From Athlete to Artist: One Man's Journey of Redemption

What happens when the thing you've built your identity around becomes the source of your deepest pain? For SELYM, basketball was more than just a sport—it was his projected future. The explosive young athlete they called "Lil Westbrook" seemed destined for greatness on the court, touching rims in fifth grade and outplaying kids years older.

But beneath the athletic prowess, a storm was brewing. During his time at Phoenix College and later Langston University,  SELYM found himself spiraling into depression, caught in toxic relationships, and struggling with abandonment issues. The breaking point came when heartbreak drove him to contemplate ending his life. "I didn't even feel like I was good enough anymore for anybody," he reveals with raw honesty.

Salvation came in an unexpected form. In his senior year, SELYM recorded a song simply as emotional therapy—never intending to release it. When friends heard it and insisted he share it, something remarkable happened. The track went viral around campus, leading to a performance opportunity that awakened something dormant within him. Music became more than art; it became ministry.

Today, SELYM creates Christian hip-hop that speaks directly to mental health struggles, heartbreak, and finding identity in faith rather than others' expectations. His story breaks critical barriers around Black male vulnerability while offering hope to anyone facing similar battles. As he puts it: "Be the light. Let your light so shine before men that they see you do good works which glorify your father, which is in heaven."

Follow SELYM's journey across all platforms @SELYM and experience music that doesn't just entertain—it heals. Because sometimes our greatest purpose reveals itself on the other side of our deepest pain.

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Transcript

Introduction and Guest Teaser

Jamal 0:00

Yo , what's happening , what's happening , what's happening , what's going , on and on , to the break of dawn .

Zion 0:06

It's Friday .

Jamal 0:06

We haven't recorded in a minute , man , I know , hey , we've been on the road doing things traveling together apart . You know what I mean . So it's been , it's been , it's been a good one . No , man , it's been a good one .

Zion 0:18

April April came and went and now we're in May , and May is doing the exact same thing . April did , man . But we can sit up here and talk to you all about how busy we've been , but that's not what the podcast is about . The podcast is about giving people a platform . It's about helping people with positivity and all that good stuff . So we have a special guest on today's podcast , but before we bring him on , before we bring him on , my dad's hyped for this .

Jamal 0:44

He's hyped for this , but we're going to roll the intro first you got to roll the intro , and then we got another .

Zion 1:15

Oh yeah , there it is one more again we always say this though we might have to redo them , but we might have to redo one man , we might have to make the .

Jamal 1:24

I kind of like that one , but anyway , yeah , yeah , yeah . So , hey , you know , like Z said , we have a guest today . We're excited about bringing this individual on . I ran into him it was about a month , month and a half ago and I was like Z man .

Jamal 1:41

We got to get him on the podcast man . He got a little story behind . You know all that . He's doing the positivity and whatnot . So I got a chance to hear this cat on the MIC and whatnot , and so yo , we're excited . Well , I'm excited . I don't know , z , if you got it , I'm there ?

Selym 1:58

What are you talking about ?

Zion 2:00

man , come on , this is the homie . This is the homie . This is way back . Come on now .

Jamal 2:03

Okay , okay . Hey , man , why don't you go ahead and bring him on in and give him the intro and all that good shit ? Yeah man .

Zion 2:08

So you know what I don't even want to give , I don't even want to , I don't even want . I want people to listen to music , and then we'll bring him in . And then we'll bring him in In , you do you ? You do you

Meet SELYM: Artist Showcase

Zion 2:21

? All right , cool here , yo . By the way , he goes by the name of Salaam , but that's not how I was introduced to him first and foremost , but he goes by the name of Salaam . This is one of his newest tracks that he dropped , called Ain't Going Back , and I want to play it real quick for the audience so they know what kind of energy we coming in with . All right , because we ain't going back , man , we ain't going back .

Jamal 2:41

We ain't going back , no sir .

Selym 2:55

We ain't going back . I need a flex bond . Everybody want to stand Salam .

Jamal 3:40

What's good ? Yes , sir , my man is here . Yes , and living color .

