Rob49’s popularity continues to grow by the day. Travis Scott recruited him for his album UTOPIA. He makes his guest appearance on the track “TOPIA TWINS,” which is racking up streams. He currently sits at 5.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify and his audience is surely going to grow immensely before the end of 2023.
Back on June 9, Geffen Records signee put out his project of 2023, 4GOD II. “Hate It or Love It” with DaBaby is sitting at around 3.4 million plays and is the fan favorite right now. However, that might change with the deluxe now out. There is new features and solo cuts, so let us take a look at what is new.
The key difference with any deluxe album release is almost always new songs. That is the same case here with Rob49 adding 10 new songs to the tracklist. Furthermore, we have three features on here, with the first appearing on the song “Yes, You Did.” That has a guest verse coming from Real Boston Richey. Second, is the single that was released on August 4 called “Mama” with Skilla Baby and Tay B.
What are your thoughts on this deluxe version of Rob49’s 4GOD II (Deluxe)? What is your favorite track on the project? Do you prefer the expanded edition or the original tracklist more? We want to hear what you have to say, so be sure to put all of your thoughts and opinions down in the comments section. Additionally, keep it locked with HNHH for all the hottest project releases and news around the music world.
New Orleans is a pivotal city in hip-hop’s landscape. A place where the entrepreneurial ventures of Birdman and Master P set the blueprint for independent rap across the world and elevated the names of artists like Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg to GOAT status. Birdman, specifically, has made a concerted effort to elevate the South throughout the years, whether forming groups like Rich Gang or going to bat for artists like NBA Youngboy. The latest rapper that Birdman took under his wing is Rob49 – the 24-year-old rapper that’s ushering in a new era for NOLA.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – OCTOBER 29: Rob49 performs during Lil Weezyana 2022 at Champions Square on October 29, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
On Friday, June 8th, he unveiled his latest body of work4GOD II, a culmination of his ascent to stardom in the past year. It arrived ahead of his second annual Vulture Island Weekend in his hometown which included a celebrity basketball game and a concert where he was able to connect with fans for the first time in a long time. Ultimately, it was an event that furthers the notion that he currently holds the throne for the city. It’s no surprise that Birdman officially passed him the torch on the intro to 2022’s Welcome ToVulture Island – an act that seemed like a far-fetched reality to him a few years ago.
“When he first did it, it really didn’t mean nothing to me,” he told HotNewHipHop of his initial reaction to Birdman formally passing him the torch. That is until a few months ago when he revisited the intro to Welcome To Vulture Island. “I was like, man, this is the new New Orleans, like this is Birdman. I started thinking about where I was when I was in high school and middle school and shit. We would listen to this sh*t and it was just so far-fetched for us. I’m just like, ‘damn, this is really it and he’s giving it to you,’ so it was a big thing for me.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 23: Rob49 attends Spotify’s All Rap-Caviar Experience on June 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Spotify)
Birdman’s become a guiding force in Rob49’s career, having been one of the first people who tried to sign the rapper to Cash Money. Although the deal didn’t pan out, the Cash Money co-founder evidently wanted to see Rob49 prosper regardless. He recently featured on the single, “Woedy” from 4GOD II, a song that Rob revealed nearly didn’t make the final cut of his album. “[Birdman] told me to stop separating my feet and put both of my feet in rap. That’s the biggest advice he told me and I did it and it worked for me. That’s the biggest advice he told me and it works,” he explained.
While Birdman came through as a pivotal force in Rob49’s career, he’s among the several New Orleans natives that helped shape the budding star’s artistry. During our conversation, he listed his top 5 NOLA rappers of all time, which includes the obvious choice of Lil Wayne. “Soulja Slim because he just reminds me of myself. Like, his wordplay, his aura – he just reminds me of myself,” he explained. “Lil Wayne because he’s just the best rapper alive.”
