Meet Trauma Tone, one of the incredibly talented artists featured on this season of HNHH’s “On The Come Up.” However, it would be criminal to describe the steadily rising producer as a novice in the music industry. In fact, you have probably already heard some of Trauma Tone’s unforgettable beats. Nearly a decade ago, the Virigina-born hitmaker was cutting his teeth with up-and-comers like Chief Keef and Rich Homie Quan. Now, when looking back, it’s evident he was also making classics in the process.
For instance, Tone’s early work includes cult classics like Chief Keef’s “Blew My High” and fan-favorite Rich Homie Quan tracks. He produced I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In standouts like “Man of the Year” and “1000.” Furthermore, Trauma Tone also created the creeping beat for Yo Gotti and Rich Homie Quan’s platinum-certified collaboration “I Know.”
Trauma Tone on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
After the success of his breakthrough placements in the early 2010s, Trauma Tone continued to grind. Over the following years, he put his beats in the hands of artists like Money Man, Jacquees, Plies, Iamsu!, Skippa Da Flippa, and Dreamville’s own Cozz. However, the 2020s ushered in a new — and unquestionably well-deserved — era of prominence for the hardworking producer.
In 2020, Trauma Tone supplied beats for Kevin Gates’ popular songs “Dreka” and “Always Be Gangsta Freestyle.” Soon thereafter, Trauma Tone went on to work with Curren$y on his collaborative album with Fendi P, Smokin’ Patnas. He also landed placements on Sada Baby’s “Aunty Stella,” Bino Rideaux’s OUTSIDE project, and Money Man’s popular Epidemic mixtape. However, things really took off after Trauma Tone landed a beat placement on NBA YoungBoy’s second studio album, Top. Thus, “Cross Roads” subsequently became Tone’s first-ever song to be featured on a Billboard 200 chart-topper.
Since then, Trauma Tone’s pool of collaborators has been rapidly expanding. A wide range of artists — from Migos, BlueBlucksClan, and Duke Deuce to Dej Loaf, Lil Reese, and Shy Glizzy — have rapped over the Virginia producer’s beats in recent years. Without a doubt, Trauma Tone is currently in high demand. Get familiar with him by checking out his exclusive interview for HNHH’s “On The Come Up” below.
Producer tags are everything. At their best, they are immediately recognizable, an informal call that sparks excitement for what’s coming next. Thus, when you hear a tag like, “Cole…You Stupid,” you already know what’s going down.
The aforementioned tag that calls back to the classic ‘90s sitcom Martin belongs to none other than Hollywood Cole, a rapidly rising producer with ties to both the West Coast — through his birthplace of Seattle, Washington — and the East Coast — through his upbringing in Virginia. After winning a beat battle at Wish Atlanta that was judged by Sonny Digital, Cole started linking up with big-name artists and producers in Atlanta, which eventually led to his work with Quentin Miller and four beat placements on Dom Kennedy’s 2020 album, Rap N Roll. Roughly a month after Rap N Roll, Cole got an even bigger look, as a beat that he produced became Lil Wayne and Drake’s acclaimed “B.B. King Freestyle” collaboration from 2020’s No Ceilings 3.
Hollywood Cole on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
From that point on, Hollywood Cole’s work has been featured on countless major Hip-Hop releases, from Isaiah Rashad’s The House Is Burning single “Lay Wit Ya,” and G Herbo’s “Statement” to Latto’s 21 Savage-assisted 777 single “Wheelie,” Buddy’s “Wait Too Long,” and J.I.D.’s The Forever Story album cut “Sistanem.”
Hence, it was a no-brainer to feature Hollywood Cole in the latest season of HNHH’s On The Come Up. Keep scrolling to familiarize yourself with the incredible producer before his next round of mindblowing beat placements rolls out.