SELYM 3:48

Blessed man . It's a pleasure . I'm really happy to be here , man . I really appreciate y'all for having me , like I said , oh that's cool man Of course .

Jamal 3:57

Yeah . So , hey , man , it was a pleasure seeing you because I haven't seen you in many a year from the court , and I'm sure Z goes talk a little bit about that , man . But I got to say , as far as the music , you know , this is no shade to anybody else that was , you know , performing that day , because they were all putting out positivity and you know doing it , doing the dang thing . But , man , when you came on , I was sweating , doing a dang thing . But , man , when you came on , I was sweating . Uh , I was sweating because , man , the beats were hitting , the lyrics were on point um . So , yeah , man , tell us a little bit about that and then we can rewind . But it's the music thing , man , holla

From Hoops to Music

Jamal 4:42

us .

SELYM 4:43

So I want to say I pretty much I give honor to God . You know , he blessed me with the opportunity so I wouldn't be doing it without him . I would say , pretty much , growing up , you know , starting to music , I would say just starting to music , not going back yet , but starting to music . I was in college . I didn't start recording until my senior year of college . So I went through a little heartbreak or whatever and I was just like by myself and going on and I was sitting and I remember a friend I met . His name's my boy giglantis . He's my engineer . He did , like my first five cover arts as well . He's an artist as well , he's amazing . Shout out to my boy .

SELYM 5:22

He , um , you know , a while ago , back when I was at lankston , I went to lankston university and he was like hey , yeah , bro , I'm an engineer , I'm an engineer . But I didn't text him or anything about recording or nothing , until two years later , when I'm my senior year . So I ended up hitting him up , recorded the song . I didn't think of not releasing it or anything . Can I tell you that was my first single and one of my friends was walking in the hallway during the apartment and he was like yo , who's that man , who's that ? I was like it's me . He's like bro , you need to drop this , bro . And I was like , nah , I'm just recording it . And then Lantis was like bro , you need to drop this , bro , you need to drop this . So I ended up getting a cover . We went out da da da , dropped the song . Long story short , went viral around my school . Everyone started listening to it , ended up performing the song at the Springfest and then I got to get it and the rest is history . I just started going from there .

Jamal 6:25

Oh , man , that's awesome , man , that's awesome . So you mentioned the school . You went to Say that again .

SELYM 6:31

Langston University , Langston . Where's that located ? It's at HBCU in Oklahoma .

Jamal 6:37

Oklahoma okay , that's different .

Zion 6:40

That's different . Okay , they got the .

SELYM 6:45

Arizona boy out of Oklahoma . Yes , sir , and it's crazy because once we get well as like going into my story , I get more in depth in it . Like I actually went to junior college first in Phoenix and Phoenix College . I went there for two years and my whole experience as far as just it was a breakdown season for me , like I was just as far as just being emotionally manipulated . Breakdown season for me , like I was just as far as just being emotionally manipulated to where I was in depression . I had things happen to me where I was being , things were getting stolen from me . I had people call me brother and do all kinds of things to me and then often on the court is just support and everything was just . It was all just to where everything .

SELYM 7:23

Now , as far as me being Salon has a story as far as in a song , an experience that I've been through and it's really God blessing me through as far as what I've been through , what I've done , as far as sticking to what I needed to do and fulfilling a promise , especially to my mom , and graduating college as well . So my whole thing with , you know , doing

Past Connection with the Spartans

SELYM 7:46

music at first it wasn't even my intention , it wasn't like I tell people this is my calling . I really said God put me in my position to do this because I was at first striving in other aspects and areas as far as an education and everything , so in athletics as well . So I was doing all that and as far as this , I was doing everything pretty much to make everybody else happy . But I've always I will say this I've had this in the back of my head since I was a kid . I said God , go and give me time to be an artist . I've always wanted to be like a Christian rapper .

SELYM 8:17

I was like bro I knew Lecrae since I was four years old .

