The Tripod

Ranked number five on iTunes' list of top albums at the time of press, senior Samuel Adams Wisner's "Boston's Boy" has received national recognition since its release on Thursday, March 4. Wisner, who performs under the name "Sam Adams" is a Trinity senior and tri-captain of the men's soccer team who burst onto the music scene seven months ago with "I Hate College," a remix of Asher Roth's "I Love College." The YouTube video of "I Hate College" currently has over one million hits and two thousand comments.

Born in Cambridge, Mass. Wisner moved to Wayland, Mass. at a young age and graduated from Wayland High School in 2006. After graduation, Wisner attended Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS) in upstate New York. In his sophomore year, Wisner transferred from HWS to Trinity College. He found success in athletics and was placed on the All-NESCAC soccer team in 2008.

At Trinity, Wisner pursed his lifelong passion for music. He began recording original rap and hip-hop in Cybersound in Boston and Westlake in Los Angeles after signing with 1st Round Records. Wisner's music quickly gained a fan base and his highly anticipated EP secured Wisner a place in the music industry.

On Tuesday, Jan. 19, Wisner created a fan page on Facebook and in less than two months, the page displays over 17,700 fans. Wisner is currently in competition for popular music blog www.1ststophiphop.com's artist of the week.

In an interview with www.hiphopblog.com, Wisner discussed his fan base and influences, noting his sound is a mix of "electronic rap and actual lyricism" and he finds inspiration from "stuff that happens in everyday life." Wisner also addressed the pressures he has faced as a white college student in an industry dominated by black men. "Eminem broke the barrier. I dig Asher Roth. But, there will always be prejudice, there will always be someone who thinks they're better [...] The best way to address it is just to remember it's their opinion of things, and that's how they think. That's how I deal with it," Wisner said.

Noting that he has been under stress juggling schoolwork, athletic commitments, and his music career, Wisner is excited to graduate in the spring. "Balancing soccer, and doing my work, and going to the studio, and doing shows, it got real tiring," Wisner said. "Graduation is definitely something I need to get out of the way."

As he was gaining popularity, Wisner was noticed by widely read Boston "Barstool Sports" blogger David Portnoy "El Pres" and will headline Portnoy's music tour, "Stoolapalooza." "Stoolapalooza" will feature Wisner along with select local bands and will visit the University of Massachusetts - Amherst, the University of Rhode Island, Providence College, Boston College, the University of Connecticut, and the University of New Hampshire. Details of venues, locations, and scheduling are not finalized and are subject to change.

Wisner has other tour dates lined up starting with a March 20 show at the Sonar club in Baltimore, MD. He also plans to perform at Club27 in Philadelphia, Penn. with Chiddy Bang, Hoodie Allen, and J. Smith. Wisner is also expected to appear at numerous campuses' Spring Weekends.

Wisner's most popular single, "Driving Me Crazy," is the 22nd most popular single on iTunes and the fourth most popular rap/hip-hop single. Another song off Wisner's EP made the top 200 iTunes singles with "Coast 2 Coast" at 119.

Article Tools