There’s an electrifying way in which Big Boi raps, whether he’s vividly portraying his cool as the equivalent of “Freddie Jackson drinkin’ a milkshake in a snowstorm” or describing Papa John’s “ooey gooey, crispy, crunchy, mouthwaterin’” pizza. The Outkast member has thrived since the group went on an indefinite hiatus following their groundbreaking musical, Idlewild. He’s gone on to release three solo studio albums that maintained Outkast’s futuristic approach to crafting potently groovy raps. That talent extends into the corporate world, however, as evidenced by Papa John’s latest campaign, “Better Get You Some.” Accompanied by a trailer of brain-melting visuals, Big Boi pens mind-bending bars that will undoubtedly leave you craving a slice of their “ooey-gooey, extra chewy mouth-watering” pizza, topped with their newly unveiled NY Style Crispy Cuppy ‘Roni.
Watch Papa John’s “Better Get You Some” Ad With Big Boi
The partnership began as a result of Big Boi’s hometown ties to Papa John’s, whose corporate office is located in Georgia. “They called and said they had a new campaign,” the Atlanta native explained shortly after receiving a Shiatsu Massage. “And they wanted a Jedi, you know what I’m saying? A heavy-hitter.”
Needless to say, Papa John’s couldn’t find a better partner to help execute this campaign. Big Boi and the Outkast brand became synonymous with a high level of prestige earned through their consistent execution with each project in their catalog. At the root of their creative success is an organic synergy, one that Big Boi said extends to the “Better Get You Some” campaign.
“Anytime I participate, it got to be organic, and it can never be forced,” he says of Papa John’s new commercial. “I first got the clip with the visuals to it, and then, the commercial was just crazy, you know what I mean, I loved it. I was like, Okay, this is dope. It’s hypnotizing in a way the way where it just captures your attention. And when you look at it, you go and call Papa John. I mean, it gets the point across so just to be descriptive, and you know, just make it fun”
An Ode To The Dungeon
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 09: Big Boi performs during EA Sports’ The Madden Bowl at the House of Blues Las Vegas inside Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on February 09, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
But, more importantly, there’s a personal connection to Papa John’s that goes beyond the pizza franchise’s headquarters in Georgia and well into his formative years. Big Boi revealed that Papa John’s had been a fixture during his late-night recording sessions. “That Papa John’s been on the menu for years and years, man,” he said. A typical order, he says, would include a cheese pizza (for the non-meat eaters) and a few large pizzas with bell peppers and onions. “I try to trick myself into eating vegetables,” he says jokingly, though that combination actually speaks to his memories of being in his grandmother’s kitchen. “When she’s cooking, I can eat raw bell peppers and onions all day long,” he says. “It doesn’t even have to be cooked. But when you slap it on top of that cheese, you got a nice snack.”
Naturally, you can imagine that all those nights of White Owls and Martell struck up an appetite as tracks were being laid down in the Dungeon. In the 30 years since the release of Outkast’s seminal debut album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, Big Boi and Andre 3000 have undoubtedly proven that rap is far from a young man’s sport. Sure, Andre seems more enthusiastic about flexing his musicianship than stepping in front of a mic (though when he does, it’s never a lackluster effort) but for Big Boi, that passion that drove classic bodies of work throughout Outkast’s tenure remains as palpable today. His collaboration with Papa John’s, for example, became another opportunity for him to flex his lyrical muscles.
Longevity In Rap
“To be able to surpass certain limits and be in this game for, you know — next month will be 30 years for the anniversary of our album Southernplayalisticadillicmuzik — you have to live life,” he explains. This Jedi-like wisdom has undoubtedly served as the foundation for Big Boi’s artistry, though the true gem lies in how he absorbs and retains inspiration for his solo endeavors. “You live and you experience things, expand your vocabulary,” he continues. “And anytime you make good music, it’s like, you got to paint, you paint a picture with words, you know what I’m saying? And the people go back and they might not catch everything on the first listen. So you got to drop little nuggets in there so they can kind of try to decode your messages. And I do that with everything.”
Lil Mosey first exploded onto the scene with his song “Pull Up,” which eventually lead to a move to Los Angeles. Soon, he’d release “Noticed,” serving as his first entry onto the Billboard Hot 100. But nothing can compare to the heights of “Blueberry Faygo,” which solidified his name as a mainstay in the music industry.
“Blueberry Faygo” not only took over radio airwaves all around the world but also surpassed over one billion streams to date. The song’s official music video currently hails over 328 million views and counting, in collaboration with Lyrical Lemonade. But 2024 Lil Mosey is not the same as 2020 Lil Mosey. Getting signed super early at only 15 or 16 years of age, Lil Mosey is now 22 years old and has a much better head on his shoulders. He quit the partying, the drugs, the lean, and even the weed, and now he’s spreading a positive message to his fans.
This may have had something to do with his case, where he was accused of rape back in 2021. Speaking on the situation, Mosey states, “For a long time, it definitely took a lot out of me mentally. It took a while to work through a lot of things. But where I’m at now, I look at it as a positive thing. I’m sober now. I’m more positive. I’m more of a happy person than I was before.” Lil Mosey was acquitted of all the charges last year.
HotNewHipHop spoke to Lil Mosey in downtown Los Angeles, the day he dropped his new song titled “Thug Popstar.” Read below as he discusses the new music, touring with Juice WRLD, and sobriety.
This interview has been edited & condensed for clarity.
Image via Lil Mosey
How does it feel to be releasing music again?
It feels good. I had to step back for a second. But now that I’m back, I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. So definitely feels good.
How excited are your fans?
They’re excited. We’re dropping again tonight, it’s called “Thug Popstar.”
That’s very on brand. What can we expect from that song?
A look into the daily emotions, whether they’re good or bad. Just a look into my life and what I’m going through. Definitely with the “Thug Popstar”… I dropped a song not that long ago [“Life Goes On”], they were like “Oh, he’s trying to make pop music.” It’s like nah, I’m a thug popstar. It’s what we do.
Did you anticipate that reaction from fans?
Of course, I know they were expecting something when I dropped that, and it wasn’t what they expected. I knew it wasn’t going to be what they expected, so I expected something from my fans in a way that was like: “we want this, we want that.” I knew it was gonna come, then I’m like okay, let me give them what they want. Alright fuck it, let’s do it.
There’s a beauty though in being a creative artist, doing the sound you want to do and expanding. I don’t think that should affect your… you know?
Yeah definitely. I try not to focus on what I think people want to hear, and try to focus on what I want to put out. But at the end of the day, I know my fans are the most important part of my career. At the end of the day, as much as I want to go off and do whatever I want, I still gotta give them stuff. Just so when I do go off and do what I want to do, they’ll respect it a little bit more, because at least they’re fed. All this stuff is music I love anyways. Regardless if I put out “Thug Popstar” or if I put out “Life Goes On,” it’s all from the heart.
How is music therapy for you?
For me, music’s everything really. Especially for a lot of people growing up, you don’t really have a lot of people to turn to and talk to. For me, music has always been a therapy session for me. Like when I’m talking… “Thug Popstar,” I know it’s a fun song. But in the actual depth of the song, it definitely came from the heart. It was me talking to myself on the song. The first verse of the song was definitely me having a conversation with myself. The second verse is what I’ve been going through recently, and where my head’s been at recently. There’s some good shit on there, I’m excited. I’m excited to show everyone.
You got videos dropping for these records?
Yeah, we dropping the music video on Monday.
What can we expect?
It’s that Mosey swag, with my homie Young Tada. Shout out Young Tada.
How did your case weigh on your mental health?
For a long time, it definitely took a lot out of me mentally. It took a while to work through a lot of things. But where I’m at now, I look at it as a positive thing. I’m sober now. I’m more positive. I’m more of a happy person than I was before. Now I can really focus on how I see my life playing out the rest — I got a long time. [laughs] I got a long time left on this planet. I’m glad I had something to keep me in tact, ground me a little bit.
It’s so crazy because you were on when you were 16. You’re still only 22, which is so young. Were you ready for all that fame?
I think I was ready for it. I mean, I thought I was ready for it. I still don’t know if I was ready for it or not. I don’t know if I ever really know if I was truly ready for it. But I definitely know it’d be a lot different if it would have happened later. I just don’t know what it would be like, and I don’t really want to see it like that. It would happen the way it happened, and that was the best way it could’ve happened. I definitely have a lot of shit coming in. It’s gonna be big, so I’m excited.
You found out about the whole situation from TMZ like the rest of the world. What was your initial reaction?
I was in disbelief a little bit, it didn’t really seem real to me. Because there’s no way, it didn’t feel real. I started getting phone calls, that’s when it hit me like okay, this shit’s happening. So I turned my phone off, stayed away from the internet for a while.
I saw you say you didn’t leave the house for two months.
Yeah, there was a time… because I was in Miami. I had to fly back home, then I went back to my house in LA. I didn’t leave the crib for two months. My friend, he lived with me. He’d be going out. He’s like “Bro, they keep asking where you at?” People are telling him like, “Bro, I know Mosey didn’t. He’s not that type of person.” That made me be like okay, maybe those people… because I didn’t know. Right when that shit happened, I isolated myself. I didn’t know what the world or who the people around me was gonna say. I was scared for that. It took a while…
Image via Lil Mosey
Were you recording, or how did you get through that tough time?
The first day I found out, I was recording in the studio, because I felt like that’s what I needed. But then I stopped recording for a while.
Damn, when you can’t even turn to music…
Yeah, I wasn’t really in the mood to do that. I just started playing video games. [laughs] I was in the crib playing video games.
What did you learn from that situation?
I learned a lot. I learned that I gotta watch who I keep around me and the situation I put myself into. Because a lot of stuff like that could have been avoided if I would’ve moved a little better and moved smart, and I didn’t surround myself with…
What was the greatest memory touring with Juice WRLD?
Definitely hearing unreleased music, besides hanging out. He’s definitely a good guy, RIP. I was hearing a lot of unreleased music, that was cool. Studio, 7 am in Chicago. That shit was lit.
Image via Lil Mosey
When did you stop sipping?
A while ago. Definitely a while ago. It’s been a while. I’ve been sober for a year and a half now, off of everything.
Good for you! How do you feel?
I feel good. I feel so good honestly. Mentally, I just feel here. I can actually have conversations and shit. [laughs] Because there’s a lot of times, I’m sure in interviews and shit, I’d be sitting there high as fuck.
But that was the vibe of your peers.
Yeah, that was the culture I was in. That’s the lifestyle I was in. That’s what it was and that’s what I was around, but it definitely feels good.
With your platform, it’ll empower fans so that they too can be sober. So I think it’s very positive.
Yeah. Because I know throughout my career, I’ve definitely influenced a lot of negative shit. The other day a fan actually sent me a DM. He sent me a video of him hitting a Puffbar, some nicotine. He said “Yo, you inspired me to do this.” I said bro, please quit that shit. I’m sorry that I did that. I quit a year ago, so I said: I hope you can do it too. I didn’t like seeing that. I gotta do better, definitely.
The Internet went into a frenzy in Spring 2023 when Hulu announced that they would be releasing a documentary focusing on Freaknik, the annual HBCU spring break party in Atlanta that not only defined an era but became a bedrock for the future of the city’s vibrant music scene. The stories of Freaknik have been spread through word of mouth over the years. However, videos and photos from the controversial party seldom surfaced online. The stigma often overshadows the beauty of the annual spring break event in Atlanta and what it actually represents: freedom.
At the helm of Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told is P. Frank Williams, a veteran journalist who teamed up with Mona Scott-Young and 50 Cent to produce 2022’s Hip-Hop Homicides. Williams is a West Coast native who studied at San Diego State, though he recalls the early days of Freaknik – when it was a rather innocuous picnic. “It’s really about young Black college students,” P Frank Williams tells HotNewHipHop. “You watch this film, this is about Black joy. It’s about freedom, it’s about fun. It’s not about just somebody turning up or anything negative. This was about younger kids who found their sort of Summer Of Soul, their Woodstock.”
Executive produced by 21 Savage, Jermaine Dupri, and Uncle Luke, Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told is an intergenerational documentary that unpacks the legacy of Freaknik with balance. Yes, you’ll see the turn up and some of the more salacious aspects that the event is known for. But, as Williams explains, he serves “the candy and the vegetables” in a way that encompasses the aspects of Black liberation and freedom while ultimately serving as a music documentary. “I really think the end of Freaknik signifies the birth of trap music in the early 2000s,” he said. “As Shanti Das says in the documentary, Southern rap built its foundation on the back of Freaknik.”
We recently caught up with P. Frank Williams to discuss Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told, which reached #1 on Hulu in the weekend after its release, and the launch of his new production company, For The Culture By The Culture.
This interview has been edited & condensed for clarity.
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told Is Out Now
Photo by Tyrone Richardson
I love the way you’re able to unpack so many layers surrounding this. It provides a bigger picture of the significance of Freaknik. Just knowing your history as a journalist in the 90s, what was your personal experience like at Freaknik?
I mean, I was a college student in the early 90’s and attending San Diego State. And I’m in a fraternity so at that particular point, I did pass down around there in like around ‘91 and attended Freaknik. It’s really about young Black college students. So I was a part of that, especially being in a fraternity with The Divine Nine. So, you know, I understood and experienced Freaknik. I didn’t go to it when it was crazy like it became but I do have a cultural understanding of it in real time in real life.
What was the biggest takeaway for you from this documentary?
