The Story Behind A. Samuels, the 55 Year Old Rapping Atlantic City Casino Executive Who Is ‘Livin De Life’

However, many such sites were not kind to Samuels’ efforts. While Gawker.com’s headline, “55-Year-Old Casino Exec Releases One of the Worst Rap Videos Ever,” was dramatically overstated, the idea that a well-to-do, white, 55 year old executive rapping about having “bitches in between” rounds of golf, didn’t sit well with some internet gatekeepers. Comments on some sites were even more unforgiving.

“I shook it right off anyway,” Samuels said about the negative reaction, “But really I think a lot of them were missing the point. Because I’m an unknown, they just take that shot, like, ‘Who is this guy?’ But those that really listened to it, who thought, ‘Wow, he’s got some hip lyrics here,’ or, ‘This guy really can flow a little bit,’ those are the ones who said, ‘Hey, this is pretty good.”

Added Rockhill, “Gawker doesn’t know what a ‘good’ hip hop video is anyway, they have no clue. People on ThisIs50.com, or WorldStarHipHop, we value their opinion a little better.”

Indeed, comments from hip hop fans on sites such as ThisIs50.com were more supportive, even if at times a bit tongue in cheek.

From ThisIs50.com

“yo this aint that bad actually i mean 4 his age n 4 da type of society hes part of he did pretty good lol, s*** he reminded me of WILL SMITH lol”

“made sense to me nothing really wrong with it go out there and live the life grind hard and get your paper homie”

“Worst video? I don’t think so. Have you heard his lyrics? He’s actually saying something on his song. What many rappers don’t do. The man is actually the reallist rapper of em all. He ain’t faking. I… loved it.”

“Man this dude is ok with me, i thought this s*** was gonna b garbage but dude stayed true to his s***, he a baller ballin lol. Dudes should be mad at hip hop being used as a comedy skit to dum down people. Dude pretty much said to me “if you ain’t got it get it” I feel that.”

All of which seems to echo the sentiment that Samuels says people feel toward him in real life. “Once they meet me, they love me,” he states, with all of the charm of a true people person. Those who think he is completely out of his element, Samuels says, just don’t get him.

“Once they know me,” he insists, “they understand.”

As for whether or not “Livin De Life” was crafted as pure gimmick, Samuels insists this was never the case. “I had this vision originally of just selling it to an artist, just selling it to somebody,” he recalls, “But then every time I would spit it for one of my friends, they would say, ‘Why don’t you do something with that Allen? Why don’t you just make it happen?’ I was chomping at the bit to make it happen, so when I met A.P. it was at the right time, it was just good timing. It was supposed to be just a fun project, and now it’s turning into something real.”

Dispelling thoughts that this was simply a one-off, plans are said to exist for A. Samuels to continue his foray into the rap world. “We’re working on a little something now,” teased Samuels, “Stay tuned.”

DJ A.P. added, “We’re not going to do the typical approach where we give one little thing then kill a record and go next real quick. I have more of an old school mentality when it comes to music. Where you can work a record and let it last a little bit before you jump on to something new.”

As another nod to the anti-gimmick notion, Rockhill adds, “Even if we didn’t go viral we would have been doing that.” DJ A.P. says that a remix is in the works as well.

Both Rockhill and DJ A.P. insist that the project was born out of a simple desire to help Samuels properly bring his song to life, with no intent to purposefully craft a viral hit. Samuels himself lends credence to the idea that “Livin De Life” was something of an opportunity for a bit of music star role play, admitting that “some of this might be a mid-life crisis, but a fun one!”

Whatever one might feel about A. Samuels’ skill, the impression is that in real life, he is a well-liked, successful man with an affinity for a hip hop styled high life, who wrote a rap song others felt worthy of producing, recording and documenting on video. While the swag-filled visuals may send a bit of a mixed signal in regards to the song’s intended message, Allen Samuels is seemingly neither mocking nor overly glamorizing hip hop, but simply continuing to go with the flow of where his path has taken him, with no shame or regrets.

You know. Just living the life.