1. He got his nickname for just the reason you’d think.
Slim Jesus isn’t a cryptic nickname: It’s literally just because he’s so skinny! The moniker started off as Swag Jesus thanks to some friends, but it changed over time. “We flipped it and made it Slim, for obvious reasons, I’m skinny as hell,” he explained to Complex. “But, yeah, I just kind of stuck with it. It made people mad for shock value. The name worked.”
2. He’s been criticized for the violence and props in his video.
He’s only 18, but in the video for “Drill Time,” Slim is seen on camera shooting guns, and his entire entourage is also holding onto some deadly weapons. Although there’s a disclaimer that the props aren’t real and that NO ONE should try this at home, it’s still pretty shocking!
3. He performs ‘drill’ rap.
Slim said his music style of choice is ‘drill’ rap, which originated in Chicago and usually features violent lyrics. The genre went mainstream thanks to artists like Chief Keef, but has been criticized for leading to a higher crime rate in Chicago. (Side note: SJ is actually from Ohio!)
4. The ‘Drill Time’ video took off FAST!
Although he’s been doing music for a few years, “Drill Time” was Slim’s first glimmer of success. The video got 4,000 views almost immediately, and less than three weeks later already has more than 500,000.
5. He was recognized by one of his idols.
In his interview with Complex, Slim admitted to creating ‘drill’ music because he considers rappers like Chief Keef, Lil Bibby and Lil Herb, who all work with the genre, his influences. Bibby even caught wind of the song and shared the link to it on his Twitter with the hashtags #MyLilOne and #YoungSlim. Not too shabby!
HollywoodLifers, what do you think of “Drill Time”? Do you think Lil Slim is the next Eminem or Chief Keef?
–Alyssa Norwin