I think that the origin story, which a lot of people don’t know. It started with these young Black college students in 1983 from the DC Metro Club. I just thought it was a party that they just got cracking. I had no idea that came from actual students who’d had this picnic, and that it became that way. That was one of the big things that I learned.
I also learned – I had no idea that the city of Atlanta, especially the mayor, Bill Campbell, tried so hard to keep Freaknik and try to rebrand as a Black college Spring Break weekend. And he was dealing with the whole city of Atlanta, the white businesses who didn’t necessarily want this African American picnic, and that’s what happened. Those are some of the things that I didn’t really know as much about before I started producing and directing the film.
The documentary is obviously a celebrity-packed affair. Was there anyone who declined or that you weren’t able to interview for this documentary?
I don’t know about that. I mean, I think there’s been some apprehension. You know, a lot of people wanted to participate, especially if you were there. There have been some apprehensions on the part of some of the Black colleges who I think didn’t understand what the film was about, initially. Because of all of the controversy in the media, people thought it was going to be raunchy and salacious, which it’s not if you watch it. It’s not that by no means. Those are some of the people who weren’t able to get in [or that we’d hope] had a little bit more participation.
Outside of that, what was the biggest hurdle with this documentary?
I think just some of the naysayers and people who were trying to label it as something offensive to Black culture, or just that it was gonna be bad for the culture. Also, just people who didn’t understand what it was about. When you say, Freaknik, they think it’s just a street party, or people being negative towards women, or rape or assault. But obviously, it’s about a lot more things than just that, and not just a party. Just overcoming stereotypes was a really tough thing of what people thought it was going to be.
Now that it’s out, how do you feel about the outcome and the reception? Do you feel you accomplished what you set out to do?
I more than accomplished my goal. I mean, this Freaknik documentary has become a global phenomenon, a sort of viral sensation, which I had no idea that was going to happen. And it happened organically. It’s almost like breaking a record back in the day when we first put out the information about it and just announced it. It went crazy without a sizzle reel, without a trailer, without anything. I’m really blessed.
I think the content has connected with a lot of people around the world because hopefully – you watch this film, this is about Black joy. It’s about freedom, it’s about fun. It’s not about just somebody turning up or anything negative. This was about younger kids who found their sort of Summer Of Soul, their Woodstock. So that’s what I want people to takeaway. That this was a story of joy and fun.
As we speak, it’s currently the top trend on Twitter across the globe. One of the running jokes since its announcement was that people were warning their parents, uncles, and aunts about the doc. Have you received any backlash yet for some of the footage included in Freaknik?
I’ve been telling people, obviously, there’s a big brouhaha about some of the people saying that their own to their grandma or their deacon or their pastor or their nurse being portrayed. There have been some people talking to try to block the release. Obviously, they weren’t successful. But I look at it as a badge of honor. To me, that means that she was outside having a good time back in ‘92-’93.
I think it should be a good thing, you know? Your mom, your uncle, your auntie, they all were 21 at one point in their lives, right? I think people were just having fun. I don’t think it should be a negative thing at all. If you got too lit and doing too much, then that might not be good. But overall, I don’t think it’s a negative thing.
This comes shortly after your work on Hip-Hop Homicides with 50 Cent. This is a bit more lighthearted in comparison. However,it’s another project where you worked alongside a few hip-hop heavyweights. 21 Savage, Uncle Luke, and Jermaine Dupri served as executive producers. As a journalist, how critical was their input into creating this documentary and providing a full scope of how Atlanta’s cultural ecosystem works?
I think Jermaine Dupri was key because the rise of So So Def directly parallels Freaknik, literally, from the jump. You know, “Jump” with Kriss Kross to Da Brat to whatever, as I say in the film. He was key because he’s sort of the mayor of Atlanta and sort of the gatekeeper of the culture here. And he actually lived it, even though he’s a little bit younger, and Luke is the soundtrack of Freaknik. He is the guy who turned the party out. He put the freak – as he said – in Freaknik. And so I think you couldn’t have it with those two guys.
A lot of people I’ve heard online – Joe Budden or different people – talking about why is 21 Savage an executive producer. 21 has had multiple birthday parties Freaknik themed which I put in the film. He’s really sort of a disciple of the Freaknik family tree. Without Outkast and Goodie Mob and all those people, there’s no Latto, there’s no 21, there’s no Lil Baby. So I think that it’s fair to say that, even though he wasn’t at Freaknik, he’s still a Freaknik baby. We used them, to be quite honest, as a way to connect with the younger generation. That was part of the reason why he was one of the executive producers.
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told does a great job at capturing the pipeline between Atlanta, Black music, and how all of these things collide with Freaknik. From your perspective – just thinking about Andre 3000’s speech at the Source Awards in ‘95 – how do you think the trajectory of Atlanta’s hip-hop scene would’ve shifted had Freaknik not ended the way it did?
That’s a good question. As I told Dallas Austin last night and told JD and different people I know, without Freanik, the Atlanta music scene does not grow and becomes what it becomes. Because you’ve got all these people to come into the city, you got people discovering the music. You got JD and Dallas building up their labels based on all these thousands and millions of people.
I think that if Freaknik would have kept going, I think you probably would have saw more bass music. I really think the end of Freaknik signifies the birth of trap music in the early 2000s. And you know, in the 90s, it was more about bass music and partying. So, I think that opened the door for trap music.
How do you think Freaknik, especially from its development in the late 80s and early 90s, helped create the cultural connection between the South and other regions, whether the East Coast, the Midwest,or the West Coast? You see footage from ‘94 of Biggie and Craig Mack performing.
One of the points I’m making in the film is the pass-around ability in the 90s. You know, Outkast mixtape, you could put that in your tape deck right there. If you came from Virginia, Florida, Texas, or wherever and you came to Freaknik, you got that music that they were playing in the streets. You took that back to your home. So I think that Southern rap spread through Freaknik.
As Shanti Das says in the documentary, Southern rap built its foundation on the back of Freaknik. And so, Freaknik was spreading Southern rap all over the country, based on people from all over bringing that music back to their city. JD talks about it extensively and so you know, that happened because of Freaknik. Where else could you have hundreds of thousands of people on the street and be able to promote your music?
I think there was an innocence and a beauty of Freaknik, musically, in terms of what we could do and just how the music drove the whole thing. Without the music, there’s no Freaknik. And by the way, I tell people, this is a music documentary. It’s about how Black southern music, especially Hip Hop, drove the culture of Freaknik.
ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 22: 21 Savage and Drake attend 21 Savage’s Freaknik22: The Sequel at Underground Atlanta on October 22, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/ GettyImages)
Going back to when you first attended Freaknik, how do you think the entrepreneurship shown during Freaknik reflects the modern state of Atlanta today?
Well, that’s a really good question. That’s one of the best questions I’ve been asked since I’ve been doing this. You know, Atlanta has an entrepreneurial kind of spirit, anyway. I think if you look back to the days in the 60s and how African Americans have always thrived as a Black business here.
If you look at Edgewood, or even Killer Mike with his shop – I think that the young generation, the Gen Z – I have two Gen Z kids – they grew up like, “I don’t have to work for somebody, I don’t have to go get a record label to make it.” They can just do it themselves, they can sell their own merch. They got the internet. The internet has become like a global marketplace to do whatever you want. So I think for Atlanta, the entrepreneurialism that started with JD or different people in the 90s only quadrupled, I mean, tenfold with Gen Z because there are more opportunities, especially because of the internet.
How do you think people’s attitudes about Freaknik and their involvement have changed over the years? From being a celebratory party to becoming taboo, to now, where it carries this very significant legacy.
I think it’s all about perception, right? Back in the day, it was just thought of as this fun turn up thing. The announcement of this documentary [had] people thinking I was going to do a salacious over-the-top, kind of like exposé. Now, I think the people actually watching the film see that it’s the candy and the vegetables. I gave you all the candy, which is the party and the turn up, the girls, the getting lit, the cars. But there’s a vegetable which is Black economic freedom. Young Black people finding themselves in a college way, you know? Young ladies liberating themselves sexually. You know, political strife, which is the Black police in Atlanta against these young people party. And so hopefully, I gave you a full-course meal, not just like an appetizer, you know?
The documentary explains how things got a little hectic, Atlanta tried to clamp down, and things didn’t move forward the way they wanted to. Now, we’re seeing a similar situation happen in Miami Beach for Spring Break. Do you see the parallels between the two?
300%. I think some of the issues that happened back then – it’s unfortunate that some of the racism from society, from police – that plague some of the young Black people of Freaknik of the 90s is still happening today in 2024. It only speaks to, unfortunately, how far we haven’t progressed as a race and as a culture of human beings. It’s not something I wanted to show that it’s still the same, but it’s the truth.
The former mayor of Atlanta, Bill Campbell, appears in the documentary and still feels strongly about how he handled Freaknik. Then, you have Stacy Lloyd. She details being assaulted at Freaknik, and expresses her disappointment in law enforcement and the politicians. From your conversations with both, what do you think could’ve been done differently to protect Black women and Freaknik attendees at large from some of the chaotic elements that plagued the event?
You know, it’s a really tough one. I think we definitely don’t want our sisters ever being assaulted by us, or anyone. I mean, not feeling safe. Again, as I said, some of the elements that came in later were not the best elements. And when those kinds of elements creep into things, you can’t control that. I do think that Freaknik was a big street party that cops were trying to figure out how to navigate.
So to Stacy’s point, she felt that law enforcement failed her. In some ways, they did because they didn’t protect her from being assaulted, and there weren’t enough police on the street to stop some of the bad actions of the predatory men. I do think that we need to find a way to balance that and not make it in a way where law enforcement is overbearing, but people feel safe. And so regretfully, that happened, and I think because of that, that’s why Freaknik had to end.
What was the process like getting Stacy Lloyd in the documentary?
We were able to put a post out on Facebook. I had a researcher who started looking around for young ladies or people who had situations. We spoke to a few people, and we ended up working with her.
Was she initially open to appearing in the documentary?
I mean, it was a little bit traumatic, obviously. You can imagine if you’re revisiting yourself being assaulted 25 years ago, but she was a soldier and a really strong person. And I think that what she did was have a voice for women and Black women by telling her story, which was an important story because not everything in Freaknik was piece to pie. There was a lot of negative things that went on, as well.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MARCH 20: Luther Campbell, Jermaine Dupri, Nikki Byles, P. Frank Williams, Jay Allen and Deshawn Plair attend Hulu’s “Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told” Atlanta Screening at The Bank Event Center on March 20, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/FilmMagic)
By the end of the documentary, Freaknik is described as “something that needs to die” yet we’ve seen its resurgence in recent years. How do you see the legacy of Freaknik carrying on with the younger generation, especially those who were barely alive during its peak?
I think the nostalgia and the legacy of Freaknik are one of Black joy and freedom. And I think there’s a lot of young people who want to go back to that and I think that that’s why it’s connecting. This film is a multi-generational connection. A lot of times, things are for the older people in hip-hop or the golden era. Sometimes the younger – the Tekashi stuff is for a different demo. I think this is a universal story because it’s about it’s about joy, it’s about fun, it’s about hanging out with your friends, it’s about meeting girls, it’s about girls meeting guys, you know what I mean?
So I think that themes are universal and I think a lot of the people, like the Drake’s and the Latto’s and the Lil Baby’s and the 21’s, they want to go back to that time because that would seem like a time when it was safer and more fun. So I’m glad that the film brought so much nostalgia, but also, you know, connected with a whole new generation.
Do you think Freaknik could ever be what it was back in the day?
No, I mean, I think that was a that was a genie in a bottle. It was a time capsule because the world was a different place. Everybody wasn’t on their phone trying to snap a selfie. People weren’t so connected to the internet; people were in the moment a lot more. Things were a lot safer, even though it was dangerous, sometimes gang violence but Freaknik itself, even though there were some moments, was not a dangerous event. And so I think that in that regard, it couldn’t come back.
But I do think, the 21 Savage birthday party, where he had it in a controlled environment with a lot of police. There’s only one way in one way out. He had all the phone booths, and the cars and the girls and all that. Like, that’s sort of what it could be today in a controlled situation. But I don’t think it could be 250,000 people all over the city of Atlanta going crazy. That couldn’t happen again.
Final question – you just launched your new production company, For The Culture By The Culture. Tell me more about what we could expect from this new venture.
For The Culture By The Culture is, you know, obviously, I’ve released that talking about the new company. Just want to create more opportunities for People Of Color to tell their stories. You know, I got a Busta Rhymes doc that I’m doing that’s in motion, a project or two on Tubi and different stuff. I just want to use this opportunity to create more stories about hip-hop, Black political culture or whatever it may be. And so that’s my goal, to continue to tell the stories about our culture, whether it be on a large streamer like Hulu or Disney or Tubi or stuff that I create for my own platform. So yeah, man, we’re for the culture, by the culture.
Big Homiie G is a Memphis native and rising star to watch. Under the NLess Entertainment umbrella, he stands as a testament to the power of perseverance, talent, and familial ties within the industry. Furthermore, as the blood cousin of renowned rapper Moneybagg Yo, Big Homiie G’s journey into the world of music carries with it a unique blend of heritage, mentorship, and raw talent. Signed to NBA legend Zach Randolph’s NLess Entertainment record label, Big Homiie G has steadily carved out his own path, garnering attention with each release and solidifying his status as a force to be reckoned with in the rap game. In addition, he just dropped his latest project Self Made Self Paid, and is showcasing just why he’s one to watch.
