‘Wayne embraced me with open arms,’ singer/songwriter tells Mixtape Daily of Cash Money deal. By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Jayson Rodriguez Sean Garrett Photo: Universal Don’t Sleep: Necessary Notables Mixtape : The Inkwell Headliner : Sean Garrett Key Collaborations : “She Geeked” (featuring Gucci Mane and Tyga), “Summer Love” (featuring Bun B and Yo Gotti) and “Girls on Girls” (featuring Lil Wayne and T-Pain) Essential Info : Sean “The Pen” Garrett always has to be on point, because he might have to switch modes at any given moment. The Grammy winner has his singer hat on one minute, then he has to get right back into his songwriter/producer duties when he gets a call from a T.I. or Rihanna or Jamie Foxx, who just took a song Sean wanted to keep for his own album. The Atlanta native said he doesn’t mind; he’s elated to be active. His next mixtape, The Inkwell, drops in a few weeks. ” The Inkwell is sort of like the album before the album,” Sean said recently in New York. “As a creative person, creative artist, you have to sort of spoon-feed your audience. I was an artist well before I became ‘The Pen.’ With all of that, a lot of people have had the opportunity to hear my music on other people. So sort of representing yourself as an artist, I want my albums to be classic but creative, where people are excited to hear my music. I want people to look at me as an artist as someone that’s fun and at the same time intricate, but at the same time not typical. ” The Inkwell is the introduction to Sean Garrett the artist, officially,” the crooner added. “The first single ‘She Geeked’ is real ill, real street, but sexy. All the ladies like it. It’s me, Gucci Mane and Tyga from Young Money. It’s just super swagged-out. My music … I don’t wanna call it R&B. It’s just swag music. If you can relate to the street, you can relate to my music. If you can relate to R&B, you can relate to my music. If you can relate to urban, you can relate to my music. If you can relate to mainstream, you can relate to my music. The Inkwell is a collaboration of great artists that I expect to create music. It gives people a great look on who Sean Garrett is. I got a smash with Rocko, smash with Roscoe Dash. Of course Gucci Mane, of course Lil Wayne, Bun B, Yo Gotti, Nicki Minaj. Should I stop? It’s real ill. The more I work on it, which I’m pretty much done, the more excited I get.” After The Inkwell drops, Garrett will be focusing on the launch of his album. He’s close to finalizing a deal with Cash Money Records. Lil Wayne brought the deal to the table before he went to prison. “I really got a lot of respect for Wayne,” Sean said. “Wayne embraced me with open arms before he went on a little vacation. He took me on tour with him. He was really open arms about rocking with him. He put me on the pilot seat going on right before him. I got a lot of respect for [Cash Money], because it represents where music is going as far as really believing in yourself and not just being in a box. Just creating your own style, your own movement and believing in your team. Cash Money is really family-orientated. I can bring a lot to Cash Money, in reference to what I do, developing their other artists, helping them to travel across the water. They’ve got artists they are trying to break internationally. It’s sort of a win/win situation.” Sean has been on the road, opening for Gucci Mane, and he said he’s about to go on tour with Cash Money/ Young Money family member Drake. Other Heat This Week
