When SiR joins our Zoom chat, the singer, born Sir Darryl Farris, is beaming.
The Inglewood native tells me he just got home from a gym workout and was bumping OutKast’s 1998 gem “Skew It on the Bar‐B” moments before our call. “I was just trying to get hyped for our interview, man — get my energy right,” SiR says. He lets out a small cheer after I tell him I was playing his 2012 mixtape, Wooden Voodoo. “Whoo! Dang, you got my respect immediately, brother,” he grins.
Though we are thousands of miles apart, on opposite coasts, I can feel his energy emanating through my screen. There’s a sense of gratitude that he eventually mentions in our conversation: “God is good, man. I got an opportunity to live a second life with my music and start over again,” SiR shares. After releasing his 2019 album, Chasing Summer, and concluding his sold-out Summer Forever Tour later that year, SiR was ready to decompress. “I was kind of tired and already going through a lot of mental stuff behind closed doors and not talking about it,” he tells me.
Over the years before, it had been a nonstop grind. In 2015, SiR independently released his debut album, Seven Sundays, via Fresh Selects. The album, which chronicled the evolution of a relationship, followed his two mixtapes, Wooden Voodoo (2012) and Long Live Dilla (2014). Being a recording artist wasn’t necessarily his game plan at first. After penning and engineering songs for artists like Tyrese and Jill Scott, SiR used his downtime to flex his creative muscle.
In a 2018 Breakfast Club interview, he shared, “I really didn’t even want to do music at first. When I started engineering, I was just going to be an engineer, but I was also creating on the side and people just kept giving me a positive response. From there, I decided to just put some music out, and that worked out.”
Seven Sundays caught the attention of Dave Free, then-president of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), where SiR remains signed today. After joining the label, he cranked out two EPs: HER (2016) and Her Too (2017). November, his first album under TDE and second overall, was released to critical acclaim in January 2018. Later that spring, SiR went on The Championship Tour with his TDE labelmates — Kendrick Lamar, SZA, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, and Ab-Soul — across North America before joining Lamar on the Oceania leg of his DAMN Tour that summer.
SiR returned with his lauded third album, Chasing Summer, the following year. He bookmarked 2019 with his headlining Summer Forever Tour, visiting nine cities within two weeks. After the tour, SiR took a break and used his downtime to make more music.
Things started to take a toll on him once the pandemic began. He found himself experiencing anxiety and depression, as well as issues in his marriage. “I was going through a lot, but part of my turmoil was that I wasn’t working,” shares SiR. He started self-medicating with drugs and alcohol, which led to a battle with addiction. “2020 was very difficult for me,” he reflects.
Fortunately, SiR started getting the help he needed to confront his addiction and turn his life around. He went to rehab and prioritized his mental health by getting therapy. “During that whole period, I was writing these songs and taking poetry that I was writing in rehab and turning it into music,” he notes. The music turned into his new album, Heavy, which is out now via TDE.
Heavy is a culmination of SiR’s trials and tribulations over recent years, delving into circumstances that have burdened him. On the album, he confronts a sense of apathy toward the world (“Ignorant” featuring Ty Dolla $ign), grapples with depression and anxiety (“Heavy”), and wrestles with sobriety (“Six Whole Days”). Though SiR takes listeners to the depths of rock bottom, he also showcases his journey upward. Heavy is as much about SiR’s adversities as it is about his triumphs. A recurring motif throughout the album is his admission of personal flaws (“I’m Not Perfect” featuring Ab-Soul), not as excuses for missteps but as an act of self-grace essential for moving forward. By recognizing he’s “Only Human,” SiR navigates the path ahead much more pragmatically.
As the album unfolds, we observe SiR’s ascent, exploring themes of joy (“Life Is Good” featuring Scribz Riley), unwavering love (“Nothing Even Matters“), and intergenerational wisdom (“Ricky’s Song”). The latter track, dedicated to his nephew, is filled with life advice: “You learn through me, don’t wanna see you make the same mistakes,” he croons. By concluding with “Brighter,” SiR shines a light on a new turning point in his life. “I don’t want people to feel like I’m still going through something,” SiR states. “I’m definitely on the other side of everything.”