Moreover, with a string of successful singles and projects under his belt, including the recent drops “Blowing Money Fast” and “On A Jet,” Homiie G has proven himself to be a versatile artist. Furthermore, he has a talent for crafting infectious beats and captivating lyricism. The project spans 17 tracks and features guest appearances from a few heavy hitters including Rob49, GloRilla, DeeBaby, YTB Fatt, and more. His collaborations with fellow NLess label-mates and industry heavyweights serve as a testament to his growing influence within the music scene. In addition, he’s truly self made and has taken the steps to advance himself in the music scene.
Big Homiie G Sets The Tone With His Newest Project
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 21: Big Homiie G attends a Listening Dinner With Special Guest YTB Fatt on February 21, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
However, Big Homiie G’s journey is not only defined by his musical abilities. Having started his career as part of a group alongside Moneybagg Yo and Blac Youngsta, he understands the value of collaboration and the importance of staying true to one’s roots. Moreover, despite parting ways with his former group members to pursue solo endeavors, Big Homiie G’s bond with Moneybagg Yo remains strong, with the latter serving as both a mentor and a source of inspiration.
Moreover, in this exclusive Q&A session, HNHH explores the motivations behind Big Homiie G’s music, the lessons learned from his cousin Moneybagg Yo, and his aspirations for the future. From his early days as a hype man to his current status as a rising star, Big Homiie G’s story is one of resilience, determination, and a commitment to success. Furthermore, keep reading to learn what sets Big Homiie G apart in an industry overflowing with talent and ambition.
HotNewHipHop: How would you describe your music and your sound for those who are not familiar?
Big Homiie G: I been doing music for a while. My music is based on real life experiences … the clubs, the drugs. Hood stuff… I’m self made & it’s self explanatory.
Being that Moneybagg Yo is your cousin, how do you think he’s played a role in your career?
A cosign is always the cheat route. It’s the cheat code. He taught me how to stay consistent with music. You can’t just drop a project and think you can lay off a year or two.
What is the biggest thing you’ve learned from working with and watching Moneybagg Yo?
Bagg showed me how to stay consistent. I used to be his hype man. He showed me how to stay down and never give up. It gotta work, and that there’s no plan B… Staying involved … I was going to photoshoots. Interviews. Staying in the studio. Always trying to be creative. Staying on social media. Stay in peoples’ face.
What was the inspiration behind creating this project?
This project is about being motivated … to get your own. You can be an independent artist and can still ball like a major. I put so much into this … it’s a lot of pain in there, club songs, vibes.
What went into the creation of your tracklist? How did you go about picking the right artists for each song?
When I’m selecting people, I already hear the person on it. Like, GloRilla, she perfect for this song. Rob49 we were in the studio together, we made that together. He did what he did. DeeBaby, he reached out to me… I have all really great relationships with each artist.
In addition, what message do you ultimately want audiences to take away from your latest project?
Just being self motivated. I just want people to be self motivated. Gotta want to do it for yourself. This project finna be amazing. Get into it. It’s gonna be the best project that’s out. Listen to what I’m saying.
Thanks for sharing your story with us! Can’t wait to check out the project.
Even though their flagship artist happens to be the most streamed artist on Earth, OVO Sound has benefited from obscurity. PartyNextDoor, Roy Woods, and even DVSN emerged from the shadows of the Toronto area, helping fortify and develop the distinctly eerie R&B sound that emerged from the city in the past decade.
Although it’s no secret that the OVO sound largely caters to women, Naomi Sharon became the first woman signed to the label. The futuristic R&B star hails from Rotterdam, Netherlands, where she got her start in theatre. However, Sharon became a breath of fresh air in R&B since the debut of singles like “Celestial” and “Another Life.”
Much like how PartyNextDoor helped expand Toronto’s R&B sound, and Roy Woods’ intrinsic ability to fuse Caribbean production into his music helped usher in a new sound of pop music, Obsidian felt like it strengthened another era in OVO’s history, one where Drake leaped out of his comfort zone to release, Honestly, Nevermind. As Naomi explains, it was more of a coincidence than a deliberate sonic in-house decision. This is largely due to the contributions that her producers, Beau Nox and Alex Lustig, had on Honestly, Nevermind.
Like Sharon, Nox and Lustig are both European with fundamental understandings of the electronic genre overseas. However, their expertise ultimately helped Naomi Sharon create a body of work that feels timeless. Obsidian strikes deep emotional resonance through her heavenly vocals and trance-like production choices. A primary influence was the sounds that shaped her growing up. Her father was a DJ who spun plenty of deep house. At the same time, her household was filled with plenty of jazz and global sounds, which formed her foundation. These sounds evoke a warm sensation of nostalgia, a delicate emotion she describes as equally complicated and beautiful.
“I grew up listening to Sting, a lot of jazz, and a lot of world music, so I try to put everything that I have from that era of my life into my music because it gives me this nostalgic feeling which is very important for me when I make music,” Naomi Sharon told HotNewHipHop in February. “Because whenever I listen to music from back then, it does a lot for me. And where nowadays, we have a lot of songs that kind of sound the same. No disrespect, but I think that people hold this like formula, and they want to make music with that only in mind, you know, instead of really creating something. You can craft something and you can create something and I love to create something.”
As Sharon prepares to kick off the 7-city Obsidian Live tour, we caught up with the OVO songstress to dive into her latest project, spirituality, 40’s mentorship, and why she chose to perform in smaller venues on her first-ever headlining tour.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
HotNewHipHop:What about the production on Obsidian made you open up emotionally in such a way? The songwriting and vocals are very intimate yet the production itself is very inviting.
Naomi Sharon: I think, you know, whenever I make songs I create it for people that hold that space as well. You know, like a vulnerable, safe setting where we can talk about life. And so the people that were on the production, they’re my friends, and they know what I like, I know what they like, and we have our own kind of like world or something. We tried to make something timeless, minimalistic. And I think that by doing that, you have a lot of room for vocals and all these important things. I mean, at least to me to build on, and, you know, to create.
How does having that group of trusted collaborators around you help you strike a balance between indulging in this safe space you created emotionally and delivering songs that feel a bit more danceable?
Like I said, when you have a safe space, you feel way more comfortable [sharing] things about your life. And, of course, when you know these people already, it’s easier to just talk about anything in general. I think that we did a really good job at making timeless music. I just hope that this music reaches a lot of people of every age. It’s beautiful when that happens. Also, the more danceable songs were all kind of inspired by the early 2000s and things that I grew up with. And yeah, they hold so much nostalgia.
Can you describe some of those sounds you grew up with? Popular music in Europe is obviously different than in the States but the European vibes are prevalent across this album.
Yeah, I mean, my dad has always DJ’d and he loves house and deep house and whatever. And I think yeah, it’s such a European vibe, as well, and we really grew up with that. And we have some amazing DJs from the Netherlands, as well, so it’s not that hard to, you know, create something in that world. So we took some inspiration from that and also, [the duo] Everything But The Girl. They have some really crazy tunes that inspired us sound-wise, but then also like, just the aesthetics that it gives off. I grew up listening to Sting, a lot of jazz, and a lot of world music, so I try to put everything that I have from that era of my life into my music because it gives me this nostalgic feeling which is very important for me when I make music.
I think nostalgia is complicated but it’s also very beautiful, almost, like, emotion, you know? And I think that if I evoke that in people whenever I make these types of songs, it’s something that makes me really happy. Because whenever I listen to music from back then, it does a lot for me. And where nowadays, we have a lot of songs that kind of sound the same. No disrespect, but I think that people hold this like formula, and they want to make music with that only in mind, you know, instead of really creating something. You can craft something and you can create something. And I love to create something.
Naomi Sharon via Brandon Bowen
There’s clearly a spiritual aspect to your artistry. From your perspective, how does the songwriting process allow you to unlock and discover parts of yourself and your spirituality?
I mean, it’s kind of like his shadow work. You know, like, whenever I write something, it’s like, it always comes out or it’s like something that I can resonate with. And like, a different period of time in my life. And whatever I’m writing is very truthful. It’s like something that I am going through at that time, or, you know, like, it’s a diary for me, really. And I think it’s important, because whenever I want to tell a story, because I think that making a movie or making music or whatever, we all tell a certain story, right? And I think it’s important that it’s truthful, and that maybe my audience can resonate with it.
Does it get emotionally difficult during that process at all?
I don’t want to say emotionally difficult. I think it’s just part of life to talk about these things. And I think it’s really important to me to talk about whatever I’m going through, and I can do that with my friends or my family, or I can do that on paper, you know? And create something with a melody and give it something special.
But of course, it’s not the easiest thing when you’re going through a difficult time in your life and you have to write about these things. I would say, maybe, challenging to keep it also positive and lighthearted. And I think with Obsidian, I didn’t want it to be an album with with with [heartbreak as its theme]. I think that whenever you have a heartbreak or you’re going through a difficult time, there’s always a bright side to it or something that you can learn from.
Was there any particular song that kind of felt like a breakthrough, whether emotionally or musically?
I feel like “Another Life” was a very special one. When we made that in a studio, I remember I was very happy with it. We were playing the song and we were just sitting on a couch listening to it and it got to us. And yeah, there are some other songs, as well. Like for instance, a very vulnerable one is “Regardless.” Like I said, you know, every song I tried to put my all into it and like, give it a truthful story. So every song has something that can touch me but the songs in particular, I guess. And “Myrrh” as well “Myrrh” is a raw one, as well.
What was the process like recording “Myrrh”?
It was the first song actually that we made for this album. And I was not in a very happy place and I was just sitting with my producer Beau Nox. He writes, as well, and he comes up with this chorus. And immediately, I fell in love with it. And I don’t know, it touches me so deep, that I was like, this is incredible. This is so beautiful. It’s such a spiritual song to me. Right away, I was caught in it and we wrapped it up in like such a short amount of time that day. Whenever that happens, it kind of shows me that it had to be done like that. You know, it was meant to be.
You’ve mentioned how the album’s title is a reference to the obsidian necklace you wore that you felt getting heavier each day. Does the necklace still carry the same weight these days?
I haven’t worn that necklace in a while but I do have an obsidian next to my bed so, I don’t feel like it’s the same energy. I think that back then, I was in a very different place. And right now, I really embrace all these things from life, even when it’s getting darker or whatever, where maybe back then, I was walking away from it. I mean, I’m always very confrontational but I think I am more now than ever. So I think that the obsidian stands for that, as well. You confront your trauma with it. I mean, it’s also a protective stone, but you know, the meaning behind it, it’s going deeper and having this introspective moment with yourself where you can find all these blind spots or whatever. And I feel way more comfortable doing that now.
In the press release for “Nothing Sweeter,” you describe the record as “a vulnerable song that captures the fragility of falling in love. There’s an indescribable magic in the first kiss with the one you love. Regardless of what follows, that initial kiss remains unmatched and unforgettable.” What’s the importance of living in the moment during the creative process? You know, a lot of people exist with heartbreak for so long that it makes them jaded.
You can feel it in your body when you don’t move on. It’s like, you know, you’re keeping yourself hostage, it’s so important to free yourself from that negativity. It’s not that I’m saying negativity is not a part of life, or it shouldn’t be. Because it is. It’s yin and yang. It’s so important to just realize that everything comes to an end, and also, all these feelings and whatever you have. I wanted to just break free from that and live my life instead of looking back at everything and [feeling] sorry for myself. And there’s so much to enjoy in life, you know? So that keeps me really in the moment and present.
What I just described about shadow work that I mentioned is – it’s so important that if I can look back at it and be like, “Hey, you survived that.” I think it’s important for me to send that same message to other people who go through the same thing. I think it’s a very beautiful thing if you can inspire people to look a little bit deeper into themselves and, you know, break their patterns for themselves.
You can only do that by analyzing what’s going on in your life and analyzing what the situation is and then you know, to figure out how to break the patterns that you have in life and that are holding you hostage because it’s such a waste of your time, you know? Like, of course, you can be sad or mad or whatever but it’s such a waste of your time to be mad for 30 years or something. People hold grudges all the time. So if I can, if I can do that for myself, I hope that I can do that for someone else as well.
FLORENCE, ITALY – JANUARY 09: Naomi Sharon attends the GUESS JEANS “The Next 40 Years Of Denim” launch dinner at Teatro Del Maggio on January 09, 2024 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for GUESS JEANS)
On that note, what do you think your purpose in life is beyond releasing music?
Making music, to me, is what I need to do for myself because it heals me. And I think if you’re coming from a healed place, you can do that for others as well. Or, I mean, inspire them, right? Of course, there’s much more than a career. I really believe in a spiritual life or if you want to call it a spiritual career, maybe. But for me, music is spiritual. For me, music is everything that gets me through the day.
I don’t want to sound – it’s not a cliche or something. I really try to explain why it’s so important because it’s also frequency. It’s so much more than just the things that we put out. Okay, that’s nice, a music video, we look at it. Okay, on to the next one. Or the formulas that I was talking about. People want to make hits. Okay but with these hits, is it another tune that we don’t need to think about and it’s just like a nice melody, and that’s it? Or is it something with a message? And is it something that I can give to people to think about? I don’t want to call it, like, my job but I think it’s something that I need to do in this life.
I think we have our own responsibilities as well. I’m not a guru, I’m not an activist, I’m not all these things. I’m just me, I’m Naomi, and I sing and I make music and if it resonates and if it heals people, I think that’s a wonderful thing. It’s not something that I need to force. It’s something that happens naturally because it’s meant to be.