Over the last several years, Memphis has become the only true rival to Atlanta as the new Hip-Hop capital. Now, the female rappers there have started to really gain steam, so Memphis may actually have an edge over the A. Following the release of GloRilla’s sensational breakout hit “F.N.F.,” the Hip-Hop community fell in love with the CMG signee. In addition to Glo, the Hip-Hop community also fell in love with her “ratchet ass friends.” Surprisingly, many of them were also rising Memphis femcees.
One of those talented rappers that made an appearance in the “F.N.F.” video was Gloss Up. However, the mother of two is much more than a video extra. After getting her feet wet with freestyles over popular Drake, Plies, and Nicki Minaj instrumentals, Gloss started releasing original music. Her first official project, Different Shades of Gloss, arrived in the summer of 2019.
Gloss Up on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
In the years following that project, Gloss Up continued to work on her craft. In 2021, her team-up with HitKidd and his curated selection of Memphis female rappers — including GloRilla, K Carbon, Slimeroni, and Aleza — proved to be one of the most pivotal decisions of her career. That summer, the massive female ensemble released their first song together, titled “Set The Tone.” Needless to say, it lived up to its namesake, as it showcased how intriguing Memphis’ female rap scene was.
Following the momentum of “Set The Tone” and “Set The Tone 2,” “F.N.F.” just tipped the scales even further. This year, that song launched GloRilla, Gloss Up, and the rest of their frequent collaborators into the mainstream eye. As 2022 progressed, Gloss Up, a self-proclaimed underdog, ended up signing a record deal with Quality Control Music. Now, she’s here to introduce herself as one of the featured artists for HNHH’s On The Come Up.
Gloss Up on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
HNHH: Gloss, how’d you get into music?
I would just write poems when I was little. My mom used to think they was poems, but they was raps. So yeah.
Who are some of your musical inspirations?
Megan [Thee Stallion], my best friend GloRilla, I like Lizzo, and as far as the dudes, I like Dolph.
What was the turning point that helped you realize that you were on your way to becoming successful? What was that moment of like “Damn, I’m doing something right.”
I went on tour, on my own little tour around different cities. I had went to 14 cities, and that’s when I really realized this is what I wanted to do.
If a music fan, brand new, were to discover you today for the first time, what song would you tell them to listen to?
“Don’t Play With Me.” Or my song “Sunshine.” My song “Sunshine” — I had wrote it for my kids. Well, I had one child at the time. Cause it’s like different. It’s versatile. It’s not bad. I really didn’t say no curse words in it.
Where can I find it?
On YouTube, my YouTube channel, Glitter Girl Gloss.
Tell me about a valuable lesson you’ve learned during your come-up.
Slow down on posting stuff. Don’t post too much. Don’t give em too much, and don’t be popping out for free.
Gloss Up on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
Summarize your debut single, mixtape, whichever of the two you wanna touch on, and what inspired you to make that.
Well, right now the song I’m pushing is called “Don’t Play With Me”. I’m really pushing that song cause I’ve been pregnant for two years, I really haven’t just put no song out by myself. I’ve just been working with the other girls. Right now, I’m building a catalog, so I’m not sure when I’m gonna do my mixtape or my albums just yet. I’m just working
What inspired you to make that song?
People that play with you. It’s just one of them songs, you just be like, “Don’t play with me.”
Sometimes people get you fucked up…
Yup, they got you fucked up. So you be like — and it’s catchy — like, “Go play with your dick baby, don’t play with me.” You know. You know how that be.
Tell me about your hometown, tell me a little bit more about Memphis and how it influences your music.
Now it’s influenced me a lot, like, they giving me a lot of faith to keep going. Cause it’s like, we the first girls that’s out of Memphis that’s actually doing something. For a long time, it’s been the dudes getting it on, so now it’s like, the girls getting recognition. It’s cool cause everybody supporting us right now, and I like it.
Gloss Up on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
Speak on that. Like how does it feel being one of the first women from Memphis to really make it rapping? Getting signed and doing it with your friends. How does that feel?
You know, we got a little change and stuff, but like, at our age it feel real good. And like, we’ve been talking about this stuff so long. Like, too fucking long. And it’s crazy that it actually happened. I don’t know, it’s cool.
