Victor Scott II has received a lot of attention lately, and for good reason. The 22-year-old outfielder swiped 94 bases this past season between High- and Double-A, then added 18 more representing the St. Louis Cardinals in the Arizona Fall League. Moreover, his left-handed stroke produced a .303/.369/.425 slash line over 618 plate appearances against Midwest League and Texas League pitching. Flying below the radar when he was taken in the fifth round of the 2022 draft out of West Virginia University, the speedster is now widely viewed as one of the most promising players in the Cardinals’ pipeline.
The focus the Atlanta native has received lately has understandably centered on his plus-plus wheels and his improved hit tool. Neither of those subjects was broached when I spoke to Scott over the phone in early December — this a few weeks before he graduated from WVU with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Instead, we discussed his burgeoning music career. Scott is not only on the fast track to the big leagues, he is also an accomplished rapper.
———
David Laurila: You’ve recorded a number of rap songs. Tell me about that.
Victor Scott II: “It’s something I can’t really do in-season, and I couldn’t really do at school, because I didn’t have a studio. Here at home, I can get in there with Quinn Carter — one of my best friends from back in the day — to kind of hang out and make music. It’s therapeutic. It allows me to get whatever off my mind, and also to be imaginative. It’s a cool little outlet, man. It’s great.”
Laurila: Do you have your own studio, or do you rent space in one?
Scott: “We basically have a studio of our own. All it really takes is a microphone and whatever mixing software you need. From there you’re pretty much set. We’ll be working on a project this offseason”
Laurila: What is the project?
Scott: “It’s called ‘From the Shadows.’ It’s only going to be like six or eight songs, but then I have my own project as well. It’s going to be called ‘Heart Control By Strings.’ I think it’s going to be 15-20 songs or so.”
Laurila: How much have you recorded previously, and where can people find your music?
Scott: “I’ve recorded around 50 songs, and probably released around 20 or 30 of them. They’re just available online. YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify. Kind of those primary platforms.”
Laurila: I understand that you record under the name “Argo.” What’s the story behind that?
Scott: “So, one day one of my friends was asking me, ‘Hey, what is your rap name going to be?’ I was like, ‘Man, let me think on that.’ Then, literally on the way home, I saw the bank Wells Fargo. I just forgot the Wells, took the ‘F’ out of Fargo, and made it Argo. So nothing crazy. I got it that way, and it kind of just stuck with me.”
Laurila: I was wondering if it was maybe from Greek mythology…
Scott: “No, nothing to do with anything like that. It’s just kind of a name.”
Laurila: When did this all start for you?
Scott: “It was in college, probably 2021. We were freestyling one day, and one of my friends was like, ‘Hey, I’ve got some equipment, you should come try it out.’ Then we were in there for about two hours, three hours, just doing whatever. Next thing I know, I was like, ‘Man, I kind of want to make a song.’ That song became, ‘Maybe if you practice and got a little better, you can come up with some different flows, different voices, and really do something.’ Sure enough, I kept practicing and the music became, I guess, likable to people.”
Laurila: Did you have any kind of music background prior to that?
Scott: “I was actually in the choir in elementary school. Then I was in a band from sixth grade to 10th grade. I played the trombone, and kind of these wind symphonies. So there is a little history behind the music. But not so much the rapping, the R&B, and all that good stuff.”
Laurila: How would you describe your music?
Scott: “If you’re ever riding in a car by yourself — maybe you’re coming home and it’s late at night, or even early morning — it’s the type of music you’d put on. It’s melodic. It’s a very vibe tempo. It’s smooth. I’m kind of your guy in that realm. It’s definitely not anything that’s super vulgar, or anything like that. It’s kind of chill.”
Laurila: Are any of your songs geared toward baseball? Are you in any way looking to bridge whatever gap exists between baseball and rap/hip-hop culture, maybe help attract more young members of the Black community to the game through music?
Scott: “Yeah, for sure. In this next project, a lot of what I’m rapping about is kind of baseball and what it’s like in the minor league season. One song is called ‘Never Forget.’ It basically talks about how sometimes there are naysayers — this goes for life in general, too — saying that you can’t do this job, that something is impossible, or at least not practical for you. The song kind of talks about that, and how you can prove them wrong. Another song that’s going to be on there is called ‘Passion.” It’s about work ethic.
“There are a lot of different ways to connect, not just the Black culture, but anybody who may feel like, ‘Hey, I have people who don’t believe that I can do something.’ I’m speaking through my music almost, because that was me as a younger kid. Growing up and being smaller, there were always people saying that I wouldn’t be able to do something. Even now, it’s like ‘Maybe he won’t be able to produce in the big leagues,” or even ‘He may not be able to do this in Triple-A.’ There are always going to be people saying negative things that can impact you. This is kind of a song that says, ‘Look, I’m not going to let anything like that faze me. I’m going to continue to work. I’m going to continue to be myself, prepare myself to the be the best of myself.’ I can say that through music.”
