interviews

Quando Rondo Talks “Here For A Reason,” Rappers Vs. Streamers & Wanting 50 Cent To Produce His Biopic

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Quando Rondo’s come-up has been littered with strife and controversy, much of which has continued to hover over his head in recent years. And while the public narrative hasn’t necessarily always been on his side, he’s made efforts towards changing that and having people see things from his point of view. His 2023 album, Recovery, felt like a reflection of everything that he’s seen and done while looking toward a better path. His follow-up, 2024’s Here For A Reason, embraces these hardships as learned lessons and blessings to help him navigate this next chapter of his life. 

Unfortunately, the circumstances of these realizations surround real-life consequences. In December 2023, the rapper was arrested and charged on federal drug charges, which he pleaded guilty to earlier this year. He’s currently on house arrest as he awaits his sentencing. However, within the past year or so, Quando Rondo has made strides in denouncing his previous gang affiliation and vowing to be a better role model for the kids in his community. Part of that is leading by example, as he describes on “Life Goes On” rapping, “Young n***as ’round here beefin’ ’bout the color of a bandana/ That’s why I put my flag down and I picked up a Quran.” Though he doesn’t believe his spirituality has altered his creative process, he does believe that it’s brought him a sense of peace.

 “[Islam] gave me some of the best energy I ever had,” Quando Rondo explained to HotNewHipHop over a Zoom call from his home. It’s here where he has been recording music and establishing a presence on the livestreaming platform Twitch where he streams gameplay of NBA 2K and GTA 5. In fact, he began rubbing shoulders with a few of the most prominent figures in that world. In the past year, he appeared on a livestream with buzzing streamers Konvy and FazeLacy. Previously, Quando Rondo live-streamed with Duke Dennis, and as we spoke, he attempted to line up a second round of NBA 2K with the AMP member.

We caught up with Quando Rondo before the release of Here For A Reason to discuss this newfound outlook on life, his appreciation for Lil RT, and his aspirations outside of music. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Quando Rondo
Via HNHH

HotNewHipHop: The title of each of your projects feels like a statement. 2023, you released Recovery and now, you’ve dropped Here For A Reason. What’s the significance of this title?

Quando Rondo: I mean, sh*t is self-explanatory. Here For A Reason. Been through a lot but still here.

How deep into the project were you before you landed on this title?

I already had the title that I wanted to go with from the very jump, to be honest with you. I had that title in my mind. Well, I had the saying “here for a reason” in my mind for a couple of months before I even started recording. After you release a project, it’s like you already own to the next, thinking about what you are about to do next. So I had that in my mind a little bit, like sometime after dropping Recovery.

There are no features on this project, either. What was the decision behind that? 

Man, I never really worked with other artists, like from the beginning, if you go back and look. It’s never really been my thing. I really love to work by myself. 

Your music already has a spiritual tone, and the album contains plenty of references to your grandmother’s prayers. Is there a piece of advice from her or even a prayer that stuck with you?

You know, I was raised in a praying house with a praying family. So, I was taught that prayer works. After I go through something, I talk to my grandma and she pray. I feel alright after that. 

You also mention how Islam has helped shape your new outlook on life. One line in particular, you mention how you “put the flag down and picked up a Qu’ran.” How has Islam played a role in helping you find that inner peace?

Man, they had a lot to do with it, because you got to think about it: the majority of the Muslim brothers that you’re going to meet, or you see when you go to the Masjid and in public, they let go of their problems. So that’s the type of energy that it gave me. It just gave me good peace and energy. Taking my shot and being a part of Islam, it just gave me better energy. It gave me some of the best energy I ever had. 

How has the Muslim community influenced your approach to music? 

Ain’t no difference. I still work the same. I had the same process as I did in the beginning. 

On the song “Point Of View,” you discuss the public’s perception of you and how you feel misunderstood. Do you feel like that perception around you is changing?

I most definitely feel like that is going to change. You know, tables turn and bridges burn. To explain that song, man, I feel like this: everybody has their own point of view when it comes to anything. In that song, I was just explaining my point of view. Like, you gotta see this from my point of view.

Do you feel like people are seeing your point of view these days?

I mean, with being an artist and not knowing my fans personally or seeing each and every one of my fans, I can’t really answer that. But I hope that people out there who see shit from my point of view too. In life, you have to always put yourself in the other person’s shoes. When a situation or anything comes to me, I always look at it from both angles. You have to. 

You released a statement to the city of Savannah apologizing and vowing to be a better role model. How did you feel about the reception to that statement, both from the city and online?

I felt good about it, bro. That’s a statement that I issued. You got to know that I feel 100% good about what I said, and I mean everything I say.

What other plans do you have to uplift your community?

Man, I have a plan to bond at least 10 people out of jail for the Thanksgiving holidays. I know that the label Atlantic Records is 100% behind me. But you know, they do stuff on a planned schedule, and, I ain’t got no patience. Neither do people that are in jail. So I really just is going to choose the day out this week, probably, and just do it myself.

You sampled 50 Cent on “Could’ve Been Me.” What was the process like getting that sample cleared and did you speak to him directly?

Not directly, but through the label, we got it cleared. I’d really like to talk to him, because I want to be in a movie. I got a story.

Are you trying to get your own movie or appear in the Power universe or something?

I’m trying to get him to write a movie about my life. Eventually, yes, I’d play a role. But you know, from the beginning, they gotta be a young lookalike.

Who would you ask to play that role if you had a choice?

Now, that’s something I can’t answer because we would have to go through 500-600 different pictures of people from all over the world who are young, who we feel like really look like me–[look like] younger pictures than me, bro. That’s something I can’t answer. Who’s liked and who’s needed are two different things, sometimes. Man, this business. So on a business note, I’d approach it like who’s needed at the moment?

Who do you think would be needed for that role? If you had a choice. 

You know what’s crazy? Lil RT could probably play me. 

What are your thoughts on his online presence and antics?

I ain’t gonna lie, I like lil’ bro, and it be so many fans like, “Quando Rondo looks like an older Lil’ RT,” and I’d be looking at the little n***a like, “I like this lil’ n***a.”

Have you been able to link up with him yet?

No due to house arrest and stuff like that, and me being in my own little shell.

You haven’t hit his DMs or anything either?

No, that’s a young man. I don’t know if he works his Instagram and stuff, and I’m a grown ass man. I just don’t see what type of conversations we can have if it ain’t about making something happen.

Before we bounce, I did want to just know what the significance of “Many Men” as it relates to your life.

Think about it: “Many Men” reflects my life. “Many Men wish death upon me.” That’s real. I mean, that ain’t hard to notice. That ain’t hard to see but I’m gonna come out just like the person who made that song.

The first time that I heard that song–I can’t really say that. I was young. I knew nothing about no music and job at the time. Going back later in life listening to it, I thought about the trials and tribulations I’ve been through, the song meant a lot to me. It’s a forever song, that’s a longevity record.

You’ve been diving into the gaming industry and livestreaming. What’s been the most gratifying part about growing a community this way?

Man, I just like playing the game. I like 2k and GTA 5. I’ve been streaming, been playing the game, but it’s like I had stopped doing it for a couple of years. I wish that I kept the hustle going on. I wish I had stayed consistent with streaming and playing the game, because maybe, I wouldn’t have been in a lot of situations, and maybe, I would have been on a way higher level in the streaming world, just like I am in the music world. It’s nothing like having both.

I saw you link up with Konvy and Lacy recently. They aren’t necessarily hip-hop per se but the streamers have developed some sort of footing within hip-hop. What are your thoughts about the position streamers currently play within hip-hop?

You gotta think about it. The gaming people are damn near getting bigger than the rapper or the artist. Look at Kai Cenat, Duke Dennis. I actually played the game with Duke Dennis a couple of years ago. We got a video on YouTube. We played 2k together a couple of years ago. Hold on, I’m trying to see right now. Oh, Duke Dennis still plays the game. I’m going to try and DM him. 

Outside of music and streaming, what else do you have planned?

Chilling, for real. Just trying to stay out of the way. 

The post Quando Rondo Talks “Here For A Reason,” Rappers Vs. Streamers & Wanting 50 Cent To Produce His Biopic appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Is Young Thug’s Plea Deal A Trap To Send Him Back To Prison?

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It felt like an era tragically came to a close when Young Thug was arrested as part of a sweeping RICO case against YSL. At a time when a new crop of rappers, such as Gunna and Lil Baby, became bonafide hitmakers, Thug’s influence felt as palpable across the top 40 as it did in the streets. The arrest, however, curtailed Young Thug’s continued ascent as one of the most important musical figures in the 21st century while impeding the growth of his record label, a label that prosecutors argued was a gang. Thug, born Jeffery Williams, was arrested alongside 27 others in 2022 and tried in what is now considered the longest-running trial in the history of Georgia.

On Halloween, Young Thug was finally granted his freedom. After turning down the prosecutor’s offer that would’ve seen him spend at least 45 years tethered to the system–25 years in prison and 20 on probation–Young Thug’s team of attorneys put their fate in Judge Whitaker. In exchange for pleading guilty and no contest to numerous drug and firearm charges, Young Thug will have to serve 15 years on probation backloaded by 20-year sentence, per AP. Considering the severity of the allegations against Young Thug, the outcome was better than most expected.

As part of his probation, Young Thug will have to adhere to a set of conditions that some, including REFORM Alliance Chief Policy Officer Erin Haney, feel could be a trap that could lead him back to prison. Having been a public defender in California and eventually becoming a critical figure in the #FreeMeek movement, she has a firm understanding of the complexities of the probation system. If you recall, the #FreeMeek campaign gained steam over a probation violation–one that nearly had the Philadelphia-born rapper incarcerated for two to four years. 

These technical violations have played a major role in mass incarceration across America, and remain a point of anxiety for those who’ve closely followed the YSL case and advocated for Young Thug’s freedom. Even a technical infraction could possibly lead someone like him to serve the backloaded 20-year sentence. For example, Young Thug is prohibited from promoting any gang activity, which sounds reasonable on paper until he releases a song under his label, YSL. Could that send him to prison? Following Young Thug’s plea deal, we caught up with Erin Haney who broke down Young Thug’s probation conditions and the complexities surrounding these conditions.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Via HNHH

HotNewHipHop: I want to touch on Meek’s case and how it parallels Young Thug’s situation but first, I would like to know if this trial was like anything you’ve ever seen before. 

Erin Haney: The trial and the plea open, no. The specifics of the trial, absolutely not. So, the trial itself and the insanity around that, some of the things that happened with sort of everyone being incarcerated, from jurors being threatened with incarceration to attorneys to judges being kicked off the case, you know, all of that. And I think most recently, right, we saw a witness with Mr. Sledge being incarcerated after testifying and being incarcerated on a probation violation at that, right? So all of that was unprecedented, but I think the plea came down to–in terms of the conditions of supervision and how important it would be to make sure that those conditions were not simply a trap back to incarceration, but actually, gave some room for Jeffery Williams to succeed, right? That concern, that trap of probation conditions, is something that isn’t just common within Georgia or nationally.

It’s actually really the basis of how REFORM was born. For us, it’s something that is incredibly close to our work, I think, and the hearts of most people who work at REFORM, since REFORM was born out of Meek Mill getting a technical violation of probation, meaning he wasn’t in trouble for breaking a law or committing a new crime, right? He was on supervision, and he was in trouble, and I think that’s a light way of putting it, but he was sentenced to two to four years in prison, not for breaking a law, but for violating a rule. You know, even as a criminal defense attorney, that’s not something that I spent a lot of time thinking about, mainly because once people are sentenced, especially in a high trial volume type office, you are often thinking about the next person who is pre-trial, who is facing their case. So you aren’t always looking at what happens to people sort of after they’re on supervision, or at least 10 years ago, you weren’t, right? And I think understanding, in Meek’s case, that that you would get two to four years not for committing a crime, but for breaking a rule. That felt unconscionable. And REFORM was born out of Meek’s insistence that, yes, while he had, you know, resources and a platform and people who fought for him, and ultimately, he was freed, that this is the same type of injustice that’s faced every single day by people all over the nation on supervision, especially in places like Georgia, right? 