Making it to the cover, you good.
[Laughs]
Where do you hope your music career takes you?
I wanna be big, I wanna do different stuff, like, different kinds of songs– be very versatile, different genres. I wanna be on the biggest stage, one day. Yeah.
If you could create your dream song, unlimited budget, P says “you know what? Whatever you need, let’s make it happen.” What would it sound like and who would you feature on the song? Past artist or present.
I wanna do a song for the girls, like the regular girls. The girls, the mommas, you know. Giving people confidence to feeling confident in your body. Like, you don’t gotta be like everybody else. Be yourself. When I do make that kinda song I’m gonna put Lizzo on it. Lizzo, yep.
If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring musician on the come-up, what would you tell them?
Keep going, stay in your lane. Create your own lane if you don’t have it. Just keep going.
When the psychedelic hues of Jimi Hendrix meet the eccentricities of Future, an artist like Seddy Hendrinx comes out of the woodwork. It would be a disservice to refer to Hendrinx as simply a rapper because his intentions are not limited to hip-hop. “I’m gonna save music,” he says during his appearance in HNHH’s On The Come Up.
It’s a bold statement for any one artist to make, especially one whose yet to become a household name. But Seddy Hendrinx is different. He’s a visionary with an eclectic list of influences — from Lauryn Hill to Lil Wayne and Chief Keef. The amalgamation of the array of artists is what turned his single, “LOWKEY” into such an infectious bop. It was this very single that commanded the attention of Jacksonville, and soon enough, the rest of America.
Seddy Hendrinx on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
Like many, music was a form of escapism from the harrowing realities that he faced in his city. The death of a close friend at the hands of gun violence became a wake-up call to find a form of expression that he can use to vent. After stepping foot into the booth for the first time in 2016, thanks to close friend Lebanon G, Seddy Hendrinx found an outlet that allowed him to capture his thoughts creatively and push the boundaries.
His first taste of success came when Seddy Hendrinx delivered a freestyle to Bryson Tiller’s “Exchange.” At this point, the song slowly began bubbling across his city and turned him into the next up from Jacksonville. Though the support of his city is integral, the experiences are what drove his hunger.
“Coming from Jacksonville Florida, when you grow up how I grew up, go through what I went through you hungry for more,” Seddy Hendrinx explained. “Not being greedy but I want it all. And I’m hungry for it. So that’s how my city influenced my music and what it’s taught me.”
In the six years since launching his career, Seddy’s earned fans out of established acts. K Camp and Lil Poppa locked in with Seddy over the past few years. However, the release of Well Sed, a collaboration with DJ Drama under the Gangsta Grillzumbrella, put a new set of eyes on him as he traded bars with artists like Fivio Foreign and fellow Floridian, T-Pain.
However, he has ambitious plans for the future. Though he has plans to save hip-hop & R&B, there really isn’t any limits to what he plans to do next.
“To the moon and then past it,” he says. “I’m tryna take it all the way there, everything. That’s where my music gonna take me.”
Watch Seddy Hendrinx as he performs “LOWKEY for HotNewHipHop and peep his interview for “On The Come Up” below where he discusses his plans to save hip-hop, his musical journey, and more.
Jacksonville, FL became a hotbed for talent in recent years, though Lil Poppa could be the most promising export. However, the grim realities of the city became a central force of his artistry. The pain-riddled melodies are coupled with vivid accounts of growing up in Jacksonville, Florida. Above all, he considers his music a survival guide to make it out of such harsh environments.
The budding star began making music at the age of 12 following a stint writing for his church just two years prior. However, his maturity and life experiences in the following years developed his songwriting skills further. 2018’s “Purple Hearts” was a turning point that provided a form of escape during a trying time in his life. The record grapples with survivor’s guilt following the deaths of his two best friends. The auto-tune in his voice induces pain and anxiety but he crafted bars that felt wise beyond his years. At this point, Poppa’s passion ultimately transformed into a therapeutic outlet. As a result, the feelings of grief and solitude cultivated a loyal fanbase. 2021’s Blessed, I Guess was an exemplary body of work revealing his maturity since he began to make waves. The album captured his ability to turn these harrowing emotions into beautiful poetry.