Jamal 8:21

So I think the thing that's interesting , right , and you just kind of brought it out which is , I mean , this is Christian rap , so this is about giving honor and glory to God and whatnot , and so . But let's rewind real quick . So when I last saw , you was back in the day with the Spart Spartans , um and whatnot , uh , playing playing ball with Z . So how did you and Z meet ? And you know how did that go , and then we can catch up to the Langston part .

SELYM 8:55

Yes , sir , so I remember Z like it was man , we go way back . Yeah , this flat time , flat top .

Selym 9:02

Hey , yo yo chill , chill , chill , all that .

SELYM 9:05

Hey this Z now y'all see man . Hey man , he's totally different . Like he was still a great kid back then , but he looked so different now , so so crazy , but like yeah goggles , and we used to call you Lil Barkley , I remember all that stuff , man , I was just mad .

SELYM 9:22

And it's always your energy , bro , like I remember when I was I think I was in the fifth grade , sixth grade , and you , we were playing in el paso , I think , and that was when I was like my first tournament with the spartans . And I remember , bro , just playing with you , like your energy all the time , like you were always on fire , like you always , like bro , I was like , hey , I love you always , always , you know . So I just remember , just playing with you , because we didn't have a team for my age , so I played up , so I played with y'all for a minute . So we , man , we go .

Zion 9:54

We played in every gym , in tucson together , we played in phoenix together , california together yeah , man , that's so good and you know what Like Miles is giving me these praises , bro , but I was not as athletically gifted as this dude's being humble about right now . Miles is man dude , so they call me Lil Barkley . If I was Lil Barkley , everybody called Miles Lil Westbrook . He was like Russell Westbrook on that court . Man , you're talking about energy . I was the emotional energy . I was like the guy that was like we gotta lock in , like the tyson chandler , like charles barkley , stuff like that . But miles was athletic and boy , he was bouncy as I don't know what , like at fifth I remember that sixth or fifth grade like he's touching rim and I'm over here like sit out here in the box .

Selym 10:43

I was like who's jumping with this guy ? I ain't going to jump with him , no man .

Zion 10:49

I'm good . But , man , if you were to tell me in fifth grade well , first of all , his athletic ability was , I mean , he could keep up with us Even though he's playing he could have played two years above us , like he was that gifted it was . You know , he was really really good man . I thought you know , if you were to tell me that Miles would be the artist he is today , I'd be like , nah , man , he's going to be in the NBA . Like what are you talking about ? Ain't , no way he's going to put down the ball .

Zion 11:24

And , like you said , it wasn't something that you thought , you thought about in the background , like it sounded , like you had that in the background . But to make that adjustment from hooper and the artists I mean I feel like you've always been an artist right , when somebody says that they haven't been artists , I feel like that's lying . They always had they . They stumbled upon it , but they also were doing some things to cultivate that artistry . What was that like for you to tell I know your pops probably saw , probably saying the same thing that I thought he was going to go NBA . I thought he didn't go overseas . What was that like when you told him that pop . You know like I want to take this music thing seriously . What was that like ?

SELYM 12:00

Honestly I was . It was pretty much like how I introduced it to them . I would say my parents are well . I would start off by saying my parents are fine with what I was doing because one , I'm giving glory to God , like when they , when it's when it's , you know , giving him the glory , doing everything for him , hey , that's there . Ain't nothing better they could ask for . But as far as it goes , they were OK with it because , necessarily , I was going to college and I was just , like you know , working hard still to where my parents , my mom , always said you can do whatever you want , as long as you go to school and get your degree of threw them off , though , like everybody .

SELYM 12:47

Because , as far as it goes , growing up it wasn't encouraged to like for me to do music because I was , you know , always the athlete or miles , you do other things , you know . So when I was like , jokingly even , I was like , oh , I'm gonna do music , people were like , no , jibble a ball , like it wasn't , you know , and it's just especially from the areas I was in growing up in the environment . That's not something that you necessarily talk about like , oh , you should be a christian rapper , like no one encourages that . You know I'm saying so . It was . It threw him off , like because when I I've always been known for the athletics and civics and education , everything else . But then when I threw everybody this curveball because I didn't even go around Langston or anywhere , like , oh , I sang in the church since I was four , I didn't do like I had done music as far as playing instruments and my whole life just been involved in music and my family as far as in the church . But I never really spoke about it .