Anytime that you have jurisdictions or states that have really high rates of supervision and really long periods of supervision with really onerous conditions, you’re going to have these unjust and oftentimes unconscionable violations of supervision that find people behind bars again, not because they’re a risk to public safety, but because they broke a rule that was part of the guidelines of their supervision, and we have to do better than that, right? We know that’s not helping public safety or anyone, and I think, what the negotiations in Young Thug’s case broke down over initially were those conditions and ultimately, why his team praised and put their faith into the judge in crafting conditions that they felt Jeffery Williams could actually abide by.

What was your initial reaction to the plea deal? In the week leading up to that moment, there was a lot of talk about some sort of deal which ultimately went stale. Then the prosecutors wanted him to serve something like 20 to 45 years, if I’m not mistaken.

I was following along and watching it. As a nerd, that’s part of what I do for fun. But also it was incredibly interesting, educational, and unlike anything we had seen, right? We know that in trials, and, cases, especially, frankly–sometimes prosecutors who are eager to get someone that those things can go off the rails. We don’t usually see it unfold in quite this obvious of a way. You don’t usually see prosecutors admonished by the court over and over again for the type of stuff that was happening in this case. 

As somebody who had been watching it, even though I wasn’t at all involved, I was, initially somewhat surprised, because he has two of the best attorneys, I think, in the country who are doing a phenomenal job for him. I think a lot of people felt like this was probably going as well as it could possibly go, given how much power the government has in these situations. As you mentioned, I heard there were plea deals. I wasn’t sure if that would happen with Jeffery Williams, especially because of how much he had insisted on his innocence. On the other hand, he’s been in the worst conditions that anyone could be in right, one of the worst jails in the nation. He’s been there for two years and just had his 33rd birthday; is experiencing his kids missing him and crying for him. 

So the uncertainty of not knowing whether this would go on for months longer, or whether there would be a mistrial and he would have to start all over. I mean, I could see, I think, at that point, why there would be a plea. So that part was surprising, but I think the part that was genuinely shocking. It’s pretty unusual to plead open or plead to the sheet, or however you want to call it, especially mid-trial. So to hear that they had been negotiating with the prosecution and had come to a point where they couldn’t go any further and that they were going to put their faith in the judge by pleading open, in other words, pleading to all of the charges levied against Mr. Williams, right? As if they went all the way to the end of a jury trial and were convicted on all of the counts. That felt surprising.

I think, had he not had two of the greatest lawyers in the country, there would have been a lot of concern about why that was happening and what was going on. But knowing the incredible skill and dedication that his attorneys had, it became clear quickly, I think, that not only was this a good thing based on what Mr. Williams wanted to do, but that his lawyers had seized on the main issue that often gets missed in these cases, which is, what are the conditions of that supervision? So not just how long is it and not just how much time is hanging or backloaded over Mr. Williams’s head but what are the conditions day to day? Because those usually make the difference between sort of a trap door right back to prison, which is, you know, 25% of prison admissions right now are technical violations, right? So trap door right back to prison, or the ability to possibly succeed and go forward and potentially even thrive. It will be challenging with the conditions he has, but it’s different than it being determinative. And that’s really because of the conditions that his counsel fought for.

In terms of his conditions right now, and just the possibility of them being a little bit more difficult to comply with, especially just considering what his work is, what do you think the biggest threat out of these conditions is to his freedom?

Oh, that’s a really good question. I think there are definitely pieces of [what] you mentioned given kind of his specific situation, being a musician, being an artist. There are definitely ways in which he was targeted because of that. What was really important, I think, about the sentence and the conditions, is that many of them were individualized. I think four conditions really stand out as being some of the more onerous conditions of his supervision. Three of those four are ones that are at least as onerous as they apply to everybody else on probation, right? 

There are standard conditions of probation that the judge made some exceptions for, right? So they individualize those conditions. So for example, the travel restriction. People in Georgia on probation, the hundreds of thousands of people, sadly, on probation in Georgia, they generally are subject to a blanket travel restriction, right? It’s not just that they can’t travel internationally or across state lines. They can’t even travel across county lines.  Given Jeffery Williams’s career and given what he does, Judge Whitaker said on the record that they don’t want him subject to that travel restriction. Not only can he cross county and state lines, but he can also travel internationally, and should keep his passport, and he needs to. That’s the type of individualizing of a condition where that’s not by any means giving him a free pass. He’s still got a lot of conditions, but that condition, in particular, having that exception there that a lot of people don’t have, is going to make a really important difference for him. So that’s one.

I think another really big one that is going to be really difficult, even with the exception, people in Georgia who are on probation have a condition that is a prohibition against associating with “disreputable persons and places,” which is a really vague and broad, and frankly, an offensive term, but it’s been understood to mean that you can’t associate with anybody else with a criminal record. For a lot of people, that means you can’t associate with other family members. And that was clearly a really big piece of this, and so that’s an exception. He’s allowed to associate with his brother, with Mr. Kitchens are going to given contractual obligations, and then with anyone, who is, I think said necessary for lawful business. But what exactly is going to be determined as sort of the bounds of lawful business, right? That’s something that’s very, very subjective, and that’s something that’s going to be tricky. So again, that’s a place where, even with individualizing, that gives him a little bit of room, given his job, right? But it’s still going to be tough. 

I think by far the the two toughest ones, right, which are really more specific to him are the “stay away from the Metro Atlanta area.” You heard his dad talking afterward, about how he took particular offense to that, since they’re from there and you know the prosecutor, [Young Thug’s dad] felt was not from there. And so for them to be able to dictate where Mr. Williams goes, felt especially offensive. That one’s going to be difficult, I think. 

But the one by far that will be most difficult is the one that is almost impossible to know how it will be applied, which is the one about not being able to have any types of references to gangs, right? That’s a type of condition where, if we were on all on the same page about how we define gangs and gang activity, that might be one thing that we could agree was fair. I think what this trial showed is that we are all, including some witnesses who at various times, define things differently on the stand, prosecutors who define things differently while they were asking questions or through charging documents–we are all on different pages about what qualifies under that type of a condition. That means it’s going to be very, very difficult to predict when something like that will trigger a possible violation and when it won’t. So that. by far, I think is the most difficult condition to abide by.

Young Thug entered a Nolo plea for unlawful for person who occupied a criminal street gang position but he pleaded guilty to another charge related to criminal street gang activity. Considering the prosecutors have argued that YSL is a gang and not a label, how does this impact him as an artist? Even in the case of being able to communicate with Mr. Kitchens as part of contractual obligations, how is he able to release music under this label?

I think that’s the ultimate question, right? And that’s what no one has really been able to answer. So I think there are some really important aspects of the no-contest or Nolo pleas to those charges, right? To the one gang charge and the RICO charge. I think one of the things you know, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention, that these conditions were so important in crafting the sentence that Young Thug ended up with more convictions than what he would have gotten if he had gone with the negotiated plea from the prosecution, right? The deal itself is confidential in terms of what the negotiations were. So this is just what was reported in terms of what was on the record and in the interviews. 

From what we know, it sounds like the three charges that the prosecution said that they would dismiss in return for their negotiated plea, which had a ton of really onerous, restrictive conditions day-to-day, is that they would dismiss the RICO charge, one of the gang charges, and I believe the machine gun or firearms charge. So two of the charges that he pled Nolo or no contest to and one of the charges, the firearms charge, that he actually pled guilty to in front of the court, right?

It’s important to think about how critical the details of these conditions are. So much so that it was worth trading the number of convictions to get better conditions. I think it’s important to recognize that the prosecution came in and ultimately objected to him pleading even no contest, even though those charges that he pled no contest to were the two charges that they were going to dismiss. The reason why likely–again, I’m not in their head–but the reason why it’s likely that they were so adamant that they did not want him to be able to do that in front of the court when they no longer had control over the conditions that would be ordered is because, without those two, it means that he has not admitted to the underlying factual allegations, right? So the factual allegations that he would have to admit to with a guilty plea.

If you saw Mr. Sledge two weeks ago, most of the controversy there was over him having to admit to factual allegations to take his plea, and then, getting on the stand, and contrary to those factual allegations, according to the prosecutor, and ultimately the court, him then saying, “YSL is not a gang. It’s a music label. The factual allegations underlying the charges may say it’s a gang. I may have had to agree to that to plead but I don’t agree with that as I’m testifying. I need to tell the truth as I’m testifying, and it’s not a gang,” right? So what Jeffery Williams Nolo plea arguably allow him to do is put a little bit of distance between any type of factual allegation and adoption from him, that YSL is, in fact, a gang. 

Will that mean that he can go on making music under a label, YSL? I mean, I think it’s really up in the air. It seems frankly, very risky, given the position prosecutors have taken on this. I think even if he dissolves YSL, and they have a different name for it, some of the questions will be, “What if you reference YSL in a song?” or “What if you play some of the prior music that he’s made that’s so popular?” Or “What if you wipe your nose in a music video?” right? We’ve gotten so overly broad in what they consider to be a sign or an indication of a gang that it really begs the question in terms of who’s going to be interpreting this. How will Jeffery Williams know how it’s going to be interpreted, and how can he make sure that he is following the guidelines so that he doesn’t end up in a situation [like] Meek was thrown in prison for two to four for a technical violation? Jeffery Williams is looking at 20, right? So if he does something or says something in a song or performs something that they believe violates this condition, that’s incredibly dangerous for him to the tune of 20 years of his freedom.

On a statistical level, what are the chances that these agreements will send him back?

I think it really gets to the point of probation and the way that it can be more or less effective, right? And the way that it can be an obstacle versus sort of a tool to get services and to get what people need in re-entry. There are studies done on this, the more conditions you place on somebody, the less likely it is that they’ll succeed on supervision, right? So that’s the first piece. So having these really strict conditions makes it more difficult, right? I think that the federal study that was done was every additional condition can reduce your likelihood of success by up to 19%. So, every single condition that courts pile on as a special condition is dangerous, and increases the risk or the likelihood that someone will violate. On top of that, the longer you’re on supervision–it’s sort of counterintuitive in some ways–but it doesn’t increase public safety. It doesn’t reduce recidivism or the likelihood of being incarcerated.

Statistically, if you have actually more than five years of supervision, it’s harmful, right? You actually see an increase in recidivism. You see an increase in the likelihood of return to incarceration, which is part of why REFORM and so many other groups, including great, great groups in Georgia, work really hard on reforms that are evidence-based, that look at the evidence-based supervision terms to ensure that conditions are individually tailored and not onerous, and that time periods aren’t lengthy. 

I think that if we just talk about statistically and we think of supervision as, sadly, an incredible driver of mass incarceration and instead of a tool to support success in the community, but realistically, more of a way of tethering people to the system. This is a huge risk, right? It’s a huge challenge. The prosecution, I believe, offered something like three and a half years on reporting status. But again, from what we understand, way worse conditions would have landed him in trouble almost immediately. Under Judge Whitaker’s sentence, he’ll be reporting for double that, so seven and a half years under reporting supervision, but with conditions that hopefully are a little bit more likely to allow him to, at the very least, survive; maybe not thrive in the way that we wish he could, with his talent and with the fact that everyone seems to agree he’s not a threat to public safety, right? If the prosecution is offering him probation, by its very nature, that meant that they were okay with him being in the community. So I think you know, this sort of cracks the door open for him. He seems extremely talented and extremely determined. He has a chance to be able to make it here. Statistically, it is a huge uphill battle with that length of a sentence and that number of conditions and somebody who is, I think, you know, as recognizable as he is, right? So they’re going to be likely monitoring him quite a bit, but I think it’s possible.

The final question I have for you: how does the outcome of the trial and the probation conditions, how does this case impact his freedom of speech moving forward during this time? Does it create a scary precedent moving forward for other cases?

You know, I think any time that we are limiting what people can think and how they express themselves through creative forms of entertainment, especially in this day and age when we have social media; anytime we’re not just limiting that, but punishing it with prison cells that feels extremely dangerous, especially the added danger with supervision is, again, people aren’t being punished for actually breaking laws. So you don’t even have the threshold that you have with a new case or a trial where they have to prove, at least in theory, right, some sort of connection between lyrics or posts and an actual law that was broken–actual criminal behavior. 

