West Coast rapper Seafood Sam is a proud Long Beach native. Known in the area as much for his soulful, breezy sound and low-register drawl as for throwing wild bowling and skate nights, he lives by the Cali Long Beach ethos and carries its musical lineage forward, following in the footsteps of ‘the holy trinity’: Miles Davis, James Brown & Bobby Brown – who Sam pays tribute to in the title of his upcoming record, Standing On Giant Shoulders. An old soul with a new flow, Sam applies the lessons of these three icons to his own voice, painting a lucid and authentic portrait of Long Beach life upon an entirely live instrumental foundation. Following the release of his new single, Pearly Gates Playlist, we asked Sam to run us through his personal guide to Long Beach.

What is it about Long Beach that has inspired such a rich mixture of musicians and artists over the years?
“Long Beach is a big gumbo pot, meaning there’s a plethora of different cultures in one area which breeds interesting inspirations.”

How would you describe the Long Beach sound?
“I wouldn’t say there’s a certain ‘sound’, but everybody from the city got this same laid-back, cool demeanour in some kind of way. I guess it’s something in the water.”

How has Long Beach has influenced your sound?
“It’s my roots, everything I do is Long Beach.”

What’s your favourite Long Beach place to chill?
It’s not a spot everyone can go but I’d have to say my studio

What’s your favourite Long Beach place to grab some food?
“At the moment it’s A&J seafood shack.”

What’s your favourite time of day to enjoy Long Beach?
“When the sun sits in the middle of the sky, that’s the perfect time.”

What’s your favourite quintessential Long Beach record?
“I Luv It by The Eastsidaz.”

You’re known for your bowling and skating parties, can you tell us about those?
“I like any activity where age doesn’t matter… like skating, bowling, playing pool and even golf. In every one of these sports I can find someone 60 plus still killing it, so I guess you can say I’m preparing for when I’m old. And yes, I hit the skating rink any chance I get.”

What’s your best bowling score??
“My highest was like 190 [or] something.”

Follow Seafood Sam on Instagram.