Rising to Fame with Pote Baby

Hailing from East Savannah, Georgia; Pote Baby is gearing up to be a musical icon for his area and beyond. Implementing East and West Coast sounds into his Southern rap style, Pote Baby gives a new outlook and insights into the way he perfects his craft. Baby shares the ins and outs of his rise, the values retained, and the impact he wishes the youth to uphold. The dreamer, who has transformed into a creator, prepares to unite the masses through his music and usher in an age of new mindsets ready for adversity.

Before he released his breakout single "In The Kitchen”, Brandon Wilson aka Pote Baby took many steps to create the alias and music that he is so proud of today. However this wasn't the beginning. Before the spotlight, Pote Baby remembers the steps he took to raise his status in the music industry and become a household name.

Pote expresses the feeling of viewing music as art, even as a child. Watching music videos on BET or buying CDs, never gave him that feeling of connection with the artist. To feel their thoughts and emotions was important, and the middle man separating the two were these mediums. “I come from that era where, as kids, we didn't always have that $9.99 to go to Best Buy and get the latest album.” Pote explains. There was an element of emotion when you could listen to an artist’s song, whether that be released or not, that made more of a lasting impact on him as a child. He explains that this was a message he sent through his first album in a series, Yard Work Volume 1. To captivate that lasting emotion meant bringing some of the down-to-earth but enticing sounds heard on the mixtapes from his childhood. “When artists were going through their dry moments on the industry side, they were always able to keep the streets on their side. Even though it wasn't on the radio, it was platinum on the aux.” says Pote Baby.

Pouring back into his community remains something Pote Baby focuses on throughout his career; never forgetting the people who set the soil for his creativity to branch out and touch the minds of many. Taking Inspiration from artists in all genres such as MadeInTYO, U.G.K. and Travis Scott; he sets out to redefine the stereotypical things rap often exemplifies. Portrayals of the struggle story or the near-death experience is something Pote Baby has never felt it was something to be sold due to it being so common. “Your story had to be something that could be put on film. I never thought that being an average Joe was rappable.” MadeinTYO’s hit song UBER everywhere opened Pote Baby’s eyes to a life of rap that didn't consist solely of struggle or negative stereotypes.

Feeling like an average joe didn't stop Pote Baby from starting the process of redefining the outlooks on the music industry. Limitations, contracts and releases are frequently associated with a music career; Pote Baby hopes to reshape that, starting with the youth. September 12th is home to ‘Pote Day’, a three-day festival which tends to the children in Savannah, Georgia, giving them a better life unclouded with feelings of poverty and inexperience. Beginning in the pandemic, Pote Day was meant for the community. “Whatever wins we get, we wanna bring it back home.” he says. Using his platform to collaborate with big brand names such as Reebok and Jack Daniels, Pote Day would soon become proclaimed and turned into a local holiday in Savannah, offering much more than just music to the community. Business grants, internships, educational panels, live music. “The only opportunity seen sometimes is hitting the streets, and that’s not what I want for my community.” he elaborates, “My message is build, never beg.”

Accumulation of all fields of work and sounds have influenced Pote Baby in and out of music. Interacting with multiple fields of art, including fashion. His brand ‘Gumbo’ ties in his vision of inclusivity and speaks volumes of his values as an artist. With the quote “God Loves Gumbo” plastered on many of the pieces sold, it is apparent that mixing is what he’s all about. Different visuals, styles and techniques are used to create a shirt that feels like an accumulation of cultures. He explains that he wants to implement different cultures and styles into the brand, to exemplify its message of inclusion that retains unique qualities. He says, it's really about bringing together the people, similar to the famous southern dish. Maintaining his morale has led him to become the icon he is today. Gumbo alongside his music speaks of his character, values and the importance of Pote Baby.