Cash Money, Rap-A-Lot Records, No Limit — these are a handful of record labels that propelled the South towards stardom; building a legacy that not only carved out a new lane for hip-hop but established a blueprint and opened the doors for a future generation of rap stars. The impact they had is hard to replicate. It was a different time with different rules to the music industry. However, that same ethos has carried through to Gucci Mane’s career, whether it’s the abundance of mixtapes he released between 2006-2009 or his ability to identify and empower new talent. It began when Gucci Mane founded So Icey Entertainment in 2007, which shut down its operations three years later. Then came the iconic 1017 imprint — the manifestation of all things icy.
1017 originates from Gucci’s grandfather’s home in Bessemer, AL — 1017 First Avenue, to be exact. In The Autobiography Of Gucci Mane, the rapper describes the home as having a “rotating cast of family characters who could be staying there at any time.” Later on in the memoir, Wop explains how the Brick Factory Studio shared a similar setting where rappers like Young Thug, PeeWee Longway, and Young Scooter would congregate. “The Brick Factory was some hippie commune shit. Outlaws playing by our own set of rules,” he says. “A tale of true American counterculture.”
The high-end fashion brand Gucci went from sending him a cease-and-desist to inviting him to star in their Gucci Cruise 2020 campaign, marking an end to the “outlaw” era. His release from prison in 2016 signaled a reinvention which led to a few rebrands of the 1017 Empire. From 1017 Eskimo, which housed artists like Hoodrich Pablo Juan, Asian Doll, and Lil Wop, in partnership with Alamo/Empire Music, he’s leveled up with his latest rebrand: 1017 Global Music, better known as the New 1017. A newly launched partnership with Atlantic Music has now opened the doors for the streets across the South to latch onto radio airwaves.
The New 1017 – Image provided by the label. Photo by Matt Marzahl @multimarz.
As the So Icy Boyz cover art suggests, Gucci Mane has now assembled the Avengers of the South. Boasting artists like the 17-year-old high school football prospect BiC Fizzle, to new street legends like Pooh Shiesty and Foogiano, and buzzing forces like BigWalkDog, Enchanting, Hotboy Wes, and Big Scarr, the 1017 roster is shaping up to have a grip on the streets for the foreseeable future.
For the latest edition of Crew Love, we caught up with members of the 1017 roster. With the exception of Pooh Shiesty and Foogiano, who are currently incarcerated, BigWalkDog, Enchanting, Hotboy Wes, BiC Fizzle, and Big Scarr chopped it up with HNHH to dive into their history and their relationship with Wizzop.
Read our interview with Pooh Shiesty prior to his incarceration here.
BigWalkDog
Hometown: Tutwiler, MI
Listen to: “GOAT Talk,” “Poppin” ft. Gucci Mane
Image provided by 1017
Who is BigWalkDog?
So Icy Boy, the most icy boy. The biggest Dog out right now. Shoutout to all the OG dogs man.
How long have you been rapping for and what got you into it?
I’ve been rapping all my life but I just started putting out music professionally last year. Well, last year.
Music is more so a feeling thing for me. It was never — you know how some people just wake up and wanna do music? I was always drawn to sounds. Even when I was younger, I used to beat on tables and stuff, just for sounds. I also like all types of genre of music. Music has always been something that I can lean on, you know? I learned a lot of what I know today from music. It’s just that different music gives you different feelings. Music just keeps me moving and it drives me.
I couldn’t go a day without freestyling. In school, people would put on a beat or start beating on the wall and I had to rap. Coming up through school, I was always known for music. Everybody knew I could rap, but my heart really wasn’t in music then.
You’re making a splash as an up-and-comer. What do you think you’re bringing to the rap game right now?
In my opinion, I’m just coming raw. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot of Mississippi artists, but in terms of mainstream, Big KRIT and David Banner are the top ones. Me being signed to such a big platform like 1017 and be onto Gucci Mane’s [radar], that’s like picking a needle out of a haystack. Just that move was legendary. There’s not a lot of people from Mississippi in the music world — rap, hip-hop, however you want to say — that actually made it to the industry. I feel like me just blowing up and signing to 1017 is legendary for me, you know?
Tell me how you linked up with 1017.
