Today we’d like to introduce you to Lawrence “San Lorenzo” Morris.
Hi Lawrence, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I started playing piano when I was pretty young, and I released my first rap song in 2014. I’m 23, I started playing piano around 8 years old. I quickly realized how I enjoyed exploring sounds I’d come up with more than playing the sheet music our instructor would give us, and I think that’s when I realized I had a very strong interest in making music.
As a little kid I would come up with songs in the shower, lyrics and melodies alike; music was always in my mind. As I grew older I fell in love with rap & artists like Lil’ Wayne, A$AP Rocky, Mac Miller, & Drake. I felt a deep pull towards this kind of expression, an inexplicable & powerful urge to try to express myself as they did. I had things that I had bottled up, entrenched in the depths of myself that I never talked about with anyone.
Rapping has given me the opportunity to share parts of my soul that never could before. I recorded my first song at 14 years old, and over the years my inspirations have changed as well as my sound. I have drawn inspiration from my own personal trauma, psychedelic experiences, mental struggles, and the inherent beauty in the world as well. I need to create, I need to express myself, and music allows me to maintain these necessities.
I’m grateful that my musical endeavors have brought me into some great opportunities like playing shows with underground legends like Xavier Wulf, but the hunger for success I feel always makes me feel like I’m not doing enough or I’m not good enough.
I think a lot of people struggle with not feeling good enough, and I speak on that a lot in my music.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. The path of the artist is rough. People ignore you, there are always others to compare yourself to, and inspiration comes and goes. There are a thousand reasons to quit making music, but my need to create and my desire to be understood by others keep me in the game.
I’ve had major signed artists steal my work, I’ve had fallouts with fellow musician friends, and getting the support of my whole family has been the hardest of all. I’m grateful my mom supports my dreams, but other people in my family essentially believe I’m wasting my life away making silly songs that nobody listens to.
My girlfriend believes in me and for that, I’m very grateful. The path of the artist is long and stressful, you can’t only want money out of this. You have to accept that you need to create for the sake of creating, and nothing else.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My music is really different from most new rap music out right now. Recently I have been blending surf-rock & hip-hop & the sounds I’ve been coming up with give me a lot of happiness.
I like to experiment with plugin music, an underground musical phenomenon that revolves around arrogant, melodic, heavily auto-tuned lyrics over dark, fun beats. I’m most proud of whatever is next. I’m always most excited for the NEXT piece of music to release, I think getting hung up on past pieces is hindering my creativity.
I am set apart from others through my manner of expression, which is raw, intelligent, & vulnerable. I’m not afraid to actually say something, unlike a lot of artists here in San Antonio.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is to never fully trust a seemingly perfectly timed “blessing.”
There are so many vultures in the scene, so many people looking to take advantage of hungry, young artists. Always be on your toes, and always be true to yourself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/heavensentence
- Twitter: Www.twitter.com/heavensentence
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/heavensentence
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/dG8gfsqe1tBrPSP58