I personally may disagree with that anyway, but that’s at least a threshold that has to be met on supervision. No crime has to occur, right? All that has to happen is a violation of the condition, and that’s why these conditions are so important. It’s. It’s so critical that instead of sort of glossing over them, as courts normally do, that we spend a lot of time really crafting them so that they are supportive and individualized and designed to promote success in the community and public safety, as opposed to just tether someone to the system and sort of weigh them down. Because here, we don’t have to find that a crime was committed if he is expressing himself through lyrics that the court doesn’t like. Here, all they have to find is that it violates a rule that they created to go with his supervision. And that’s terrifying.

The post Is Young Thug’s Plea Deal A Trap To Send Him Back To Prison? appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

MF Doom’s Estate Shares Remixes & Interview Soundbites On 20th Anniversary Edition Of “MM..Food”

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A rap icon like no other is being celebrated today with a special rerelease of a beloved project. The estate of English born rapper and producer MF DOOM is celebrating and remembering MM..FOOD with a 20th Anniversary Edition out everywhere now. The 2004 album tends to get overlooked a bit by the release of Madvillainy that same year. However, make no mistake, MM..FOOD is a halo release within his decorated discography.

MF DOOM’s team certainly is doing this project right with this special edition with some exclusive remixes and rare soundbites. The latter were taken from the same interview, with him answering questions about his standing in rap, the process of making music, and more. Then, there’s the remixes, and they feature production chops from the likes of frequent collaborators Madlib and Ant, as well as Jake One. “One Beer” and “H*e Cakes” are the tracks receiving such treatment. However, the music isn’t the only thing that DOOM’s estate is offering with this drop. There are multiple variants of the anniversary pressing on vinyl on gasdrawls.com.

Read More: Suge Knight Accuses Diddy Of Molesting Justin Bieber & Usher

MM..Food (20th Anniversary Edition) – MF Doom

MM..FOOD (20th Anniversary Edition) Tracklist:

Disc 1

  1. Beef Rapp
  2. H*e Cakes
  3. Potholderz with Count Bass D
  4. One Beer
  5. Deep Fried Frenz
  6. Poo-Putt Platter
  7. Fillet-O-Rapper
  8. Gumbo
  9. Fig Leaf Bi-Carbonate
  10. Kon Karne
  11. Guinnessez with Stahhr, 4ize
  12. Kon Queso
  13. Rapp Snitch Knishes with Mr. Fantastik
  14. Vomitspit
  15. Kookies

2

  1. One Beer – Madlib Remix
  2. H*e Cakes – Ant Remix
  3. H*e Cakes – Jake One Remix
  4. H*e Cakes – Beatboxapella

3

  1. The Evolution From Zev Love X to MF DOOM
  2. Being Embraced by a Diverse Fanbase
  3. Conquering Writer’s Block
  4. Doing Production vs. Working with Producers
  5. The Making of MM..FOOD
  6. MM..FOOD Favorites
  7. The Future with Metalface Records, Gas Drawls, & Rhymesayers

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The post MF Doom’s Estate Shares Remixes & Interview Soundbites On 20th Anniversary Edition Of “MM..Food” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Benny The Butcher & 38 Spesh Are Hip-Hop’s Joe Montana & Jerry Rice: On “Stabbed & Shot 2,” Drake Collab & Favorite Styles P & Jadakiss Verses

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When 38 Spesh and Benny The Butcher teamed up on Stabbed & Shot in 2018, they were in the midst of a transformative year of their career. Hip-hop was witnessing the rise of one of the most important collectives of the past decade–Griselda–and upstate New York created a self-sufficient hub for independent rap. That year, Benny The Butcher emerged with his debut album, Tana Talk 3 while Spesh jumpstarted a second wind of his career with Son Of G Rap, a collaborative project alongside Kool G Rap that felt like a passing of the torch. 

Although one of the most underrated releases from 2018, Stabbed & Shot has been a fan favorite among both artists’ core bases. Six years later, Spesh and Benny reunited for its sequel that captures their growth and chemistry over these past few years. For two MCs who’ve proven time and time again that they are practically unf*ckwittable on the microphone, Stabbed & Shot 2 was another exercise in consistency.

“We both have grew as individuals and men, and to still be able to have that skill level and honestly, surpass the first one, is really the most rewarding thing,” Spesh told HotNewHipHop over a Zoom call. “To show that we’re not actually on a decline after all of these years is probably the most rewarding thing. To be able to listen to a solid body of work, and compare it to something that we knew would be very hard to even match, let alone top, so it’s probably the most rewarding thing is to be able to see that we’re actually still, you know, improving.”

2024 alone has been the most visible year in their careers. For 38 Spesh, it revolved around the release of two strong bodies of work–Mother & Gun and Grafh’s God’s Timing, which he produced–and for Benny The Butcher, it marked the end of a 22-month drought. He finally dropped his Def Jam debut, Everybody Can’t Go, along with two summer packs, Summertime Butch and Buffalo Butch Vol. 1, the latter of which contained the highly anticipated, “Buffalo Freestyle” featuring Drake. Similar to Spesh, Benny views this body of work as a testament to their journey in their respective careers and an homage to those who’ve paved the way for them.

“I’m saying to the 10th power, we’ve been influenced by [Styles P and Jadakiss],” Benny said. “But we are confident that we trailblazed this back-and-forth lane ourselves. We’re confident that people hold us high up there in the ranks. We confident that it’s a back-and-forth duo who aspired to be better than me and Spesh.”

We caught up with 38 Spesh and Benny The Butcher (who jumped on the call halfway through) to discuss their latest joint project, their favorite back-and-forth verses from Styles P and Jadakiss, the Drake collab, and why they feel like the Jerry Rice and Joe Montana of hip-hop.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Benny The Butcher 38 spesh
Credit: Photo Rob

HotNewHipHop: I feel like there’s a little bit more vigor when you and Benny step in the booth together, but from your perspective, how’s the energy different when you two are in the studio together, working on a project, compared to your solo projects?

38 Spesh: Well, it’s definitely a more of a competitive sport thing, you know? It’s more like a sport thing when we working together. We have to actually perform at a high level. Because, we both have a high skill level. So, you know, we both push each other to bring the best out of each other. 

Benny described this as “pure intellectual street dialect mixed with hindsight.” Just considering that both of you kind of had some of your most visible bodies of works this year, what was the most rewarding part about seeing this project through?

38: It was a lot of growth from the last release. So, it was a lot of different rewards with dealing with this, from the actual understanding of the business–better understanding of the business–a better understanding of ourselves, a lot more to talk about and touch on. Because, you know, it’s six years later. We both have grew as individuals and men, and to still be able to have that skill level and honestly, surpass the first one, is really the most rewarding thing. To show that we’re not actually on a decline after all of these years is probably the most rewarding thing. To be able to listen to a solid body of work, and compare it to something that we knew would be very hard to even match, let alone top, so it’s probably the most rewarding thing is to be able to see that we’re actually still, you know, improving.

How long did this project take to bring to life in its entirety?

38: The idea and the concept was always there but once we started working–we work pretty fast. So I would say, you know, a few studio sessions. That’s how we do. The first one, we made in three studio sessions. I say this one, we made probably four studio sessions. 

In your interview on My Expert Opinion, you mentioned that consistency is how to separate yourself from the crowd as MCs. How did the consistency of your respective solo catalogs in the past few years help you two deliver a potent body of work after coming together again?

38: That’s exactly what forms the body of work–the consistency. Like, you know, if we would have slowed down in any way, we wouldn’t have been able to deliver the way that we actually deliver. The consistency is what helped us be able to elevate our penmanship; to actually be able to deliver a better project. This is a sport, so the more that you practice, the better that you’re going to get. A lot of people slow down after they put out great bodies of work, or they let life get in the way, or whatever, things of that nature. We actually kept practicing and kept practicing and sharpening our skills and actually improved. So, you know, and that was due to the consistency. And if we had a lack of consistency, the project wouldn’t sound as good. So consistency is one of the main key factors of why we was able to over deliver.

There are sports references scattered throughout your catalog but you’ve also garnered attention from many athletes. How does it feel knowing the music that you create reaches well beyond the audience that you’re speaking to?

38: It was a surprise at first, because I never imagined reaching–I only rap for the direct audience, and my main goal was to feed them, but [with] the authenticity and the high level of penmanship, I realized that when you’re great at something, you’re recognized by people that are great at what they do. You move on the same frequency. I’m the best at what I do, so the people that are the best at what they do are going to appreciate what I do because we’re just the best at what we do. 

I had to understand the reason why LeBron [James] is saying my stuff word for word, it’s just because we move at the same frequency. We operate at the same extreme frequency of being the best. So that’s what made me understand, like, oh, “okay, even if I don’t watch sports, or even if we come from these different backgrounds, it’s just that actually, we all have the same thing inside,” and it’s just the drive to be the best and the skill set to be the best. That’s why they relate to it, more or less than just the music is, it’s a high skill set when we just the best that do it, you know?

You didn’t produce anything on this project compared to the first installment of Shot & Stabbed. However, there’s the inclusion of Harry Fraud, Daringer, and other prominent names. What was the beat selection process like with this project? 

38: Honestly, we go completely off-field. So it really don’t be in a producer’s hands, it be in our hands. Usually, the producers be guessing and a lot of times, the producers be guessing wrong. Producers guess, they say, “Oh, I got this. That sounds [that’s] good for y’all,” and a lot of times they don’t be on point. It be the ones that they don’t think that we would love, that they sitting on, that they probably would skip past, that we like, “hold on, go back, play that one. That’s the one.” And, you know, so it really be on us. We go into there, and we go completely off the way that the music makes us feel. Me and Benny kind of give each other a head nod. That’s our sign of agreeing, like, “oh yeah, this is the one,” because we both moving off of the way it makes us feel. Each one of these beats was hand-picked completely off of feeling. 

So, you know, it wasn’t even about the name of the producers, because it could have been–some of these guys I’d heard of for the first time. Like a couple of producers on here, I actually heard for the first time. One of them is Asethic who I met off Instagram from just scrolling, and he had a sound–he produced “High Stakes”–and it was a sound that was actually in our vein. And I said, “This feels like us.” Another guy who produced the single “Brick Specials,” I never heard of before in my life, and I just came across him off of YouTube, and it was just a feel. So it wasn’t really the producers actually coming up with ideas or concepts or sounds for us. It was just us searching for the actual sound that we love.

How would you describe the feeling of this project in that case? In terms of the head space that you and Benny were in. 

38: ​​We was in a hungry space, and it was a space that we had to get back to due to all of the success and how far we have actually travelled from six years. We found ourselves back in a hungry space, though, and it took us a while to get back to that space of hunger, but that was the space that we knew we had to be in in order to approach this project. That was the space that we were in, and that’s why we were able to deliver like that, because we were in a space where we had something to prove.

You’re going three-for-three in 2024 with the release of God’s Timing and Mother & Gun. How do you think this project complements those releases in a way that’s similar to your 2018 run? 

38: It’s just a display of consistency, showing the people how diverse and how talented I actually am. God’s Timing was displaying my production. Mother & Gun was displaying my lyrical ability and storytelling. And I feel like Stabbed & Shot is displaying my bar work, you know? So it all goes together, just showing how diverse and how talented I am.

Benny enters the Zoom call. 

Benny, thanks for joining us today.

Benny: What’s happening, baby? What I miss?

I wanted to ask you specifically: if you could compare yourself and Spesh to any duo in sports, who would it be?

BTB: I’m not going to lie, I’m going to have to say the obvious. The obvious is Shaq and Kobe. Jordan & Pippen. But I’m going to say, Jerry Rice and Joe Montana. 

Elaborate. Why those two?

BTB: Two champions. Basically–

38: That was a good pick, bro, because I don’t even watch sports like that. But 94–

BTB: [Laughs]

38: Listen, ‘94 49ers was my favorite team.

BTB: Real sh*t. Spesh is like the quarterback. He’s like the mastermind of this sh*t. He really just call the plays and I run the routes. It’s like, when you working with somebody like him, all you got to do is be in the right place at the right time, and you gonna catch the ball, you gonna score. That’s it. Run that right route and catch the ball. It’s gonna be a touchdown. When I’m working with this man, half the work is already done. All I got to do is show up.