Lil Poppa on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
However, it was2019’s Under Investigation 2 that set him up for success in the years that followed. The 11-song effort found Lil Poppa swapping bars with formidable artists who carried the same M.O. Mozzy, his label mate at CMG, not only appeared on the project but later returned the favor when he invited Poppa onto “Price Tag” with Polo G off of the Sacramento rapper’s critically acclaimed, Beyond Bulletproof in 2020. The unadulterated thoughts seeped through gloomy Southern production that related to a wider audience than ever before.
Given that he watched his brother pursue a career in music, Poppa naturally gained a passion for crafting bars. Then, he mixed with the ethos of Southern mainstays like Boosie Badazz and Webbie. The combination of these influences formed the foundation of his undeniably riveting sound that relies on the brute honesty that he masks through his melodic delivery.
Lil Poppa is emerging as a singular voice representing the South, minted by a deal with Yo Gotti’s CMG. Following the deal, he released the third installment in the Under Investigation series at the top of 2022. But even after turning the projects into a trilogy, he considers his CMG debut as much of a formal introduction as his previous efforts.
“[I’m] getting everybody familiar with me and to this day, I feel like when people go back and listen to my first project, they still do that. Like they still getting a chance to know me,” he says, adding that his mood is the primary indicator of his creative direction on any given song or project. “Whatever mood I’m in is whatever’s gonna come [out in] the music at the time.”
Check out Lil Poppa’s acapella of “Pledge” below, and the latest episode of On The Come Up with Lil Poppa. The Jacksonville, FL rapper discusses a dream collab with Juice WRLD, the reality of the music industry, and more.
Her viral track may have introduced a new wave of fans, but Omerettà The Great has worked on her career for years. “Sorry Not Sorry” ushered in a new era for the Atlanta star as people debated who truly is a native of the ATL. Beyond her controversial release, Omerettà also highlighted aspects of her personal life in the Love & Hip Hop franchise. Her short-lived tenure on the series further pushed her into mainstream conversations.
For our On The Come Upseries, we sat down with Omerettà to discuss her first years of fame. Like many other emerging artists of this generation, the rapper gained attention thanks to social media. More recently, the rising star delivered herEmotional Gangsta EP which hosted looks from Key Glock and Tink. At first glance, Omerettà’s petite frame and baby face don’t match her raw bars; however, her distinct sound and authentic delivery command attention when she grabs the mic.
Omerettà on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
Although her music aspirations have her schedule filled, Omerettà revealed that she has bigger goals on the horizon. Fashion is an industry that she one day looks to dominate, because, as she told us exclusively, that’s where the real money is.
“That’s why Rihanna, she got her own thing,” said Omerettà. “You see Beyonce branching off to fashion because that’s where the real money at. Even when you think about basketball players like LeBron. What do they make—they make from, like, shoes and stuff. They all—Michael Jordon, he got shoes. Like, everybody in the entertainment business knows that fashion, clothes, shoes, and selling stuff is where the real money is at.”
Read more of our conversation with the rapper as she tells us about valuable lessons she’s learned, her inspirations, and earning respect from her hometown for carrying Atlanta on her back.
This interview has been slightly edited for clarity.
HNHH: Omeretta, how did you get into music?
I got into music when I was about six or seven years old and me and my sisters had a group called 3XD. I was also the songwriter of the group. So, I started writing music then.
Tell me more. What was the name of your first song?
[Laughs] It was called “The Lies Of So Many Years.” I think me and my big sister wrote that. It was: “The lies of so many years, got me nearly broke down in tears…” [laughs].
Who are some of your musical inspirations?
I feel like I’ve been inspired by Lil Wayne, Eminem, and Jeezy. I used to be a really big fan of Lucci, I love Rihanna. But right now, currently, I don’t listen to nobody.
