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Infinite Coles is so much more than Ghostface Killah’s son. The rapper and singer, who first made headlines over a decade ago after a video of him singing Beyoncé’s “1+1” went viral on WorldStarHipHop, has catapulted to rising star status with songs like “Sweetface Killah” and “Dad and I,” proving an unabashed honesty and lyrical prowess.
Now, the singer and rapper is gearing up to release his debut album, aptly titled, Sweetface Killah. Ahead of its Dec. 5 debut, Blavity talked to the singer and rapper about the meaning behind the project’s name, the cathartic process of writing “Mama’s Song,” and how self-love often leads to something beautiful.
Sweetface Killah obviously references your father’s stage name, but I’m curious, what else inspired the title?
IC: I feel like, moving forward, I’m going to use [Sweetface Killah] as like an alter ego when I’m rapping. The name came from people making fun of me, starting in 2012 when I did a singing video that went viral on WorldStarHipHop. People were making fun of me, calling me gay, and because the title of the video was like, “Ghostface Killah Son Singing 1+1 By Beyoncé,” everyone was like, ‘We should call this boy Sweetface Killah.’
It was kind of like, depressing me for a long time until my friend, Ugly Worldwide, Giselle, called me it one day while we were playing around with fashion and clothes. She was actually duct taping some heels onto my feet that didn’t fit me. While she was there, she was like, ‘Yes, Sweetface Killah!’ And I was like, ‘Girl, why are you calling me that?’ From that moment, I liked it. It was even my Instagram handle at one point.
What a great name for the project. It really encapsulates how you’re reintroducing yourself to your fans and the freedom you enjoy on the album.
IC: I thought it was good to. I was just like, I don’t want everybody thinking I’m being shady, but I’m not calling anyone else Sweetface Killah. I’m Sweetface Killah.
Speaking of encapsulating the project, what track on the project do you think does just that?
IC: I would say the opening track, “Sweetface Killah.” That’s probably a bad answer, but it does sum up where I’m going on this album. The things that I’m talking about on the track and the energy it’s giving is very much free, very f*ck you, very much, ‘I’m going be myself.’ It’s very feminine too.
Let’s talk about “Mama’s Song.” It’s one of my favorites and definitely a standout on the album. What was it like making the song, and what inspired its lyricism and musicality?
IC: Wow, thank you so much, because that one makes me a little nervous when people ask about it.
Why is that?
IC: I love “Mama’s Song,” but I think I could have done so much better on it. It’s inspired by my mom, and I don’t get along with my family. I didn’t like the track because I felt like I had to get my story correct, and there was so much more I wanted to say to my mom, and I didn’t get enough out on the song.
I love my mom dearly; she was the one who raised me, but we also have some issues. So I wanted to put those two things in there for her to listen. I wanted her to know that yes, I love you, but I am hurt, just like I did with “Dad and I.” But I struggled writing it. You know what the crazy part of that is? I was so stuck writing the song, and then one day, my mom had to come stay with me in my house because she was getting a surgery the next day. So she’s here, and we’re kind of like, arguing. At some point, I go to my room, and I literally start crying, and then all of a sudden, I finished writing “Mama’s Song.” It felt like she had to be with me in order for me to finish the song.
You worked with producer Zach Witness on the album. What was that collaboration like, and how did he help realize your vision?
IC: Me and Zach just kind of connected, like instantly [when] we first met in London. After that meeting, I was like in the shelter in New York City for 11 months, and when I finally got my own spot, Zach came and stayed with me for a few weeks, and that’s how this whole album got started. I knew before then that I wanted the project to be called Sweetface Killah. I knew exactly where I wanted to go, but I didn’t know how to do it. So Zach literally made me so much better because he understood where I was coming from. He enjoyed my voice, talent and story.
What do you hope fans take away from the album?
IC: I hope that they take away a lot of loving themselves and understanding that sometimes that’s all it takes for things to start happening or for things to start changing. We don’t love ourselves the way we should. We accept things that [are] not good for us, in my opinion. So I just feel like you know, in my situation, in my experience, every single time I went up to another level of acceptance within myself, something beautiful always came out of it. Something that is meant for me and supposed to be for me.
