Think Taco Tuesday, fiesta vibes and Cinco de Mayo when you listen to Tyrell “Alcam” Walker’s latest feel-good single “Get Big,” which channels all the right energy for summertime vibes.
“When I heard the beat I instantly gravitated to it, I knew it was a dope song and it was just for the culture,” Walker said. “In the hip-hop world, we love the Mexican culture. Taco Tuesday is a big thing, Cinco de Mayo, just a lot of different things about the culture that we embrace in hip-hop. “
Immediately when Walker heard the production for the song he became inspired to incorporate his flow of authentic lyricism and storytelling into it.
“The song is about overcoming adversity, not allowing circumstances that you can’t control to hold you back,” Walker said.
Like most kids, Walker grew up liking listening to music, but he didn’t want to become a rapper. He grew up instead loving the game of basketball, which was his passion at one point. However, once he started hanging out with his neighborhood friends and after his older brother persuaded them to start freestyling, he saw that rap could be the avenue for him.
“It was fun to do, but I didn’t start taking it seriously until I got older,” Walker said. “When I would drop a song or a mixtape every time people heard it they would tell me I should take it more seriously. It took me two years to become serious about it and the rest is history.”
Walker first started taking music more seriously in 2010 when he released his first mixtape “Raising the Bar,” then he released his 2012 EP “Here I Am 2 Worship.” He took some time away from music for a couple of years and came back with 2019’s “Tina Turner,” then followed up with “Autopilot,” and now Get Big.
His inspiration for Tina Turner came from her time having lived in St. Louis and being one of the city’s most beloved icons.
“The song is about overcoming adversity, not allowing circumstances that you can’t control to hold you back,” – Tyrell “Alcam” Walker
“She’s the queen of the city and probably one of the most successful female artists to come out of the city,” Walker said. “You take away the abuse and the mistreatment she suffered from Ike, she really helped him level up his career. She took the songs he created and turned them into worldwide hits.”
He added that to him that’s what women do, they help men to become better people.
“A woman is going to elevate what you bring to the table,” Walker said. “I’m emotionally mature enough to handle a woman the right way. I’m looking for a woman to amplify that, I’m looking for my Tina Turner.”
His single Autopilot is inspired by an eight-week freestyle Friday series he did last year where he dropped eight freestyles everyday for eight weeks. With the series he recorded and mixed the freestyles and dropped artwork for all of the freestyles.
To him Autopilot means when once he refocuses his concentration and really gets into grind mode there’s no stopping him.
“Autopilot is a reflection of that, me as an artist when I tap in when I zone in like Auto Pilot,” Walker said “I think that goes for anybody that’s really passionate about what they’re doing. Once you find that groove and that wave you ain’t gotta think about it, you just gotta lock in and it’s going to happen.”With St. Louis’ music scene being so diverse, Walker feels his music definitely sets him apart from the rest. He believes his approach to a track and his own personal life experiences make him one-of-a-kind from his peers.
“Everybody can’t talk about the stories that I can talk about cause everybody hasn’t been through what I’ve been through, that’s what makes me unique,” Walker said. “My cadence, when you listen to the way I approach a track, is not like some of the other artists here. There are only a few artists here that really take lyricism seriously.”
He strongly encourages everyone to check out the “Get Big” video and all of his music on other platforms.
“I want people to check out the “Get Big,” video and all of my other videos,” Walker said. “Stay tuned, new music is coming, and you can always hit me up with feedback to let me know what you think of my music.”
Walker’s music is available on all digital streaming platforms.