Who’s your G.O.A.T.?
Who the G.O.A.T is? Lil Wayne. Nobody is harder than Wayne.
What was the turning point that helped you realize you were on yourway to becoming successful?
My turning point was when I dropped out of college in 2015 and I hopped on the internet and I started—well my first rap on the internet went viral and that’s when I knew that I was gonna use the internet to be successful.
If a music fan were to discover you today, for the first time, what song would you suggest that they listen to?
I would suggest that they—to get to know me? I would suggest that somebody listen to my song called “Reality” because it basically kinda…it don’t tell my story but it would show them who I am as a person.
Tell us about us a valuable lesson you’ve learned during your come-up.
A valuable lesson that I’ve learned is not taking stuff personally. ‘Cause Ifeel like a lot of times in the game, new artists—well, artists period—well,just in life period, a lot of the things that happen, people, we tend to takeit personal when it’s in the business field. Also when you in this industry,it’s not personal. Like, when they do stuff to you, you just do it ’cause theygotta do it for themselves it ain’t really towards you for real.
Read More: Omerettà The Great Is Feeling Like An “Emotional Gangsta” On Her New EP
Summarize your debut project, mixtape, single, and what inspired you to create that.
I would probably say it was my—everybody say it’s a single, my song “SorryNot Sorry,” but it’s really not a single. It’s really a freestyle that turned into a single cause of how viral it went, but I wrote that because I was just bored. I just needed something else to write about so I figured I’d write about people not being from my city. And then that sh*t just like, blew up way more than I expected it to blow up. I also thought that people—I knew people was gonna be mad but I thought they were just gonna wanna go fight and stuff.
Did you have to lay hands on a couple of people?
Nah, I almost did, in the club. Girl was trippin, like…
How do you feel about that? Like, when people hear that song some people look to you now as the voice of Atlanta. How does that make you feel?
Good, that make me feel real good. Because it made me feel like I did something right. Like, I feel a lot of people in Atlanta that’s actually from Atlanta respected it a lot, ’cause a lot of us be saying the same thing all the time. Like, you got so many people down here now that’s from the outskirts and they swear that they from the city, but we actually from the city for real. Had to struggle here and go through all this different stuff. So, its disrespectful to come down here and say that you from here. I feel like a lot of people that’s actually from the city they like, “Respect, this shawty actually stood up.” ‘Cause ain’t nobody else standing up. I actually stood up and, like,put Atlanta on my back.
Where do you hope your music career takes you?
I hope my music career takes me far. I’m actually using music as like a stepping stone cause I want to do a whole lot of different other things. ‘Causemusic—like, I love making music, it’s my passion, but the music industry kinda weird and it’s kinda something that I don’t really see myself just absorbed in.So, it’s like, yeah, I make music and I wanna build my fanbase so that when I branch off and do other things ima have customers and stuff. But I still want to be big in the music industry. just cause I wanna be great at everything that I do. But I don’t really see myself getting wrapped up in it, for real.
Talk to me about some of that business right and where you wanna go with it. Run up the bag? What are you investing in? What do you see yourself doing in the next 10 years?
After music, I feel like—well it’s not that that I feel like, I know for a fact that I’ma get into fashion. I already been starting on my fashion line, and I’m finna go to school for fashion, ’cause I really love fashion. I feel like that is where all the money is. Like, music is money, but if you look at the richest people in the world, they sell stuff. So, you know what I’m saying?
Music, we’re selling stuff. Most music artists, they don’t make all the money from the sales of they songs. They make their money from touring and merch and all this different stuff. So, it’s like, we not even getting paid for our real—like, if we was getting paid for our real songs, music artists would be way richer. But the labels getting paid for that, so the labels is rich.
But that’s why Rihanna, she got her own thing. You see Beyonce branching off to fashion because that’s where the real money at. Even when you think about basketball players like LeBron. What do they make—they make from, like, shoes and stuff. They all—Michael Jordon, he got shoes. Like, everybody in the entertainment business knows that fashion, clothes, shoes, and selling stuff is where the real money is at.
