rap radar

YoungBoy Never Broke Again Reflects On Friendship With Birdman

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YoungBoy Never Broke Again discussed his friendship with Birdman during a recent interview with the Rap Radar podcast. The interview comes a month after the release of his fifth album, I Rest My Case, which marked his first with Motown. The project debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 29,000 album-equivalent units.

As for his relationship with Birdman, YoungBoy explained while laughing, “He just talks a lot of shit and I like to sit there.” From there, he discussed both of them being from different cities in Louisiana. He explained that “a lot of the shit going on in B.R. stems from New Orleans.”

YoungBoy On Birdman

Birdman and YoungBoy officially teamed up for the 2021 collaborative mixtape, From the Bayou. Birdman spoke about working with YoungBoy for a cover story with Billboard, in 2022. “Watching how fast he do music and the value of the music, I saw a lot of similarities between him and Wayne,” he told the outlet. “I seen stardom in him, but I knew it was a process.” He added that he worked to show YoungBoy he could make a living off of rapping when he discovered him: “I once was somebody like him and had to gamble my life. I wanted to show him that he could really survive off his talent. You could go to jail, or you could die, or you could try to be somebody.” Speaking with the outlet, Birdman referred to YoungBoy as a son to him. In December, YoungBoy worked with Birdman’s Rich Gang for its first single in five years, “Military,” which also featured D-ROK.

Elsewhere in the interview with Rap Radar, YoungBoy discussed his career, his family, being under house arrest, and growing as a person. YoungBoy previously admitted to considering a Mormon baptism after he’s fully a free man. The idea came after missionaries visited his house in Salt Lake City, Utah. As for why he chose to sign with Motown, YoungBoy explained, “You know, just try something new. See if I could get more out of a label situation.” Check out the full discussion below.

The Full Interview

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NBA YoungBoy Regrets Not Filming Music Video With Takeoff

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Fans celebrated his appearance on Unc & Phew, but it was puzzling that NBA YoungBoy, Takeoff, and Quavo didn’t star in a visual of their collaboration. With a stacked lineup such as this, a music video almost always follows. However, “To the Bone” only received a visualizer, much to fans’ disappointment. The Louisiana rapper’s interview with Rap Radar has made the rounds, and during the conversation, YoungBoy admits there was a visual in the works.

According to the Rap star, a minor setback changed plans at the last minute. “Quavo sent me the song,” said YoungBoy. “They came out here to do the video, but I think something happened. And it had me in a f*cked up mood. So, I had canceled the video. I regret it, though. It’s okay, though.”

Takeoff was killed on November 1 last year at a private event in Houston. He was with Quavo and a handful of others at a bowling alley, and it’s reported that a dice game led to a confrontation. However, Takeoff wasn’t involved in the argument and instead was the victim of a stray bullet fired during the fray. He has been fondly remembered in Hip Hop and beyond, and police call his death a tragic accident.

Authorities arrested Patrick Clark in connection with the rapper’s death. Clark has since posted $1 million bail, reportedly paid for by a concerned citizen who believes in his innocence. Clark and his attorney have also insisted he wasn’t responsible for the crime, but the public is waiting to see what evidence is revealed during his trial.

Read More: NBA Youngboy Doesn’t Care About Being Influential: “I Just Wanna Be Paid”

Takeoff was an unproblematic figure in the industry, but his passing has sparked controversy. Rap-A-Lot icon J. Prince’s son was at the event when Takeoff was killed, and their family has endured harsh criticism from the public. Prince has declared his love and respect for Takeoff while also targeting Offset. The two engaged in a war of words on social media after J. Price insulted the Migos star. Things have settled as their peers attempt to keep the peace.

NBA Youngboy Can Tell if Someone Is Gangsta by Looking at Their Mom

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NBA Youngboy Confirms Hell Talk His S t On Dont Try This At Home Rap Radar 0 6 screenshot

NBA Youngboy hardly does interviews, which is why we are all the way tuned into his newest interview with the Rap Radar podcast.

