Introducing... Sprinks

In a brave new world of neo-Soundcloud music, in an era where anything and everything is excessively interconnected and available all at once all the time, young and upcoming artists tend to fall into one of two camps: imitators and innovators. For every person pushing the envelope, there are hundreds if not thousands of carbon copies (look at the prevalence of Playboi Carti clones for example, or more specifically to Soundcloud, the excess of derivatives of the Covid-lockdown era hyperop and digicore scenes). It makes sense, not even in a shady way. It’s hard to generate a new wave whilst being constantly and rapidly exposed to all types of music and art at all times through shortform video apps like Tiktok and Instagram Reels, whether you’re conscious of it or not, that constant proliferation and injection of media is influencing you. In a time when everything is hyper-integrated, it’s challenging to be an artist or musician that can break molds and breed something new, especially in genres such as hip hop and electronic music that maintain such high listenership and interest across the globe.

However, a young underground artist named Sprinks, who I was recently exposed to through a mutual friend, is undoubtedly carving out a niche for himself with his new age, hyper-trap sound, keen eye for artistry, and a powerful sense of branding and personal aesthetic, from Baltic Europe of all places (further evidence of the super-globalization and integration of all media and music). I knew I had to talk to him after quickly becoming enthralled with his infectious sound and ripping his whole discography off of Soundcloud. I was fortunate to snag some of his time for an interview, and he and I discussed his origins, influences, future, and what it means to be a contemporary DIY rap artist.

1) Please give us a basic introduction.

My name is Sprinks. I am an extraordinary artist, producer, creative director, graphic designer, video editor, and 3D animator. Mainly—I make music. But over the years, I've been teaching myself how to do all these things so I could truly execute my style in my own way.

2) Where are you from? Has that influenced your music and art at all?

On March 3rd, 2005, I was born in Klaipeda, a small beach town in Lithuania. Shortly after, when I turned 4 years old, my family decided it would be great to move to Tenerife, a Canary Island located near Spain. We spent around 5 years living there, growing up in an environment without any knowledge of how to communicate with others. That impacted me a lot—it truly made me the person I am today. I had to learn everything myself. Step by step, I learned how to speak Spanish and started going to school there. Found awesome friends, had a wonderful yet challenging childhood, which I’m very happy for.

After those five years, we moved back to Lithuania—Klaipeda—where I had to re-learn Lithuanian because I had almost forgotten my own language hahaha. That was another challenge. I spent the rest of my childhood in Lithuania, a completely different environment. I wouldn’t say it was better than Tenerife, but it was definitely interesting. I was always a different kid—I'd say many steps ahead of others. As a teenager, there wasn’t really a lot to do besides hit the beach occasionally and hang out with my friends, so I started finding hobbies and such.

3) Where did the Sprinks name come from?

Definitely a good question. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time playing video games, and one day I came up with the name “Sprinks” as my gamertag. After a couple of years of gaming, people around me started calling me “Sprinks” jokingly—and I just owned it. At first it was random, but over time, it started to feel like a character—an alias I could fully control, shape, and express myself through. Now it’s more than just a name—it’s a sound, a feeling, a style, and a whole vision.

4) How would you describe the Sprinks project to someone who has never heard it before? What’s your elevator pitch?

I feel like with my music, you won’t really get it in the beginning, but once you start catching on, it becomes really interesting to witness. It’s definitely something different, something that separates from the mass production out there. I love my music—I spend most of my days blasting my own stuff. I pour my entire heart into my music, which you can tell has a lot of SOUL. I'd say my music is for people who like to dive deeper into sound—people who got bored of all the boring music out there.

5) Can you tell us about some of your artistic and musical influences?

I’ve been tapped in for a long time. Growing up, I used to listen to a lot of Fetty Wap, Young Thug, and Chief Keef in middle school, but primarily the 2016–2018 music scene really inspired me. I saw all these artists start making music and getting famous really quick. I thought that was so sick—I looked up to that. And when Carti dropped Die Lit—that really hit me hard. That specific album inspired me to make music.

Later on, as a Lithuanian artist, I started experimenting a lot—going through different styles—and found out about Yabujin, which shocked me because he was also Lithuanian. I was like, damn, cool—I’m not alone, I guess. He really inspired me to push it even further, because he was getting crazy numbers while being super unique and different from every other artist out there. That also pushed me toward doing my own art and videos. Without all of that, I don’t think I’d have the capabilities I have today.

6) How did you start making music? What drew you to it?

Let’s run it back to around 2016. I used to come home from school, play some “type” beats on YouTube, and just freestyle for fun—until one day, I came across a tutorial. It was something like “how to make music on your phone without equipment.” And no, this wasn’t BandLab—back then we didn’t have crazy tech like that. It was literally a tutorial on how to record in iMovie. And that’s where it all started.

I wasn’t really creative at the time. Well, I did try to run a clothing brand and did some designs, but that flew away quick once I found music. I kept finding better ways to record. I remember discovering this app that had autotune, and I fell in love with it. Later on, I switched to PC recording. I bought this super cheap mic setup off AliExpress—a funky golden mic that was trash hahaha, but it was fun. Eventually I upgraded, got a real setup, and started taking it mad serious. And here I am—still going, still leveling up. I'm happy where I’m at.

7) Can you tell us a little about your group MGNT? What is it exactly? Who is in it? What is its goal? How did it start?

MGNT—also known as MG or MAGENTA, formerly known as MAGENTADREAMLAND—is a collective I founded from the ground up. It started after I got confident in my music and realized I didn’t want to walk this path alone. I wanted to grow and evolve with people who shared the same energy, ambition, and vision.

