Gloucester-bred Alternative Artist releases new visuals with Island vibes

Hungry and motivated local artist Petey Walters has a message for the world.

Foreign Language out now on all platforms.

Boston Culture: How was it like growing up in Gloucester?

Petey Walters: My childhood was rough. I was in and out of the system since 13 lol. My first charge was vandalizing the city of Gloucester cause me and my friends idolized the "Warriors" movie and wanted to start our own gang. We called ourselves "Gunz" and would spray paint it all over the city. At 1 point we had like 20 something kids running around the city repping "Gunz" lol. We didnt have a lot of supervision or guidance growing up. We practically raised eachother.

Boston Culture: When did you get into music?

Petey Walters: I noticed my talent around the age of 11 or 12. That's when I started writing rhymes in my notebook. I was just fascinated with Cassidy, 2pac, and battle rappers like Reed Dollaz. I wanted to be as good as them.

Boston Culture: How did you get your name?

Petey Walters: I changed my name to Petey Walters because that's who I am. But before the change everyone called me, "Playboi Pete" cause of the playboy bunny tattoo on my neck. Or "PRiCELE$$" cause they said the shit I would spit was priceless. Most the homies still call me by that name. I decided to call the E.P "All Eyez On Pete" because Pac is my all time favorite and I feel like I can relate to him.

Boston Culture: What was your mindset working on your last project?

Petey Walters: My mindset changed abruptly. I started writing and recording less because I wanted to manage my friends who rapped. I always loved the business side of the industry.  Then 1 day I kinda said fuck it and hit the booth. That's when I wrote Ungrateful and it took off. From that point I was only focused on making music and promoting myself. After that my boy Mikey suggested I make an E.P which would be my first. I'll be done with it by the end of the month then it'll drop in August.

Boston Culture: What you been up to during quarantine?

Petey Walters: Quarantine sucks man, but like any shitty situation you gotta make the best of it. I cant complain about the unemployment checks I'll tell you that much. But honestly I been in the studio almost everyday, and if I'm not doing that I'm shooting videos. I guess quarantine really helped me get back into my music.

Fav smoke: Sour Diesel or GDP

Fav studio: FreshFromDE had the lit studio b4 he moved to Cali, so now I gotta go with my boy Mistah Moore out in Providence.

Fav food:Chicken stir fry

Fav Album: Gotta be between All Eyez On Me or Wayne's Tha Carter 4

Fav Artist: Pac hands down

New hobbies: photography. I just bought myself a cannon so I can teach myself how to shoot and edit videos.

Fav part of quarantine: I think everyone would agree on the Stimulus check lmao

Boston Culture: Talk to us about your vision.

Petey Walters: My vision is to be buzzin all around the states if not worldwide. What I really want is to put me and my brothers on, and put my mama in a big ol mansion and make sure my lil bro never gotta work a day in his life. But I just want everyone on my team to eat. To have an opportunity at least once in our life cause we dont come across those to often. This time next year I wanna be making a living off my music, and setting up my 1st tour.

Boston Culture: Who's on your team and who's on your dream project?

Petey Walters: I got a solid team I work with now. Mistah Moore who is the brains, (engineer/producer/rapper) along with 60kel, escobarz, FreshFromDe, SVGAR BEATS out in Russia, my boy MVLS, steve sola the mix king and a whole lotta other people. I just started working with Humbeats so I hope to get back into his stu when he reopens, and Boston's own Termanology and myself got something cooking up. My dreams artists and producer to work with would be Uzi and TM88 cause who doesn't fuck with them?

Boston Culture: Talk to us about your creative process.

Petey Walters: : My process when it comes to making music starts with the beat. I think the beat is the foundation to a song, especially nowadays. I'll throw on a beat and listen to it about 10 times before I start writing. That's important to me cause that's how I create my melodies. Sometimes I feel like I can hear the words in a beat, so when I start writing it just comes naturally. I do a lot of freestyling to, that helps me start the song then before I know it I'm just scribbling on a notepad or typing in my phone and , Boom. Another hit haha.

Boston Culture: Talk to us about your recent visual.

Petey Walters: My latest visual is for my song "Foreign Language " featuring Mistah Moore. The song has a real summer/ island vibe to it. So we did a bunch of shots by the water and throughout the city of providence. My good friend and camera man Antonio (@thisisantonio) is the brains behind it. Kid has a gift with the camera. It's like he sees the video before it's even done, he did most of the directing. Keep your eye out for him, he's gonna be doing big tingz this year and the years to come!

Boston Culture: What is the most amazing experience as an artist?

Petey Walters: I'd say when people send me videos of them singing the lyrics to my song. It's such a good feeling when you create something that other people like ao much that they memorize it. Also when I get fan mail lol. Sometimes I'll look through my dms and find messages from people all over the state/ world telling me how much they like my shit, I guess that's what inspires me to create music. So other people know they're not going through shit alone, like I've been there to. It's relatable.

Boston Culture: What is the best advice you got?

Petey Walters: Surround yourself with people like myself. If everyone I'm around is like minded with the same dreams, goals, aspirations, etc. Itll be easier to reach them. You gotta have a team, it's cool to do your own solo thing, but its impossible to handle every aspect of the music business alone.

Boston Culture: What do you dislike about the industry?

Petey Walters: Dislikes about the industry: Everything sounds the same. It's so hard to make it when your different and that's why I think people give in and sell out. Nobody said being different would be easy, but that's the beauty of it. If your good at something stick with it, don't just switch up your character to please other people. Fake shit only lasts in Hollywood.

Boston Culture: Biggest influences?

Petey Walters: Myself haha. I've never been 1 to follow trends and I guess that's what fuels me, knowing everything I got right now I did on my own, with my own style.

Boston Culture: What inspires you?

Petey Walters: Inspiration to wake up/be humble/ achieve goals: I'd say just the process of making music. I love it man. Everything about it. From writing to the beat, to going in the booth to record, and getting on stage to perform it. It's like a rush that gets me higher than any drug could. Once you find that inspiration it's almost impossible to stay asleep.

Boston Culture: Final thoughts?

Petey Walters: More Music on the way! And be sure to check out my team everyone I fuck with is just as talented as me, from the producers to the rappers. Peace, Love, and Fuck the Police!!! 

Ungrateful written by Petey Walters is a Hip-Hop song about a relationship gone wrong. Filmed by @thisisantonio creator of This Is College. Visuals edited by @trevfinna creator of LMTLSS.