38 Spesh Benny The Butchger
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 18: 38 Spesh and Benny The Butcher visit SiriusXM at SiriusXM Studios on October 18, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

I asked Spesh this already but I wanted to know, from your perspective, how does Stabbed & Shot 2 complement your 2024 output so far? 

BTB: It’s basically like the cherry on top because I wanted to have a very active year. Even coming into this year before any of my projects dropped, I sat back and realized I haven’t put out an album in 22 months before Everybody Can’t Go. So I wanted to do the direct opposite. I wanted to flood the market so Everybody Can’t Go, Summertime Butch, Buffalo Butch, then Stabbed & Shot 2. That’s just like the perfect way to end the year. 

How would you parallel your run in 2018, when you released Stabbed & Shot, to this year? 2018 was a very critical year in both of your careers and 2024 has been your most visible.

BTB: Man, it’s like we in a time machine. If you say it was six years ago, one of our most dominant years, and look up, we still doing the same sh*t six years later in the best shape of our lives. So it’s almost a testament to the hard work, the perseverance that we got and the determination. We could do this next year too, if we wanted to.

The comparisons to Styles P and Jadakiss are littered across the album. They even appeared on Stabbed & Shot in 2018. After working with them, how was it trying to channel that energy onto this project? 

BTB: I mean, basically, we are who we are, you know, I mean, and we’ve definitely been influenced by those dudes, man, to Infinity and Beyond. I’m saying to the 10th power,  we’ve been influenced by them. But we are confident that we trailblazed this back-and-forth lane ourselves. We’re confident that people hold us high up there in the ranks. We confident that it’s a back and forth duo who aspired to be better than me and Spesh. We set the stone with that sh*t, going back and forth with them, you know what I’m saying that? But I think we could carry it ourselves, and we veterans in this game at this point too.

38: Agreed.

Is there a particular back-and-forth between Styles P and Jadakiss that you two hold dear to your hearts? 

38: Man, most of the time, they go crazy every time, you know what I’m saying? Every time. 

BTB: 100%

38: I remember the first time when I lost my mind probably was “Banned From TV” when they went back-and-forth. Then, it was a joint off of the Ruff Ryders album called “Dope Money.” That was my sh*t.

BTB: Those are probably my favorites up there. I was definitely going to say “Banned From TV” but that “Dope Money”–

38: Oh my God. 

BTB: That sh*t was crazy. “We Gonna Make It,” can’t forget that. Can’t forget that.

38: “We Gonna Make It,” yeah. By the time “We Gonna Make It” came out, we already knew what they did.

BTB: Facts.

On “Jesus Arms,” Busta Rhymes says, “A lot of you better start rethinking your top five.” I know this is not the first time you guys have heard that from the legends, but how does it feel, even to this day and everything you guys have accomplished, hearing the pioneers and the bricklayers of this sh*t your praises in that sort of way?

38: Well, that’s one of the best feelings that come with this sh*t. It will always be appreciated to hear one of the pioneers give respect. Besides everything else, that’s all we really wanted before money. Before we even knew what money was, all we wanted was for them to let us know that we was good at what we did. So, that never leaves. That never leaves.

BTB: When you watch people ball out and do this, when they respect your jump shot, that’s a different kind of feeling. That’s definitely something that I look forward to, besides, you know, the money and the awards. The respect from your own peers, that means a lot.

You’ve done four collaborative projects with each other now: Stabbed & Shot, Stabbed & Shot 2, Trust The Sopranos, and Cocaine Cowboys. How would you rank those projects from one to four?

BTB: I’ma go Stabbed & Shot 1. Then, I don’t know after that. I love Trust The Sopranos. Cocaine Cowboys, it was special. I just feel like Stabbed & Shot 1 is special to me because it’s a marker in time. It just set the pace for what me and Spesh was about to do. And I feel like all of those albums are special because we put a lot into all of those, so it’s kind of hard to rank them. But I just know the first Stabbed & Shot is super special to me, because it’s just a marker in time, and it put everybody on notice, because they knew this day was coming. They knew we was about to leave a whole bunch of sh*t in our path. They knew he’s about to tear sh*t up so that’s a special one for me.

38: Yeah, I feel the same exact way. Stabbed & Shot 1 was like the beginning of the start of me taking this serious in the next level. And it was kind of like my introduction to this lane. That sh*t is definitely number one. It’s hard, like he said, to rank any of them other projects, but, you know, Stabbed & Shot 1 is definitely the significant one.

Benny, before we go, I wanted to ask you about the Drake collaboration. It’s been one of the most sought after records in your unreleased catalog and finally dropped over the summer before it was removed from DSPs. How did you feel about it finally hit streaming services and what was your reaction once it was removed?

BTB: I feel good to hit streaming services. I like dropping new music, getting people’s reaction, especially something fully loaded with bars like that. And, how I felt when I when I got took him down–I really didn’t feel how the people felt. Because I knew it was a possibility that that might happen. I was prepared for that already. So when it happened, I ain’t take it hard like that. You know, this game is full of loopholes and yellow tape that you got to crawl through to make certain sh*t happen. He just wasn’t able to make that happen. But, you know, no love lost for Drake and his team and no shit like that. You know, it’s just business and it’s just music, you know what I’m saying?

What can fans expect from both of you before the year ends?

BTB: What you got? What you working on over there, Spesh? You got some secret projects over there that you’re producing?

38: For the end of this year, it’s just about Stabbed & Shot 2. Next year? I’m loading up for next year. Next year, it’s gonna be a bunch of sh*t coming, but I don’t think I’m releasing nothing else this year. I’m not sure.

BTB: Me too. I’m on the same page. It’s all Stabbed & Shot. If we feel like really getting in the booth and releasing another single, just because but Stabbed & Shot 2 going to hold people down for the rest of the year, I believe.

38: Facts.

The post Benny The Butcher & 38 Spesh Are Hip-Hop’s Joe Montana & Jerry Rice: On “Stabbed & Shot 2,” Drake Collab & Favorite Styles P & Jadakiss Verses appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Moneybagg Yo Talks Obama Co-Sign, “Speak Now Or,” Denzel Washington & More

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The Moneybagg Yo we know now isn’t the same one we met on projects like All Gas No Breaks or the Federal series. Before he penned a deal with CMG, he was already a household name among hustlers and trappers. In the past three and a half years alone, he’s reaped the benefits from his relentless hustle of high-quality mixtapes. Bagg has nabbed a #1 album on the Billboard 200 and secured several RIAA certifications, many of which have been the result of the grip he has every summer. His latest album, Speak Now, produced the Morgan Wallen-assisted country-rap banger, “Whiskey Whiskey,” which recently made it to Obama’s Summer Playlist 2024.

“I was like, ‘Damn, Barack.’ Like, he’s listening? That was a good feeling, but it was a shocking one,” Moneybagg Yo tells HotNewHipHop over Zoom. “You don’t think when you’re putting these songs together and you putting this stuff out that it’s going to reach and do what it do.”

However, Moneybagg Yo’s relentless hustle throughout his career has positioned him in such a way as to land on Obama’s playlist and have a sit-down with Denzel Washington. Today, he releases the deluxe edition of his latest album titled, Speak Now Or. It’s the bridge between the June album and his forthcoming follow-up, Forever Hold Your Peace, which he said will be out before the year’s end. He explains that the key to his prolific output relates back to his conversation with Denzel Washington who told him, “With me, you gotta know how to be Shakespeare, and you gotta know how to be the man in Training Day. You gotta know how to do both of them. That’s what made me different.”

“Every project should just be viewed and looked at like a movie,” Moneybagg Yo explains. “Like, all right, what can we expect from him in this movie? Like, the actor good. We know he plays good roles, and he do his thing when the camera’s on. But, what is this about that’s different from last time? Like, Malcolm X and Training Day are two different things, but it’s the same great actor, you know what I’m saying? So basically, that’s how I’m taking the approach with just Speak Now, Speak Now Or, and Forever Hold Your Peace. It’s just like you get a different movie every time.”

We recently caught up with Moneybagg yo to discuss his latest project, his immeasurable influence, and working alongside Morgan Wallen. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 4: Rapper Moneybagg Yo performs during MoneyBagg Yo Larger Than Life Tour at State Farm Arena on August 4, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)

HotNewHipHop: The last time, we spoke was around the time “Hard For The Next” came out and you released A Gangsta’s Pain shortly after. You’ve had a productive few years since then. What’s been the biggest difference in your life between that album coming out and now?

Moneybagg Yo: When I dropped A Gangsta’s Pain, I set the standard so high, you got to always be able to fill those shoes up when people expect you to fill them shoes over and over again. It’s just really me vs. me. I’m in a me vs. me type of situation. I’m battling me. So, that’s what I’m doing, just trying to be better than my last. 

How’d you feel about the reception of Speak Now, especially after having the summer pass and still dominating?

It’s cool, you know? I feel like I could do better, you know what I’m saying? But I feel like, it’s just a different movie of me. It’s just a different thing. Like, A Gangsta’s Pain was one thing, Hard To Love was a moment. and then, Speak Now. Even with these eight, or nine songs that I’m about to add to the deluxe, this is even different. It really could have probably been its own tape but it makes more sense to attach it to Speak Now, you know what I’m saying? Then, even the next project, Forever Hold Your Peace. The next body of work, it’s a whole other Moneybagg. You don’t get the same thing every time. That’s how you get bored. 

On a creative level, what’s been fulfilling you creatively? What’s been impressing you when you step out of the booth?

The Forever Hold Your Peace project, I’m impressed with that. Like, how it’s coming out, how everybody is like hearing it, listening to it. They taking a liking to it, and just really happy for me and excited for the body of work. That’s a good thing.

I think I heard you say that it’s going to be more melodic. Is that accurate? 

Yeah, it’s just a whole melodic bag. You know, you probably heard a lot–well, I know you heard a lot of melodic songs from me. Songs like “Wockesha,” “Scorpio”–that type of vibe. A lot of just different ways that you can think that I probably came like that, but that’s the tone.

It’s a sequel to Speak Now, right? 

Yeah, it’s just like a sequel. Everything ties in. Like. this right here that I’m going to drop is Speak Now Or. Like, the deluxe is like Or, you know what I’m saying? It’s like Or then Forever Hold Your Peace. We’ll drop that in another couple of weeks, a couple of months or however it might go. Whenever it’s ready, and then, that’s that. And that’s the whole attachment. 

How far along are you with Forever Hold Your Peace?

Probably like 75-80% done.

I imagine we’ll probably get a single from this before the end of the year or sometime in the next few months. 

Yeah, you’ll get the whole thing before that. 

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – JULY 10: Moneybagg Yo performs during the Wireless Festival at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) on July 10, 2022 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Katja Ogrin/Redferns)

I was reading your interview with Billboard a few months ago where you were discussing when you met Denzel. You recalled him telling you, “With me, you gotta know how to be Shakespeare, and you gotta know how to be the man in Training Day. You gotta know how to do both of them. That’s what made me different.” I want to know, how do you think this quote applies to your approach to music? 

I feel like I took that like, basically what I was telling you. You have to be like, just a different character every time. Every project should just be viewed and looked at like a movie. It should just be really looked at like a movie. Like, all right, what can we expect from him in this movie? Like, the actor good. We know he plays good roles, and he do his thing when the camera’s on. But, what is this about that’s different from last time? Like, Malcolm X and Training Day are two different things, but it’s the same great actor, you know what I’m saying? So basically, that’s how I’m taking the approach with just Speak Now, Speak Now Or, and Forever Hold Your Peace. It’s just like you get a different movie every time.

Some people were feeling like Speak Now was a bit commercial or something. So Speak Now Or, they get this, I guarantee you, they ain’t gonna say that. This is strictly street records, energy, street records. And then you got Forever Hold Your Peace, it’s just melodic. It’s more of a vibe. It’s the “woo the ladies” in and talk like it’s good with that.

In that same interview, you mentioned how you don’t feel like you have much to prove because you’ve accomplished so much. Are you able to identify your influence in music and in culture at large these days?