Sitting down with Elliott Wilson and Brian ‘B. Dot’ Miller, the Baton Rouge native, opens about new music, his personal life, family, and much more.

A standout moment transpired as he teased his forthcoming album titled Don’t Try This At Home, saying he plans to “talk crazy” on there. This arrives fresh off the heels of his most recent project titled I Rest My Case, which was released on January 6th of this year. And if there’s one thing about Youngboy, it’s his undeniable work ethic. Last year alone, he dropped his eighth albums for his dedicated fanbase.

After he repeats the title, “don’t try this at home,” Youngboy states how most of the stuff you see is entertainment.

“It’s all entertainment, bruh. I’ma talk my shit and everything I’m talking, I’m letting you know don’t try this at home.”

B.Dot then asked YB if he felt there’s a thin line between entertainment and reality.

Youngboy answers, “Entertainment and reality is very different, but I do think some of these entertainers make their entertainment their reality also. If I said that right.”

The “Top” rapper goes on to call out most rappers in the music industry for not being honest.

“Don’t get me wrong, a lot of people you’ll see today, oh that’s 100 percent who they is,” YB states. “I don’t doubt it. A lot of rappers today, half of them probably 100 percent who they is. But I guarantee you bro, the majority of them, nah.”

He then mentions that he can tell if someone is “gangsta” by looking at their mom.

He continues, “It be like this bro: you’ll look at these rappers’ videos, you gon’ see a gun in this video, right? You go to the next one, he got a gun in his video, right? Man, you gotta dig a little deeper sometimes, bro. Alright, now look at his mama. His mama ain’t no gangsta, so how the fuck is he a gangsta? That shit don’t be adding up bro. It’s all entertainment.”

Looking back at his career overall, YB is far from satisfied. Even though he’s the third most streamed artist in the world, behind Drake and Taylor Swift, he continues to feel he has a point to prove. He also calls music his “therapy.”

The post NBA Youngboy Can Tell if Someone Is Gangsta by Looking at Their Mom appeared first on The Source.

NBA Youngboy Doesn’t Care About Being Influential: “I Just Wanna Be Paid”

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Most rappers hope to etch their name into history but NBA Youngboy doesn’t appear to care for that. Over the years, he built his persona as a recluse of sorts, straying away from industry politics and maintaining a significant distance from his peers. It’s unclear if that’ll change in the future, especially with plans to move his family to Europe. No matter how big YB becomes, it seems that he continues to maintain a level-head, for the most part.

YB remains an interesting character in hip-hop, especially for the amount of fame he gained organically. He hasn’t showcased the competitive nature that we’ve seen among some of rap’s greats who’ve battled their way to the top of the food chain. Still, his fans don’t hesitate to bring his name up in comparison to other rappers. “YB Better” became engrained in Internet dialect within the past year. However, it doesn’t seem as though NBA Youngboy really cares for competing.

NBA Youngboy Just Wants A Bag

During his recent appearance on Rap Radar, the rapper divulged his thoughts on the competitive nature of rap and going toe-to-toe with his peers in the space. “I don’t think I could compete,” NBA Youngboy said. “I think I’d lose, I don’t know how to play the game, I just go. Like, I ain’t never really have no type of structure or nothing. I just go. Like, even when it’s time to drop, I just pick the songs out and go.”

His approach evidently worked in his favor throughout his career. He’s bigger than he’s ever been, and enough time has passed for him to be consider an influence on other rappers who emerged after him. However, having his name stand alongside the greats isn’t something he necessarily cares for. “​​I just wanna be paid,” YoungBoy said. “… This whole music thing, like every aspect of it, like it’s all ignorance. I just wanna be paid, I don’t care about all that extra shit. I just wanna be paid and stay out the way.” Peep NBA Youngboy’s comments above and let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. 