SELYM 13:40

So when I released the song , it threw them off . They were like whoa , you know . So they were kind of shocked and then I started to step into it more , as far as now I'm stepping into the reels . And then they seen that I'm like you know , because nobody's going to really take you serious . When you're really starting off it's just like , oh , it's something fun , you're cool , you're good . But like when I started to actually step into it and they're starting to and starting to see like results you know the consistency and things like that they riding with it and they love it , and my mom especially . I can say my mom really loves it too .

Zion 14:16

Yeah , your mom . Your mom was right there in front of the crowd getting lit boy .

Selym 14:20

She was in there , like I knew he was going to say that .

Jamal 14:31

I got a question , man , so you know you're talking about a little bit earlier . You kind of gave us a little teaser , um , but you know , one of the things that we we talk about here is , uh , tough conversations for stronger connections , and we talk about , uh , sometimes substance misuse , but we talk about mental health . We talk about young people coming up and challenges that they may go through in life , and you gave us a little teaser that there were some challenges that happened at Langston and then it sounds like you were touched by the spirit and it just came up within you . So what was it ? I mean , if you don't mind sharing a little bit about your story or what you know , you were touched by the spirit and it just came up within you . So what was it ? I mean , if you don't mind sharing a little bit about your story or what you know , man , had you like , just do a , do a 180 , like you know , hold up , I gotta , I gotta look at this differently .

SELYM 15:16

Yes , sir , I would say it really was a time where I was experiencing , I would say , heartbreak and I will say people undermined and as far as heartbreak goes , that's certain things I feel like people experience a lot more than we actually talk about . So , because you experience heartbreaks , relationships with families , with everything that's just being done to you , because the heart is , it's , it's very important , that's why I necessarily take this very serious , because it's about healing . So , as my process in doing the songs , necessarily , I was going through heartbreak with a relationship that I was facing at Langston . That was kind of like the whole thing on top of family issues , on top of everything . So that was just like the cherry on top to where I had the breakdown and I actually just was praying to God . I was like what do I do ? And everything , and I really he just put into my mind , you know , let me go write a song or something to where that's the whole point in the message .

SELYM 16:10

As far as the first song , I would say , can I tell you , is getting . It's important as a relationship , as far as anything to be heard , to get out what you need to say . That's why I called it , can I tell you Because I was expressing feelings that I didn't get to necessarily get out , because there would be times if I do that , it was thrown back at me . Or if I was trying to , it was no you're . You know there's a lot of things tied into it . As far as just I was really heartbroken to where it was healing , getting my feelings out , emotions in a positive manner , telling the story to where even dials into stuck in my head . Those are like the two , I would say , songs I was labeled . As far as healing in the in the process of the songs , because even in stuck my head talks about heartbreak .

SELYM 16:54

As far as letting go , reminiscing about the memories , the positive memories , but you have to accept , which will help you grow as far as in other relationships , accept what is going on ,

Finding Healing Through Music

SELYM 17:06

let them go , but risk nothing but the best on that person , to where it's all about healing . So it was definitely started where I was at my lowest . I was really low because I was as far as a junior college . Then , on top of that and everything that was just my source , god literally said look , miles , boom , this is what I'm going to do for you . And then I wrote the song and it was just from that point on , as far as always wanting to do that for the heart , as far as heal it and spread that positivity and love and encouragement that we need , I really wanted to take it serious . So I found it as a way . This is a way I could really connect with people . This is a way I can get a message out and as far as what it's doing for me , I feel like it could do for others .

Zion 17:51

So that's , that's so good .