Yep. The largest. Really, basically, to where it’s the largest. I feel like everytime I do something, people gravitate and bite onto it. Like, I’m not a person that like is meant to follow. I’m meant to lead. Every time I do something where I take the lead or take the initiative, I set the trend like that. Once I do it, everybody else does it or they try to act like they ain’t do it and then, do it [laughs]. Or try to like, see me halfway doing it and try to finesse it all the way to the T.  Now, when I‘m coming me down there, I almost look like–once I finish what I’m doing, it damn-near look like they seen it before because he did it.

That’s another thing too, like I don’t like posting everything before it’s done. I like posting the finished product. Then I show you the behind-the-scenes of it, how I did it, instead of the other way around. Like, showing you the behind-the-scenes first, and then “this coming” and then I put it out. Because when you do that, you just opening up doors for people to be like, “Oh, he’s doing it. Let me do this. But I’m gonna put a twist on it. I’m gonna do it like this, this new wave. This gotta be it.”

They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Do you feel like people are giving you your flowers when they’re biting your style?

No, not really. They don’t pay homage all the time. They need to.

You’ve been an advocate for a lot of the women in the South who are crushing it in rap right now, even with your collabs with GloRilla. How do you think the women in the South complement what you bring to hip-hop? Obviously, it’s a different perspective but they bring that energy. 

Yeah, I like what all the women doing right now. I like what all the women doing. I’m excited for them, I’m happy for them. It’s like a handful of them that I rock with. too. Another thing is I feel like we resonate well, the chemistry is good because of the substance and topics and like, how I come. How I come, I feel like this is just a versatility thing. Like I can do anything, you know what I’m saying? If it’s a song with a girl, I can do it. Like, if it’s a song with guys, I can do it. If it’s me singing like melodic, I can do it. Whatever it is, I feel like I can adjust to it whatever the case may be. 

No, for sure. “Whiskey, Whiskey” is probably one of the more surprising songs that you’ve released. It just landed on Obama’s summer playlist. Can you just describe to me where you were when you first received that news, and what was your reaction to it?

I seen that yesterday. I was like, “Damn, Barack.” Like, he’s listening? That was a good feeling, but it was a shocking one. You don’t think when you’re putting these songs together and you putting this stuff out that its going to reach and do what it do. You don’t think that–some people do, though. Some people go in with that. I ain’t saying I ain’t confident, but some people go in with all the confidence. But my thing is with music today, you don’t never know. Like, you don’t know what’s gonna be this and be that, so it’s hard to say. So I just kind of like, let it do it. 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 23: Music artist Moneybagg Yo performs during 2022 Rolling Loud New York at Citi Field on September 23, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

Have any singles surprised you with how successful they became?

Yeah, all of them except for “Wockesha.” ​​I kind of knew that one was like–I was so passionate about the song, I kind of knew that song was going to be like, something special in some kind of way.

You’ve previously teased a country project with Morgan Wallen. How much progress has been made with that? If there has been any.

No, no, it just was an idea, a thought. Like, something that could happen. 

Has he been receptive to the idea?

​​Yeah, he’s with whatever. Like, I’m one of his favorite artists.

I know it’s a bit of old news but you did some work with Kanye West a couple of years ago. What the biggest takeaway from being in the studio with him?

It was a good experience for me. I learned a lot and just saw how to do things, saw how stuff went, and just soaked up the game, and applied it to my situation. So shout out to Kanye. Unfortunately, what we did didn’t get used. But I understand like, as an artist, I understand it could be like that sometimes.

What was one thing that you learned from that session and started applying to your own sessions?

Just how to be creative. How to be creative with the songs, and start just making everything make sense. Like, starting from scratch, building the beats up. Already have the ideas on some of them and making the beats around them. Just different stuff.

I was recently watching Mannie Fresh explain how in the early days of Cash Money, they would take catchphrases and turn those into songs. I’ve noticed you have a similar approach to taking certain words or phrases and flipping them into hit records. How did Cash Money inspire your songwriting in that aspect? If they did at all. 

I didn’t even know that they looked at it like that or they were doing it like that. To be honest, when I do it I just do it because–it’s gonna look like that, so it gonna be hard. But it’s just like, it’s a moment. I just feel like it’s just a moment in life to where it’s like, this is what’s going on right now. This is what I’m literally experiencing. I’m going through this or like, I’m dealing with this. It all circles back to like that term or that phrase, or whatever the case may be.

So I just feel like, use it. It makes sense, and that’s what’s going on in the world. So that’s more the more the key things is like, you gotta be relatable. That’s the only way your music is gonna get off. If they can’t relate to it, how they gonna play it? [laughs]

You’ve established yourself as a highly successful business person. On a business level, what would you like to tackle outside of music?

I’m doing clothing right now. I got my Loaf Brand clothing. So, that’s in the process right now. 

That’s high-end streetwear, right?

Yeah. 

Any last words for the HotNewHipHop audience?

Stay tuned. I got a lot in store for you. A lot, a lot, a whole lot of stuff in store for you. Stay locked in. Follow me, I won’t misguide you.

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Diddy Predicted Arrest For His Infamous Parties In 1999 Interview

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Diddy is going to be trending for maybe the rest of the year if people continue to dig up old clips. According to AllHipHop, pop culture account Pop Base has just dusted off a 1999 interview in which Diddy is once again talking about his parties. This ET sit-down is really trippy due to the fact that the music mogul pretty much predicts his future. “They won’t even give me a permit for the parties, man. They don’t want me to throw the parties no more. But we ain’t gon’ stop. We gon’ keep having fun, bringing people together from all walks of life”, he begins.

“You’re gonna hear about my parties, they’re gonna be shutting them down, they gon’ probably be arresting me, doing all types of crazy things just ‘cuz we want to have a good time”. He even goes on to say that people who aren’t really in the know are a little put off by them. “It’s a lot of people out there that feel intimidated”, Diddy explains. However, he continues to say in the interview that they are there to bring people together “from all walks of life”.

Read More: Young Dolph’s Murder Trial: Security Footage Of The Shooting Revealed In Court

Diddy Talking About His Parties With ET 25 Years Ago

This 25-year-old recording is still very jaw-dropping, but not as bad as his 2002 appearance on Conan O’Brien’s show. In that chat, Diddy creepily detailed all of the essentials that make up his infamous parties. “You need some water… a lot of ladies drink water at parties so if you don’t have what they need then they gon’ leave… gotta keep ’em there… You need locks on the doors… you don’t have no air conditioning… Heat affects the alcohol, it also makes everybody get a little more comfortable and loose. It builds up a nice little sweat”. Diddy was really not doing himself any favors back in the day.

What are your thoughts on Diddy talking about potentially getting arrested for his parties in 1999? Is it wild to see how many times this current ongoing story was foreshadowed? What do you think is going to happen to Diddy? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Diddy. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the world of music.

Read More: Meek Mill Downplays Diddy Connection By Claiming “Something Ain’t Right”

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Wallo Talks New Book “Armed With Good Intentions,” Lessons Vs. Regrets & Embracing His Age In Hip-Hop

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“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” reads the first sentence of Wallo 267’s, born Wallace Peeples, new book, Armed With Good Intentions, an exploration of his life, the decisions he made, and finding his purpose to inspire others after his release from prison. He’s used his platform, Million Dollaz Worth Of Game, the podcast he co-hosts with his cousin, Gillie Da Kid, to not only share his story but also provide others with the opportunity to share theirs. Artists like Lil Durk, Pooh Shiesty, and countless others have sat down to absorb their knowledge as elder statesmen and share their own gems. 

“​​Like you have these good intentions, but you still get caught up sometimes being the environment we have. I had to share my story – not just the book – but before the book, online, because I wanted these young people to learn from my story, but don’t live my story, you know?” he explained to Hot New Hip Hop over Zoom. “Because a lot of them live in the story in real life. They live in the street game. They try to figure it out, and it’s like, yo, it ain’t even worth it, you know?”

The honesty and rawness of Wallo and Gillie’s approach to Million Dollaz Worth Of Game is hyperfocused in Armed With Good Intentions. Released through 13A Gallery, Wallo deconstructs the cause-and-effect of his decisions that shaped his trajectory and turned him into a guiding light for the youth and a proponent of change, one who now serves as the CMO of REFORM Alliance, a Cultural Advisor to YouTube, and the founder of YouTube Avenues. We recently caught up with the Philadelphia native to discuss his new book, guiding the youth with honesty, Pooh Shiesty, and more. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Courtesy of 13 A

HotNewHipHop: How long was this book in the works?

Wallo: You know what’s crazy? It wasn’t that long. Last year it came about, [and I] just went in. You know, knocked it out, got straight to it. The opportunity came to get with Simon & Schuster 13A Gallery Books, and went right at it, you know. And it just came out smooth, you know?

How long was the process of writing it?

Not that long. I’d say less than a year.

What was the feeling like once your reached the end of the editing process and seeing the final copy?

I think not just the copy. I think it was when I finished the audiobook before the copy. Seeing the final copy was just like ‘wow,’ you know? Because it was just like talking, feeling the emotions, and all that stuff through the audiobook. It was like, “Yo, this thing is really real. Like, it’s game time.”

Would you have ever imagined writing your own book 20 years ago?

No, no, no. You don’t – no. Being in prison, naw, you don’t. I remember, I did read one book when I was in prison, and it was written by somebody when they was in prison. I don’t know if you remember Monster [by Sanyika Shakur]. I was like, damn. You know, he wrote that when he was in prison. So it was like you think but you never know that your story would be that interesting, being somebody in jail. So you just be like, “ahh.” This dude was talking about something totally different, like the gang-banging stuff so it was just different. But never, never did I think that. 

The first line of the book, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” embodies the title of the book. What’s the significance of that proverb to you and how has it shaped your outlook these days as a mentor and a community leader? 

You know, that’s how it be, man. Like you have these good intentions, but you still get caught up sometimes being the environment we have. I had to share my story – not just the book – but before the book, online, because I wanted these young people to learn from my story, but don’t live my story, you know? Because a lot of them live in the story in real life. They live in the street game. They try to figure it out, and it’s like, yo, it ain’t even worth it, you know? And that’s what some of the messaging was over the years on social media, was like, “Yo, that sh*t ain’t worth it, man. Go another route.”

Wallo267 shaking hands at a basketball game.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 29: Wallo267 (L) attends the BET Experience Celebrity Basketball Game on June 29, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for BET)

In the book, you mention how you realized that a lot of the old heads in your community lied to you or led you astray in certain ways. In the position you’re in now and with the network of people that you reach, how do you impart this type of wisdom that you have to the youth in a way that strays them away from the inevitable outcome of the streets?

Being raw with them, sharing my story, being straight up, and not trying to be cool. I think a lot of times, a lot of old heads or OGs try to maintain that cool thing. And sometimes, [when] you try to maintain that, you won’t tell a person what the real is, that “Yo, you should be doing this dumb sh*t.” That’s the difference [with] me. Me, I’m an elder to these young cats, so I’m always going to tell them. I’m not trying to be no young person. I embrace my age, I embrace that I’m older. I love where I’m at, and I’m gonna tell them what it is because I already know where they going. 

Do you feel like that’s the key to the success of Million Dollaz Worth Of Game? The first person that comes to mind is Pooh Shiesty and a lot of the younger artists that have appeared on the platform. Do you think it’s more effective and the words land better because you’re not sugarcoating anything?

See, one thing I know is that a lot of times, though, Aron, some people really gotta go through it. No matter who you talkin’ [to]. But I always feel good knowing that I told people exactly what it is. I ain’t bullshit. I ain’t bullshit Pooh Shiesty. I ain’t bullshit none of these young cats. I tell them exactly what’s going on, how it’s going on, and why it’s going on, you know what I mean? So I always feel good. I don’t want the outcome to be sometimes the wrong way [of] what it is but it’s like, as long as I feel like I know I’ve done my job because I felt the energy and I felt that I needed to say certain things based on what was going on. You know, I feel good about that.

What part of this book was most difficult to see on paper?

