How I Blew Up

YBN Nahmir’s ‘How I Blew Up’ Story Takes Him From Xbox Freestyles To ‘Rubbin Off The Paint’

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YBN Nahmir is a prime example of the How I Blew Up ethos. As he tells Uproxx’s Cherise Johnson, his preparation met perfect timing when his 2017 single “Rubbin Off The Paint” exploded in 2018, climbing to No. 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and launching Nahmir and his YBN crew to stardom. He explains that he and his friends launched their efforts because, “We was like, ‘We gotta do something. We don’t wanna work for no other man.’” Unfortunately, he recalls, he still ended up stuck at Journeys selling shoes, but he says he’ll “never again” work another regular job.

The thing that changed everything for him was getting an Xbox Live subscription, which allowed him to meet YBN Almighty Jay and the former YBN Cordae. The group started out as gaming rivals but became friends, and their online freestyle sessions inspired Nahmir to take a swing at recording a solo track on the podcast mic he bought for Twitch streaming. Once “Rubbin Off The Paint” — which Nahmir says was originally a diss song for Jay that eventually sparked their friendship — blew up on SoundCloud, he made sure his friends came along with him.

Although the group’s members have more or less split up, they remain tight, and Nahmir has refocused on his solo career, saying, “I was selfless, but now I’m kind of selfish.”

Watch the full episode of How I Blew Up above.

Ckay’s ‘How I Blew Up’ Story Takes Him From SoundCloud To International Stardom

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Earlier this year, Uproxx featured rising Afrobeats star CKay as our January cover story subject, with Wongo Okon detailing CKay’s breakout with the 2019 single “Love Nwantiti.” Since then, “Love Nwantiti” has only increased in popularity, with a remix featuring Joeboy and Kuami Eugene accumulating nearly 300 million views on YouTube, an acoustic version racking up almost 200 million, and CKay’s Tonight Show debut exposing the song to millions more stateside.

Today, we’ve got CKay recalling his come-up in his own words to Uproxx’s Cherise Johnson in the latest episode of How I Blew Up. In his in-studio interview, he describes being an unsigned artist, uploading music to SoundCloud, becoming a trending topic on Twitter, how he adopted a persona as “Africa’s Boyfriend,” and the aftermath of his breakout single’s viral success.

“There were mixed emotions,” he admits. “It was like a mixture of people who were really gassed and people who were really pissed… To have my music having as much of an impact globally is an amazing feeling.” He also offers his thoughts on the importance of Billboard‘s new Afrobeats chart as the genre becomes a bigger international influence and says he was honored to be included in the discussion.

Watch the latest episode of How I Blew Up above.

Sonny Digital Explains ‘How I Blew Up’ With A $300 Beat Turned ‘Billboard’ Hit

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Uproxx’s How I Blew Up is back with veteran Atlanta trap producer Sonny Digital. Breaking down how he went from selling beats for just $300 to helping redefine the sound of Southern hip-hop, Sonny fondly recalls learning to make beats on his older brother’s beat machine and later downloading FL Studio. He also recounts his influences, including proto-trap mainstays like Drumma Boy and Shawty Redd, who were responsible for hits for the likes of Gucci Mane and T.I.

Sonny’s first beat to blow up was the scintillating production for YC’s 2011 song “Racks,” which also featured a then-emerging Future. “None of us were really as big as we were gonna be,” he admits. “It wasn’t really a big song to me. It turned into a big song… I sold the beat to them for $300 because I just looked at it like how I was handling business at the time.”

That’s right, the song that began Future’s rise to being one of hip-hop’s biggest stars only cost $300 — and Sonny had no idea how the business worked back then. In time, though, he became one of the most in-demand producers in Atlanta, and now has a half-dozen platinum records to his name, including hits with 2 Chainz, 21 Savage, Future, and Travis Scott.

You can watch the full episode of How I Blew Up above.

Latto Looks Back On The Unexpected Success Of ‘B*tch From Da Souf’ On ‘How I Blew Up’

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Before there was “Big Energy” or “Muwop,” Atlanta rapper Latto introduced herself to rap fans with her breakthrough single “B*tch From Da Souf,” which appeared on her 2019 EP Hit The Latto. This song, as well as its remix featuring Saweetie and Trina, helped take Latto from being a teen reality TV star to being signed to RCA Records, where she released her well-received debut album, Queen Of Da Souf.

Now, with her second album in the works and the Monster Outbreak Energy Tour (which she’s headlining) kicking off next month, Latto stops by Uproxx Studios in LA to break down how “B*tch From Da Souf” changed her life on How I Blew Up. Tracking her career from her early interest in reading and language arts to her father’s taking command of her career to put her on the right track to “B*tch From Da Souf” becoming an unexpected success after a title change.

A last-minute video shoot not only changed the song’s trajectory but also Latto’s, accumulating more streams on YouTube than any of Latto’s previous records. From there, it didn’t take long for Latto to become one of the hottest rising stars in hip-hop. She explains how becoming an XXL Freshman in 2020 proved to be both exciting and frustrating, then talks about her plans for the future as presaged by the success of “Big Energy,” her latest big hit, which is doing even better than “B*tch From Da Souf.”

