Social Club Misfits – The One with the Realness

In a genre defined by who is dubbed “the most real,” the Social Club Misfits are in an entire league of their own. Fern and Marty are living breathing examples of what it means to be authentic, passionate, and Christ-like in every aspect of how they are perceived.

You may remember an article I wrote last year where I talk about Marty buying me a pair of sneakers because my Timbs were “ugly.” That was the first time I met the Misfits, in Manhattan, before they were set to do a showcase for BET at the legendary S.OB.’s.

Except, that time it was different. It wasn’t their show. There wasn’t a packed house of fans screaming their lyrics, and there wasn’t an hour of one of the most hype shows I’ve ever seen. This time around the Miami boys were promoting their “Into the Night Tour,” and managed to sell out most of the shows with just one month of promotion.

Their energy and passion on the stage is unmatched by many. In between songs they would take the time to (Christianese alert) “pour into” the audience by encouraging their walk, sharing their hearts on topics, and just loving on the crowd. This wasn’t just a church thing though, they do this in every venue – bar, club, church.

My intention was to cover the show for Rapzilla but after a few weeks of going through professional outlets, all I heard were crickets. Eventually, I just texted Marty and he hooked it up. I wanted to get to the venue, do show photography and video, and have them for an interview. I started feeling like an annoying person who was taking advantage of someone with a platform with all the texts going back and forth. The show was over and I still did not meet up with them, so here comes another text…

Marty texted back to say he’d send someone for me, but before that could happen I ran into Fern and followed him to the green room where a slew of people were there for a meet and greet.

Social Club actually apologized to me saying their VIP meet and greets went long and they were tired from the show, so we couldn’t do an interview. I apologized for being annoying, which was just brushed off by Marty. However, they said they just wanted to hang out with me and talk. THAT’S REAL. I’m just a journalist. I’m there because I love music and also want to do a story. My importance in the grand scheme of what SCM are trying to accomplish isn’t important, but for them, they just wanted to be a friend. That meant a lot to me. It’s encouraging to know whatever we do in life has importance to someone else. They are more than just a story and I am more than just a writer, we are people who can connect on common ground.

From the time I was 13 until I was about 25, the dream was to get famous off of music. I wanted to be a rock star, a rap star, someone who’s music can touch people. It didn’t go that way for me, but now I can vicariously live through the people I cover, the friends I make, the music I help push out on the platform I’m given. I can now strive to be a rockstar journalist. It’s my last glimmer of hope. I have never wanted to really write about or cover anything else. Most people don’t know how much I LOVE music. It keeps me breathing, whether I’m creating it, performing it, or writing about it. Nothing gives me more joy than bringing people a solid story or interview about an artist.

I wound up sitting with Marty and just talking, no recorder, no notes, for around 45 minutes before Fern came in. They both have this amazing ability to speak to people, look them in the eye, and genuinely care. They were like that with every person in the meet and greet. A girl named Sapphire shared with them that one year ago she had cancer. She was set to die and at the time not believing in God. Then she had an encounter with Jesus and one year later she is standing there praising him with her REAL HAIR.

Marty said that story touched him. You can tell they were blessed to hear it and encouraged that what they’re doing is ordained by God. The group of VIP’s then prayed for them. It was amazing to see.

Despite whatever “mainstream” or “secular” ties or direction you feel Social Club Misfits have gone (they’re still the same people), these guys make no bones about what they’re there to do and who they serve. They are really out there doing it.

I tell this story because I want people to consider the artist behind the stage. They are real people with goals, aspirations, and struggles. They’re doing the best they can to navigate their calling, fame, and creativity while being under constant scrutiny. Social Club is a shining example of getting it right, although they’ll humbly disagree. And to the artist reading this, know that you’re platform is important to someone no matter how big you are. If someone is willing to be a fan, don’t take that for granted. These people are investing not only their time and money but also their heart and emotions. Be gentle, be grateful, be yourself.

Before I left Marty said, “Let me know if you ever need anything. We got you man.”

Guys, you gave me everything I need. Thank you. It’s #SocialSZN

Justin Sarachik
Justin Sarachik
Justin is the Editor-in-Chief of Rapzilla.com. He has been a journalist for over a decade and has written or edited for Relevant, Christian Post, BREATHEcast, CCM, Broken Records Magazine, & more. He's written over 10,000 articles, done over 1,000 interviews, and is in post-production for documentaries on Danny "D-Boy" Rodriguez & Mario "Machete" Perez. He's the project manager of the upcoming video game Run the Court and of the media brand Crimefaces. Justin likes to work with indie artists to develop their brands & marketing strategies. Catch him interviewing artists on Survival of the Artist Podcast & creating videos on his social media channels.
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