Obsidian, in my opinion, sounds like a sonic extension of Honestly, Nevermind in a few ways. I was just curious whether you had any involvement in Drake’s album.
Well, no, but my producers had. They were working for me. And then Drake was listening to the album and he was impressed by Beau Nox, who’s one of the producers, and Alex Lustig. They’re both from Europe as well, you know, they really understand that type of music. And Drake already had like a beautiful, beautiful body of work. But he wanted to have some special things on it with the other people who helped create this album for Drake as well. Alex and Beau really contributed their thing on it, for sure.
Ah, that’s interesting. I thought there may have been an overlap between when both projects were recorded.
I mean, Obsidian was made, like, two years ago, two and a half years ago. At the same time, he was making his album but it was already kind of finished. He already had like a skeleton of it. I was starting at the time but at the end of my album, that was the time that I listened to his album because we exchanged that while sitting in the room with each other in the studio with 40. But it was like, my album was already kind of done so we were both like presenting each other a raw body of work.
How’s the chemistry like with 40 in the studio? As much as Drake helped introduce you to the masses, 40’s been the mastermind behind the sound at OVO.
40 is amazing, just want to point that out. He is such a beautiful human being, who is also a genius musically, but also in life, in general. He has such an interesting persona or has such an interesting character. And he is open to a lot of things, you know like he doesn’t really push me into a direction. It’s just like, “Hey, look at this,” or “Maybe, you want to look at that.” And I’m open to that.
We always have these beautiful conversations about music and what it does. You know, he is definitely a mentor to me. And I’m very glad that he’s part of my world as well because he did so many amazing things. And of course, also for Drake, he had played a big role in his life to get them where they are right now.
You’re heading back to Toronto during this tour – one of a few select dates. Since you recorded a lot of the album in Toronto, I wanted to know about your first time in the city and how you’re feeling about returning.
Yeah, I mean, I made the album in Toronto so it really is a special place for me. I was there for two months back then, and I love Toronto. It really reminds me of my own city but like on a bigger scale. I think it’s way bigger and whatever, but really reminds me of the city that I come from, Rotterdam in the Netherlands. And I’m so excited. I feel like people over there, the love that I’m receiving from them, and the support is so beautiful. So it really feels like a warm bath, you know, to come there and to play my album for them. I’m really looking forward to it.
PARIS, FRANCE – MARCH 03: Naomi Sharon attends the Ottolinger Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on March 03, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Francois Durand/Getty Images)
I’m looking forward to seeing how your aesthetic with this album translates to the live performance. What colors would you use to describe this album or tour in its totality?
Hmm, I would definitely say black, although it’s not a color. You know, it’s just the stone obsidian and even the latex dresses that I’m wearing right now. To me, when I had that idea in mind, I was like, yeah, I want to have something that resembles the stone. And on stage, latex it’s like a glass stone. It’s obsidian for me.
Black is a really important color, tint, whatever you want to call it. I think overall, I’m just like a very simple girl, kind of blues and grays. And you know, like, yeah, watery. I’m in a watery team, as always, because it’s my element. No surprise. I think the other day, I saw a comment. Someone commented, “Are you ever going to change your aesthetic to a warmer tone?” And I was like, “No, no, no.”
With this tour, you’re hitting much smaller venues that I think have a capacity of about 150-200. Why did it feel important to hit more intimate settings during your first run?
Because, you know, it’s my first run. Of course, I have some amazing fans, but you never know. You want to take it step by step, at least I want to do that. I just want to take it step by step, and see where we’re going. Of course, I can go to a larger venue but I can say that right now because everything was sold out. I didn’t know that that was going to happen, to be honest with you. It’s beautiful. I’m very lucky that it happened, and now we know that in the future, we can go to a larger venue and do more dates.
I think it’s really important to just take it step by step and see what you can do and know where you’re at. It’s a good thing. It’s not a big tour, it’s like a mini tour and it’s perfect right now. And, also, it’s good to see that people get greedy for the tickets as well *laughs*. You know, it’s a good thing. I’m like, “Oh, it’s in high demand.” It’s beautiful, it’s perfect.
I think it’s dope, especially for where you’re at right now in your career. Once you hit the bigger venues, I think the people who see you now will be so much more grateful for being able to see you play these more intimate spots. Like, I remember seeing Drake 12-13 years ago performing a daytime slot at a festival, and look at him now, you know?
That’s beautiful. Also, you know, in a few years still – I mean, I hope that I’m bigger than I am now. But like, it’s still, for me, so important to have these intimate moments because then you can connect. I don’t think you can really connect with people in a stadium. It’s beautiful but it’s more like – when people are in your face, and you can see their eyes and their smiles or their tears or whatever is going on, that really elevates me as an artist. That really brings my performance to a higher level. So I think aside from being big, or whatever I’m going to be in a few years, I think it’s still something that I would do occasionally to just have that connection because it’s so important to me.
Brooklyn Candida Rodriguez is among the younger voices you’ll hear in rap today, but her talent and perspective feel more akin to five lifetimes. As Bktherula, she mixes hard-hitting rap bangers with alternative psychedelic leanings, aggressive bravado with spiritual yearning, lifelong training as a singer with lifelong instinct as a lyricist and performer, and youthful vibrance with sobering meditation. On the 21-year-old’s brand new album, LVL5 P2, these odds, ends, and extremes manifest into what might be the most versatile, compelling, cohesive, and well-rounded character portrait in her discography so far. With guest spots from JID and Cash Cobain, plus her most adventurous material so far, there’s something here for anyone whose ear perked up while listening to the Atlanta native in the past. Most importantly, it solidifies her commitment to bettering herself, sticking to her code, and finding full artistic freedom.
During this interview, Bktherula takes us through some of her favorite moments on LVL5 P2, the people and ideas that inspire her, her newfound perspective on her maturity and approach, and how having a big music career has been both everything and nothing like she expected. These moments were broken up by bits of laughter, frantic searches for a phone charger, and sneak peeks of just how long she’s kept things in the vault. But when the “IT WASN’T ME” mastermind decides to unlock the cage, it always results in blown minds and bleeding earphones. Her sound is powerful for many different reasons, in its heaviest and lightest spaces, and all her personalities and approaches shine through on P2. Whether it’s Rue Santan, Black, Santana, Rula, Tanjenica, Tanya on the mic… expect greatness, expect idiosyncrasy, and strap in for Level Five.
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
HNHH: Welcome Bk, thanks so much for being with us! Before getting into LVL5 P2 (Level Five, Player Two), I want to kick things off with your excellent brand new single and music video, “THE WAY,” which just dropped today (Ed. Note: this interview was conducted on Friday, March 8). I know it’s only been a couple of hours, but I wanted to ask you how you feel about the reception you’ve seen so far to the single and why you think this was one of the tasters you wanted to give fans for the project.
Bktherula: I actually really enjoy “THE WAY.” I think it gives, like, a more vulnerable side to myself that I have not really given in the past. I mean, I have, but just not as much as “THE WAY,” I think “THE WAY” gives a little bit more of it, like a nice little dash. Because I gave them “CRAYON,” and I went hard with “CRAYON.” So I was like, “Alright, let me slow y’all down real quick.” Because the intro, as you know, to the album is, like, f***ing nuts. So, I just had to slow them down real quick, you know what I’m saying? So I could bring them back up.
Towards the end of “THE WAY,” I heard some conga percussion or some bongos, but I thought it was a really nice touch. I see what you mean about taking it a step further from stuff that you’ve already been doing your whole career.
Yeah, man, right? It’s going crazy. But I’m so glad that you liked it, though, because I was a little nervous.
For the years that I’ve been listening to you, your flow has always brought me to your music, which in my opinion is one of the most creative and unique parts of your work. On “CRAYON,” you rap “Record it myself, I wrote it myself, I like it, so I’ma submit it.” Can you give us a glimpse into that writing and recording process? Do you let it be as natural as possible, or do you try to make it more of this deliberate thing to hit certain pockets?
Weirdly enough… I guess it’s boringly enough, I just was born like this. *laughs* Like, I go to the studio, and then I just do it. And it’s very natural. I’m just in the studio, and my friends are just in the studio with me. I don’t really have too many people in there. It’s probably, like… I had three people in the studio with me yesterday. As long as it’s the Sony C-800G, I’m recording some fire flame. I made a song yesterday, I don’t remember how it sounds, I’m actually very excited to hear it. Yeah, it’s very boring, but it’s very easy for me.
Photo Credit: Jimmy Fontaine
I don’t know if you have the same view on it, but there’s also something that I find really meditative about your music, whether it’s the lighter cuts on LVL5 P2 like “JUST MAKE SURE” or the hard hitters like “CODE.” On P2 specifically, how did you want to balance those extremes to make the album cohesive and well-flowing?
Honestly, I wanted to just give a little bit more than what I did the last time. And that’s why I was a little bit more vulnerable on this one, you know? Because P1 was really just, like, “F**k it, I don’t give a f**k about anything, about rules, about anything.” And then P2 is a little bit more structured and more mature, more reserved, but less fearful of showing emotion. It’s crazy.
Is that something that surprised you, or was it something that you wanted to achieve?
Surprised the frick out of me. I didn’t think that I would even be okay with it. Like, usually people are, like, “Oh, my God, I like when you sing!” And I just get f***ing, like, mad as f**k because I want to f***ing rap. I like rapping and I like singing, but I love rapping. So whenever people tell me that, sometimes I get offended. Well, at least P1 did. But I get it now. That’s why I say more mature for P2. She’s more mature, she gets it.
I wanted to ask about Love Santana as a bit of a retrospective because I read that you narrowed it down to 11 tracks from about 200 that you had in the vault. Was LVL5 P2 a similar experience for you?
Absolutely. Yes, I actually have songs on there, like “INSANE,” I made that when I was, like… I don’t even know, maybe 18? I’m 21. So I made “WOMAN”… I’d say “WOMAN” was the first song that I recorded when I learned how to record myself. And that was, like… three years ago? What else… “NUN”? 18. Like, a lot of those songs. N***as don’t even know what’s coming up, for real.
Being able to get JID on a song like “WOMAN” for example, which has been with you for so long, how does it feel for you to see these ideas finally come to life?
Oh, man, oh, man. It feels like a flower is finally at its form. Like, it totally just blossomed. It’s just this fire-a** flower, it just feels good. Looking at it, I’m very excited for it to drop. I’m actually very f***ing excited. I’m not even gonna lie, kind of freaking out on the inside, like, screaming, you know? Nah, JID’s insane. Absolutely. Like, his brain is right where mine is.
Considering your roots as a singer, like you mentioned, there are songs like “Detox,” “GANGO,” the Love Nirvana EP, and “SUMMER” that paved the way for your progression in terms of mixing genres together. It’s always been a big part of your artistry, and since you’ve had so much practice with it, is there a favorite or specific song of yours pre-P2 that you think defines that specific aspect of your career, or is it more spread across the whole catalog?
I think something that really explains it is maybe, like, “PSSYONFT.” That definitely explains it, and that was on P1. It’s just, like, you never know what you’re gonna get with me. I don’t give out what anyone wants, that’s another thing. Like, you can’t expect it. Being a fan of me is kind of hard, but surprisingly I have a lot of them. Just doing whatever the f**k I want to do, and just dropping whatever I want to drop all across the board. But “PSSYONFT,” I would say, is a great song to start off with. And I like “CODE,” of course. “CODE” is, like, insane.
Something else I noticed doing research for this is that a lot of people on your social media are very appreciative of how engaged you are. You’re very communicative, and usually fanbases either want less or they want more. But with you, they just really appreciate the honesty in all of that. As your fanbase has grown and everything, has it given you a different perspective on your work and what you feel like you can and can’t do?
Yes. I think I really want to be the definition of “You can do whatever.” As long as you pray to God, like… sometimes, especially being an artist, you get pressured to do a lot of different things. But I promise, I just know that I’m going to be able to do what I need to do by just praying and just doing what I need to do sometimes. Sometimes I get yelled at and do things, you know. But what’s making this happen is because I believe in God. And that’s it. Also, the way that I interact with my fans, I’m very genuine. I don’t lie. I don’t lie, I’m not gonna lie, and I’m also not going to make music that sounds like “Tweakin’ Together” for you, either.
But that’s just because I’ve grown, and I can’t lie. I can’t wear the same fit that I was wearing in middle school. Because if I put it on, I won’t even fit, for real. So I give my fans that mindset of evolution. It’s perfectly fine. If you want to go bald next year, then go f***ing bald. The people who stay are the people that need to be there, and the people who don’t stay need to f**k off. *laughs* That’s why my fanbase is cultish. They all really like me and they all stay because the ones that have remained are the ones that understand, and the ones that leave are the ones that were gonna leave in the first place.
Photo Credit: Jimmy Fontaine
With the “Level Five” mindset, you’re very appreciative of the people that are still in Three and Four, having empathy for them and everything. But do you feel like you’re at that point as an artist where you feel a certain type of resentment towards that past work before this evolution? Or do you still have that appreciation, even if you won’t make “Tweakin’ Together” five more times?
I love “Tweakin’ Together,” if we’re being completely really honest. I love all my old songs. Well, I’m lying, I actually don’t like some of my old songs. But I love a majority of them, and “Tweakin’ Together” is one of them. I really, really love “Tweakin’ Together,” actually. It just hit ten mil, you know that? Yes, crazy. And I’m very appreciative of it. It was a great f***ing time in my life, and that song actually defines why I do what I do. Because I liked that song, I recorded the song, I liked the song, and I submitted the song the same day I recorded it. And it’s my biggest song, and I didn’t let anyone give their opinion, until… I actually just didn’t let it happen.