Man, it was really out of the blue. I had been working my a** off. I was just pushing all my music out for that whole year. I did a song called “Tyson.” That was the last song I did before I got signed by Gucci. Man, I pushed that song like hell. I’m talking about I spent the last couple dollars I had to push that song. A couple days later, I ended up signing with Gucci Mane. Even talking to you, I couldn’t even explain it. It’s still surreal to me. I’m still trying to understand what’s going on.
What did it tell you about Gucci Mane since he was that tapped in?
He’s just a real dude. He’s just a stand-up dude. Ain’t nobody like Gucci [Mane]. I tell people all the time that Gucci has been in the game for a while, and Gucci is still one of the top artists from his time still doing it. He’s still hands on in the industry, he ain’t never stopped doing what he’s been doing. He always has been finding artists and pushing them — even if he didn’t sign em’ because that’s just his character and who he is. Ain’t nobody like Gucci. Gucci’s the one.
Gucci Mane has been in the game for so long. What’s one piece of advice that he’s given to you?
Make everything count. He told me, “Make every step count.” That’s why every move I make or every song I drop is going to be perfect timing. When I make a song or a project, It’s got to be the right mood, the right season, and the right weather to drop. Everything has to be right so that’s why he was like, “Make everything count.” I’m going to be in this for the long-run.
How does your competitive spirit from your football days extend to working with artists like Lil Baby and Pooh Shiesty on a record like ‘Whole Lotta Ice’?
It wasn’t even a competitive thing, man. It was more so a vibe. Them two are stand-up dudes. Like, they real n***as, you know what I’m saying? It was a vibe. I ain’t have to force nothing. Only thing I had to do was lay that song down, and sh*t when they heard it, they jumped on it. I ain’t gone say it was like a competitive thing, it was more so just like a vibe thing. It’s just like a feeling, some stuff can’t be denied.
Which member of 1017 forces you to come your hardest when you lock in with them?
I’ma say Gucci. I’m saying Gucci because his verses are still timeless. He’s getting younger with these verses. Like, his verses [are] getting harder. You can listen to any verse Gucci just dropped and them motherf*ckers crazy. So if Gucci send me something, I know I gotta come with it.
Enchanting
Hometown: Fort Worth, TX
Listen To:“Tattoos,” “Love and Drugs Pt. 2”
Image provided by 1017
Who is Enchanting for those that don’t know?
A bad ass R&B singer, that’s also a double threat who can rap, too, and is versatile. She’s just a cool ass young lady, I would say. A young turnt bitch.
What do you think you’re bringing to the game right now that’s missing?
I feel like I’m bringing versatility. Right now, there aren’t a lot of female artists that can really, really sing and really, really rap at a high level. Just trying to, you know, turn it up a notch.
Tell me about how you first got into music.
I started off just doing covers because I could always sing but I’m shy. I never really wanted people to know I could sing but I had started posting cover videos. I had a friend who — he had a friend who had a studio and he made me get in the studio. I got in the studio and made a little mixtape. I made my first mixtape in one day. From there, I posted the first song I had recorded on Soundcloud and it did 100K plays without any promotion. Just me posting it without any following and sh*t. Then I felt like I could do this music sh*t, for real. If my stuff could go up like that with just me posting it, and just starting off, I knew that I could turn up, for real. Then, I started taking it seriously.
Between dropping your first tape and meeting Gucci, what was going on in your life?
I was just working my regular job at IHOP. I knew somebody who had a studio so I learned how to record myself. I was staying in the studio and recording both myself and other people. Then, boom, I finally quit my job and started pursuing music full-time. Then six months after that, that’s when I had signed.
Tell me about connecting with Gucci Mane and how he reached out to you.
I met Gucci Mane through this producer named Jay White from Dallas, Texas. I been knowing him for a couple of years. He was always a mentor in music for me. He would always give me advice and stuff like that. He reached out to me, like, was I ready to take it to the next level? He said he was going to pitch me to some labels. He called me the next day and said he had a few meetings set up for me with a couple of different labels but he was like, ‘Gucci is interested in signing you.’ I was like, ‘What the hell?’ Then the next morning, Gucci had texted me like, “Hey it’s Gucci. Do you want to sign to 1017?” And I’m just like, ‘What the hell? Who got my damn number playing on my phone?’ I called him and he was like, ‘I heard your music through Jay White and I’m trying to sign you today.’ And then, boom.