Zion 17:53

I mean , as you were talking , one of the things that came to my mind was how many young athletes think that their sport has to be their coping skill , you know , and they don't think about anything else besides like , for us , we're hoopers , right , like , oh , I'm stressed out , let me just go shoot hoops , like . But to a point it gets like when you , when you got , I never got blessed to the level that you were at right where you got to play , uh , the college ball right . But sometimes what I've heard from athletes that had that opportunity was , when your sport starts to become your stress , you don't go to that stressor to relieve stress anymore . You try to find something else , and what what I see a lot of young athletes do , is they pivot to , unlike you pivot the drugs and alcohol , or they pivot to attention from women , right , and getting that attention and validation there . But you decided to make that decision . I know the answer , but I want you to explain it a little bit more . Why did you confide in music and find that as your outlet ?

SELYM 19:01

I would say it's always been a passion for me . I've always really loved music , as far as to gospel , to all genres , where I've grown up around like , my great-grandmother played the drums , her daughters can sing , my whole family plays the drums , my brothers are very musically talented . I've grown up around music and I've always loved it to where I would say just it . I really feel like and well , honestly , I believe and I know that it was what I was called to do , it was just a matter of time where I feel like taking what , what it was to actually do with it , the right like it , just it was a matter of time . I should say like it was just it was destined . I really feel like because how it just came upon like me , like it just started to happen , because everything started to happen so quickly and I was just like , as far as just feeling like I was where I needed to be , like I I after that first song and just doing it , as far as the love I have for it , I just was like this is something I really love to do , you know , and I really feel like a lot of the times , and especially society , people are scared to do what they really love to do because of the judgment of others . So , when it comes down to it , like me doing what I love and like knowing how much love I have for music , what I love , and like knowing how much love I had for music , because even as a kid , like a little side fun fact , I would always listen to music and I'll be looking in the window and I'll be imagining like I'm the artist in the video .

SELYM 20:34

I'm like you know , like I've always just loved , like music and Lecrae , and just like , oh , this is so cool . I could praise God like this . This is dope . But you know it wasn't pushed but and just other things . As far as just you , you know , I've done in the church . I've served in the church my whole life . I've ushered , I've praised , danced , I've done everything played instruments , sang in the choir , I've cleaned up the church at four in the mornings , to where I believe God's really rewarding me now . To where here you can give praise to me in this way now . So it was really like I said , it's just what I love to do and God knew to where I just stayed humble , stayed hungry , unto him and he blessed me with this opportunity .

Jamal 21:20

So you know , one of the things that you had mentioned at the show when I came through and you said it on the mic , is that you understood that you know sometimes you can get so down that that one may want to , you know , not be around anymore , take their life ,

Battling Depression and Suicidal Thoughts

Jamal 21:38

and you know , suicide , and so you had a little bit of a story about that . So was that related to the , to the breakup , and how it got so so down on in your spirit , in your heart ? They're like man . I don't even want to deal with this . He speaked a little bit on what kind of ? How low did you ?

SELYM 21:57

go . Yes , sir , I definitely can and I can say I really still thank God to this day because , like I said , mental and the heart , like those are the two things we're focusing on , because mentally , as far as you thinking that you're not even enough anymore in this world is just , it's important that I protect the crown . So , in the heart , as far as just alone , knowing how much this , just so going into it , I would say it definitely was a lot of things I was dealing with with my family and my relationship to where my relationship was so toxic , it was very toxic . To where I had abandonment issues . To where I would feel abandoned a lot of times .

SELYM 22:40

To where I always felt I had to keep people in my life and things in that nature . To where I would do things . To where just to keep people in my life , knowing it wasn't nature . To where I would do things . To where just to keep people in my life , knowing it wasn't what I wanted to do , knowing to where it was just and people would take advantage of that as far as my relationships and just family members and things like that . So I was just so low to where I was , like you know what it was like I said . It was a point where I revealed too early to my past that necessarily about my family , things like that , and it was used against me to where , oh , you would threaten to leave me and I was like no no , no , no .

SELYM 23:14

When it to where I didn't want I was just every . I always felt like people would leave me . So , as far as just like that goes with the relationship , it was a point where I was driven really to where I didn't even feel like I was good enough anymore for anybody . So as far as just not even really knowing myself , because that was one thing I was really facing as far as my identity , to where it was so long , even when I was in junior college , I didn't even really know who I was because I was , like I said , people pleasing , doing all types of things just to get that acceptance instead of just looking for an understanding that the only person I need to please is God . So , you know , going on it , just like I said , I didn't feel like I was good enough for anybody . I feel like at that point I couldn't do nothing for nobody .