You know, talking about my brother, Steve. Because Steve is always a soft spot for me. You know, ‘cause anytime he’s mentioned, I get emotional because I’m thinking about just our upbringing, our journey. You know, that’s something, you know, that’s just something personal.

The book also recollects a lot of the decisions that led to your incarceration. How do the lessons you learned from those moments weigh against the regrets you might have? 

You know, it’s deep. It’s real oxymoronic. It goes both ways because it’s like, I don’t regret nothing then it’s like yeah, I needed to go. So it’s wild. It’s unexplainable because you’d be like ‘I learned a lot,’ but then it be like, ‘You know, I had to go through this.’ And even with the regrets, you’d be like, ‘damn, I regret doing this.’ And you’d be like, ‘Damn, if I didn’t do this, I probably wouldn’t have made it here,’ to be able to learn through and grow through the shit. So it’s a lot, you know?

What’s the most rewarding aspect of growing Million Dollaz Worth Of Game for you?

Being able to see how it impacts culture. How you see people in real life and they was like, “Yo, man, I needed that.” That was like seeing them at the airport, seeing them in the market. It’s like, “okay, this works,” like a lot of people are listening.

Is there a particular instance that sticks out to you in terms of realizing and understanding your own impact on culture?

You know what, it’s so crazy. There have been so many, it’s hard to pick one. It’s hard to pick one. 

What about the first time?

The impact? I think the first time was when my grandma basically understood what I was doing, and she was proud of me, that I was finally doing [something]. I was like, “Yo, sh*t, this sh*t is real.” She really respected it so, like I think it was different from then.

What was that conversation with her like? 

You know, I was on the front page of The Daily News, and somebody called to tell her. She was like – she thought I did something wrong, or something. Like, “he on the news. What did he do?” My life had changed, for real. It wasn’t even about me doing nothing wrong so it wasn’t even about that. So it was just… it just was different, man. It was amazing, though.

Wallo267 speaking at Global Citizen Week.
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 23: Wallo267 speaks onstage during Global Citizen Week: At What Cost? at The Apollo Theater on September 23, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Global Citizen)

At the beginning of Armed With Good Intentions, you mention how you’re on parole until 2048. It reminded me heavily of Meek Mill’s situation and I know the two of you have a good relationship. With your role at REFORM, what is change for you and what are your goals?

So the whole thing is, like, I think it already happened. You know, I’m saying it already happened on the aspect of just seeing all the changes that already came in a short period of time. Just being a part of that in any type of way, that’s everything.

What are you most proud to accomplish so far with them?

I think it’s just the connection and giving people hope. I think that’s the accomplishment, even before I went there. Giving people hope that they have something, somebody there to fight for them.

You’ve taken the role of the cultural advisor of YouTube and the founder of YouTube Avenues. As someone who is in touch with the youth and has seen how a lot of kids have gone from aspiring to be a rapper to wanting to become streamers and YouTubers, what similarities do you see between the hustles of trying to come up as a rapper and trying to become a YouTuber from the ground up?

It’s similar because everybody trying to grind, but I think [becoming a] YouTuber is way easier because you don’t have to – [being a] rapper is a lot. You gotta be entertainment, you gotta be believable, you gotta be energetic. It’s like YouTube, you can sit in your crib and do content based on something totally different and blow up. Or you could be playing games. 

It feels like a lot of YouTubers can expand outside of just content creation and YouTube provides them with a platform to do so. Based on your interactions with the community, how do you feel about these YouTubers expanding their platforms into other avenues?

They not playing, I love it. I love seeing Kai. Like, I know Kai, we had him on the show and just talking to him and seeing how this thing is like, it’s opening up the game for a whole new outlet, a whole new revenue stream for young kids to go after.

What’s the main objective of this role? What is your long-term goal for, not only yourself but the community at large?

I just want to let people know that they got a shot. Coming from where I come from, the ghetto, it’ll have you believing that it’s over. It’s just beginning. So if I could get out there and let our people know, “Listen, you got a shot, no matter the circumstances.” No matter if you was a drug abuser, no matter if you went to jail, no matter – you got a shot. That’s my main thing, letting people know it’s never over until you stop breathing.

Final question: what do you have planned after this book? What can we expect from you in the foreseeable future?

A lot. Documentaries, you know, a lot of new stuff coming down the pike. Sometimes I don’t even speak on it, I just let it happen.

Is there anything in particular you’d be willing to tell us about?

Wallo267 Foundation. I’ll be helping you juvenile offenders get back, reintegrate back into society and stuff like that.

The post Wallo Talks New Book “Armed With Good Intentions,” Lessons Vs. Regrets & Embracing His Age In Hip-Hop appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Young Thug’s Brother Erupts On YSL Mondo For Doing Interviews Amid RICO Case

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Unfortunately, Young Thug may be in court for a lot longer. It seems that every YSL defendant is doing something that could possibly derail any sort of positive progress. YSL Woody has been the main proponent of acting out of pocket in the court room, even making up fake names to “snitch on”. However, it seems that YSL Mondo could be another catalyst in extending Young Thug’s appearances before a judge. According to No Jumper, the record label co-founder is doing too many interviews in the eyes Young Thug’s brother, Unfoonk. Currently, there’s a clip going around of Mondo blasting Woody for being “the biggest rat” he knows on the Its Up There Podcast.

Apparently, those two have been beefing amid this RICO Case and Unfoonk thinks it’s a bad look for Mondo to continue to speak. Even the popular Young Thug fan account on X, THUGGERDAILY, is calling him out. Unfoonk explained why this only making things worse in his eyes on an IG story while putting Mondo on blast. “N**** really doing interviews talking about sum they don’t know smh”, Unfoonk begins.

Read More: Crip Mac Gives Fans An Update On His Life Via Prison Call With N3on

Young Thug’s Brother And YSL Mondo Go Trade Words

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by No Jumper 🏀 (@nojumper)

“Its a reason why wasn’t around u n****, save all dat cap s***, clout chasing a** n**** smh. Its only a matter of time before I say f*** it, u one of the reason why they saying we a gang dumb a** n****”. Mondo then took the time to clap back on X, saying that everything he’s saying is “1 million percent true” and that Unfoonk “been hating” on him since the latter got out of prison. Mondo then left things off with a threat, saying “I suggest you be quiet before I say some that’s gone hurt your feelings! You should be the last person talking period!! Now I’m just gone leave it there!”.

What are your thoughts on Young Thug’s brother blowing up on YSL Mondo for doing interviews? Who do you think has more valid points? Overall, do you agree with Unfoonk’s take? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Young Thug and the ongoing RICO case. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.

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Welcome Home, Ralo: Rapper Talks New Album, Standing On Principles & His Loyalty To Young Dolph

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We’ve witnessed Ralo’s hardships over the years. He was one of the most authentic voices in the South who was propelled to acclaim through mixtape-hosting platforms before he was arrested on federal charges after authorities reportedly discovered pounds of cannabis on his private jet. By the time that happened, Ralo had already become a pillar in his community, one who was recognized within Atlanta and outside of it.

With the rapper’s release from prison in 2023, he returned home to a new world where streaming algorithms reigned supreme and those who were once the hottest rappers had faded into obscurity and a new crop of artists emerged. Yet, Ralo’s M.O. hasn’t changed creatively nor has his commitment to his community. “I ain’t ever been the artist that had this hit record,” he explained to HotNewHipHop. “More people bought into me as a person, you know what I’m saying? Like, what I did for the community, what I do for the community and you know, the way I was living, the way I was moving. They were able to relate to me and relate to my story through music.”

His forthcoming album, Welcome Home, sees him telling his side of the story for the first time since his release. With appearances from Anthony Hamilton, K Michelle, Key Glock, and more, the 16-song body of work will appear on DSPs on Friday, August 23rd. Ahead of its release, we caught up with Ralo over Zoom to discuss the making of the project, his friendship with Young Dolph, and fulfilling his purpose. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Photo Credit: Shemaal

HotNewHipHop: The new album is due out on August 23rd. How does it feel working on a full body of work with new songs after six years?

Ralo: When we speak of work, you know, because that’s a different kind of work. Because I was never able to depend on a rap game as I am doing now. Before I got into this rap shit, I was just selling dope, and that was my stream of income and I was just having fun with this rap shit. I never even thought that I would accumulate any financial stability from it. However, I’ve been blessed to utilize my platform, my social media engagement, and my fanbase now to produce a lot of f*cking money, you know? And it just feels different having to strategize things versus just going to re-up and buy some dope and then selling it. So it’s a different hustle that I’m adapting to. Hopefully, after this, I’ll be able to – I want to focus on pushing artists and pushing my whole label itself, including myself, of course. But you know, I want to just do a broad push of, you know, being a CEO and being the person that I believe that I could be, you smell me? And others believe in, as well. 

With the creative flow and getting back into the booth after such a long period, was it a fulfilling process for you to record this album?

I mean, in recording the album, you know, I did a lot of from jail. My album was pretty much done while I was in jail. When I got out, when I got into the halfway house, they didn’t allow me to go anywhere else other than work and back to the halfway house. So every day I’m going to work and [back to the] halfway house, work, halfway house. I was stuck in the studio all day, 10 hours per day for months, five days a week. So I’m doing 50 hours a week inside the studio. This coming from never having to do shit like that because I barely even was able to go to the studio before I went to jail and whatnot. I’m forced to be in there so I’m coming up with all kinds of creative shit, and I’m able to vent the way I want to vent, you know? And you know, with the music and the rap game, me, personally, it just helped with my mental health, you know? It just helped me, and it helped me within my soul and stuff like that. So, like, a lot of the times when I’m in the booth or something, I’m just venting, you smell me?

You say that on “First Day Out.” That line really stuck with me, when you say, “Every time I do a song, you’re going to hear me vent.” How do those lyrics reflect the process of you coming home and putting together this body of work while you’re in the halfway house?

I think that people really – you know, I ain’t ever been the artist that had this hit record. Like, you got your Bossman Dlow’s and stuff. They got big songs, and they were able to capitalize off that song, which is what drove their career and things of that matter. More people bought into me as a person, you know what I’m saying? Like, what I did for the community, what I do for the community and you know, the way I was living, the way I was moving. They were able to relate to me and relate to my story through music. So, everything that I do is kind of on a level of, you know, “I’m listening to Ralo, his story is real, and let’s see what he was talking about.” You know, they go back at that time and moment, and [they’re like] “Okay, he made this song when he got caught with that weed. He made this song when he got caught with them bricks.” Or, “he made this song when woopty woop got shot” or whatnot. So, like I was able to capture the people off of my story, you smell me? And it’s a blessing that others are able to relate to it and have a grand interest in it, you smell me?

How has that reception felt from your community and peers since you got back home? That feeling of that energy must be different considering all that you’ve gone through. 

I mean, you know, from the outside looking in, people just look at me as some kind of big-time kingpin, drug smuggler. You know what comes with the streets and shit so they look at me in the manner of being mean or arrogant. But when people are actually able to come around me, it’s a whole different feel. They get to feel my energy, you know what I’m saying it? That’s when I mostly win my fans and whatnot. So coming home to all my people at the “First Day Out” video shoot, and they were vibing with me and they were able to capture that moment. That was history for all of us, and you know that went in the books. We can always go back and look at that video, you smell me?

What can we expect from Welcome Home? In terms of the features, how many songs, etc.

I mean, I did a lot, a lot of features with bigger artists and, one of the main problems I had with getting clearances was my commitment with Young Dolph, you smell me? So like with that commitment, it kind of prohibited me from getting clearances from artists that had grand dealings with CMG, which is a massive amount of artists in the industry. I wasn’t able to even put a lot of the songs on the album that I did with others, because, you know, people just was playing the politics games. They doing the songs with me and sh*t but as soon as it’s time to get clearances, n***as froze up because they want to keep their face clean within the industry with CMG, and they know I’m team Dolph. You know, that probably would have plucked the feathers of some people. However, I was able to still do my thing because at first, I was like f* ck a feature, I’m just gonna do Ralo.

I really loved Anthony Hamilton’s music throughout my life. I always heard him and I doing the record together, even when I was a kid, looking at 106 & Park and sh*t. I was able to get him on the record. 