What’s it like working with Gucci Mane and the whole 1017 roster?
I love working with the boys. It’s always a good time. We have a natural vibe so it’s easy to hop on a song. In terms of being in the studio with Gucci, he always keeps you on your toes ‘cause he’ll tell you to get on a song out of nowhere. We havin’ our own little bar set up. It be a vibe.
Can you tell me about the most memorable studio session you’ve had?
We did a week-long recording camp. This is when we recorded the “No Love” song with me, Gucci, K Shiday, Big Scarr, and Key Glock. We were going to the studio every day and then Wop had hit me like he wanted me to do a verse to a song and it turned out to be big. So that was the most memorable time for me.
Do you see yourself fully committing to either R&B or Rap at some point?
Honestly, I never rapped much before signing to Gucci. The first time I rapped on a track was on “No Love.” I did it and, I don’t know, that’s just my rapping voice. Everybody responded to it like, ‘Oh my God!’ Like it was just something crazy and different. I had just stuck with it. But I don’t know, at the moment I was just trying some shit.
I would like to focus more on R&B but I’ll never completely stop rapping because I enjoy it. Rapping is something that’s fun to me. Not even for dropping purposes but it’s something that I like to do, like it’s a cool lil’ hobby of mine. But I definitely want to focus more on R&B.
What’s the most exciting part about being a part of the new ‘1017’?
That I get to do what I’m doing and chase my dreams with friends. It’s just dope to share the process with people who I’m actually cool with in real life.
Outside of Gucci, who pushes your pen the furthest when you’re in the studio?
Sh*t [emphatically]. Just me. Don’t nobody push me more than me. I always go the extra mile to satisfy myself musically. I’m a perfectionist and I would never want to get washed on no song. So, I’m going to always go out of my way to do well on a song, no matter who is on it.
What’s the best advice Gucci has given you so far?
Not to focus on what people say and to keep delivering and put sh*t in their face. He always says, “They’ll catch on eventually.” As long as you are constantly posting your work, making people aware, and doing what you’re supposed to do.
BiC Fizzle
Hometown: Blytheville, AR
Listen To: “Never A Dream,” “Bandit.”
Image provided by 1017
Who is Bic Fizzle?
I’mma hustler. I’m a worker. I’m a hustler. I want some money. I want to be the biggest. I work hard.
You have an extensive history in football but how did you get into music?
Rap ain’t even come about until like — I wasn’t even startin no rap until like seventh grade. I used to be rappin in like class and sh*t. And they’d used to be like, ‘sh*t, you should start rapping. You sound good.’ Like, they liked how I sound. So, I used to start rapping on my phone, making hits on my phone and I’d post them on Facebook. I get a lot of likes, in the hood, like around Blytheville. Small town life. Get like 100, 140, 200 likes on Facebook.
Tell me a little bit about “Bandit.”
Bandit is… I owe it all to my momma. I owe it all to my momma. And if it weren’t for my pops, I’d be on the block. Sh*t like that. I owe it all to my momma, sh*t. She did what she can. Same with my pops, they did what they can. Sh*t, the whole struggle, Blytheville a struggle, for real. They did what they can. This is a hard song you have to listen to, I break down lyric by lyric.
I want to ask what do you think you’re bringing to the rap game right now that was missing?
I’m young. I don’t really flex guns on the internet. I don’t talk about all the gangsta stuff that everybody talkin’ about. I mean I’m from there. I mean, it goes down, you hear me? I see it everyday, hear about it every day. People I grew up with die. People I grew up with go to jail. People I know go to jail for murder. I have seen all that. I can talk about it. I could talk about going sliding on, shooting at people. I can talk about that but I don’t do that. I be just trying to rap, making real music. Trying to be an artist.
Who were the biggest musical influences growing up for you from Arkansas?
Temper Da Don, fasho. People like Temper, Envy The Great. The whole A1 from Blytheville, Arkansas, fasho. Them was my biggest influences from Arkansas. Temper Da Don’s one, fasho.