Omeretta on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
Gotta educate. A lot don’t know that. If you could create a dream song what would it sound like and who would feature on the track? This is with an unlimited budget, past or present artist. Who would you put on the track?
If I had a dream song it would be a Pop song for sure. I would have Rihanna and Adele on that because both of them are just like, they fire. And I really like them.
If you could give one piece of advice to an up-and-coming musician what would be that advice?
My advice to an up-and-coming musician would be to basically just always continue to be themselves. ‘Cause following trends, you will literally crash out trying to follow a trend ’cause trends die. And basically, continue to put out your work, put out your content. Don’t be scared to put out content, know the people around you, and know that everything is good.
‘Cause a lot of times, when artists are blowing up and money start coming in, they just start thinking, “I’m lit, I’m getting money.” But they don’t even know all the money that they missing out on. They don’t know that people doing stuff on the backend. And they don’t know that they spending more than what they making. So, just being aware of everything that’s going on and just continuing life. Be yourself in the process.
Baby Money bubbled through Detroit’s underground before joining the Quality Control roster alongside Lil Baby, City Girls, and more. The hustler energy that seeps through his music is why QC’s VP of A&R Wayno Clarke described Baby Money as a resemblance “of Jeezy in a space of motivation.”
The Detroit atmosphere that bred hustlers and rappers alike shaped Baby Money in his formidable years. He witnessed his older brother’s efforts as a member of the local group which taught him the fundamentals of verse structure.
Baby Money on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
Then, he began rapping at 12 years old before gaining a strong grip on the city in his teenage years. Slowly, he became a defining face of the current generation of Detroit’s street rap. He’s an embodiment of the D-Boy (Detroit Boy), integrating influences from the past and present. He cites Biggie and Jay-Z as his musical inspirations along with homebred talent like Babyface Ray, Blade Icewood, and Doughboyz Cashout, who were pivotal in his leap into music as a child.
“My hometown influences my music,” he tells HNHH of Detroit’s impact on his creative approach on the latest episode of On The Come Up. “Everybody knows when you come to Detroit, it’s about money. Back in the day, it was minks, ya feel what I’m saying? Nowadays the young n****s in the 550s, too. So ain’t nothing changed so it motivated me a lot.”
Like any hustler, he understood that results take time. His early videos would score 10,000 views through an organic buzz. Those numbers would increase with each subsequent video until finally he finally hit 1,000,000. “I feel like I was doing something right, you feel what I’m saying?” he says.
From songs like “Moncler Bubble,” which currently sits at 2.5 million views on YouTube, and a string of potent mixtapes, like Young N***a Old Soul and September’s New Money, Baby Money is bringing his own take on Detroit’s swagger to the rap game with each release. He sat down with HNHH on the latest episode of On The Come Up to discuss his beginnings, his dream collaboration, and the Detroit hustle.
In the new age of social media, the only way to become successful is through having a strong online presence. Fans need to know where to find you, and if you can manipulate the algorithm, then you have a fantastic shot of breaking through and becoming well-known to millions of people. For JELEEL!, TikTok has been the key driver for his success, although he is much more than just a viral flash in the pan. In fact, he is probably the most energetic artist you’ve ever seen.
Fans who saw the artist at Rolling Loud this past summer got a front-row seat to this energy that he describes as “real raw.” From backflips to crowd surfing, no one does it quite like JELEEL! Even watching his music videos, you can immediately tell that JELEEL! is someone who believes in his own music. It is a mix of hip-hop, hyper-pop, and pop-punk that is almost impossible not to appreciate. With songs like “DIVE IN!” and “JELEEL JUICE!” making huge noise on TikTok, JELEEL! has proven himself to have a great ear for hitmaking, and his talents are only going to improve from here on out.