I had a female companion who left me while I was incarcerated, and she was really obsessed with K. Michelle. You know, I think revenge is the best success. Revenge is the best way to get that revenge and success, so I was able to go snatch her up, and she did a wonderful job on the stuff. Yungeen Ace, him and I got real good companionship with GMK and Draco out of Texas. Shout out to them. We were able to do a nice record together to go with the situation that he got going on because he was accused of a murder or whatnot, and I was accused of several murders or whatnot. So we were able to come together and vent through our record on that. 

I got Key Glock. You know, a lot of blogs and a lot of people and YouTubers, they was always saying, man, me and Key Glock wasn’t kicking it, or we weren’t friends, or we had some kind of problem. I don’t know what the f*ck problems they thought we had, but I seen that a lot. He saw that a lot on a lot of blogs and stuff. At the time, we were together every single day. I don’t know where the hell they get that from, but I had to put him on there to show them we never had any problems. We’ve been doing records before, and we still doing records now. And, you know, people were saying I was stealing the Dolph trophy like, I’m trying to be the face of P.R.E or whatnot but that was never the case. Of course, we got the whole Paper Route on there. We got Kenny Muney, Big Moochie Grape, Goldmouf. We got Anti The Menace. That’s one of my good little homies from Atlanta. I really wasn’t trying to do songs with n***as I really didn’t f*ck with, you smell me? He’s one of them dudes that I really have a solidified relationship with, not just because I paid his bond or I put money on his book because I’ll do that regardless. I mean, I got a real friendship.

Is there a particular song that you’re excited for people to hear?

I mean, the record is called “I’m Me.” So, pretty much, it’s telling the people and reminding the people of myself and what I have done for others. Because I made this record while I was in prison, and I sent it over to Anthony Hamilton, and he put his vocals and things on that, and it came out a classic record. We actually did the video and everything. It’s reminding the people, because, you know, when I first bought my first neighborhood, which is Pakistan off of Lucia Avenue, which was what the feds have taken from me at that time, I bought it as a shell. Like it was no drywall, it was no framing, it was no sheetrock. It was no floors, it was no sinks, no bathroom, no toilets, no tubs, no nothing. You know, I had people that turned against me that I put the sheetrock on their wall, I put these floors on their ground, put this toilet in their bathroom so they can shit and shower. I put beds in their rooms. I put, you know, TVs on their walls and things of that matter. If a person did that for me, I would show grand gratitude and appreciation. I won’t ever cross that person by no means. And then it’s rap n***as that when they weren’t hot, I gave them verses, and you know, they ain’t do the same for me, you smell me? When I was in prison, I needed these things to accumulate cash and stuff to give me residual income for my family and sh*t so, like, I pretty much been against what those people had done to me, you smell me? And all kind of allegations that they put forth on my name. I’m speaking on those things as well, on that record. That’s a massive record for myself. 

What were the biggest challenges for you in adapting to coming back home? Was there a hurdle that you had to overcome since then?

As you know, right now, we’re on Zoom. I’m used to walking into the HotNewHipHop office, throwing the little basketball we had. And, you know, I’m used to going in there and vibing every time I come to New York. That was one of the places that I always stopped by. 

If we think back then, you had your MyMixtapez, your DatPIff, your Spinrilla. You had your Live Mixtapes. You had all these different platforms that we used to have to utilize and try to get on the front page of just to get a big look in this rap sh*t. But now, with streaming and shit, the payouts are different and people are able to have the financial stability that they didn’t have. These people let that money get to their head, you smell me? They poke their chest out, You know, arrogance is a bad thing to have within people because that causes mischief within the land. People that are humble, that are willing to have conversations to avoid problems, they are being stepped over because these other people continue to want to just f**k up and cause problems within the community and stuff like that. So like, my biggest hurdle is dealing with sucker sh*t like that, you smell me? Because a lot of things could be avoided with just a conversation. And when people feel like they need this of another person, they just ain’t willing to have that conversation, which is, which is what causes massive wars in the streets and sh*t like that. So I think that my biggest hurdle.

ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 17: Ralo performs at Birthday Bash ATL The Pop Up Edition Concert at Philips Arena on June 17, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)

It feels like you have a renewed sense of purpose. How would you describe Ralo’s mission statement in 2024, as both a musician and a community pillar?

I mean, my mission statement will always be to revert ourselves to our Lord, you smell me? That’s the most important thing that we all need to strive towards is getting right with our Lord. And you know, getting to know Him, getting closer to Him, praying to Him, begging Him for forgiveness. And you know, asking Him to remove all the f*cked up desires that we have in our hearts, you smell me? My mission will always be to remind each other of our Lord. Get closer to Him. 

You know, throughout my songs, I actually talk about the Lord quite a bit, you smell me? My religion is Islam, but it don’t matter what religion you is. It’s still, unless you’re atheist, of course, it’s still important for us to get closer to our Lord. I want to just be able to look back and say when I’m listening to this project, that this was my welcome home project, you smell me? To bring me home, bring me closer to my people. And I’m doing a whole lot of venting and a lot of things that I haven’t spoken upon, I spoke upon on this album. My mission within this album is to get people to understand what I did, why I did it, how I did it, and what would I be doing now moving forward.

You had Drake, Meek Mill, and a bunch of people just advocating for your release in a letter to Biden. How did you feel seeing that type of support from these major names, some of your peers who are still rocking with you and hoping to see you come home?

I mean, it’s an amazing feeling. You know, that’s some shit that I never felt like I was worthy of. To be able to be mentioned by the higher public figures in our community. I just wasn’t expecting those things. However, you know, it gave me hope. It gave me strength. The only thing that bothered me was that they didn’t know what I was truly being investigated for because that would prohibit me from getting a pardon because I had, you know, multiple violent accusations that the feds were trying to pursue me in. I didn’t want them to be misled about what was really going on. If it was just about marijuana, I would’ve got a pardon and their work wouldn’t have gone in vain. But due to the Attorney General reaching out to the prosecutor and saying, “Hey, this is just a marijuana case. What is the status of it? And why is Mr. Davis being treated so harshly for these charges?” The prosecutor responded to them and said, “Hey, this is just not a marijuana case.” They saying that I have possibly killed other people and stuff like that. And I’m telling them like, “No, that ain’t what I did,” or nothing like that, but that’s what they were trying to put on me. And you know, when people advocating that it’s just weed, you know, it just – I don’t want to mislead the people into thinking that it was just weed.

You’ve been using your social media page to shine a light on other people’s legal situations, especially peers and friends. What type of responsibility do you feel you have to use your platform to shed light on people who faced similar situations as yours?

I think that God gives all of us whatever He gives us, and it’s our duty to share with the people. We weren’t a seed that was planted on this earth to produce income for others. Some of us just have what we can make to satisfy our own family, our own personal bills, and things of that matter. But whenever you get massive amounts of money, it’s your duty, you have obligation to help the people. With my platform, I have over a million followers, and I have a lot of engagement. Like, I got over 30 million views on my page last month. It’s my duty to be that commercial for the people. The blogs only pick up a lot of drama most of the time, or the only thing they pick up is when a n***a buying somebody a car buying a b*tch a purse, and things of that matter. And it’s more than that going on in the community. It’s people getting shot, it’s people getting killed. It’s kids having funerals, and mamas burying their kids. It’s a lot of shit going on that doesn’t get broadcasted at all. I utilize my platform, and I know ain’t the news or no sh*t like that, but it’s my duty to be able to promote that stuff for them, and if I don’t, then you know that burden lies on me, because I believe in God, you smell me?

How did the loss of Young Dolph affect you?

I mean, you know that sh*t affected me in ways that I don’t even be able to control, you smell me? Like the last interview I did, I done cried tears. out and cried too. He was a great person. He was a great person that I called my friend, and he was heavy in supporting me. And a lot of times, we need that support from people that’s in the industry, or have a little bit more leeway than ourselves, like we really do need that extra push, the extra support, the extra help. And he was one of the people that I always could depend on. No matter what the circumstances were, he was always there for me, whether I was rich, poor, up or down, free, in jail, however it was. He was one of the only people that I knew who supported me wholeheartedly, without any financial gain or any clout or anything like that. That was one of the people that I feel like I lost that, you know, I probably won’t ever get back that kind of support, that love, you smell me?

I watched a recent interview where you said that rap was one of your worst investments but as you mentioned earlier, you’re interested in getting into a more executive position with your label and pushing new artists. But outside of music, what are you most excited to accomplish in the foreseeable future?

I mean, I just see a whole lot of artists that had a massive buzz and had money coming in, like a motherfucker. It’s a list that we can never complete. Like every day, these people come up with hit records, and you know, they had their time. They go buy their jewelry, they go buy their cars, they put this in their mouth and you know, two years later, they’re miserable. In order to prohibit that misery, you got to utilize the money that you’re making out this music to buy something that you can find peace in. And a lot of people just don’t understand you can’t find no peace in a car, you can’t find no peace in buying jewelry, you can’t find no peace in buying some p*ssy. You gotta be really interested in making it to your sanctuary. That’s your home. Make sure whatever place you call home, you invest the most into. Me, personally, I find most of my peace in my hood. So, I make sure I invest the majority of all my money that I make into my hood. Within doing that, I was able to build a community center, I was able to build a mosque, I was able to build a barber shop, a hair salon. All the places that I knew I was gonna have to go and spend money, I made sure I was able to do that because I know in two, three years, it’s going to be another n***a getting out of prison that’s hot, you smell me? I don’t to be a fool and be in a miserable state of mind, just like the rest of the artists that I see today.

The post Welcome Home, Ralo: Rapper Talks New Album, Standing On Principles & His Loyalty To Young Dolph appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Darren Waller Talks “Who Knew” Video, Lil Wayne Co-Sign & The Similarities Between His Musical Career & Returning To The NFL Post-Suspension

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Darren Waller shocked the football world when he announced his decision to retire from the league after nine years. But what’s maybe a bit more shocking is that he walked off the field indefinitely to pursue a music career. It’s nothing new to him, though. He released two albums while in the league, and within that time, earned some encouraging words from none other than Lil Wayne.

“I was just shooting him shit that I would drop. This is a few years ago, and he was just like, ‘Keep going, keep going. It’s hard. Keep going. Keep going,’” Darren Waller recalls Lil Wayne telling him during a Zoom conversation with HotNewHipHop. In many ways, it feels like Lil Wayne helped plant a seed for Waller’s trajectory in music these days. Following a divorce and his retirement, he decided to fully commit to music without compromising his values or authenticity. His recent releases, including the viral single “Who Knew” and his recent two-pack, Mind Games: It’s All In Your Head, have shown the former tight end of the Raiders’ vulnerability as he delves into heartbreak, self-reflection, and staying true to himself. As it is with art, people’s visceral reactions often take to the fore. In his case, it was the same sports talk show pundits that either praised or criticized him during his time in the NFL that had just as much to say about his latest music video.

“I took that opportunity as a unique – extremely unique – way to express what I was going through, and I don’t even think people really understood, like, through the video that the song title was like, who knew her perspective,” Waller told HotNewHipHop about the “Who Knew” music video. “In the video, I was really her. You see what she posted, like that she was devastated and whatnot, but it was me taking on that role and experiencing the pain of the females in relationships that I had been in my whole life. I don’t even think people understood that but it wasn’t even put out for me to even be understood.”

In this in-depth conversation with Darren Waller, he touched on how his musical career parallels his return to the league after his year-long suspension, his spiritual journey, and his top 5 rappers dead or alive. 

Photo credit: ARod2Up

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

HotNewHipHop: You’ve released two projects in the past, Delusions Of Clarity, and Walking Miracle, while you were still in the NFL. With the influx of music you’ve been releasing lately, what defines the music that’s now coming from you post-retirement?

Darren Waller: Yeah, man, it’s just authentic music. Sh*t that I’m really experiencing, sh*t that I’m really feeling, from the “Who Knew” record to “Mind Games” and “All In Your Head.” Like, it’s all stuff that I’ve experienced in my life, and just, such a wealth of different experiences in my life that I feel like is important to share with people. I just love different genres of music and styles of music so like, you’ll get bars from me at some point, you will get R&B at some point. Everything that I’m experiencing and walking through mentally and physically is what I’m trying to put into music.