No one had their thoughts on it. Only me, and I dropped it. And it’s my biggest song. That’s the recipe. That is the recipe: no thoughts. Go. Just faith. Go. I believed in it so much, I just dropped it, and it f***ing went up. I don’t have no resentment towards any of my songs because, at the end of the day, I’m gonna look back at that s**t and be, like, “Aw, I was such a baby.” It’s like a book, almost.
I have a bit of a weird question, but while doing research, I found two curious interests of yours that I really resonated with personally. Do the tracks on LVL5 P2 feel more like members of your horror toy collection, or are they more like the quantum physics classes that you took with the University of Tokyo?
Definitely quantum physics, definitely quantum physics. Because, it’s just… some of them are in the (Level) Three. “INSANE” is super Three. Fun fact, I don’t really like that song. It was a compromise with me and my boys. Because my boys… Mali (Maliputyouon) and Josh (Creezed) and Benji (BenjiDidIt), Josh is my engineer. I’ve known them since I was 15. They, like, actually put me in a studio. They’re the reason why I make music. They’re the reason why Love Santana is out.
They had a studio and they let me record. But they love that song for some strange reason, and I just have a feeling that that song is gonna go so up. It happens like that all the time. Like, I know it’s gonna go up, but I f**k with them and they mix my whole f***ing album and did all my videos. “THE WAY”? That’s Benji and Mali. “CRAYON”? That’s Benji and Mali. “Tweakin’ Together“? That’s Benji and Mali. So I was like, “You know what? You guys like the song, I’ll put the song on there. because I love you guys.”
Speaking of which, I did want to touch on your great collaborations. We mentioned JID, Cash Cobain is on P2 as well, the YoungBoy single is great, multiple with Rico Nasty, Destroy Lonely… You bring people into your world in a really great way. But what are the people outside of music that inspire you to go through that process, to make your art, and to express yourself in that way?
Oh, man… Well it’s a long list. Everyone around me, especially my friends. My friends inspire me in ways that I… Lord, I just thank God every day. We have moments that just inspire me like us just laughing. We laugh all the time, I’ve never laughed as much in my life as when I’m around them. I laugh so much, and they inspire me, especially my mommy. Like, my mom and my dad, they all just inspire me bad. Everything that I do. That’s such a great question, because everyone always asks me what artists I am inspired by. And I never know what to say. Sometimes I lie, because I just want to have something to say. But in reality, I always tell them I’m inspired by life. I’m inspired by sounds.
Like, I could go into the car and hear, like, any sound and I’m like, “Oh, my God, we gotta make this a song.” We’ve been saying this inside joke, and I’m like, “Oh, my God, I gotta say that inside joke in the song.” Like, life inspires me, anything inspires me. I don’t have a specific… Like, an artist didn’t want me to make music or didn’t make me want to make music. I didn’t listen to artists and was like, “I’m gonna make music.” I just started making music. Because I wanted to. But if anything, it’s my dad. My dad used to rap, and he was in a group called Planet X. And my mom sings, so that’s probably why. But I used to listen to Skrillex, though, I will say that. I love Skrillex.
Photo Credit: Jimmy Fontaine
Before LVL5 P1 even dropped, you talked to multiple publications about what “Level Five” means to you as a mindset. I know P1 was built up over three years, but now that P2 is in the rearview, what are some new things or surprises or things that you’ve doubled down on about Level Five as a mindset that have changed since you released it?
Oh, man. It’s getting harder, it’s getting harder. It’s getting more tough to be here in the Five. Um… It really is. It’s like, I need to have patience and s**t. I need to learn how to be patient, and I need to control my anger. Seriously, but sometimes you get upset at things of the dimension. I don’t know, someone could say something and it would piss me off because I get it and they don’t. But that’s ego, and I have to humble myself because I bleed just like everybody else, and I don’t know everything. I know I don’t, but sometimes I get in my head. It’s getting harder to control it.
People think Albert Einstein was probably having the time of his life because he was smart as hell, but he was probably going through it because he knew too f***ing much. Like, seriously, it’s not what everyone else thinks. It is La La Land until it’s not. Temptation is another thing. You’re gonna get tempted by the devil every f***ing day. Every f***ing day the devil is gonna try to throw what you want in your eyes, and you have to know that that’s not what you need. So you have to get ready, you know what I’m saying? You have to be here, you have to be president, you have to be in the right mindset to be in the Five and to f***ing not crash out. There’s so many people in the Five that probably crashed the f**k out in the Five, you know what I mean?
It’s getting hard. I’m in that stage right now. Because the more fame I get, the more I have to be on my toes because I’m gonna get thrown anything. Anything, bro. People are gonna come at me, “You want money for this? I’ll give you 2 million if you sign to me.” And then I gotta remember that I can get the two mil, but then I’m going to be unhappy. I have to sit here and be like, “I can’t take that two mil.” I’m getting a feeling that I can’t take that two mils. And I have to say no. And it f***ing pains me, but it’s just my flesh. It’s not even really me for real. I gotta listen to the higher, I can’t listen to myself. Can’t even trust me.
I wanted to bring up a couple of lyrics that I really loved on the album that I think relate to what you’re saying here. One of the ones that really resonated with me off of my first few listens was along the lines of, “Flying to the Sun, been losing my feathers on the way.” Level Five might not be everything that you expected it to be, but it’s because it’s that much harder to stay in it and commit yourself to that.
Yeah, I love that lyric. I love that song, I was just listening to it this morning. Yeah, flying to the top and you losing your feathers on the way, so real. But you got to get the f**k up, you got to get off your a**. And you have to remain happy, that’s one thing. If you’re not happy with something but you’re still doing it, your life will be miserable. I tried to live like that, and it doesn’t work. I’m miserable when I do that, so that’s why I just do what I want.
Like, everyone thought “CRAYON” was going to be a B-sides song. Everyone thought it, and no one really liked it. I mean, they liked it, but they wanted “THE WAY” to drop first. And I said no. I said no because I had that feeling in my stomach, like I had when I dropped “Tweakin’ Together,” and “CRAYON” ended up going crazier than the song that I have with NBA YoungBoy. I just thought that was so funny. Because I knew it. I don’t know, I mean, it happened for a reason, obviously. Now I will be listened to more, so that’s great.
You were easily one of, if not the most underrated set at Rolling Loud Miami 2022 that I saw. If somebody is going to go to one of your shows, what’s the checklist that they need to complete before attending? What do you need at a Bktherula show?
Water. You need water, you need… you need to check your ego at the door. That’s what you need to do. That ego needs to go down. Because you gotta be prepared for anything, for real. Maybe some anointing oil. You definitely got to check that ego at the door. That’s all you need to do is drop the ego. If you could just give up something instead of even carrying stuff to my show, that’d be fine.
Water and drop the ego: you’ll have a great time. If you’re standing in the crowd, and you’re trying to act like you know my lyrics thinking you’re gonna get backstage, you’re not getting backstage. If you’re not ready for the mosh pit, you will end up in the mosh pit. So you got to drop everything off at the door, at the gate, before you get into my s**t, for real. And also be prepared to maybe even get on stage.
I wanted to wrap things up with one more question. I’ve ended other interviews before by asking about hip-hop, but from what we’ve talked about today about LVL5 P2 and more, it’s clear that you have so many other influences. What’s one song, album, artist, or thing that changed the way that you look at the genre, and what’s one thing that you would recommend to a newcomer apart from your own music that you think could replicate that feeling?
I really like Mexican Slum Rats. They’re a band from the Valley, and they’re f***ing flame as f**k. I be hitting them up, and we’re hopefully going to make music together when they get off tour. I don’t know, they do anything. They’re like… I don’t even know what to call it, but it’s just f***ing fire. Just hella instruments, and the drums are bleeding through the headphones. I really want to do that, and I think they’re inspiring me to be more, like, “F**k it.” Just when you thought I was enough, I wasn’t. *laughs* But I want to be more “F**k it” like them, because they just do whatever the f**k they want.
There’s just one song, it’s called “Mal de Ojo,” and it’s just f***ing fire. They’re just f***ing screaming on that s**t, but I can tell that what they’re saying, they feel it. I think it’s inspired me to just say what I feel in any way and just go with it more than I do now. Also, I want to add drums in my s**t, and my best friend’s drummer, so that’ll work.
Yeah, more live drums would be awesome. I don’t know if this was live, but I really liked the outro of “JUST MAKE SURE”. That gives that sort of energy that I really, really enjoyed. One of my favorite moments on P2.
Oh, my God, yes! That’s literally, like… yes, absolutely. Yeah, that’s from Sonic Major, azure, Carlton McDowell. Man, they’re great producers. They did that in the studio and I watched it. I was inspired like never before. And for “THE WAY,” too, they also did that outro. The song did not sound like that at first. None of the songs sound like they did at first, they were just basic beats. They were just like a simple, you know, layout beat, but they took that s**t and they f***ing went nuts.
Man, producers are underrated. Like, very underrated. Producers are artists, producers are the artists, damn near. Producers are the artists, like, they… Whoa, because I wouldn’t even be able to do what I do without my n***as on the side of me really making my s**t. For real, I can rap to nothing. I can… I can do this! *starts banging arm on table* I can’t do s**t else, for real! *laughs* They’re so underrated.
Is there one producer right now that you’re dying to work with?
Uh… is there a producer that I really want to work with? Oh, WondaGurl, I want to work with her. She’s so cool! She’s cool as f**k, bro. I really want to work with Wonder Girl. She’s actually in L.A., I’m gonna text her and say, “Hey, can we work?” Hopefully, she says yes. Bro, underrated as f**k. Like, WondaGurl is fire as f**k. I don’t like how they be cheating women, for real, ’cause she really flame, though. She flame as f**k. Like, I need to work for her ASAP actually, like, today. I’ma have to hit her. I need to work with her, and I need to feel her energy and really understand it. Dead-a**, I just know we’ll make some flame, Like, two girls on a track? Like, what? Whoa, that would be crazy, bro. Me and WondaGurl come out with a single? Come on, bro.
Photo Credit: Jimmy Fontaine
Well, good luck with that! Bktherula, thank you so much for this interview and for your insight. Is there anything else that you want to add or shout out or say?
Um, I want to say thank you for interviewing me. That’s what I want to say. And thank you for giving me the time of the day, because you know I’m crazy.
Lil Tecca burst onto the scene when he was just 16 years old. His song “Ransom” was a viral hit that ultimately thrust him into superstardom. At the time, numerous artists were experiencing the pitfalls of becoming famous too fast. Overall, a lot of artists came and went within the blink of an eye. However, Tecca was one of the few from his era to keep it pushing. Despite a viral debut single, Tecca was able to build a fanbase organically, and to this day, he still can go platinum.
Back in the summer of 2023, Tecca dropped off a snippet to the track “500 lbs.” Subsequently, his fans did the rest and made it a viral trend on social media. This generated hype for the single, and it even led to the announcement of his new album TEC. The album was an immediate hit with fans, and now, he is about to embark on the HVN ON EARTH tour, which begins today in Dallas. SoFaygo, Tana, and Chow Lee are coming along for the ride, and it going to be an incredible time.
BERLIN, GERMANY – OCTOBER 26: Lil Tecca performs at Astra Kulturhaus on October 26, 2022 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Pedro Becerra/Redferns)
This past week, we got to speak with Lil Tecca about his upcoming tour and just how excited he is to go out and connect with his fans. After all of these years, Tecca has learned to love touring, because of just how close it brings him to his supporters. Not to mention, his new album is filled with bangers that he will now get to perform live for the first time. We also got to talk about his work with BNYX, Kodak Black, and even Ken Carson.
Lastly, we also got to get inside of the mind of Tecca, who has become a mentor for younger artists despite his young age. He grew up in the public eye, and it has given him insight into how the world works. You won’t want to miss what he has to say.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity
Coming into your album TEC, what were you looking to accomplish or maybe even prove?
I was trying to accomplish a more mature project. I was definitely trying to push myself forward that I have before and take certain risks. Talking about certain topics that I haven’t before, and just like, actually lay out a story instead of laying out a bunch of songs.
Right away you kicked off the rollout with the “500 lbs” snippet which was going viral on social media, how important are snippets in generating hype for your work?
I think it’s very cool. But I don’t really have much of a big part to play when it comes to viral stuff. It’s really just my fans. And it’s really just the people that actually support me that’s willing to make these videos and willing to drop, like whatever they got to do to tell everyone this is the next big song or whatever it is that they do. You know, yeah, I definitely think it’s a great benefit. But I don’t have much of a part to play as my fans.
Do you feel like there is pressure to deliver when a song does go viral before you release it?
No, not really, because I have like a common understanding with my supporters. And it’s like, magic, when you go to a restaurant, and you have a favorite steak that you order, you order that steak, you know what it’s gonna taste like, you know that seasoning, and you know, the vibe. So when I dropped the snippet that I know that they like, I know, they’re gonna like the whole thing, because it’s been this common understanding going on for so long.
A large part of the virality of that song is just how catchy the hook is. Your whole career you have been an extremely consistent hook writer. Everything you put out stays stuck in your ear. What is your approach to writing hook and how do you keep your batting average so high?
