Lyrics & The Lab: Serroge

MC, actor, activist, and entrepreneur, Serroge Watt

Arise & Lyricize- Serroge takes us BLACK to the future.

What is Afrofuturism? A philosophy? A movement? A “new- age Black Panther party”? Is it something like a black man standing in confidence, speaking truth and history, active in community, sowing seeds of greatness for the next? Could it also be a music genre? Finding the ears of those who need a majestic reminder of our struggle and triumph. A word full of depth and dimensions. To sum it up, Afrofuturism is ALL of it and more. Serroge is part of that addition. Raising the bar, one bar at a time. Music as part of the movement. Let’s catch his beat.

“I was a child in adult settings for most of my childhood.”, shares Los Angeles born MC, Serroge (pronounced like “garage” with an S). “I was a theatre kid. I grew up as a child actor doing commercials, films, and stage plays.” Early exposure to the performance arts fueled Serroge’s passion for the limelight, setting the stage for the rise of this lethally gifted MC.

Growing up in theatre, Serroge had a unique opportunity to soak up the environment of words and rhythm. Moving to St. Louis around the age of 10, Serroge performed across the region at many historical theatres, such as The Muny and The Black Rep. “In “Raisin in the Sun”, I was Travis.”, he recounts. “In high school is when I began to transition into music.” Serroge says his skills of script memorizing and stage character development helped him to channel his thoughts more effectively into rap lyrics. He credits his musical inspirations to the late jazz legend, Sun Ra, and Black Star, the hip-hop duo group of Talib Kweli, and Mos Def (Yasiin Bey). He also credits his parents and late comedian/writer/activist, Dick Gregory, psychiatrist and activist Frances Cress Welsing, and many others for inspiring his artistic journey.

Serroge describes his artistic style as a “scientific formula for a spiritual practice.” “It’s “God-Hop”, another building block to add on to hip hop.”, he adds. “I’m not a rapper, I’m an Emcee. I take it a lot more personal to make sure we have a socially conscious representation to the music.” Serroge says he uses his music to spread his message as the same way a speaker would deliver from the bleachers. “I’m not a saint or anything. I just believe in “generate, operate, dissolve.”, he explains. “I just let people know it’s a science to this. It’s spiritual the bond we have with music, the sound, being able to teach and educate each other.”

Serroge’s unique and charismatic style of storytelling has caught the attention of many listeners locally and beyond. “I remember when Trackstar the DJ picked up some of my music from the college party circuit, back when we were still putting stuff out on vinyl.”, he recalls. “That got me off to a run, that really inspired me.” In December 2020, Serroge released his single, “Options, Pt.1” on streaming platforms. In 2021, he followed up with singles “People” and “Too Late”. The Afrofuturist went on to drop “Cape Stones, “Davinci’s Demons”, and “Nimrod” in 2022. By the end of 2023, Serroge has released a solid 10 album worthy hits, with the latest being “Build A Bridge”.

Serroge- “Build A Bridge”

Currently, Serroge is working on music, activism, entrepreneurship, artistic resourcing, and community outreach. He is also a member of Black Men Build, a national non-profit outreach organization. “I’m a parent, a property owner, I push for the youth. I advocate for lyric reform, so that each artist can have a clean set they can present in front of a high school. That’s what Afrofuturism is all about, making things better for the next. We’re growing hip-hop up.”