When I was growing up in Blytheville, it really just like a whole — it’s hustlers here. That’s what they do here. They hustle. People make money. Make money or get hustled. People back then like them, they were getting it. They were popping back then. Everybody loved them back then. Like how we are here now, they’ll tell you now how A1 they were back then. They were popping. And everybody in Blytheville, they mess with them. I mess with their music, forreal, because they told the real truth about Blytheville. Like, you want to hear something about Blytheville, go listen to Temper Da Don, Envy the Great. Only hear about Arkansas listenin’ to them, they gon’ tell you about it, fasho.
You started off in football then Gucci reached out to you because he heard the quality of your music. At what point did you have to make the decision on whether you wanted to pursue football or music?
Look, I know football was just a way to keep me out of trouble here in Blytheville. It was a way to keep me out of the way of violence, really. I was gonna be able to hustle either way it goes, though. It was a way to keep me away from violence. I really knew I wasn’t going to no NFL but I had NFL dreams. You know, people in the NFL be 6’4”, 230 lbs. I’m 5’11”, play quarterback, about 220 pounds. I’m good but I know I ain’t no — c’mon. People don’t make it into the NFL from Blytheville. It had been legends. People from Blytheville are dope. People from Blytheville — there’s a lotta talent. Anything. You can find all kinds of talent in Blytheville, fasho, because it’s so small.
How did Gucci find you, then?
Cootie, actually. Gucci found me through Cootie. Look, it’s crazy though ‘cause Cootie came to my football practice and told me about it. It was after practice. I had gotten in trouble at school. I was out there doing bear crawls. Cootie ran out there. I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ in my head. I’m like I know Cootie ain’t coming to no football practice for nothing. I’m out there in the 50 yard line, he’s in the touchdown. I’m bear crawling. He like, ‘Ay ay, I got something to tell you.’ Me and my homeboy Tru, he running down. He’s on the football team. He’s like, ‘Hurry up and finish. You gon’ love this.’ I’m like fasho, bruh.
I’m finishing the bear crawl. I get back, he’s like, ‘Wop on the phone. He’s tryna get you, bro.’ Then the phone just hung up. I’m like, ‘Bro, you lyin’. Wop ain’t tryna get me. You lyin’. Bruh, that ain’t true. Wop not tryna get me bro.’ Then he was like ‘bro, I swear. I ain’t lying.’ Then he called Wop back. Wop like, ‘Wassup Lil Fizzle?’ I said, ‘Aw, that’s Wop, for real.’ He’s like, ‘I f*ck with your music. I’ll fly you out to Miami, we make a song. We’ll make a song and talk about signing and sh*t.’ I ain’t gonna lie, I shed a couple tears. When I got home, though. I couldn’t do it in front of everybody [laughs].
You mentioned you’re a hustler and Gucci is the ultimate hustler. How has the mentorship been under an artist that’s been around for a decade-plus?
It’s like you’re around a millionaire! I get a different feeling when I’m around a millionaire. I feel like I’m someone when I’m around a millionaire. When you make it from Blytheville and you’re around a millionaire, it gives you that feeling, fasho. Made me feel good. Then, I know Gucci, he a real n*gga, fasho. I listened to him growing up.
What’s the best piece of advice he’s giving you?
Man, Gucci gives a lot of advice. You just gotta suck it all up and listen. It’s all just listening to him. It’s all I do — just listen. Everything he tells me is good advice. He ain’t gonna tell you no wrong, fasho.
What’s your average studio session like?
Probably be in there smoking, chilling. Kick back, write a song or I be in my room by myself, just chilling. I write a song on my phone in my notes. It’ll probably take about two hours. ‘Cause, like, when I write, I like my song to sound coordinated. I don’t like to sound like I freestyled it. I like it to sound like it’s perfect. So, when I write, I take time when I write.
That’s a little bit of a different approach compared to a lot of your 1017 labelmates.
Yeah, freestyle. I can’t do that.
Have you been picking that up through working with others?
I be trying to. I was in a studio with Quavo. I see how he got in there, man he made a song like [snaps his fingers] quick. And it was a hit. I was like, ‘Man, how he do that?’ I’m thinking in my head like, man I gotta learn how to do that. And when I go back to my studio, I tell bro to turn on a beat. I’ll probably be chilling there. I’m trying to rap. I know I can’t really do it ‘cause I’m a deep thinker, I gotta sit down and type my music. So, I’m just like, man what’s going on? I can’t do this. But look, man, Wop. I was in the studio with Wop, we making a song. I’m in there writing. It took Wop 5 minutes to write a song. Like, when Quavo was doing his verse, Wop was already done. I was like I gotta learn how to write this fast. It shouldn’t take me no two hours to write no song. They get done with a song in 10-20 minutes, and it be a hit.