In our interview with SiR, the Grammy-nominated singer discusses Heavy, the meaning behind several songs, collaborating with Anderson .Paak again and teases his upcoming tour.
You mentioned writing songs while in rehab and therapy. How many songs would you say you wrote for Heavy, and what was your thought process for narrowing down the tracks?
We probably had 50 records and cut that down to a playlist of 15 with an intro, so 16. I don’t think we missed anything. We were very intentional about how we placed things. I know people are always asking for specific things like longer songs, a bridge on this song, or a feature, but I know better than to try to do what people ask. I got to do what I like first. This album was for me.
You unpacked a lot that has weighed on you over the last few years. How did it feel to unleash those burdens onto this album?
It’s very gratifying, but I’m still going through it as we speak. I’ll have a better answer for you after the tour — after I sing these songs in every city and have a chance to really let go because I’m still holding on [to] a lot. I’m working through things as they come. I’ve been doing press runs, having this conversation over again, and being very vulnerable. This is all new to me. I’m sharing a side of myself that a lot of people will never see. I think my emotional state changes every week, but I’m getting stronger through this conversation.
You titled the album after “Heavy,” a very raw and vulnerable record. What’s the story behind that song?
That song was my first cry for help. That was the first time I knew something was wrong, and I had to vocalize it. I’ve never felt more secure in a message. That song says everything it needs to say about where I was. I wasn’t taking care of myself. I [was] self-medicating for a problem that nobody else knew about. It was tough, but getting it off my chest was one of the best things I could have done because once my family heard that, they immediately said something. That’s when the change started.
“This is about overcoming.” – SiR
You reunited with Anderson .Paak for “Poetry In Motion.” You two have collaborated before on songs like “Liberation,” “New LA,” and “Already.” How would you describe your creative chemistry? What were the conversations like for this song?
He makes everything easy. I’m an Anderson fan just like you [and] have been since Breezy Lovejoy. As a fan, it makes so much sense for me to let him do his thing. Those conversations weren’t really conversations, they were more so me learning as I watched him do his thing. I brought that session to him [and in] 10 minutes, he’s writing his verse. He knew what he wanted. I got the best out of him. I feel like I always do. We’re very simple as artists. We just want people to like what we like. When I played it for him, and he liked it, I was already sold. He delivered for sure. I love my Ty [Dolla $ign] feature too. I love all my features, man.
With Heavy being such a personal album, were you selective about who you brought in to collaborate with?
Definitely. I do wish I would’ve had a couple of female features. We tried. I think we did our best job. [We were] very intentional with making sure everyone was well represented as far as production [and] the players that I put on there. All of the features were very much somebody I wanted on there, for sure.
“You” feels like a nod to late 2000s R&B, particularly from The-Dream’s canon. What inspired that song?
Shout out to J. White. He pushed me towards that. I’ve worked with countless producers, but he’s a different kind of guy. He’s very hands-on, which I really appreciate. He’s honest about what he likes or wants. He helped me to get the best out of myself that day. I think that’s a great song. It’s different for me. It’s not my kind of thing, but we nailed everything vocally. The music really carries the song, but the song is special as well. I think I did my job lyrically.
You confront your flaws in songs like “I’m Not Perfect” featuring Ab-Soul. What’s the story behind that one?
“I’m Not Perfect” was [almost] the first single of the album. I was still going through the worst of the worst when I wrote that song. It ended up being something that we wanted to hold off on because I wasn’t healthy when we were trying to film the video. It’s a song to my wife. It’s how I wanted to tell my side of the story to her. It’s me pouring my heart out in the realest way. If we’re looking at songs that are true to me, that’s probably at the top of the list, right behind “Only Human.”
How important was it for you to balance the heavier themes of the album with more uplifting moments like “Life Is Good” and “Brighter”?