At first, it felt impossible. I had a dream of forming the perfect “dream team,” but I knew I couldn’t rush it. I stayed patient and trusted that the right people would eventually cross paths with me. And they did.

I connected with artists like CurseWeb, Mandraa, and Saya—people who brought something special to the table. We had similar visions and aesthetics. Most importantly, they were good people. We became friends first, then something more—a unit. That’s when MGNT became real.

We grew fast. I brought in even more talented people like Posixspwn, Guardnr, AkuraVortex, Exodus, and NSU. Everyone contributed something strong, and we all helped each other grow—artistically and personally.

Then I met Shima, who would become my business partner. He saw the potential, I saw it in him too. We made MGNT a licensed business in the U.S. It went from a creative group to something real. Now our goal is to become one of the most unique and iconic creative groups in the world—maybe even the universe. We're just getting started.

8) You do all of your own production, videos, and art for your Sprinks project. How did that happen? Was it out of necessity or an aesthetic and stylistic choice? Are you self-taught?

I produce most of the beats under my songs, but not all of them. Some are produced by other talented producers, who are always credited. A lot of people don’t know, but when you see the words "在里面了" in the title, it means the song is produced by me. That’s my producer tag. It’s a Mandarin phrase that translates to “It’s already inside.” It marks a silent stamp of authorship—a signal that the beat, the energy, the fingerprint of the producer is already woven into the track before a single word is spoken. It’s not loud. It’s not forced. It’s present—undeniable and embedded.

As for art and videos—I do them myself. I want full control. Having someone else do it might save time, but they wouldn’t get it right. When I have an idea, I always manage to execute it how I pictured it. Most ideas come from my dreams—I write them down when I wake up and bring them to life. It’s been a long journey. I learned everything from scratch. My team helped guide me a little—showed me the deeper meaning of art. Now I feel like I can bring any idea to life. That’s powerful.

9) Your music reflects a very post-SoundCloud, neotrap style. How would you personally describe and classify your sound? Are there other artists you’d consider your peers?

I wouldn’t quite say I’ve defined it yet. My sound is eerie, specific, and different. I’ve been crafting it for years. I like to vary, but I keep the same roots. Right now, I’m still polishing it. Got new equipment, still adjusting. Honestly, it’s just me doing what I think is cool in my own way. I want the sound to define itself over time. If people start calling it something, I’m cool with that.

As for artists in a similar lane—I’d say Sayako, Yuri Online, Exodus1900. They’re on the same spectrum, though still very different from me.

10) Are you involved in any specific scenes, online or in real life? Do you perform live?

Right now, mainly just my group. We kind of have our own thing going on. Maybe you could say the underground scene, but it’s more like under-the-underground—way below the iceberg. I’ve done 5 shows so far—3 in Vilnius, Lithuania, and 2 in Riga, Latvia. I really want to perform in the U.S. or another European country. That would be a game-changer.

11) Do you make music under any other aliases?

Tough question. I guess we all as artists sometimes make stuff we can’t drop on our main pages. That means stepping out of your comfort zone sometimes... but hey—if you know, you know.

12) Who is your dream collab?

I haven’t thought too deep on that. But honestly—it would probably be the legendary female artist Imogen Heap. I love her so, so much.

13) What is your favorite work or song you’ve made as Sprinks? What is your proudest accomplishment?

Definitely “iDGAF” with Yuri Online. I made it while I was in New York having the time of my life. Coming from Lithuania to NYC was crazy for me. I was inspired and super motivated. Cooked that up, came back, sent it to Yuri—he went crazy on it. Love that track.

As for my proudest accomplishment—it’s gotta be my skillset. My art, my videos, my production. But if we’re talking specifics, then definitely founding MGNT.

14) What programs do you use to make Sprinks’ music and art?

I started on Audacity, then moved to FL Studio—that’s my main DAW now. For video and art, I began on my phone using apps like Picsart and CapCut. Eventually I switched to Photoshop and After Effects. I also use Blender for 3D. All of this requires a powerful PC though, so you gotta invest if you’re serious.

15) What kind of music do you listen to? What have you been listening to lately?

Most people know I blast hip-hop—but I also love techno, 90s ambient, and a lot of early 2000s pop. I listen to my peers too—especially my group and the affiliate group “UNISHAINN.” If I had to recommend anyone, it’d be @UNISAYBA, @DULYTRIVINE, @4LUZUA, and @LAMINE.ADH. They make the coolest shit. They’re my brothers for life.

16) What’s the average day like for Sprinks?

Wake up (no phone), hit the restroom, freshen up, then straight to the coffee machine—gotta get that caffeine. Add a spliff—perfect combo. Sometimes I exercise... not every day though. Then I sit down at my heavy NASA computer and get to work—commissions or personal stuff. What matters is I’m putting in effort. I spend most of the day being creative, but sometimes I chill with friends too—shoutout to the honorable mentions, you know who you are. Gotta get outside, get inspiration. Sometimes just staring at a tree gives me ideas. Balance is key, and I think I manage that pretty well (though I wouldn’t recommend overworking like I do). Then I get some sleep and do it all again. Can’t stop. Won’t stop.

17) What are your goals for the project? What’s next? What do you anticipate being the evolution of your sound?

My goal is to keep being experimental—making stuff I genuinely love. I like exploring different sounds, but I stay rooted in my core style. Next step is moving to a better environment where I can be even more creative and productive. Living in Lithuania and doing what I do is hard—I feel like I deserve more respect for doing this on “hardcore mode.” But anything is possible if you're committed. And me? I’m not stopping. After I get settled, I plan to make a groundbreaking album. With my creative process improving and all this new gear—it’s gonna be stunning. I’ve already passed through different musical eras.

Right now, I’m trying to reach the unreachable. We’ll see where that takes me.