Big Scarr
Hometown: South Memphis, TN
Listen to: You gotta listen to everything. — Big Scarr
Image provided by 1017
Who is Big Scarr?
Big Scarr is me. I can’t put it in too many words but I’m me. I’m myself. Like, I can’t just explain that. I don’t know.
How long have you been rapping for?
It’s been a year and a couple of months, I think.
So you weren’t like rapping before?
When it first popped off, I was not rapping. I had the song out that got me noticed-type shit but like, rapping just wasn’t my thing.
What was the moment where you realized that you could make it in rap?
Once I seen, like — “Make A Play” that was my first shit. I saw the attention it was getting. I was like, ‘Damn. Yeah I can damn near do something with this shit. Let me try something with it.’
How did Gucci get put on to you?
Through cuh. Through Pooh Shiesty.
You and Shiesty are actually like blood cousins, right?
Yeah, that’s my cousin but Wop been on my music, though, before that. But, he ain’t even know me and [Pooh] was cousins.
When did he realize that you guys were cousins?
When I got shot.
Was that before or after you signed to Gucci?
That was before. He was like I got shot type shit. Cuh had found out and when cuh found out I got shot, he was in Miami with Wop. And I guess Wop seen the reaction type shit and he was like, ‘What’s going on?’ And he told him, like ‘Damn, Scarr.’ Like, he knew who I was.
You, 30 and Sheisty were like clicked up on the rap stuff in Memphis, right?
Nah, no rap shit. We was just close.
You guys did music back in the day?
I never rapped. They came in, they used to fuck around and shit. I used to be with them and shit.
And what was it like watching them come up?
Shit, I was just with my n***as ‘nem. This shit gave a n*gga hope, I ain’t gonna lie. What they did, it let a n*gga know like, where we’re from, we could do something. N*ggas gotta give ‘em their flowers on this shit.
Big Grim Reaper that was your first big project out and I found like one of the ill things about it was —
See, that’s what people don’t even know. Like for me, not to be a rapper, for me to put the whole tape together, what do that tell you? With no writing, just straight off the top. 15, 16, 17 songs.
Was that a difficult process for you?
Nah, it wasn’t difficult ‘cause my recording process — if I record how I record, how I do my shit, it’s no problem. But like if a mothafucka try to come to me, try to get me to like — on their time type shit, it ain’t gonna be right, because I don’t write. I’m an artist but on my regular time, I’m not even considering that. I just sit here, listen to the beats and write.
Which member of 1017 pushes your pen?
Shit, everybody. Everybody’s hard. Shit, everybody got their own timing and shit on how they get on and shit. That will be different for me because I got to like — say if somebody sent me a song from the label. Like, BiC Fizzle sent me a song and it’s not like how I rap. I gotta get on his time and talk shit. Or it probably not be that every time, though. It’ll probably be one of them just talking they shit and I get on and talk they shit behind them. So really, my thing with coming up with music is us being in the studio together and we come up with it. That’s how I like doing it. Like, we ain’t gonna be on two different pages on what’s going on.
What can fans expect from you and in the near future?
I got a lot of music and videos. I been chilling. Hell, I’ve been chillin’ too much but I finna pop back out. I really finna show ‘em I’m the one. I’m Him. I’m who they wanna be.
Hotboy Wes
Hometown: Waco, TX
Listen to: “Soldier,” Never Had Shit
Image provided by 1017
Who is Hotboy Wes?
Shit, just a young n***just tryna make it. Just livin’ life. Just love rappin’, shit. You know, turn mothafuckin’ dirt into diamonds like the rest of ‘em did. We ain’t nothing special. We just street n***as who rap that want better. I ain’t do shit that the next mothafucka can’t put they mind and do. You can do whatever you put your mind to.
How long have you been rapping for?