Although Soulja Slim became one of No Limit’s most legendary signees, it’s evident that the sounds of Cash Money resonated deeply with Rob49 throughout his come-up. In addition to Slim and Weezy, he listed Juvenile, Birdman’s nephew, Nino Calvin, and B.G. to round out his top 5. “Juvie had that project in him that we have in New Orleans,” he stated.
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JUNE 17: Hip Hop artist Rob49 shows off his Rolling Loud chain at the conclusion of his Vulture Island Celebrity Basketball Game on June 17, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana at McDonogh 35 High School. (Photo by Peter Forest/Getty Images for Rob49)
Louisiana, as a whole, has had a grip on the hip-hop landscape, but it’s hard to deny the number of fierce lyricists. New Orleans, specifically, birthed the talents of both Lil Wayne and Jay Electronica – two MCs who’ve earned their position among hip-hop’s elite. However, New Orleans hasn’t necessarily gained a reputation for being sharp wordsmiths. Some have even gone as far to say that rappers from the city don’t even bother rhyming their words.
“I think the biggest misconception is like us with our rhyming pattern,” Rob49 said. “I know people are like, ‘Oh, they don’t rhyme,’ but New Orleans people, we talk our sh*t. Like, that’s what we grew up on, you know what I’m sayin’? We just poppin’ it. We ain’t trying to rhyme.”
The sounds of New Orleans have permeated speakers across the world for decades. However, the rapper that’s carrying the torch for the city right now is Rob49. The NOLA-born rapper has been a frontrunner for the city over the past year but it was the release of 2022’s Vulture Island that built the anticipation for his trajectory. Co-signs from Birdman and features from Kevin Gates and Lil Baby helped put a spotlight on the budding star. With the release of 4GODII, he came to make a mark on the rap game and put on for his city.
As he comes off of the album’s release, he’s now gearing up for his upcoming Vulture Island weekend in New Orleans. The two-day festival begins today (Friday, June 16) and includes a concert and a celebrity basketball game. “I just wanted to give my fans a chance to see me, you know what I mean? They ain’t seen me perform in a while. So I just wanted to give them the chance to see me, you know, have a good time. I ain’t trying to break their pockets or nothing like that. I’m charging the least I can for tickets. I just want them to come f*ck with me,” he told HotNewHipHop.
Although there are a small fraction of rappers who have the potential to go pro, basketball remains one of hip-hop’s greatest past time. In recent years, NBA All-Star celebrity games have included artists like Quavo showing out on the court. For Rob49’s Vulture Island Weekend, he’s drafted a handful of his close friends and collaborators to join him. Rowdy Rebel, Anti Da Menace, Doodie Lo, and FCG Heem will play alongside Rob49 as part of the New Orleans Vultures. Meanwhile, G Herbo leads the opposing team, Choppa City, which includes Gillie Da King and Fredo Bang.
“They suck, man,” he said with a laugh ahead of the game. “We gon’ win though, for sure.” For Fredo Bang, this presents an excellent opportunity for him to get his lick back on the court. A video went viral several months back of Rob49 collecting a rumored $10,000 from the Baton Rouge native after a pickup game. “We beat him. Not out of $10,000, though but we beat him by a lot of money,” Rob49 said, although he did acknowledge that Fredo might return with a chip on his shoulder.
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JUNE 17: New Orleans Vultures Rob49 (49) tries to drive past Chopper City Doe Boy (0) during the Rob49 Vulture Island Celebrity Basketball Game on June 17, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana at McDonogh 35 High School. (Photo by Peter Forest/Getty Images for Rob49)
Despite the doubts he has for the opposing team, he feels as though Gillie Da King aka Damian Gillard has the potential to lead the game in a major way. Besides himself, he said that Gillie could very well leave the game as the MVP of this year’s Vulture Island weekend. “Yeah, I’m a fan of his game. He’s real good. Him and Ceedy Deuce got a chance [at MVP],” he said.
HNHH will keep you posted on the results of Vulture Island weekend. For the timebeing, check out Rob49’s latest album, 4GOD II.
