Our Town: wIntroducing the real Scotty Gaine$

By Myki Jones 

Sopris Sun Correspondent 

Local hip-hop artist Scotty Gaines, who goes by the stage name of Scotty Gaine$, has been releasing music for the past three years right here from the Roaring Fork Valley. 

Gaines, along with his wife and acting manager, Erika, runs an independent record label called “Infinite Records.” He recently performed his first paid gig at The Tipsy Trout in Basalt. Coupled with the release of his new album, “Mile High,” thus far this has proven to be an eventful year for the independent artist. 

Gaines fell in love with music at an early age. He grew up in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. His mother enrolled him in piano lessons before he started venturing off on his own.

 “A lot of music from the ‘90s and early 2000s inspired me to start dabbling and creating my own sound,” he told The Sopris Sun. “To be honest, I didn’t like taking piano lessons — not because of the instrument, but the music that I was being forced to play…I didn’t like the classical stuff. I gravitated the most toward hip-hop.” 

“My biggest inspirations are ‘Prodigy’ from Mobb Deep, Loyd Banks, 50 Cent, Wiz Khalifa, Kurt Cobain,and a whole lot of other artists that I can’t think of right now,” he laughed. 

He went on to explain that his love for the genre came down to the beat, style and even the associated lifestyle. Although, not every inspiration he’s had came from the genre. 

When asked about what goals he and Erika have going forward, Gaines said that he wants to spread good energy through the lyrics of his songs. 

“I would like to assemble a team of like-minded artists and individuals who share the same passion for music…We plan to tour across the country and eventually overseas. We [also] want to be able to make a living,” stated Gaines, all “while doing what we love and spreading the message of peace, love and happiness around the globe.”

In terms of what he hopes people take away from his music, Gaines strives to spread messages of positivity. 

“Positive Energy is so important these days. I would say that my music catalog varies amongst several types of moods and emotions. If you’re feeling down, I would go and play a song that is uplifting,” he advised. 

Since being in Colorado he has performed at many venues but says that his favorite is one known as “Your Mom’s House” in Denver. He received a lot of love from the crowd there. 

When asked what’s his dream venue to play at, Scotty said that he has several on his list. 

“First, I would like to play at The BOK Center — which is located in Downtown Tulsa — being that I am a Tulsa Native,” replied Gaines. Shooting for the stars, he added, “Next, I would have to go with “Madison Square Garden” in New York, The Roxy in Denver, The Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Carnegie Hall in New York and the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.”

In his upcoming album, “Top Speed,” the artist takes a renwed approach from what he is known for. “I’ll be making my own beats this time around,” said Gaines. He added that fans can expect to hear collaborations with other Colorado based artists.

“Mile High” Is currently available on Spotify along with Gaines’ most recent single, “Labor Day.” To stay updated with new releases and show details, people can follow Gaines on instagram at @the_infiniterecords.