A Rae Sremmurd interview can be as uproarious as their live performances. Brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi interrupt each other's answers, shout ad-libs in the background ("Turn up!" "Sremmlife!"), and struggle to keep the TV volume down in their San Fernando Valley home. But this easygoing nature is a pillar of the duo's "Sremmlife." Their drink of choice? Hennessey and cranberry juice. Their way of solving sibling disagreements? "Smoke one."
"Sremmlife is waking up every day and being the best version of yourself," Swae Lee tells Exclaim! "It's you being you, owning your own lifestyle with love and positivity."
Having weathered a number of album pushbacks and the criticism of those who had written them off as "kiddie" music, the brothers Sremmurd have returned with Sremmlife 2 (out now on Eardrummers/Interscope), a much more nuanced yet no less riotous musical examination of their party-centric lifestyle. Here are five tips that are sure to have you living the "Sremmlife" to the fullest.
Five Tips from Rae Sremmurd About Living the "Sremmlife":
1. An active lifestyle keeps you partying longer.
A recent tour stop in Quebec City saw Rae Sremmurd waste no time in getting bodies jumping and arms pumping. Though it was raining steadily, the brothers remained undeterred, sliding across the stage in the pooling water, leading the crowd in chants of "fuck the rain," and liberally splashing their adoring audience with assorted bottles of liquor. It was a wonder that the crowd hung with the pair in the cold weather.
But how do they avoid exhaustion with a demanding tour schedule? "I make sure to lead an active lifestyle so I have that endurance," Jxmmi explains. "Lately, I spend my time either skateboarding or playing Pokémon Go."
2. Eat your fruit, especially pineapples.
Pineapples are younger Sremmurd brother Swae Lee's favourite fruit. Apart from appearing in music videos and tour graphics, the fruit has even been brought out on stage — a whole one at the aforementioned Quebec City gig — where they usually end up getting smashed to pieces or launched into the crowd.
Not only are they delicious and nutritious, Swae Lee has a few other reasons why the tropical fruit remains significant to him. "Pineapples remind me of paradise and islands. They also make you taste better for the ladies, so make sure you eat lots of them," he says with a laugh.
3. Host your own parties, no matter how crazy they get.
Before becoming Rae Sremmurd, the brothers wrote raps as Dem Outta St8 Boyz, performing at gatherings they hosted themselves. They soon learned that playing the role of host helps ensure a good time.
"The craziest party I've ever been to, we actually threw," Jxmmi recalls. "We threw it in our tiny two-story apartment in Tupelo, MS, and we had way too many people in there. At one point we had people pissing out of the windows and fighting in the street, but we still had fun."
4. Learn from the greats.
For Sremmlife 2, the brothers landed a guest verse from one of mentor Mike WiLL Made-It's closest friends, Gucci Mane, for "Black Beatles." The song pays homage to music's most popular group in pitting the brothers and their collaborators as bona fide stars. "I'm a fuckin' black Beatle, cream seats in the regal / Rockin' John Lennon lenses, like to see 'em spread eagle," Swae Lee raps.
"Just like them, we're rock stars," Swae explains. "We're a hit with the fans and the ladies, we've got our own style, and we perform around the world." Of course, Atlanta trio Migos have also been known to liken themselves to the Fab Four, perhaps setting the stage for a remix down the road.
5. Don't be afraid to try new things.
Recognized as the life of every party, even Rae Sremmurd know that it's healthy to take a break from the festivities every now and again. Sremmlife 2 features a welcome bit of serious self-examination in its back half, with the brothers chronicling their rise through the rap game on "Came a Long Way" while ruminating on relationship troubles with 'Now That I Know" and "Take It or Leave It."
"We don't just do party records anymore," Jxmmi says. "From touring and growing older, you see and experience a whole other world. Who knows what kind of songs we'll be writing five months from now."
See the type of parties Rae Sremmurd throw firsthand in the video for explosive Sremmlife 2 cut "Start a Party" below. As previously reported, the duo are also heading out on an upcoming North American tour. You can see all the stops here.
"Sremmlife is waking up every day and being the best version of yourself," Swae Lee tells Exclaim! "It's you being you, owning your own lifestyle with love and positivity."
Having weathered a number of album pushbacks and the criticism of those who had written them off as "kiddie" music, the brothers Sremmurd have returned with Sremmlife 2 (out now on Eardrummers/Interscope), a much more nuanced yet no less riotous musical examination of their party-centric lifestyle. Here are five tips that are sure to have you living the "Sremmlife" to the fullest.
Five Tips from Rae Sremmurd About Living the "Sremmlife":
1. An active lifestyle keeps you partying longer.
A recent tour stop in Quebec City saw Rae Sremmurd waste no time in getting bodies jumping and arms pumping. Though it was raining steadily, the brothers remained undeterred, sliding across the stage in the pooling water, leading the crowd in chants of "fuck the rain," and liberally splashing their adoring audience with assorted bottles of liquor. It was a wonder that the crowd hung with the pair in the cold weather.
But how do they avoid exhaustion with a demanding tour schedule? "I make sure to lead an active lifestyle so I have that endurance," Jxmmi explains. "Lately, I spend my time either skateboarding or playing Pokémon Go."
2. Eat your fruit, especially pineapples.
Pineapples are younger Sremmurd brother Swae Lee's favourite fruit. Apart from appearing in music videos and tour graphics, the fruit has even been brought out on stage — a whole one at the aforementioned Quebec City gig — where they usually end up getting smashed to pieces or launched into the crowd.
Not only are they delicious and nutritious, Swae Lee has a few other reasons why the tropical fruit remains significant to him. "Pineapples remind me of paradise and islands. They also make you taste better for the ladies, so make sure you eat lots of them," he says with a laugh.
3. Host your own parties, no matter how crazy they get.
Before becoming Rae Sremmurd, the brothers wrote raps as Dem Outta St8 Boyz, performing at gatherings they hosted themselves. They soon learned that playing the role of host helps ensure a good time.
"The craziest party I've ever been to, we actually threw," Jxmmi recalls. "We threw it in our tiny two-story apartment in Tupelo, MS, and we had way too many people in there. At one point we had people pissing out of the windows and fighting in the street, but we still had fun."
4. Learn from the greats.
For Sremmlife 2, the brothers landed a guest verse from one of mentor Mike WiLL Made-It's closest friends, Gucci Mane, for "Black Beatles." The song pays homage to music's most popular group in pitting the brothers and their collaborators as bona fide stars. "I'm a fuckin' black Beatle, cream seats in the regal / Rockin' John Lennon lenses, like to see 'em spread eagle," Swae Lee raps.
"Just like them, we're rock stars," Swae explains. "We're a hit with the fans and the ladies, we've got our own style, and we perform around the world." Of course, Atlanta trio Migos have also been known to liken themselves to the Fab Four, perhaps setting the stage for a remix down the road.
5. Don't be afraid to try new things.
Recognized as the life of every party, even Rae Sremmurd know that it's healthy to take a break from the festivities every now and again. Sremmlife 2 features a welcome bit of serious self-examination in its back half, with the brothers chronicling their rise through the rap game on "Came a Long Way" while ruminating on relationship troubles with 'Now That I Know" and "Take It or Leave It."
"We don't just do party records anymore," Jxmmi says. "From touring and growing older, you see and experience a whole other world. Who knows what kind of songs we'll be writing five months from now."
See the type of parties Rae Sremmurd throw firsthand in the video for explosive Sremmlife 2 cut "Start a Party" below. As previously reported, the duo are also heading out on an upcoming North American tour. You can see all the stops here.