Watch Latto’s episode of How I Blew Up above.

Blueface Talks About Working With Cardi B On The ‘Thotiana’ Remix For ‘How I Blew Up’

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2018 was only four years, which somehow feels both like just yesterday and a lifetime ago. A lot has happened since then, making it easier than ever to forget that it was the year that helped to launch some of today’s biggest names in rap music, including Cardi B, Travis Scott, and Blueface. The latter’s “Thotiana,” which dominated radio and playlists for much of the year, was a controversial hit, inspiring as many detractors as imitators, but its impact is clear in nearly every syllable-packed single that bubbles up from the LA underground scene.

For the latest edition of Uproxx’s How I Blew Up, the Mid-City native stops by the studio to explain his recording process, reveal the moment he first knew “Thotiana” was a hit, and recall working with future No. 1-selling artist Cardi B on the song’s remix. He also explains how he fell into the “off-beat” style of rapping that became his signature, saying, “The inspiration was no inspiration.” And while that quirky rhythmic approach received its fair share of side-eyes in 2018, many of the buzzy names that followed — names like 1TakeJay, AzChike, BlueBucksClan, Remble, and more — have clearly taken the baton and run with it.

2018 was a long time ago, but at the same time, it wasn’t that long ago, either. Blueface has since proven he’s no one-hit-wonder, but he’s also still just getting started. Check out the latest episode of How I Blew Up above.

DDG Explains Why He Added Blueface To ‘Moonwalking In Calabasas’ For ‘How I Blew Up’

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After profiling Pooh Shiesty and Blxst in the last two episodes of How I Blew Up, this week, Uproxx dives into the background of their fellow 2021 XXL Freshman from Pontiac, Michigan, DDG, who experienced his career peak this year with “Moonwalking In Calabasas” from his collaborative mixtape with Atlanta producer OG Parker.

In this episode, DDG explains how “there’s nothing to do in Pontiac but bullsh*t” and what led him to pursue creating YouTube videos as a career. He then explains why he made the transition from YouTube to recording his first handful of mixtapes and faced skepticism from fans who thought that he wasn’t taking music seriously — an obstacle he confronted by releasing a song literally titled “Take Me Serious.” Naturally, he also addresses the moment he knew “Moonwalking In Calabasas” was his biggest hit yet, and he ends the episode reflecting on his plans for the future, which include retirement by the age of 33.

In addition to appearing on How I Blew Up and the latest episode of UPROXX Sessions (performing his Die 4 Respect single “Hood Melody“), DDG is also the focus of Uproxx’s latest digital cover story, which you can check out here.

Watch the latest episode of How I Blew Up above.

Blxst Breaks Down His ‘How I Blew Up’ Story From Humble Beginnings To Stardom

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In the latest episode of Uproxx’s newest show, How I Blew Up narrated by Cherise Johnson, LA native and XXL Freshman Blxst breaks down his rise to stardom, from humble beginnings as just another aspiring artist tweeting links at stars to receiving comparisons to late West Coast great Nate Dogg thanks to his smooth vocal ability. “Early on I was really rapping,” he recalls. “Until I really got comfortable with my singing voice, I was kinda insecure back then.” However, he says, he eventually grew into his talent, ending up on many other rappers’ hooks, including YG and Mozzy’s “Perfect Timing.”

He also explains how one of his greatest struggles, fatherhood, helped make him “more purposeful.” The tumultuous period immediately after his son was born “made me realize that it’s not all about me — it just put extra pressure that I needed.” The video traces the growth in Blxst’s career from his start releasing music while attending Upland High School to working on his next collaborative mixtape with frequent collaborator Bino Rideaux (recently releasing the video for the lead single “Movie“), as well as his upcoming debut full-length album, riding the success of his 2020 EP No Love Lost.

Check out Blxst’s episode of How I Blew Up above.

Pooh Shiesty Explains When He Knew ‘Back In Blood’ Was A Hit For Uproxx’s ‘How I Blew Up’

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Memphis native Pooh Shiesty is in the midst of a massive career breakout thanks to the viral success of his hit single “Back In Blood,” a star-making co-sign from trap rap godfather Gucci Mane, and his recently released debut mixtape Shiesty Season, which features appearances from big-name co-stars like 21 Savage, Lil Durk, and Memphis’s own Tay Keith.

Uproxx’s newest show, How I Blew Up narrated by Cherise Johnson, gives the Southern star the chance to tell the story of his rise to fame in his own words, from his upbringing in the Cane Creek Apartments to the moment he knew “Back In Blood” was smashing success. His breakout began with an attention-getting turn on “Breaking News,” which led to Gucci Mane reaching out to him in the dead of night. “Back In Blood,” though, was the catalyst for Pooh reaching his current level of renown after a snippet of Pooh and Lil Durk shooting the video circulated online. He just received his gold plaque for Shiesty Season, and details his plans for the future, which include his own label, Choppa Gang, supporting childhood friend and fellow rapper Big30.

Watch Pooh Shiesty break down how he blew up above.

Pooh Shiesty is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.