SELYM 24:00

So I did necessarily attempt and everything as far as it goes . Praise be to God man . You know , know , I'm still here to this day and it's not even I would say it's not even just one time to where I've even thought or even tried to where it was , even in the past , when I was young , like my families and things like that . So , as far as it goes , I really . This is why I really push my message . This is why I really take it to where I'm starting to even realize this is more than just music , this is straight ministry and these are souls that I'm going to be trying to save and bring to Christ . So it definitely was a hard time but I can say it was the best thing that probably could have happened to me . To where I can know my story , I know it could save somebody else , to where I know that I'm stronger , to where I've just grown and I'm just , I'm just glad where I'm at now and I'm grateful .

Jamal 24:53

So and it sounds like man , you know unpacking that a little bit , that like one , I want to give you kudos and praise and love man , to say that you know to to be a young man , um , and share , be willing to share your story , right , because we as men are a lot of times taught not to show our emotions and I don't know if that was part of the challenge . Uh , it sounds like you were sharing a lot , but then people would abuse that or take advantage of that . Um , but also just being now willing to be truthful , right About that , and so I want to give you kudos for that man . But the other thing that I realized that you said that I think is really important is that Finding , finding out who you are , understanding who you are , and that's a process and some time and would it be true that were you always writing poetry ?

Jamal 25:49

Or was it not until maybe after that experience of suicide , that you're like I got to get this out of me Because you're like saying I think you said one of the songs was in my head . I got to get this out of me because you were like saying I think you said one of the songs was in my head . So is that , what ? Is that what helped you writing stuff down ?

SELYM 26:14

Oh , yes , sir , as far as like even getting , because I can't , I tell you I can't even remember , like actually , because I freestyle like the verse a little bit , because it was really just my emotions , like I was just like you know what roll it , let's get it .

SELYM 26:24

And as writing , I had some stuff written down for that one but , like definitely most majority of my songs , I can even show you on my notes . I do have everything written down . So I would say it's like putting my thoughts out , feelings , out , story , even to where songs that I've written it's so crazy , like it's like he got it for me to use it now in certain scenarios , to where it's like I'm like bro , now this song is coming to life , which is this one is kind of crazy . Like at the time I thought maybe it was for it , but I'm like now this is the message he wants me to have now , because I'm going through this now , which is because I have a lot , even a lot more song that as far as my project I ain't gonna tell when that's . When that comes out , it's gonna even be more vulnerability . It's gonna be everything as far as just emotions and stories and everything as far as , like I said , relationships , friendships , families .

Zion 27:20

So yeah , no , that sounds . I mean , it sounds similar to , um , just what I use to cope , but you do it on a grander scale of you . You put it out there for people to hear and see , which is a different level of vulnerability . Man , I'm a huge uh advocate of journaling . I love journaling . There's this app that is called Brighton that I use . We're in all transparency , we are sponsored , partnered with app and whatnot , but it's a great app is what I use to write down my thoughts . And then we also have the broadcast channel where I shared the summary is an AI and it summarizes my notes or my journal so I can share it with other people . So I share it in that broadcast channel . But you do it on a level where people have the choice to join that channel versus you . People can kind of like just listen to it whenever they want , right , and that's a different level of vulnerability that I'm not there yet . I don't think I have the music capability that you got to do that or been blessed with that .

Zion 28:22

But , man , I just admire anybody that's willing to share their story , like my dad was saying , man , like especially a black man , a black young man , being willing and able to talk about his experience with mental health and how , you know , working in or even finding God in it , working in or even finding God in it and even though it was ugly and it was nasty , you were still able to find that silver lining , which was the Holy Spirit or God , whatever that was for you to get you out of that . And then you praise him using this medium of art . Man , it's something that's just super commendable . It's awesome to see and you have a good time on stage doing it . And , man , when I tell you something , I thought about it . When I was on stage because he invited me to be the host of his show , I was like man , I could see myself DJing one of these things for him and being the hype man in the back . He got me hype and he has the dreads that go crazy when he ain't going back . Man , he was going crazy for that one back man , he was going crazy for that one . So if you ever get , if you ever see something that pops up on your instagram about go see salam , go go see him . He's amazing artist .