I’m into melody more than I’m into lyrics. So my approach to songwriting isn’t even writing the songs, it’s writing a melody. How can I write a melody that’s going to stick into your head that it doesn’t matter what I say, on top of this melody? The words are just kind of like the part of the building blocks to the whole platform, but the platform has the ability.
The beats on this album are on another level. I know you got to work with BNYX. What do you think makes him a special producer?
I think he knows what he’s good at. And he doubles down on it every time and then when he’s like, okay, they done heard what I’m good at, he triples down on that. And he also incorporates new things that he hasn’t done before that makes his beats fresh. So it’s very easy for someone like him to stand out.
How do you go about choosing beats?
It’s really a feeling when I hear the beat and say okay, what do I feel when I hear this beat? Like, do I have to hop on this like, is it leaving me no choice but to make a song with this beat? What I’m saying is if I feel like if there is a better option, I choose the better option, but it’s really just like a feeling thing.
Speaking on one of your BNYX collabs, HVN ON EARTH, you got to work with Kodak Black, explain what that process was like.
Well, back to the beat, I made the beat to that song. So it was kind of just like a let me cook up real quick. BNYX sent me the melody and I just did some drums on it. And then when I made the song, I knew it was fire, because it was a song that I had written in my notes for a few days before I even recorded it. And then it kind of sounded incomplete when I made my version of it, so I’m like, Okay, let’s get someone to put on there. And Kodak was there.
You also got to work with Ken Carson. A very different artist. How did you two link up for that one?
We have so many songs, that was just really one of the songs that ended up on my shit. We linked up because I hit him up in like 2021, or whatever the year was, and we done made hella songs since then.
Compared to other projects, how have you changed the way you approach the creative process?
It’s, it’s almost the instinct thing. At this point, I’ve made so many songs, and I’ve tried so many different things that it’s like, I can almost choose how I want to create music, I can either simulate the process, and just listen to how it comes back after, like, I wasn’t even there when I made it. Or I can sit down, take my phone and write it down. But the process itself is always instinct. It’s not a process you can really articulate unless there actually is a step-by-step guide on how someone writes their music, but for me I just don’t get in the way of the creation. Because I feel like all songs that I’ve ever made are just kind of like, set through me know, I’m just the delivery person of the song.
500 lbs just went platinum. What does that mean to you to still be getting accolades and support from your fans?
It means the world bro, like I wouldn’t be anything without my fans. Like, that’s, that’s just the truth of it. So to see that, like, they’re happy with the work that I’ve been working on. It’s a very good feeling, because I work very hard on it.
That brings me to my next question which is a lot of artists come and go. When you’re young, you can come in with a viral track and then all of a sudden, you fade into obscurity. But you’ve been able to remain consistent and your fans love you. What has been the key to success for you?
Just my fans, like all artists, we’re all out here working. We’re all making music. We’re all trying to contribute to our vision, but it’s just my fans that actually allow me to do what I do and call it successful. Like in in my world, the people that show up for you, that’s your points. Like, like in basketball, the amount of times you score on the field, that’s your points. In my field, the amount of people that will show for you, that’s how much you score. So my fans they really just, they show up for me. They’re like, we’re going to make sure you win. And when I win, my fans win and when my fans win, I will.
You’re about to embark on the HVN On Earth Tour. How excited are you to see your fans and connect with them?
That’s the best part of the tour. It’s not even, it’s not even to get to see all these places that I wouldn’t see without music. It is to get to see my fans. Because we’re all people at the end of the day, and we all go through what we go through no matter who you are. But when I’m in front of that crowd, and I’m actually seeing the impact that I’ve made in real-time, none of that shit matters.
How do you feel as though you’ve developed as a performer over these last few years?
I think I’ve actually fell in love with performing just from it being such an essential part of my industry. If you want to be fine, you better like this. And you better get good at it. So just practice and actually treat the stage like the studio and actually like feeling at home when I’m there. And especially it makes it way easier when the fans know your songs and they’re jumping and giving you that energy.
What has been the scariest part about touring for you?
Literally just the act of performing because I’ve never even done a talent show. And I’ve never even been to a show. My first ever concert I’ve ever been to was my own. So I’ve had no kind of background knowledge on what the experience would be like, such as going on tour and knowing that I’m going to be around the whole US where everybody feels different about songs like okay, but I got to just lock in.
Throughout your time touring in the past, what has been your craziest touring experience?
I don’t know about craziest tour experience. But one thing I always wanted to do was go to Japan and music brought me to Japan, specifically a tour. So that’s probably like, the craziest thing that’s, that’s happened to me.
You will be touring with SoFaygo, Tana, and Chow Lee, what made you want to bring those three artists along?
They’re fired. And I think that the crowd actually would understand that type of music the same way they understand one. So it’s like, why not bring some people that could you know, people that might not know who they are could could hear their music. And it actually makes sense. It’s not like I’m bringing in a boom bap rapper on stage where they’re in front of a bunch of people that won’t like their music, you know, I’m trying to put people in front of people that will like it. So it’s like a good experience for everybody. And I like their music, too. So that’s why they’re there for real.
When you came onto the scene you were a teenager, what have you learned the most in the last four years?
Do what I say I’m going to do? On time.
Younger artists look up to you as someone with experience in the music world. Do you find there is pressure to be an influence or a role model, especially when you’re still relatively so young?
No, I don’t feel no pressure to be like a role model to anyone that wants to follow my steps, because you can follow my steps from the beginning. Like, there’s no hidden history with me. So you can see my mistakes that I’ve made. And you can see the things that went right for me, there’s a step-by-step guide on how I done glowed up. So if you want to follow me, how can you not when you work for me? So I lead nobody down the wrong path. If you follow me, you’re gonna win.
You dropped an album just five months ago. Are you already planning your next release?
My next album already almost done.
When all is said and done, what do you want fans to take away from your career?
That I’m deadass just a young n**** that likes music and somehow ended up here. And if you like something, you can end up somewhere with it. Because I’m the proof of it. And I knew nobody in this damn music industry. I’m the person to know now. So just go crazy.
In the past decade, we’ve witnessed Saweetie rise from freestyling in cars in Instagram videos to dominating pop culture. The Bay Area sweetheart admittedly hasn’t built quite the massive catalog just yet but her prominence, in her city and globally, is palpable. It’s what led to her collaboration with the San Francisco 49ers alongside P-Lo on “Do It For The Bay,” the team’s official Super Bowl anthem.
Evidently, “Do It For The Bay” is a full circle moment that hits especially close to home for Saweetie. This Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs for the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy in Las Vegas. Ahead of Game Day, Saweetie will help launch Smirnoff’s SMASH Vodka Soda (offered in four different flavors) at the first-ever Smirnoff SMASH Pickle Bowl. Smirnoff, the NFL’s Official Vodka Sponsor, will host the star-studded event on Saturday, February 10 from 2:30 pm – 4 pm PT at RedTail located at Resorts World. Saweetie and former NSYNC star Lance Bass partnered up as team Watermelon Lime and will face off against several high-profile celebrities, such as NFL Legend Vernon Davis and NFL commentator, Kay Adams.
Though she’s new to pickleball, Saweetie’s quite confident in what she’ll bring to the table on Saturday. “To be honest, I’ve never played pickleball but I grew up playing a lot of sports, so I’m pretty sure I can, I can learn it pretty quickly,” she tells HotNewHipHop. It’s this level of confidence and determination that has turned her into one of the most notable figures from the Bay Area, and quite frankly, allowed her to overcome adversity at every point. “Immortal Freestyle,” her latest release, speaks volumes about her mindset going into 2024. “I think that there have been several moments publicly and privately where I’ve just been, you know – a lot of people were questioning whether or not I was going to endure through those moments. That was my response, basically saying, like, ‘Yeah, I am and I’m here to stay,’” she says.
We recently caught up with Saweetie ahead of the Smirnoff SMASH Pickle Bowl to discuss the Super Bowl, what she expects from Usher’s halftime show and the Mount Rushmore of the Bay Area.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Hot New Hip Hop: You linked up with Smirnoff for the inaugural Smirnoff SMASH Pickle Bowl alongside several other celebrities. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your pickleball skills?
Saweetie: To be honest, I’ve never played pickleball but I grew up playing a lot of sports, so I’m pretty sure I can, I can learn it pretty quickly.
Ahh, so it’s a fresh endeavor.
Definitely a fresh endeavor.
How do you do with new experiences in terms of trying out new sports and activities? Are you someone who thrives under pressure?
Definitely, and I’m really competitive, so I’m really excited to see what I can do with it.
Did they already tell you who you’re competing against?
There’s several people showing up so I’m pretty sure we’re gonna alternate.
In a hypothetical game of doubles, which of your rap peers would you call on as your partner?
Pickleball? I’m not sure, to be honest with you.
You’ve been a great brand partner and ambassador for a lot of companies over the years. Why did teaming up with Smirnoff make sense to you?
Well, I think it’s a great fusion of just sports, fashion – because my pickleball outfit is kind of cute – and just celebration. I felt like Smirnoff is a great company when it comes to being part of a great festivity. So, I feel like it’s a great fusion of of just all different industries coming into one.
You mentioned the outfit. Could you give us a little hint at what you’ll be rocking?
Well, I’ll definitely be in theme for the Smirnoff campaign. So, I’ll be in lime green and pink.
The upcoming Pickle Bowl comes after Smirnoff launched the Smirnoff SMASH Vodka Soda. Do you have a favorite flavor?
The watermelon lime.
By itself or do you mix it with something?
Oh, you know I love my concoctions. So, on the day of the event, I’ll probably be mixing up some drinks.
As you mentioned, you’re big on the concoctions. I’m wondering what’s the Saweetie specialty when it comes to Game Day food? Like, something that’s uniquely Saweetie.
Honestly, I’m really excited to see what kind of food that’s in the suite this year. But typically, they have the… what do you call it? The typical night game foods like hot dogs, burgers, and fries. So, there’s not too much I can make with that but I would recommend putting the fries on the burger. But, compared to what you guys have seen, I know that’s a light concoction. However, it’s always a pleasure seeing like some sushi in the suite because that lets me know that they got a budget and we like a big budget.
But when you’re at home on game day, is there anything, specifically, that you’d chef up?
Oh, for game day… I really like some crab with a seafood boil. But I have to eat like at the beginning of the game because if things start to get a little tense, my appetite goes away. My appetite is definitely tied to how my team is doing so Go Niners.
You and P-Lo connected with the 49ers for “Do It For The Bay.” How does it feel to be so tightly woven into the Bay Area’s culture these days, especially since you’re regarded as a global representative for your city? Not just from a hip-hop standpoint, either but in terms of modern-day Bay Area culture. How does it feel to work with these institutes that meant something to you growing up?
Honestly, sometimes it feels really surreal. When I had got the offer to make the theme for the playoffs, and now the Super Bowl song for my team, I was speechless. And the first person I called was P-Lo because I wanted to share the spotlight with somebody and because he is a producer, I felt like he was the perfect match for it. It’s like a dream come true because to become one of the people that people refer to as a Bay Area representative on a worldwide platform, it’s amazing.
Just to follow up on that, who is your Bay Area Mount Rushmore of rappers?
My top four – definitely, Mac Dre. My dad would play a lot of E-40 growing up so E-40. Three, I sampled two songs from Too $hort so definitely some Too $hort. And for my fourth…the Bay Area… I really got to think about that.
You can’t choose yourself, either. I know it’s usually the easiest route to take when asked these type of questions.
I feel like I got I feel like I got some more to accomplish before I slap myself on you know to Mount Rushmore.
If you couldn’t just choose one, who would be the fourth and fifth? They could rotate the fourth position.
I love me some Goapele, I feel like she did a lot for the Bay Area when we were kids. And for the fifth… I’m like flipping through my mind. I think I’m gonna leave it there for now.
One more thing, because I love to give me reasons. Because you know, the Bay Area has a very particular sound. And we’re often like, chastised for our sound and some people may say that we make local or regional music but what I love about Goapele, especially her song “Closer,” a lot of legendary rappers hopped on that because it was so infectious, not through the beat but just through her. So, shout out to Goapele.
Usher’s halftime performance is one of the most anticipated parts of the Super Bowl. Do you have a favorite halftime show?
My favorite halftime show of all time? … I know you only got a little bit of time, but I really be thinking, my bad. Honestly, I would have loved to see a Rolodex because I know there’s a lot more but personally, I love the Rihanna halftime show because I was there and I’m a big fan and my voice was gone. So that’s the most memorable halftime show to me because I was actually there in person.
Do you think Usher could top it this year?
I think each Super Bowl performance had a special moment, so I definitely think that he’s going to do that, especially since he’s such a multifaceted, talented artist. And I’m excited to say that I’m going to be there so I’ll definitely be able to witness that iconic performance in person.
Final question: it’s been almost been two years since you announced a release date for your debut album, Pretty B*tch Music. What’s the hold-up? Will we be seeing it drop in 2024?
Hopefully [laughs].
Is the “Immortal Freestyle” an indication of the direction you’re going in with the album?
I think the “Immortal Freestyle” was just a premise for how I felt this year. I think that there have been several moments publicly and privately where I’ve just been, you know – a lot of people were questioning whether or not I was going to endure through those moments. That was my response, basically saying, like, “Yeah, I am and I’m here to stay.”
Big Moochie Grape has been one of the most exciting forces out of Memphis over the past few years, especially after Young Dolph signed him to PRE. Projects like Eat Or Get Ateset the stage for his ascent. Meanwhile, 2022’s East Haiti Baby served as a testament to his dexterous flow, impeccable beat selection, and raw tales from East Memphis. Unfortunately, months after the release of the 2022 album, Moochie found himself behind bars for a probation violation.