Man, I’ve been rapping for like forever. I ain’t gon’ bullshit. Since I was like eight I’ve been rapping. I’ve been rapping ever since I’ve been hearing music. I started singing ‘cause my grandma used to listen to that slow shit. She used to be like, ‘Turn that shit off. Turn that rapping shit off. I don’t wanna hear that shit.’ And I was just listening to whatever she wanted to listen to. She listened to that bullshit but that shit really turnt me up, though. Like, for real. ‘Cause a lot of songs they be making these days are like old ass songs remade. That’s what people don’t realize. Then, when you finally put 2 and 2 together, you be like, ‘I been heard that shit a long time ago.’ But it’s cool, though. Yeah, I been rapping since I was a baby though. No cap.
Who was influencing you back then when you were a kid just trying to rap?
I was tryna rap when I was comin’ up — everybody that I looked up to was UGK, Soulja Slim, Hot Boyz. Lil Wayne isn’t Lil Wayne without the Hot Boyz. You know, Lil Wayne put some shit down. Now, when I was a young n***a, probably Rich Homie Quan, Future and Chief Keef.
The Hot Boyz influence is evident just by your name alone.
Yeah. I took that straight from the Hot Boyz. I ain’t bullshitting. I idolized every one of them. I took a piece of every one of them and put it together and made my own Hot Boy. You know how the Power Rangers had one badass Power Ranger? Yeah, that’s me. That’s all of ‘em put together. Yeah that’s me. You know how they got that one badass mothafuckin’ Power Ranger that comes in at the end? That’s me right there.
What’s your favorite Hot Boyz track? What’s your favorite Hot Boyz moment?
My favorite Hot Boyz song is probably gonna be “We On Fire.” I just fuck with ‘em, no cap. Like, for real, for real. I really hate the way it had to be. The way it turned out. They should have made that shit right, you know what I’m saying? They too fire. Like, they don’t even know, they don’t even reach their highest pinnacle to reach. They just got so many fingerprints and footprints on the game right now. Like, n***a we was sucking on pacifiers when you n***as was rapping, you know? Like that shit was fire, bro. Like, y’all n***as ain’t even hit your highest point and y’all n*ggas got so much gravitation and grab on the motherfucking game. Like, if it weren’t for the Hot Boyz, there probably would be no Kevin Gates, no Boosie, no NBA Youngboy, no Fredo Bang. There weren’t be none of us n***a, if it weren’t for the Hot Boyz. It weren’t be no Hot Boyz if it weren’t for Soulja Slim and shit like that. That shit just go on and on.
What do you think you’re bringing to the game right now that’s been missing?
Sh*t, really just versatility. These n*ggas don’t be talking ‘bout shit. And they be hoes, too. They be catching these n***as on a backend. That ain’t got nothing to do with what I’m saying. I don’t know. I f*ck with the Hot Boyz, I f*ck with who I f*ck with, ‘cause they was them. Regardless of the fact, they was them. No matter how much people tried to modify that or change that, they was them to their soul, you know what I’m saying? Whether the outcome was bad or good, but they was them so that’s what we love about them. So it’s just originality. Really originality, flexibility, versatility. Shit like that because I can sing, too. I ain’t even started singing. I can almost sing, but I can do a lil’ something. When I get full of that liquor, I could get blowin’ on some shit, though.
Can you talk to me a little bit about your relationship with Trapboy Freddy?
Yeah, that boy kept me out a lot of shit, you know? I’m young and in the midst of everything and so short-tempered, and hotheaded, you know? I used to take heat but I just had to find out for myself. But yeah, he did the best he could do and that shit turned out right. He saved me from a lotta mothafuckas. He saved me from myself a lotta times. That’s my f*cking dawg. No cap.
So then, how did you and Gucci end up linking up?
Man, I swear to God this how I met Gucci. I’m outside my apartment, I’m trapping one night. It’s like 6:00 a.m. I’m jacked up, I’m wide awake. So boom, I’m like, ‘Fuck it, this n***a Gucci signing all of these n***as. I finna write Gucci ass. Tell Gucci he need to sign me. I’m the hardest. I know I can snap.’ Then, the n***as he was signing, he was signing real street young n***as. Like, this shit like 100. Like, that n***a really like Master P, modern-day Master P. Like, he’s doing what Master P was doing in ’97, ’98. And they got a whole bunch of mothafuckas and everybody shit gonna go. Like, goin’ platinum. That shit fire, bro. No cap. He really changed a lotta mothafuckas lives. By him changing my life, he changed a lotta mothafuckas lives. He put a lotta good into the world. It’s crazy how much power a n***a can have.
