Spliffy Doe Feels No Pressure After Dedicating His Life to Music.
Miami rapper Spliffy Doe Has Spent the Last Ten Years Building His Brand.
Great artists don’t always have prior lives before music, but when they do, they can bring those stories and experiences with them to enrich their sound and the lives of their listeners. Miami, Florida artist Spliffy Doe has had several lives in his lifetime. A breakout cornerback for his high school, he experienced an early setback when he was injured and unable to play. Unwilling to give up, he dug deep and poured his all into music, starting his own label, No Pressure Entertainment, while telling the world to bet on him. The result is a movement poised to bring him the success he desires.
Born and raised in a fairly stable household with a mother and dad in Miami, Florida, Spliffy spent his formative years in the Opalocka neighborhood before moving to Broward County for a change of scenery. Spliffy’s father served as the disciplinarian while his mother hustled to make sure they had a decent life, but that didn’t mean he was immune from any of the temptations his friends experienced around him either.
During the interview, he described his childhood, stating, “I still experienced the typical hood shit. I got arrested early and hung with the wrong crowd, but the male guidance made a difference”, says Spliffy.
Broward gave him a slightly better environment that allowed him to focus on his first loves which were football and music. Rappers from all around from Fabolous, T.I., Jadakiss, and Lil Wayne influenced his style and made him love the art form, but football in Florida remained a central part of his youth.
“I got into sports at four or five. In Miami, we get into sports as soon as we out of diapers. My older bro was good and seeing him get trophies made me want to do it. I played corner and was pretty good at it. I was fifteen playing varsity at Miramar High School and felt like the big man on campus. But I always had feet problems. I used to get taped up a lot and eventually, I broke both my bunions returning an interception.”
Sidelined by the injury, Spliffy credits the injury with giving him a reality check at sixteen.
Forced to pivot, music became his safe place. As a high schooler, Spliffy began to see rap affect the lives of his classmates including Triple C artist Young Breed. Breed’s friendship with him eventually led to him earning the chance to rap and open up for Triple C at a concert.
“I got a different love for Breed off the strength of what he did for me. Breed was my cousin’s classmate. He did a song with me and didn’t charge me and at the time Triple C’s were working with Rick Ross and DJ Khaled. Breed had me open up for them at a show in Carroll City and he let me perform with him as well. He was the first to show me it could happen”, says Spliffy.
After graduating in 2008, he spent the better half of a decade self-educating himself on the music business by combining school with his own research. Originally calling himself Spiffy as a nod to his dress style, he met someone at the time who donned the name Spliffy and when he attempted to get him to say his name correctly, friends heard Spliffy Doe which stuck.
Armed with a nickname and knowledge, he finally felt ready for the world to hear his music. The result was his first project released in 2018, Premium. When asked how the project performed, Spliffy shared that an A&R reached out to him following the drop.
“That was my first time hearing from an A&R from Warner Brothers. I had a female friend pull up and take the call as if she was my manager. He told me how my music was good enough to compete with the industry”, says Spliffy.
Already confident in his actions, he spent the better part of the next five years dropping projects and visuals that raised his status in the game. In 2020, Spliffy’s album, Bet On Me, proved to be the catalyst.
“Bet On Me the first one and another project that we eventually took down generated 90,000 streams with no promotion. I dropped the tape and a pioneer in the game brought me to LA and offered me a contract. I just didn’t want it though”.
The projects increased his profile and led to more media including a 2020 Dirty Glove Bastard interview. In spite of the success, Spliffy’s story has been far from smooth. The biggest challenge for him without a doubt is balancing his company with the needs of his nine-year-old daughter who will be ten in a month. “At first it was a challenge, but the foundation is laid now. Being hands-on with her and my career is a sacrifice even if it’s not a negative challenge. It’s easier now though”.
Successful and on the rise, Spliffy is setting his sight on total domination. His newest video, “No Hard Feelings” off his last project, Bet On Me 2, is out and gathering steam. On August 12, 2023, he will be launching his first live concert in Miami, as well as his first studio album this year around September in addition to a video for his song, “Concrete Rose”.
When asked what his objective was with music, Spliffy describes his sound this way:
“When it comes to music I’m the everyday guy, the innovator, the hustler, the lit guy, the daddy, and the well-rounded individual who knows everyone. It’s everyday rap that’s motivational.”