Lennie Simo has been making his mark in music after going viral on social media for creating a dope beat while using a couple of pens and office supplies. This 24-year-old is carving his own lane and reinventing what it means to be an artist. What made some iconic music producers like Dr. Dre, Pharrell, Missy Elliott, and Timbaland stand out was the way they used their life experiences, creativity, and musical influences to make a sound all their own. They paved the way for themselves and future generations, and the music they produced is still referenced today. Simo is doing just that by showing that Gen Zers and other young creatives, too, can trailblaze in the industry.
Hailing from Lawrence, MA, making music with writing utensils did not happen overnight for Simo. He has been working on his craft of pen-tapping for the past 12 years and his love for music even longer. According to the artist, it was his parents who noticed something special about him from a young age. When they saw his potential, they knew he would become someone great one day.
“When I was like a couple of months old, or like 2 years old, they used to see me playing with spoons all the time. Not in the style of pen-tapping... but twirling it back and forth. So, they're like, ‘This kid will do something big in the future.’ They didn't know what it was but comparing those times to now, they're right about what they said because pen-tapping is a similar thing,” Simo told REVOLT in this exclusive interview.
Outside of sharpening his hand-eye coordination, Simo grew up exposed to various genres of music. Because of his family’s culture, Simo's love for music was a way to tap into his creativity and connect with his Caribbean roots. He explained, “Growing up, I've always been around Hip Hop. I've always listened to Drake, Meek Mill, or Tupac songs. My dad always used to play Tupac in the car every time he drove [me and my sibling] to school. But not only Hip Hop. I'm Dominican. I come from a Dominican family. So, I also grew up listening to bachata, merengue, and stuff like that. So that's where I got my inspiration... from all these different rhythms that I know.”
If you went to high school and witnessed classmates making beats with pens on desks or in the cafeteria, then you know the art of pen-tapping is nothing new. While the playful concept has been around for a few decades, using pen-tapping to produce songs is taking things to a whole new level, which is Simo’s innovative way to prove that he deserves a seat at the music table.
Since his viral video, the trailblazer has joined Beatclub, a premier music platform for artists, producers, and songwriters founded by Timbaland. The young star has also performed on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” and competed on “Italia's Got Talent” as well as “America’s Got Talent” to demonstrate how everyday appliances can aid a musician’s creativity.
“Words can't even explain how grateful I am for those opportunities. I mean, I've been trying to get on ‘America’s Got Talent’ for 10 years. It was amazing walking on stage, hearing the crowd roar and everything. On ‘Italia's Got Talent,’ I made it all the way to the finals. It was one of the toughest competitions I've been to because I had to learn Italian phrases and everything. So, even though I was scared to do it, and I knew it wasn't going to be easy, I still went for it either way. In the first round, it started out with just pens. But throughout the rounds, I added a lot of school supplies, like pencil sharpeners, a ruler, and a stapler. And for the last round, I dedicated something specifically for Italy, you know, like with kitchen items,” Simo reflected.
It is more than just pens. Simo uses his body and more to make the perfect beat. From his musical inspirations to adding his own spin on things, the go-getter is revolutionizing how we think about pen-tapping and paving the way for a new, unique lane in music production.
“To make the perfect pen-tapping beat, I mix different music genres. Brazilian funk, reggaeton, and all that stuff. I add different songs by hitting my mouth. So, I could play a song from Brazil, and then a recognizable Hip Hop song with my mouth and create my own beat. I could use a lot of different stuff, like two different cups, to create the different pitches. I like adding my own twist to it and elevating it,” Simo shared.
He added, “It's usually a long process for making a beat. The one that takes the longest is making an original beat. When it comes to song covers, sometimes I have to listen to the song over and over again to memorize the bass. So, I match the bass and then, on top of that, I add my patterns for my own snare.”
As Simo continues rising to stardom, he hopes to collaborate with some of the best in the game right now like Bad Bunny, Karol G, J Balvin, Meek Mill, Future, and Lil Baby. He hopes his influence will bring more awareness to the magic of pen-tapping, encourage others to tap into their own cutting-edge musical skills, and reach the world globally.
“There's a ton of potential with the pen-tapping. The amount of people I've inspired has been amazing. I feel like this could lead to a lot of big things, you know, in the music industry. I have a huge goal of bringing my sounds to the music industry by collaborating with the biggest producers and artists, like co-producing songs with my pen-tapping. I want to get myself out there. I don't want to be known just in the United States. I want to be known on a global scale,” Simo told REVOLT.
He concluded, “I have a few more shows coming up and some collaborations with producers. I'm hoping to collaborate with a lot of producers like Timbaland. He's been knowing me since 2021 because I had that viral video. Snoop Dogg and Timbaland discovered me through there. So, I feel like a collaboration with Timbaland is gonna be happening soon.”