NBA Youngboy Details New Album & Dissects Entertainment Vs. Reality

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NBA Youngboy’s entering a new era in his career. Following his departure from Atlantic Records in 2022, he kicked off his contract with Motown at the beginning of the year. Shockingly, he’s been more open than he has in the past. He’s interacting more with the media and appears to have a change in perspective surrounding the entertainment industry as a whole. Perhaps, it’s part of contractual agreements but it’s clear that fans appreciate the influx of content he’s delivering.

This week, the rapper sat down with B.Dot and Elliott Wilson for the latest episode of Rap Radar. He confirmed the title of his forthcoming album, Don’t Try This At Home. “I’mma be talking crazy on there,” he said of the project. “I’mma show you Murda Man… but I’m lettin’ you know, though: Don’t try this at home,” he added, explaining that he doesn’t want fans to recreate anything that he says on his records. In a sense, this statement falls in line with his “Stop The Violence” campaign. “It’s all entertainment, bruh,” he continued with a grin on his face.

NBA Youngboy On Entertainment Vs. Reality

YB explained that there’s a line between entertainment and reality. Though some things are intended to keep audiences engaged, he feels as though reality can spill into the art sometimes. “Entertainment and reality is very different. What I do think, some of the entertainers make their entertainment their reality also,” he said. “A lot of people who you see today, that’s 100% who they is,” he added, explaining that many rappers aren’t necessarily faking a persona. “But I guarantee you bro, the majority of them… nah,” he said. 

He explained that many individuals simply create the perception that they live through the hardships of the streets. He explained that a lot of rappers carry weapons in their music videos. However, he questioned whether it’s actually an accurate representation of what they’ve experienced. “Man, you got to dig a little deeper sometimes, bro,” he said. “Alright, now look at his mama. His mama ain’t no gangsta, so how the f*ck is he a gangsta? That shit don’t be adding up, bruh.” Check out the clip above. 

J.I.D Stopped Doing Freestyles, Blamed Funk Flex

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Never forget that all the greatest rappers today started on the same hustle of proving themselves as anyone else. Sometimes, though, people don’t yet see what they’ll become down the road, or even what they’ve already achieved. J.I.D. explained how his appearance on Funk Flex’s Hot 97 radio show made him stop doing freestyles. Moreover, the “Surround Sound” MC said that he was frustrated with Flex for not reacting to his 2017 freestyle.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 20: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) JID performs onstage during the 2022 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 20, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Still, one can’t imagine the rapper who gave us The Forever Story failing Funk Flex. Most people can’t even imagine a 2017 J.I.D doing so. Regardless, the 32-year-old attributed a lack of awareness to the DJ’s original reaction.

“Funk ain’t even understand what was going on,” he expressed to the Rap Radar Podcast. “He was kerfuffled. I was giving him something and he ain’t even get it. We might go back one day. I silently retired away from the freestyles because I was mad at Flex because he didn’t respond the way I wanted to.

“It was like a childhood dream to get the bomb and I ain’t get the bomb or none of the hype, so I was a little upset,” the Atlanta artist continued. “But I think I’m gonna get back into the freestyle world just because it’s another part of the art, it’s another notch on your tool belt.”

Moreover, the Rap Radar hosts specifically highlighted one of his lines from the six-year-old freestyle. “You said the rhyme… something like ‘The doctor can’t see my pee like pterodactyl,’” they said. “Like, I ain’t never heard a n***a say ‘pterodactyl’ in a rhyme, this guy’s incredible!”

However, at least J.I.D didn’t close the door on spitting off the dome on a track, for interviews or otherwise. What’s more is that he talked about potentially doing DiCaprio 3 with DJ Drama. Another Gangsta Grillz production to look forward to, it seems.

Still, what do you think of J.I.D’s silent exit from freestyles thanks to Funk Flex and his 2017 reaction? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, come back to HNHH for the latest insights from your favorite MCs.

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