Very [important] because those kinds of songs describe where I am now. I was going through a lot. But towards the end of the creative process, the songs stopped sounding so heavy [and] a lot lighter. That’s the direction that I’m going in my life. This is about overcoming. The pain is visible, but I made it through the pain. I want people to see that first and foremost. I’m definitely on the other side of everything.
“Brighter” is probably my crown jewel. It’s the best way I could have shown people that we’re heading in the right direction. With how we start [the album], you have no idea what’s coming. But towards the end, once you get to “Ricky’s Song,” you see there’s a little change, then you hear “Tryin’ My Hardest,” and from there, you hear “Brighter.” It leaves you on such a positive note. That was a perfectly placed song.
This is the first album where we see you on the cover. What does Heavy artwork mean to you?
I got up to about 245-250 pounds a couple of years back, just doing all of my little drug use and trying to get healthy. During that time, I wasn’t happy with my body [or] with myself. One of the things that got me healthy and keeps me healthy is the gym. That is something that I’m proud of. It took a lot for me to get to the point where I was confident enough to do anything like take my shirt off in front of people again. This is me showing a new version of myself and where I am mentally. Also, we tried to make [the cover] look as dark as possible to fit the theme of the album. This is me showing out. This is me being confident with myself. I’ve been through a lot, and I’m proud that I’m on the other side of it.
Fire is an element that you reference on occasion in your music. For instance: “Fire” (“I ain’t about to roll it if I ain’t rollin’ that fire”), “The Bullet and The Gun” (“she can start a fire with a single stare”), “Nothing Even Matters” (“light up the dark like the fire I’m sparkin’ up”), and “Brighter” (“this fire burnin’ brighter and brighter”), etc. Even in visuals like “Life Is Good,” fire is present. What attracts you to fire?
For me, fire represents so many different things. It can represent the heat of battle. It can represent desire. It can represent love. It’s an easy connection to emotion because there’s so much emotion that connects to it. I have relatives that write music and one of the conversations I just had with one of [them] was connecting your emotion to a season. It’s the same way you can connect it to an element — all of these things connect. [For instance,] water is soft. Water matches with winter, ice, and cold, but that can also be a time of warmth. It just depends on how you’re looking at it. But yeah, man, I don’t know if I ever write that purposefully where I noticed, but I do love the playfulness of adding those kinds of things into emotional records.
You’re very hands-on with your music, from writing and recording to mixing your vocals. Does the post-production process bring you closer to the music?
There’s kind of a detachment, actually. When I get into the mixing and the real technical stuff, I switch hats. There’s no way I could still love something that I have to be so technical about. Usually, I have help. So by the time I got my playlist happy, and we’re mixing this stuff, I’m not even trying to listen to this sh*t, man (laughs). There’s going to be a day coming soon where I have to listen to it every day. When the tour comes up, I’m going to have to be rehearsing it all the time. I have my infatuations. I have moments with my songs, but I’ve learned to let go because I have to create more. The name of the game is longevity. I’ve always said that I don’t want to be a fly-by-night artist. That’s not my goal. I’m always trying to create.
How would you say SiR (the artist) and Sir Darryl Farris evolved through this process?
SiR grew in the sense that he’s a much more resilient singer. I can’t wait to get back on the road and prove that point. Sir Darryl Farris has grown a lot by the thickness of his skin and so many tribulations. I’m turning them into testimonies this year, but it was a lot just getting to the point where I can talk about it. SiR and Sir Darryl Farris were having an internal battle. I was unhappy with who I was as SiR and Darryl Farris was struggling. [Both] needed more respect from each other. I think there’s a happy marriage now. We’re all on the other side of it. I’m glad to be where I’m at with both of those guys.
What’s next for you?
We’re doing a tour. [It] should be in like August. We’re just waiting on the dates. We’re doing Jimmy Kimmel, which is my first solo TV performance. That’s exciting. We’re taping it on April 1st. I don’t know when they’re going to drop it, but I’m excited about that. I still get excited about these little things that people think I should be normal about. I’m still a n*gga from [Inglewood], so this stuff I never would’ve expected for myself. I’m just excited to be here. God is good.
Stream Heavy by SiR below.
Main photo by Ro.Lexx.