks that initially caught Enigmatic’s attention. However, getting closer to the founding of Icy Rotten, the 2016 single release Give Up pushed massive Pouya and Fat Nick aesthetics, having hard spoken vocals over a demanding and dark track production. Through an interview, Swerzie referenced this to the name of his collective, saying it’s a contrast name as Icy is due to being flashy, meanwhile Rotten nurtures their dark and aggressive style of artistry.
Being halfway through 2021, we’ve seen the 5 track release of the Rotten From Love album begin to gain traction amongst Icy Rotten fans. We’ve noticed a step away from the original Swerzie sound, with this album being less heavy and more emotion packed, bar to bar. Whether this be a cause and effect of doing collaborations with bbno$, or it’s just a new direction Icy Rotten is taking, we’re here for it.
Check out the newest project Rotten From Love on major streaming platforms, as well as Swerzie on Instagram @ripswerzie! Keep up with this week’s New Music Friday’s, as well as other artist and producer interviews via Enigmatic for brand new content!