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“The response and the support of my fans and friends is probably about 90 percent of what keeps me wanting to do this,” said Ryan Peters, best known as Spose, a rapper from Wells, Maine. “I really have no desire to please record labels, or radio stations, or people that don’t really get rap music at all.”
Peters, who signed a record deal with Universal Republic Records in February, had his single “I’m Awesome” hit the American Top 40 charts last week.
“The support of people who I respect and admire their enthusiasm and dedication to what I’ve been doing for over a decade now is one of the things that keeps me going,” Peters said. “All of this other nonsense is more stressful and confusing than it is rewarding.”
According to Peters, so much has happened to him in the last month — including a $25,000 music video filmed in his hometown — that he hasn’t even had time to process it. On April 21, Peters put on an impromptu show with his friend and fellow emcee Cam Groves in Wells. He played almost his entire catalog to a crowd of approximately 150 people in what he called a “desperate attempt to feel something real.”
He said it was the best night of his life.
Peters has been rapping since he was 14 years old and is currently working on his major label debut. Now 24 and father of a one-year-old, he is beginning to reap the rewards of years of hard work and sacrifice.
Peters, whose musical endeavors have included playing in a pop-punk band and making an electronic album in middle school, started rapping with his friends in high school.
For three or four months straight, during his junior year of high school, Peters forced himself to rap everyday after school, freestyling until he had something he liked. At 16 he placed second in a freestyle competition at Ushuaia’s in Orono. At 17 he battled against a member of G-Unit.
“In retrospect it’s kind of hilarious, but at the time that was the s—,” Peters said. “I had braces, I had glasses, but I still rapped circles around this dude who was in 50 Cent’s camp.”
After high school, Peters said his freestyling skills were honed and he had found his voice as a rapper. According to Peters, “Every rapper exists within a box.” He said he found his “box” early on — something that set him apart from other rappers who struggle to find themselves.
For Peters, Spose is a character who “gets drunk and doesn’t really care.”
“I was able to take that personality ever since then about 60 different ways,” Peters said.
Throughout college Peters worked at writing many of the songs on his first album “Preposterously Dank,” but said it wasn’t until 2007 that he decided to try and take things to the next level. He had his sights set on establishing himself in the Portland scene.
Peters said during that summer he ducked out of a recording session to go to the beach. While lying on the beach, he had an epiphany — he scraped together some money and headed to the studio.
“That specific moment I remember vividly as realizing that I was going to need to sacrifice leisure and luxury,” Peters said. “That was a big turning point, because ever since then I’ve been pretty regimented in my work ethic.”
Soon after this moment he released his first album with his last $712 and began playing live, complete with a full band.
Peters has a commanding personality, something he attributes his success to. By recording his own songs, orchestrating his live band, writing his own bio and making his own posters, Peters said he is able to retain his vision.
“Everything plays into how you do,” Peters said. “It’s not just your music. If you think you can just make music and succeed, you are f—ing out of your mind. Understanding that is something that set me apart.”
Peters uses choice words when describing his success and the way “I’m Awesome” was picked up by southern Maine alternative and pop radio stations WCYY and Q97.9: “A miracle,” “tripping” and “bewildered.”
The day “I’m Awesome” hit No. 2 on the charts in Portland, Peters got 15 phone calls from label executives in New York.
University of Maine student Marcus Desveaux said when Peters was in New York meeting with label executives, he sent him a text message saying Jay-Z and Trey Songz were playing poker five feet away from him.
Desveaux — a longtime friend and fan of Peters — said he is excited to see him doing so well. Desveaux said even though Peters is gaining nationwide popularity, he is still staying true to his hometown. The video for “I’m Awesome” was shot in Wells — part of it filmed at the same place he had his first-ever concert.
“I personally don’t feel like anything is being taken away from me,” Desveaux said about Peters’ success. “I’m so happy I can’t even express it.”
Desveaux said he met Peters when he was in middle school and Peters was in high school — Peters’ sister is Desveaux’s age.
“People would always bug him to rap,” Desveaux said. “They would give him three objects to rap about and he would have to incorporate these things into the freestyle. One time somebody pointed to me and he used my name for the freestyle.”
As Desveaux got older, the two became better friends, bonding over their disagreements — Desveaux loves Tupac and the Yankees, Peters loves Biggie and the Red Sox.
Peters said he plans to represent Maine by being himself, an honest, hard-working Mainer “in the face of the big, evil, record company machine.”
“I’m not a lobsterman,” Peters said. “I’m not going to walk around being a parody of Maine.” Although he did add he was wearing L.L. Bean shorts at the moment.
In one of Peters’ newest songs, “You Can’t Get There From Here,” he talks about proving that Maine is just like every other part of the country thanks to the Internet and TV.
“It’s the Internet world. Anybody can find anything anywhere,” Peters said. “Owl City are from the middle of f—ing nowhere. Me, I’m from the middle of f—ing nowhere. It can happen to anyone.”
Peters had plenty of advice for aspiring Maine musicians, no matter what genre. He said people must work on their music every day of the week, but also work on taking their act beyond that.
According to Peters, artists must be consistent and professional, nailing down their image.
“Even bands that are all about the music have their image so down,” Peters said. “For example, Radiohead have their image so down and they’ve always been consistent. They’re always innovative; they’re always on the cutting edge of art.”
Above all, Peters said the key is sacrifice: sacrificing your time, friends, relationships, money and pride.
“You’ve got to make sacrifices but stay who you are, because it’s all a balance,” Peters said. “The formula is there — it takes hard work and sacrifice, and that’s it.”