JELEEL! on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
Interestingly enough, JELEEL! is from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, which isn’t exactly the hotbed of hip-hop. As JELEEL! told us during the latest episode of “On The Come Up,” his parents came from Nigeria, and as a first-generation immigrant, he listened to Afrobeats. This eventually led to a love of hip-hop, where he became enamored with the music and energy of DMX. Since that time, JELEEL! has worked on crafting a sound of his own, and there is no denying that he is a unique character.
During JELEEL!’s “On The Come Up” feature, he gave us the scoop on his origin story, his biggest influences, as well as the advice he would give to a young artist working today.
HNHH: JELEEL!, where you from?
JELEEL!: I’m from Pawtucket, Rhode Island. I’m from the smallest state.
How’d you get into music?
How did I get into music? I got into music because I wanted to be an athlete and it wasn’t working out. As you can tell I got an athlete’s build, but, God got better plans. So I started making music you know, and I fell in love and it felt like it was my calling. Something I didn’t feel before but it just felt right. So thank god.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Who are my musical inspirations? Man I love DMX, you know I always loved his energy and I loved how raw and how authentic he was… and he was very vulnerable, too, so I loved, I love that about D. So, I would say that’s my, like, one of my favorite artists, you know?
What was the turning point for you where you realized you were on your way to becoming successful in music?
The turning point where I realized I was onto a success point was when I started doing music because I felt like this was what I was supposed to do. So me just taking a leap and moving to L.A… being homeless was part of the story, you know? I’ve always known I was going to be successful doing this sh*t because I had God on my side, but once I hopped on TikTok last year it was game over.
If a music fan were to discover you today for the first time what song should they listen to first and why?
If a music fan was to discover me today the first song they should listen to by JELEEL is “Uncivilized”. Go go go go, go go go go.
Tell us about a valuable lesson you’ve learned during your come-up.
Okay, so a valuable lesson I’ve learned during my come-up is to completely be who you are. Be yourself. You don’t need to do anything to appease anybody. You don’t need to start, you know, popping pills and doing all these drugs… Like, be yourself if that’s not you don’t do it, you know. Like, for example, other people might have tattoos I don’t have tattoos because it’s not me, you know? I don’t smoke weed because it’s not me, you know? I just like to really just be me to the tee, you know. And I have a relationship with God so I like praying and, you know, I would say pray, too.
Faith is important.
Always.
Summarize your debut project and that can be, you know, mixtape… song… and what inspired that.
Okay, so my debut project… wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, which project? Project coming or the project I just released…
…your first song, let’s lean on them first songs. So when you first went to market with that song, what inspired you to create that song?
So the first project I dropped was called Angel From Heaven. Angel… JELEEL!’s an angel, you know. I feel like I’m floating every time I wake up. I feel like I’m on air you know. Walking on air. It feels good I feel like JELEEL! is… I got my wings you know. I’m finna fly so Angel From Heaven is just a fresh breath of air and it shows people a different side of JELEEL!, but still has that rage element, so. Angel From Heaven is a fresh breath of air, I would feel. I would say. You know so. Hey, if y’all ready, listen to it, too.
JELEEL! on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
Tell us about your hometown and how it influences your music.
I’m from Pawtucket, Rhode Island. My parents are from Nigeria. I’m first generation and I grew up listening to Afrobeat so that was one of the first sounds I’ve heard, you know. Just been listening to that and also, like, I feel like I was born with a great ear because there was one time, there was a commercial playing at home and I would always try to like rewind that commercial in my mind and try to act like what the person was doing in the commercial because I loved the song so much. So I just felt like I had a great ear and I listened to Afrobeat. I listened to 50 Cent, DMX, like not really my hometown had anything to do with it. I feel like I just always had a strong ear, you know? And I loved what I love. I love Styles P, Jadakiss, all the legends you know. Yeah.
Have you ever been to Nigeria?
Of course, I’ve been to Nigeria too many times you know. I love Nigeria. I can’t wait to go perform there, you know. People don’t know I’m Nigerian but I love to tell them I’m Nigerian.
What part specifically?