“I got caught with a gun. Possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. And this would lead to the whole thing,” he explained to HotNewHipHop in his first interview since his release on January 17th, 2024. “But me not going to see probation… Like I said, with Dolph passing, it just took a big toll on me, and I just wasn’t in my right state of mind.” However, even from behind bars, the “Freestyle” rapper didn’t let his time go to waste. In November 2023, he unveiled East Haiti Baby: Incarcerated, the deluxe edition to his 2022 opus, which boasted appearances from other incarcerated rappers, including YFN Lucci, Rio Da Yung OG, and C-Murder, who shares words of wisdom during the interlude.
Coming home after his stint behind bars, he hit the ground running. He filmed a music video outside of jail, debuted his latest single, “WAKE EM UP,” in a From The Block performance, and immediately hit the studio to work on his next project, which HotNewHipHop can confirm exclusively will be titled Eat Or Get Ate 2.
We caught up with Big Moochie Grape shortly after his release to discuss the next chapter of his career, how his friendship with Jay Fizzle led to his deal with Young Dolph, and why PRE is the best movement.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
HotNewHipHop:How does it feel to be home? Especially with the success you achieved during your time behind bars
Big Moochie Grape: It feels great. I’m just ready to get back to it. I’m ready to stay working.
What was the first thing when you got back home?
Worked.
You shot a music video, too, right?
Yeah, I shot the music video at the jail. Left the jail and went straight to the studio.
What was your first meal once you came back home? I’m sure the food behind bars wasn’t the greatest.
Yeah, you know, we eat steak and stay up late.
If you don’t mind, could you walk me through what led to your incarceration?
I got caught with a gun. Possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. And this would lead to the whole thing but me not going to see probation… Like I said, with Dolph passing, it just took a big toll on me, and I just wasn’t in my right state of mind.
I read that you had your first run-in with the law when you were 8 years old. Did you feel like people treated you differently when you went to jail considering your status?
Yeah, people treated me different, the inmates, you know what I’m saying? Some of the inmates never been locked up with somebody like me. I had people working for me in jail, like I was kicked up, boss status. You know, I was in a little country town so, you know, they ain’t used to somebody like me. Like, they was infatuated.
You caught the case in Georgia. Currently, you have any conditions?
Yeah, I got a few conditions for like six months. After that, I’m back on the road.
In your absence, it felt like Memphis reclaimed its position as a major hub in hip-hop. How do you feel about the way your city has a firm grip on the genre right now?
It’s a good feeling knowing that it comes from my hometown but to keep it 100, I’m not really worried about no other Memphis rapper. Just me and my team.
How do you feel about the way PRE kept their foot on the gas while you were locked up?
Yeah. The best movement ever.
How would you describe the way PRE distinguishes itself compared to the other labels, collectives and groups within hip-hop?
We’re phenomenal.
Could you elaborate a little further on that?
Like, ain’t nobody seeing us in any shape, form or fashion. We do it our way and nobody else way.
Via @IThinkEthan
I’m sure that’s something that Young Dolph instilled into you early on, especially moving as an independent artist. On “Non Stop,” you rap, “Major labels callin’ my phone, know I’m finna decline it.” At this point, how do you think a major label could benefit you?
It wouldn’t benefit me at all. I don’t plan on doing it.
Can you tell me about how you and Young Dolph first linked up? I read that you were basically debuting music throughout clubs in Memphis, and it eventually landed on Dolph’s radar.
The other artist on the label, Jay Fizzle — that’s my best friend, so that’s how really I was around. I was already around, and then I just started making music out of the blue, and [Young Dolph] loved the sh*t.
Did the fact that you made music surprise him at that point?
Yeah. It was surprising because I wasn’t even making music at first.
C-Murder appears on the project during the interlude, and he tells you to use your time wisely. How did you use your time behind bars?
Just did a whole lot of thinking. Like, trying to figure out myself. I was putting the project together the whole time, trying to feed the streets.
Did you create a vision board or anything like that to determine what you wanted to do and the goals you had once you came home?
Nah, I just called home, go over it with my team, and we came up with a plan.
Have you been able to speak to C-Murder since your release?
No, not yet, but it’s coming.
Was he someone that you listened to often growing up?
Yeah, I done listened to him when I was younger.
Does any particular C-Murder or No Limit album or song stand out to you?
Actually, I like the whole TRU [by True] album.
Do you remember discovering that album?
Oh no, not really. I just came across it.
Eat Or Get Ate made a strong statement. Then, East Haiti Baby further cemented your name. Can you tell me about creating this album?
Yeah, I was in jail for like four and a half months. And then, I got out, and I just started going crazy. That’s how East Haiti Baby came about. But it’s also about me coming from my side, East Memphis. Like, what I’ve been through. I’m basically giving them my life story.
Okay, word. So what was the process behind the deluxe edition? I’m sure you and your team were in close contact to bring this to life, but who was the person who helped flesh out the deluxe?
Shit, CEO, my management team. My folks got something going on. They know what they’re doing, so I just follow the lead. Plus, I called home every day, and we were going over the album. So, I got a chance to listen to the songs over the phone and, you know, make it happen.
What was your reaction when you actually got to hear the project in its entirety, mixed and mastered on quality speakers?
Oh, it sounded real good.
What was your favorite track off of the deluxe?
All of them, even the interlude.
You’ve also expanded into philanthropy. I know Paper Route Empire teamed up with The Bail Project last year to help with bail assistance. Considering how close to home that is, do you see yourself getting more involved with charity and giving back?
Yeah, Dolph did it, so he put it on me to do the same thing, you know what I’m sayin’? I’m willing to help anybody if the help is needed.
Outside of the Bail Project, are there any other initiatives that you want to be more involved in?
Yeah, like, giving back to unfortunate kids, helping the elderly, you know? Just put my face on a whole lot of things.
Is there any particular memory that resonates with you from seeing Christmas giveaways or things like that in your area?
Really, Dolph. Dolph had the biggest one.
The turkey drive, right?
Yeah, he always gave back.
Do you remember going to those with him?
Yeah, the day I got signed, on my birthday. He was doing a turkey giveaway on my birthday. Once we got done with the turkey giveaway, I started getting chains, and we went from there.
@IThinkEthan
What’s next for you? I hear you got a new mixtape in the works.
I’m just working consistently, like, trying to come up with a big plan.
Do you have a title for the new project yet?
Yeah, but I ain’t gonna speak on that right now.
[Ed. note: Big Moochie Grape’s team later confirmed Eat Or Get Ate 2 as the title of his next project and is expected to be released in February or March]
Is there any information regarding the album that you could disclose? Features, producers?
I ain’t got all of that together right now, but it should go down.
And you’re planning to release that in the next few weeks?
Yeah, I really want to do it tomorrow if I could.
Now that you’re home and focused, how would you describe this next chapter of your career?
A next testimony, that’s how I put it. You know, just life experiences and time, too.
What do you hope your fans will take away from this chapter?
If I could do it, anybody could do it. Because I know where I come from and what I’ve been through. Like, I’ve been through the worst that comes from the worst so if I could do it, no different, anybody could do it. You know, I advise everybody to stay working. Hard work pays off.
Paul Wall has remained a pillar in the Houston community and a legend in his own right. The Swishahouse alumnus has played an integral part in developing Houston’s sound and preserving its culture. Paul Wall’s latest album, The Great Wall, released in December, is a testament to his efforts. It’s a body of work that celebrates and conserves the very attributes of Houston’s lifestyle that allowed labels Rap-A-Lot and groups UGK to affirm the South’s position in hip-hop. However, it also looks forward at the new generation of rappers — the Travis Scotts, Don Toliver, and That Mexican O.T.s of the world.
“As the sound evolved, I’ve always felt like… preserving that sound, representing for it. You know, to show the newer generation how we used to do it but at the same time, give people my age or even older a sense of nostalgia to remember that this is where we came from – our Houston roots,” Paul Wall told HotNewHipHop of The Great Wall.
At his core, Paul Wall is a historian of all things Houston. That’s especially the case when it comes down to the sound that emerged from his city since the late 80s. He witnessed the rise of Street Military and the proliferation of chopped-n-screwed tapes across the city as a teenager. Eventually, he was passed the torch, which he held with pride. However, as his mainstream success faded away, and a new crop of artists emerged, Paul Wall became an elder statesman who found as much gratification in seeing the traditions of his city carry on among the younger artists as he did when he came out the gate with Chamillionaire.
“We can still go beyond, we can expand. We can be a Sauce Walka or a Don Toliver or Travis Scott or Megan The Stallion or Beyonce or Lizzo. All of these – Maxo Kream, Tobe Nwigwe,” Paul Wall says. “All amazing artists where, all of them, you hear the influence of the Houston sound that I might have come from but you also see where they took it and they expanded it to a whole other level.”
In 2023, Paul Wall earned a new crop of fans after teaming up with That Mexican O.T. on “Johnny Dang.” His verse became a trending topic on Twitter. It served to remind the masses of the stronghold he had in the mid-aughts. Many have credited Paul Wall’s contribution to “Johnny Dang” for shaping That Mexican O.T.’s career trajectory. However, the “Grillz” rapper feels like it’s the other way around. “They don’t love him because he got a song with Paul Wall. They love him because of who he is. That’s how I know that his success isn’t attributed to me at all. I attribute my newfound success to him,” he said.
We recently caught up withPaul Wall to discuss his new album, The Great Wall, his upcoming collaboration with Metro Boomin, missing out on Megan Thee Stallion collab, and so much more.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Via Publicist
HotNewHipHop:Talk to me about the significance of the title. Of course, one would assume that it references the Great Wall Of China. However, I wanted to know why this title felt appropriate for this body of work.
Paul Wall: It originally came from a local newspaper here in Houston, an interview I did with them years back maybe 10-15 years ago, where the headline was “The Great Wall of Houston.” I always liked that, and I originally was going to call it the Great Wall Of Texas – expand it a little bit from Houston just to Texas.
As I put it out there, the excitement started going. But when Trump became president, it was all this talk about the border wall. So anytime I would mention my new album’s comin’, The Great Wall Of Texas, people kind of look at me sideway, like it was some type of reference to the border wall, which it has nothing to do with. You know, like I said in the song with Bun B, “You know my name is Wall, but I’m known for building bridges.” That’s why I kind of took that off. I was just like okay, let me just call it The Great Wall instead of The Great Wall Of Texas. I don’t get any sound way sideways looks for that.
But really, I just wanted it to be like, the best representation of me. The themes in the songs and the music, a lot of it is just about me wanting to be the best version of myself that I can be. And I just try to convey that through the lyrics or through whatever lessons in the song that might be there, where it’s not a greatest hits kind of thing, it’s more of ‘This is the greatest version of me of who I am,’ you know?
As much as you’ve grown as an artist, this album feels like it depicts your lifestyle accurately at this stage in your life.At the same time, it payshomage to the rich history of Houston’s culture. Do you consider this album as a way of preserving the Houston culture that you grew up on, even as the city’s culture evolves with the new generation?
I love to see how the Houston culture has just expanded beyond just the monolithic culture that it was. I love that it’s expanded and that the tree of hip-hop that is Houston. Or the huge branch of the tree that is Houston now has significant branches branching off of that. The biggest reason, in my view, is the fanbase has expanded locally in Houston to be able to support all of the various styles that are here.
But in all of that, there’s a huge sense of pride to want to preserve the traditional Houston sound that I grew up in. I was born in ‘81 so from the 80s but really musically, the sound kind of started coming around ‘88-’89 with a lot of the Rap-A-Lot stuff and the Street Military, a lot of that kind of stuff. But from there, when it really started hittin’ was in the early 90s all to the late 90s.
As the sound evolved, I’ve always felt like, just like you said, preserving that sound, representing for it. You know, to show the newer generation how we used to do it but at the same time, give people my age or even older a sense of nostalgia to remember that this is where we came from – our Houston roots. We can still go beyond, we can expand, we can be a Sauce Walka or a Don Toliver or Travis Scott or Megan The Stallion or Beyonce or Lizzo. All of these – Maxo Kream, Tobe Nwigwe. All amazing artists where, all of them, you hear the influence of the Houston sound that I might have come from but you also see where they took it and they expanded it to a whole other level.
But for sure, that’s where my core, where my heart is, even with Oiler Mobb, everything we do. We call it that because that was the era we were raised in. And it’s not called Oiler Mobb because of a football team, only the fact that that was when the football team was here. And when it left, it was almost like the beginning of the end of a Houston era. So that particular portion of the Houston era when the Oilers were here in the 80s, 90s, whatever, all of that is what Oiler Mobb represents for us. It’s the traditional core Houston sound that came before. But, for sure, I love how it’s expanding. I’m a huge supporter and fan of all the new sounds, the new styles, and the new artists that are just taking it to another level.
I could sense that they’ve had some sort of influence on you on this project. “Dig These Blues” feels like something that I could hear Travis Scott on. How much are you looking towards the new generation for inspiration?
That’s why I love listening to a lot of the newer artists because you can hear their influences through what they’re saying, whether it’s with the lyrics or slang or how they’re saying something. Whether it’s the instrumentation they’re using in the beats or that they’re choosing to rap on or whatever. They’re flipping the old song like T.T.O.D. Bumpy Johnson, from the Dallas area where he’ll flip like “Diamonds & Wood” by UGK. Or [the song] he just did with Dorrough, “Star Baby,” how they flipped “Bar Baby” [by Big Moe], stuff like that.