Do you recall the exact moment you decided to retire from the NFL?

It was like a cumulative decision. This decision was fully made later on, like, right around when I announced it but you know, it was just a constant weighing process. I feel like when the season ended, I was leaning more towards retiring but not the whole way and just like trying to stay in that balanced perspective of “a lot alright, like, what do I want to do here?” Like, let’s just weigh the pros and the cons. I never really fully leaned much more away from retiring. That’s how I knew, like, okay, like this is the decision that’s for me because if I’m going back, I don’t think I’m going back for me. So that was enough for me to decide.

Coming from Georgia, who were rappers that inspired and influenced you during your formative years?

Man, it’s all over the place. My dad’s from New York, so it was a lot of Mos Def, Gang Starr, Wu-Tang Clan – Ol’ Dirty Bastard, like a lot of New York. Mobb Deep. The Infamous  Mobb Deep was one of my favorite CDs. I actually stole that from my dad and took it to my car. I love Ludacris, Jay-Z. Those were some of the ones I started to come across myself. Kanye, those are probably the main ones. And then when I hit middle school, freshman year of high school, it was a big Gucci Mane phase. Like, listening to nothing but Gucci being in Atlanta. And that’s the time when I started getting active in the sh*t that I was doing. But yeah, a mixture of all of those, so that’s why I feel like my sound is all over the place.

Darren Waller
 Photo Credit: ARod2Up

In what ways does music fulfill you in the way that football didn’t at that point in your career?

Football was very, you know serious. There are a lot of fun moments, but you know, business is business, man. We need those bottom lines, we need you to produce, so there’s a lot of pressure in that. A lot of exhaustion, and a lot of ups and downs that I’ve seen in the game. Music was, you know, it was just what I found myself doing when I didn’t feel pressure to do anything else or it didn’t feel like I should be doing anything else. It was just like, music was something that I naturally gravitated towards, and got that child-like joy out of and I’m just like, fucking giggling and cackling when I’m putting the beat together and ideas coming together, or I hear how a song is coming together. You put a harmony on something that you weren’t even expecting to come out of your own body. It’s just like, that level of joy. Nobody’s got to force me, there’s doesn’t got to be any pressure on me. I’m gonna make music and have a good time and smile, regardless of what’s going on. And that’s kind of what it is for me.

You mentioned in your Breakfast Club interview that you never felt like you fit in growing up, which led to some of the troubles you found yourself facing later on in life. But, from leaving the NFL to entering the music industry, how do you think the balance between sports and entertainment is working in your favor?

Yeah, man, that’s a great question. I really see this time for me, musically, as the same exact time it was for me when I got reinstated into the league for my year-long suspension, and it was just like, I would have been a fool to expect that something great was going to come from that right away. Because I was just in a position where nobody was really going to trust me. If I was lucky, I get back to the Ravens, maybe be on the practice squad, stuff like that. So it was just more so me being in the space of, like, “Alright, ain’t no one checking for me. I feel like there’s still a future for me in this, I feel like God has pushed me back into this.” So I’m gonna just work on my craft and get better and get better and get better. The rate at which I got better at my craft, allowed me to take advantage of the first opportunity given to me and, and go from there.

But you know, I’m seeing as the same way. It’s just like, you know, we back to grind mode, man. Oh, man. Get better at your craft, don’t worry about what the future holds, or what people are thinking but just continue to try to make quality sh*t that is authentic, that’s real, that people can relate to and they sit down and tap in. The results, we leave up to God, man. Just enjoy the ride.

You described “Who Knew” as taking a risk because you had to show your vulnerability after your divorce but more importantly, the self-reflection that followed. How would you describe the pressure you face when releasing something as personal compared to the pressure you face on the field?

It’s similar, bruh. Because in a football situation, there’s been ups and downs in my career. There have been times in my career where I could do no wrong, bruh. I was like Jesus walking on water with the way that I was playing. Then there are times when people are like, “What the f*ck?” like, you can’t catch a break, and people are on your neck on the internet. And at the end of the day, if you let either one really define you – at the end of the day, it’s all noise, man. It’s all external, so you got to be defined by what you think it is, man. 

I took that opportunity as a unique – extremely unique – way to express what I was going through, and I don’t even think people really understood, like, through the video that the song title was like, “Who Knew (Her Perspective).” In the video, I was really her. You see what she posted, like that she was devastated and whatnot, but it was me taking on that role and experiencing the pain of the females in relationships that I had been in my whole life. I don’t even think people understood that but it wasn’t even put out for me to even be understood. I knew it might be misunderstood by putting it out.

You know, I committed not too long before that. I was like, “Okay, if I’m going to go this music route, I’m going to be authentic and really put sh*t out that is real and true to my life,” and that’s what I did. And I’m sure I’ve gotten cooked numerous times. I’m sure some people liked it, and that’s kind of how this thing goes. If you’re doing shit different, you’re gonna have people that are bold on each side, but I think that’s just the beauty of it, man. People are entitled to their own opinions.

Even as you enter music and leave the NFL, you’re still facing criticism from sports commentators for your work outside of football. Steven A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe, specifically, chimed in on the release of “Who Knew.” How do you respond to those critics? How do you take that criticism without feeling like it’s personal?

Well, one, I have a phone, it’s called a light phone, so I’m not even really on social media like that, or really searching the internet. I couldn’t even tell you what those dudes even said. Like I said, I’m sure there were plenty of people who were like, this dude is probably tweaking right now. So, I don’t really know what they said. But for me, one way of that is not even giving myself access to that noise. And then two, it’s like me being authentic – I feel like I spent a lot of my life trying to do things [to] get validation from people for the way that I was moving. But now it’s like, alright, that’s a move I chose to make. Some people could say that move was stupid. Some people could say it’s a beautiful way to encapsulate a chapter of a journey. You got to have thick skin and be willing to live with whatever comes with it. I’m sure they have their opinions. It’s not my first time with people having opinions about decisions that I may have made, and that’s okay. Because at the end of the day, I know putting “Who Knew” out, I didn’t mean any harm. I wasn’t trying to do anything to anybody. It was just me expressing what I was going through and what other people have to say about it is what they got to say about it, you know?

What’s your end goal with music? As an athlete in the NFL, there’s a goal each year to make it to the Super Bowl and win the Lombardi but it’s not as linear in music.

It’s funny you say that because I feel like my success in football came from me taking away the linear approach myself. The seasons where I was playing the best and doing all that, there was no thought of “I need this amount of stats, need this amount of yards, I need my team to go here.” It’s just one day at a time, as long as I continue to get better and hold myself to the standard of excellence in the way that I play, the way that I run my routes, and the way that I am as a teammate and a leader, I feel like things are gonna go well. 

I try to carry that same stuff over to music because like you said, people’s definitions of success are different. For some people, it’s like platinums and number ones and all this. It’s like that’s not really why I’m doing this. Like I said, I’ll be cooking up until my fingers fall off. Even if I get 100 plays on Spotify, I’ll still keep doing this shit. It’s really about how do I grow and fully embody the sound that I want and the musical gifts that I have. Because it’s obviously been passed down from my great-grandfather, and there’s a journey, a spiritual journey in this for me, regardless of how it ends. So for me, it’s like if I continue to have the same approach that I did when I was playing football, I feel like lives are going to be impacted by what I have to say and the art that I create. And I feel like that right there is the ultimate success.

You released a quick two-pack recently, Mind Games: It’s All In Your Head. What’s the significance of that title?

I just had this random idea. I don’t even know what the f*ck I was doing. Ideas just come to me randomly but I was like, I feel like that’s the title, Mind Games: It’s All In Your Head. Because it is. You’ll play mind games with yourself and be stuck in your head when really like you’ll be questioning if people f*ck with you or like what you got going on and you’re just picking yourself apart when there are people out there that love what you got going on and love what you stand for. I feel like it’s just the play on just the mental aspect of things is a big thing for me and I know it’s a big thing for people so I feel like people can relate.

I’m sure you’re working on a full-length album. When could we expect something like that? 

I feel like there’s been a lot of stuff I’ve been working on this summer that I want to continue to drop in little quick-hitting fashions. They’re like two or three packs. But yeah, there’s definitely an album in store. Like, I’m a guy that grew up on projects and listened to full CDs. You didn’t really have a choice or like a music library on the streaming platforms so like I’m pro-project, for sure, so definitely that’s in the works.

Is there a title for it?

I don’t have a date for you but the name of the album will be I’m Not Even Who I Am Yet.

Who would you dream collaboration? Dead or alive.

Kendrick Lamar, man. I feel like just the level of… just everything that he embodies. I remember him coming up when his sh*t was on Live Mixtapes. He was really just like trying to make some shit shake and see where he is now and how he never really compromised his values, still moved the way that he wanted to move. That is just fucking inspiring to me. So Kendrick Lamar, I’ll say Jay-Z. If you want to go a different genre, I’m a big Coldplay fan. And there’s this band called Khruangbin that I really like. They be jammin’ they ass off. So I would say some of them.

Darren Waller
 Photo Credit: ARod2Up

You were part of that viral moment when Lil Wayne was asked to recall his lyrics from “Lollipop (Remix).” What did that moment of him not even being able to remember his lyrics tell you about the work ethic required for a career in music?

Oh yeah, I remember back then, just because I’ve been following his whole career, like I’m that old. I know he records at an insane rate. People were like, “Oh, he couldn’t remember the words.” I’m like, “No sh*t he can’t remember the words. He records a lot.” And I’m recording a lot now. Probably, this summer, I’ve probably recorded over 50 songs or something like that, which is probably not even anything compared to the rate he works at. I’ll go back to some songs like dang, I don’t even remember the words. So it just makes sense now ‘cause I actually have the experience of probably not the same volume of catalog and I’m like, okay, I have to sit down and listen to this again to remember the words. Of course this dude, recording at the rate that probably nobody ever has would forget songs. But yeah, that was a funny moment. I was like people making a big deal out of it but this dude is – he literally tells you how many songs he’s recording.

Do you still have a relationship with Lil Wayne? You previously collaborated with Euroz before but has Wayne given you any feedback on your music?

Yeah, man. He was very encouraging of me. I was just shooting him shit that I would drop. This is a few years ago, and he was just like, “Keep going, keep going. It’s hard. Keep going. Keep going.” Just to hear that, man, because it’s like, I’m not somebody that wants something from him just because I have access to him. The fact that I’ll share it with him and he’d respond and be like, “Hell yeah, keep your sh*t going.” It’s like, alright, man, like, yeah, Wayne said he f*ckin with me, like, I can hold on to that. If 999,000 People are like this n***a sucks, I could hold on to the days where Wayne was like, “Bro, keep going. You on the right track.” 

Final question: where does Lil Wayne sit in your top 5 rappers dead or alive? And if not him, then who else is making that ranking? 

​Man, this is the ultimate setup question. I feel like these top rankings are all subjective and somebody’s gonna be cooked for whatever they say. Off of my world, in the world that I grew up in and the area that I grew up in and the impact that Wayne had on literally everybody that I was ever around, just in my world, he is easily in just the top three off of impact. Then, if you look at Young Thug. You look at all the people who are inspired by Young Thug – Young Thug says he’s inspired by Wayne. Just growing up in Atlanta in those times and, how many Atlanta artists [Young Thug] spawned. If you look at it from a stage of impact – like, I’m sure people can make all these different categories and criteria up to find a way to not put him in and that’s okay. But just in my world, I feel like he got to be top three.

Whether in the top 3 or top 5, who else is accompanying Lil Wayne?

I mean, Jay Z, for sure. Kanye’s definitely on my top five. I mean, my life was soundtracked when I was a kid with my CD player with The Black Album by Jay Z and Graduation by Kanye. Those two gotta be up there. Damn, there’s so many good rappers. Fuck, I hate this question. Kendrick Lamar, he up there. I mean, I remember listening to Nas Illmatic riding around with my pops. I got to put Nas in there, man.

The post Darren Waller Talks “Who Knew” Video, Lil Wayne Co-Sign & The Similarities Between His Musical Career & Returning To The NFL Post-Suspension appeared first on HotNewHipHop.