Zion 29:28

He'll put on a show for you and it it's weird because I see the your eyes tell me everything . When , uh , especially when we're on the court . It's the same feeling I get when you step on stage . It's that same miles look of like , oh , we're locked in , we're going to have a good time . But it's a different kind of like . I mean , I don't know how to explain it . If you're an athlete and you still have that capability , you know what I'm talking about . When your friend gets that look and they're able to turn it on , it's something it's on 10 for you , man . So I'm proud of all the things that you're doing . I'm glad that you reached out to me to even be considered to be one of your hosts . You're a great friend , a great guy man . I just I can't wait for people to experience you . Once they experience you and hear this podcast , they're going to be like I gotta , I gotta follow this kid ,

Music as Ministry and Moving Forward

Zion 30:15

I gotta follow this guy and see what he's got going on .

Jamal 30:16

So that's a question have man something ? So where can people find you ?

SELYM 30:19

and , uh , you know , tap in they could find me on all platforms . I'm on youtube , instagram , facebook , tiktok , everything , apple music , spotify . All you gotta do is type in my name in all caps salam , s-e-l-y-m . And it's just a little sidetrack little story like the name salam . It's crazy because I went to Langston . When I went and traveled , I just packed my bags and left , didn't have no scholarships or nothing . My cousin just told me to go boom , boom , boom . She's like we're gonna rebrand you , we're just gonna make your Instagram name , your name backwards , and we didn't know nothing , right , two years later I was like what ? What's the artist's name ? I looked up my Instagram name that I made two years ago . It ended up being Salon , being God-fearing P is peace , a lot of things , and I was like , oh well , this is it right here . So I typed in S-E-L-Y-M , all platforms , anyway .

Jamal 31:15

No , that's good , because I was asking Zion and Valentino , my daughter , when we were at the concert . I was like , what does that mean ? Where did it come up with that ? It's his name . Backwards I was like , oh okay , that makes sense , that makes sense .

Zion 31:37

When I asked Miles , how do you pronounce it ? He was like it's like salam Waleika , salam , peace , be on you . I was like how do you pronounce it ? He was like it's like Salaam , like Waleika , salaam , waleika , salaam , like peace , be on you .

Jamal 31:44

So I was like that's dope , that is dope , man , that's so cool . So you're saying that , like , wait , wait . So you're saying you had the handle at Salaam years before you even started the music Mm-hmm , two years , oh man . So there was already some stuff in the works just waiting for you .

Closing and Where to Find Salaam

Jamal 32:03

I didn't even know .

SELYM 32:04

Didn't know Two years later .

Jamal 32:08

That's what's up , man . That's so cool . So , yeah , Any final words that you have , man , that you really wanted to like share with people and let them know outside of you know , definitely tapping into your channels and all that good stuff and hearing your music you know , definitely tap it into your channels and all that good stuff and hearing your music .

SELYM 32:24

Yes , sir , I will say one quote is be the light . That's mine , that's one thing I live by . Be the light . Let your light so shine before men that they see you do good works which glorify your father , which is in heaven . I believe everybody has a calling . I believe everyone is a light .

Jamal 32:36

Let that light so shine , man yo man , we're glad you're still around , man , to be able to bless us with your music and then give praise and glory to the person upstairs who we believe in . Yeah , because you ain't going back .

Selym 32:50

You ain't going back and we're going to get up out of here . Before we get up out of here , man , we got to make sure we give you our Instagram . Our Instagram is at UpToItAZ . You're now listening to UpToIt Radio . We're going to catch you back over here next week . Come on , we appreciate you , man . We out , we out , we out , we out .