Lagos. You know, so can’t wait to go to Lagos and turn that sh*t up. JELEEL!, yeahhhh.
And you mentioned you’re open to go to Nigeria to perform. Where do you hope your music career takes you overall?
I hope my music career takes me around the world and I make an impact… that’s what I’m really here for you know. I’m here to make an impact. I’m here to help people. I’m here to help people feel who JELEEL! is. I don’t care about the clout or the money. I just want people to feel good you know. So I’m just here for the people man. Yeah.
Tell me about your hometown and how it influences your music.
Okay, so my hometown is Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Rhode Island is an overlooked state. I’m overlooked. Underdog. Always felt like the underdog all my life. I was that kid that nobody wanted to pick. I was that kid that nobody really cared about, but seems like everyone peaks in high school, right? So, I’m here. I’m still the underdog, I’m still the one that people don’t think is real, they don’t see it but God has a plan it’s been written and they going to see it soon.
If you could create your dream song, what would it sound like and who would you feature on it?
So obviously DMX. DMX, he hopping on my song. Who else is hopping on my song? DMX. I’ll have Missy Elliott in there. I’ll have… wow. Ye, will have some Ye in there. I love 50 too so… it’ll just be a bunch of, like, raw energy man. Maybe, even Beyonce, she got some energy, too, you know. And it would sound like… it would sound impeccable. It would sound like something that the world has never heard before. Like, if you hear it, you might cure yourself from diseases. So that’s what I want it to sound like. I want my music to cure people, like, I want people to hear it and they feel, like, alive! Like, jolted with energy. Like, someone just put a JELEEL! juice battery pack in their back and they just feel like they going to ascend to heaven [laughs], you know. So I want that.
If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring musicians on the come-up, what would it be?
Okay, so the piece of advice I would give to aspiring musicians is to use TikTok. Use that TikTok app, yo. That sh*t helped me out. It might help you out. You just have to have good music and see where it goes. The branding is going to come. For me, I’ve always had the branding because that’s always been me but keep using your Tik Tok. And also like, I would say who gives a f*ck what n***as have to say. Like, people be talking sh*t all the time. They aren’t you. They don’t know. They’re not God. They don’t know the answers. Nobody knows the answers. You don’t know the answers Sway, you know? So just keep doing you… no one knows when they’re going to die. No one knows when they were going to be born, you know? So just keep flowing and moving. We just living and don’t be hard on yourself, you know? Everybody be too hard on themselves. Keep going. Keep praying. And keep flowing. Have good relationships with your friends. Keep good people around you, you know? So don’t be hard on yourself, we’re all just humans, you know? Yeah, that’s the advice I would say.
Since gaining traction with early cuts like “No Hook Pt 2” and the Kay Flock-assisted “Shot Down”, Maryland-born and New York City-bred artist B-Lovee quickly became a poster child for Bronx’s bubbling sample drill scene.
The 21-year-old artist released his first song, “No Hook,” in April 2020. Then, in the span of just two years, B-Lovee landed collaborations with G Herbo, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Coi Leray, and Don Q. Touting a hyper-aggressive flow that’s coupled with a compelling command of New York vernacular, B-Lovee is one of the most consistent rising artists out.
B-Lovee on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
As a result of his meteoric rise, he earned a spot on this season of HNHH’s On The Come Up. With at least one new song dropping practically every month and multiple EPs already under his belt, the rising artist is a firm believer in the importance of putting in the hard work even when it goes unnoticed.
“Never stop working. Stay patient. Stay down,” he tells HotNewHipHop on the latest episode of On The Come Up.
Last year, B-Lovee inked a major-label deal with New York-based record label RECORDS and Columbia Records. Since then, he’s been on an absolute rampage, releasing a slew of grimy drill cuts and plenty of crossover-friendly tracks, as well — most notably the Mary J Blige-sampling “My Everything.”
During his On The Come Up feature, B-Lovee gives fans a rundown of his entry into rap, his musical inspirations, the rise of Bronx Drill, his dream collaboration, and much more.