Gucci is obviously somebody you grew up listening to, right?
Aw hell yeah. Man, Gucci stay in this shit. Especially when Gucci was beefing with n***as, too. Gucci was the first rapper that really just said, ‘fuck a n***a.’ Like, fuck a n***a, like real serious. We grown now, we tryna get the bag now but back then, when Gucci was on that bullshit, we was on that bullshit with Gucci. Gucci had some shit, n***a. On my momma. When he dropped that, “Like Tommy Lee and Pamela, I’m fuckin’ on a camera,” the whole hood was so fucking dumb when that hoe came out. I think that’s when X pills first hit the hood, n****a. Man, we was stupid when Gucci dropped that b*tch.
Gucci had me feelings as a young n***a ‘cause older n***as was listening to Gucci. Like, my older n***as that I was listening to was bumping Gucci and shit. On my momma, I f*ck with Gucci. Even though dawg was a Blood, I was Crippin’ hard when I was young, so shit. If you was a Blood n***a in my playlist, you had to be hard. It ain’t no shit like that, though. I’m just saying. And then you know, Gucci had all the credentials to go with the shit. It ain’t like a n***a just listening to it and it ain’t just like I’m listening to a n***a rap. This n***a really doing this shit. Yeah, n***a just gravitated to that shit. And you know, at the end of the day, all of it be bullshit and shit but you know, that’s how a n**a was livin’. That’s how n***s is living so they gravitate to that shit. N***a feel that shit. N***a live that shit everyday. Yeah, I f*ck with big bro. You know, Unc did it for a n***a.
How does it feel being part of this new era of 1017?
You just gotta check Gucci’s record. Gucci got a lot of imprints on a lot of artists. Gucci got that shit on everybody. Everybody that got signed under Gucci Mane, Gucci ain’t miss that many times. You know, if I’ma bet my money, I’ma bet my money on Gucci. Women lie, men lie but numbers don’t lie and I’m a gambling man so I gotta go with odds. Gucci had 15 mothafuckas and 13 and a half of them blew up to become megastars and shit, I gotta put my money on Gucci. Gucci knows the f*ck he talking about. That n***a Gucci got fingerprints on every mothafuckin’ body. Gucci got fingerprints on Migos, Thug, Nicki Minaj, Waka Flocka, even OJ got a hit. OJ got “Made Da Trap Jump.” Now, we talking about Pooh Shiesty, Big Scarr, Foogiano, Enchanting, BigWalkDog, BiC Fizzle, Cootie. N***a knows the f*ck he doing. That man knows what he’s doing man.
What was the energy like when you first joined 1017?
That shit just like home. Like, we all thuggin’. It’s just family type shit. When we get time to gel and vibe, it’s supportive but you know everybody be busy and shit. You know how that shit go on the road. Everybody be having their own shit going on but when we are linked up for a project or some shit like that you know it ain’t nothing but love though. Even if it ain’t about the music, we still call and shit like that.
Which one of your labelmates makes you go the hardest?
If we’re in the studio with any of our labelmates, that’s with any one of us. But for me and Scarr, we be together a lot, a lot. Me and Scarr get in that bitch, we go dumb. Shit, me and Chant get together, we might make something. We might all be in the studio all at one time. I might go in that bitch with Wop, see what Wop doing. Wop be in that hoe mashin’ that hoe.
Everybody’s really a natural. So, everybody doesn’t really need too much coaching. Everybody’s really a natural on their own time. You know how that shit goes.
So my final question for you is what do you have coming up next? What can fans look forward to from Hotboy Wes?
Shit, really just a whole bunch of visuals. Whole bunch of singles and shit. We been in the studio like crazy. We don’t be leaving that b*tch ‘til we see the sun sometimes. You know, just a whole bunch of different shit. We ’bout to go up on these people. These people think it’s a game. Everybody got their time, everybody is gonna have their wave, they turn. It’s a young n***a world. We gon’ come and get it.