So you’ll see with a lot of these newer artists where their influence will come from. You know, you can see what they were raised on or what inspired them. The same way that it inspired me when I heard “Bar Baby” or “Diamonds & Wood.” It inspired the f*ck out of me, too. So to see that it’s still inspiring younger artists is dope.
I love the new artists, man. Just to see everything they’re doing. And they’re fasho proud to be from Houston. Like you see Sauce Walka and Sauce Twins. The whole TSF movement is all about representing H-Town. When you see them do it, it’s them doing it in their own way. It’s them wanting to put their own stamp on Houston. Their own representation, like, ‘Alright, we want to be different.’ And I completely understand that because, when I came out originally – when I first came out with me and Chamillionaire, our goal was we wanted to be different. We don’t want to be like everybody else. We don’t want to sound like everybody else and look like everybody else. Yeah, we’re inspired by them. Yeah, we want to represent a lot of the same elements that they’re representing but we want to do it our way.
And that’s the same exact thing I see when I see Sauce Walka. He’s doing it his way but he’s still representing the same elements, the same key core morals or Houston values or whatever. You know, he’s still doing it. It’s just that he’s doing it his way. And man, I be proud as f*ck when I see him doing his thing because it’s just nice from a fan perspective. I’m so happy to see how he’s evolved. And how they, you know, he just took the torch and ran with it. He put about three or four torches together and made it a super torch.
You hear Don Oliver. Everything he incorporates, even just the tone of the sound of his voice. When he’s singing or rapping or whatever it’s called that he’s doing, it almost sounds like a Screwtape. Then, when you hear Don Toliver screwed or slowed down, it really enhances and brings out all of the flavor that he has and his style. It fasho is like, man, this is what I’m talking about.
As somebody who walked in it and came in it in the past as a rapper. I’m still doing it but I’m just saying somebody who’s done it is coming in as a fan to [walking] this path and this journey of holding the torch for however long. Even if it’s temporary. To be able to hold the torch for Houston hip hop and represent – when you pass the torch on, you never know what’s gonna happen with the torch. Is the torch gon’ go out? Are they gon’ gonna drop the torch? What are they gonna do? Are they gonna put out with a fire extinguisher?
But when you see somebody like Don Toliver doing his thing like that, man, that’s when we get hype. It’s like watching CJ Stroud throw a touchdown. We stand up and cheer for that. We get excited for that, man, because this is like it’s out of my control where it goes, completely.
You know, I didn’t I didn’t invent or create it. Like I said, I only held the torch temporarily. I’ll for sure support, you know, [provide] mentorship or just any type of support I could give to any of the younger artists, but it’s out of my control. It’s not up to me where the sound goes. And what happens to the sound is really up to the fans, and the artists that come after me, wherever they want to take it. But fasho, to see where it’s at right now, man, it’s very exciting. As somebody you know, who’s come from, the past of the Houston hip hop, even I’m still doing it, man, it’s very exciting to see where we’re at and the direction we’re going.
You and Metro Boomin recently confirmed that there’s new music coming from the two of you. What was it like working with him and when could we expect that collab to drop?
That’s somebody I’ve known for a long time. Of course, I’ve been a huge fan of him for a long time, he’s been killing it always. I always want to work with Metro, man. You know, especially when you be hearing some of the other songs he got with people, it’s like, ‘man, that boy there, he somethin’ special, man.’
We talked about it over the years. I’ve always been somebody where I don’t try to force collaborations, whether it’s with a producer or another artist. I miss out on some collaborations that way. Because maybe that particular artist or producer will have a window of opportunity to work with each other. The next thing you know, they get a new record deal and it is out of their hands. It’s up to their management and their label and they got the whole plans that they got goin’. You know, that’s just how the game goes.
I definitely try not to force it or rush like I don’t want to collab just so I can say I collab’d with you. Of course, I do want to collab with a lot of these artists like that. Oh, I’d love to collab with him but I want it to be special. I want it to be something memorable, not just [like] I just checked the box because I got a song with him or they got a song with me. That’s kind of how it was with Metro.
The first time we met, there was an energy there where we definitely felt. Like, man, we could make some dope together. But you know, neither one of us really rushed in. As time goes on, you see each other here and there, we speak on it. ‘Hey, man, this is gonna be the year man we finally gonna get in the studio.’ And then, last year was really where it was like, we need to do this. What we waiting on? We just need to just do it. Like, I know we both want the circumstances to be perfect. At the same time, why don’t we just let’s get the ball rolling on it in some type of way?
But for sure when he tweeted out something about my verse on “Drive Slow,” that kind of ignited the music collaboration to get started. Because when he tweeted that out recently like a few weeks ago, that was when I hit him like, “Man, come on, what’s what’s up? What are we doing? Send me your address, I’m in Houston. What city are you in?” I’m coming right now you. And he was like fuck it, come on.
He sent me some beats and you know, from there, I don’t know. I mean, hopefully, I would love to do a whole album with him or as much music as the computer will allow us to record. Shit, I’m trying to record on every beat that he ever made, you feel me?
I don’t know what any of the plans are. You know, I’ll 100% leave that up to him for what he wants to do or what he has or what his thoughts are. We kind of getting it going on a lot of recording of it. I’m actually in here working on it now, right here in the studio. When I’m done with the interview here, I’m about to get right back at it, working on these Metro beats.
Shout out to Metro Boomin, man. For all I know, he might have another Spider-Man soundtrack in the works. He always doing some major so you know, whatever the opportunity that he would want to do with any of it or the plans are or if everything we do, he says, “Nah, let’s just start all over from scratch.” I’m 100%, you know, following his lead and I’m just really grateful for the opportunity to work with him.
What type of production did Metro send? Soul? More trap?
It’s several beats, actually. He actually sent me several different styles. It’s almost like he sent me one or two beats of every style to see like, okay, what am I feeling? What’s gonna speak to me? You know, and and I almost feel like you know, that’s gonna be the direction we dive deeper into.
At the same time, this kind of reminds me of when I signed a record deal with Swishahouse. When Swishahouse first originally started, it wasn’t a record label; it was just mixtapes. It was two DJs making mixtapes. As I developed as an artist, I got a record deal with somebody else. Well, throughout all of that, Swishahouse became a record label and then I went back to Swishahouse as an artist signed to the record label.
When I went back to Swishahouse signed as an artist to their record label, T Farris was like, “Aye, we’re working on a compilation. Here’s a beat CD with eight beats on it. Whichever ones you feelin’, rap on. Whichever ones you’re not feeling, you don’t have to. You want to do a hook, a verse, do the whole song, do just a long-ass freestyle – whatever you want to do, do it. It’s all good. Here’s the eight beats whatever.” And I was just so excited and hungry to be working and signed as an artist on Swishahouse, I rapped on every single one of them beats, and the last one was “Still Tippin’.”
This is what it reminds me of when Metro’s like, “Alright, here goes some beats. Rap on whatever you’re feelin’, whatever speaks to you. You want to do a verse, freestyle or hook? The whole thing? Just do whatever.” I’m like, shit, I’m rapping on every one of these mothaf*ckas, like, what do you mean? You think I’m gonna let Metro Boomin send me a beat and I’m not gonna rap on it? You think I’m gonna let Metro Boomin send me a beat and I’m gonna say, “Well, this ain’t really my style” or I want something a little different. Man, whatever he gives me, I’m comin’ with it
He definitely sent me a wide variety though. Some of them I heard and I was like, “Man, I wonder –” you know, because I don’t know what his thoughts are or his direction is. Some of it, he’s just planting the seed and he’s letting me run with it, but I don’t know. He might have certain ideas but they all are – they Metro Boomin beats so you already know, they top tier, the highest.
You and That Mexican O.T. share amazing chemistry. First, on “Johnny Dang” and now, “Covered In Ice” on The Great Wall. What is it about That Mexican O.T. that makes each of your collaborations so exciting and brings out the best in you?
I mean, I don’t know, but I can’t take any of the credit. I give all the credit to him. You know? I definitely think that he for sure brings something special out of me. Me working with him, even on the song that I did on my album, “Covered In Ice.” When I first did the song – sometimes I’ll do songs like this: I hear a beat and I like the beat but I don’t know where to go so I’ll just kick a freestyle on it. So that’s what I did. I did two freestyles on it that had a real laid-back kind of flow.
And as I’m going through my song, saying, “Which song would That Mexican O.T. sound good on?” That one was like, even though my flow on there didn’t match his flow, the beat and the hook kind of was like, okay, I can just hear him going off on here and he did. He went the f*ck off.
When he sent it to me, and I heard it, I was like, “Oh, hell no, ain’t no f*cking way I’m letting my verses go out there.” So I fasho went back and redid my verses but it wasn’t 100% until after he put his flavor on it that it brought that out of me. I kept the same verse. I actually had two verses, I combined them into one and I sped it up. Like how I was rapping real fast like how he rapped. At first, it was like a real slow flow. Like a slow freestyle, just kind of like how “Dig These Blues” was. “Dig These Blues” was kind of slow, it wasn’t a whole lot of words.
That’s how “Covered In Ice” was but when That Mexican OT sent me his verse, my boy was saying, “You redoing your verse, right?” He said “You ain’t keeping them same verse, are you?” I was like, “Hell no!” When I changed it, I kept the same verses. I just like sped it up and reworded it slightly but you know it fit perfectly. So, I don’t know. It’s just something about him, with his energy, with that style.
Man, he’s been so welcoming to me. A lot of people give me credit because I’m the OG or because I came out before. I look at [like] I just came out before him. It’s not like I’m bigger or better than him. I’m an artist who came out before him. I hate when I see artists who are established or came out before the newer artists and they just hold they nuts on ‘em. They lil’ bro ‘em and make them think that you gotta like, kiss the ring and you know, they gatekeep everything. That sh*t is just so wack to me. Just because you came out first, that gives you an obligation or responsibility to show them the way. I hate when they do that but that’s just something they do and a lot of times, people will do that just to hang on to their relevance.
If you are one of these young artists working with one of these established artists and you listen to growing up all your life, you’re gonna feel like it’s an opportunity of a lifetime. You’re going to feel indebted to them or grateful to them but really, you don’t realize at the time, that these people using you. They fell off, they using you to stay afloat and that’s the first thing I told That Mexican O.T. when we was in the studio. I was like, “Say man, when this comes out, they might tell you – somebody who don’t know you – they might tell you, ‘Oh, how does it feel? Paul Wall put you on.’ But don’t worry. When they ask me, I’m gonna let them know I ain’t put him on. Shit, he brought me back.”
I mean, I never stopped. I’ve been putting out albums every year for the past 10 years but being real about it, nobody gives a f*ck, you know? I’m just being all the way real about it. I put the items out, my fan base might care. My pure diehard fanbase will care but the mainstream didn’t give a f*ck. As soon as I do a song with That Mexican O.T., now they care so shit… I can’t take none of that credit.
I hear people say, “Oh yeah, man, all you gotta do is get Paul Wall on the song.” Of course, they’re showing me love. They’re not trying to belittle That Mexican O.T. or anything, they’re just trying to give me flowers. But I got allergies, I don’t like flowers. I mean, sh*t, I feel you and maybe I did add a little flavor to the song but I did 1000 features. They didn’t go nowhere. So you can’t credit me for the success of the song.
Maybe, it’s the combination of two energies get together and spark something special. But even then, I can’t say that because when you look at That Mexican O.T.’s success that he’s having, when he does shows across the whole country or wherever he’s going, it’s sold out. He got fans with his face and name tattooed all over the body. Tons of fans with his face tattooed on their ass, on their shoulder, on their arm. I’m talking like he got a diehard fan base that loves him. They don’t love him because he got a song with Paul Wall. They love him because of who he is. That’s how I know that his success isn’t attributed to me at all. I attribute my newfound success to him.
I just made him some grillz other day. Shit, you know, of course, I never stopped making grills but usually, I really just let Johnny [Dang] handle that. You know, I just focus on my music and let Johnny handle the grill side of the business. Of course, we’re still partners in business together, and I still do it, but for the most part, I let just Johnny handle that. But ever since I made That Mexican O.T. some new grill, now they blowin’ my phone up like crazy. I’m like God damn Johnny, shit. I need an assistant again, for my grill orders. It’s getting out of control.
Man, just working with somebody like him – he’s so talented, bro. And, you know, there’s a lot of talent out there. Like I said when I talked about that window opportunity, there are a lot of artists that are on the rise whereas an established artist or artists who came before them, you might have a window of opportunity to work with them. And if you don’t capitalize or take advantage of that window opportunity, some of these artists blow the f*ck up and are like choose world-renowned, number-one mega popstars, and you don’t get a chance to work with them no more and it’s not because they don’t want to work with you. It’s because they’re signed to a record label that won’t allow them to work with you.
And I can give you plenty of examples of that – Megan The Stallion. I’ve known her before she even signed her first record deal. Just watching her come up and then to see how huge she is now. Sh*t, of course I want to do a song with her. I’ve always wanted to do a song with Megan Thee Stallion but you know, our styles aren’t necessarily similar styles so I don’t want to force something where I’m just forcing doing a song just do I could say I did a song [with her], but my window opportunity, it was a few years ago and she’s so huge [now]. She’s like Beyonce-level now, shit. Or Travis Scott or Don Toliver. These are huge mega stars, these are worldwide – Lizzo. These are icons.
