FULL SEND PODCAST - Polo G x Nelk Boys | Ep. 76

Episode Date: February 17, 2023

Polo G on Why He Unfollowed Gunna and His Dream to Work with Drake! Presented by Happy Dad Hard Seltzer. Find Happy Dad near you http://happydad.com/find (21+ only). Video is available on http://youtube.com/fullsendpodcast/videos. Follow Nelk Boys on Instagram http://instagram.com/nelkboys. Part of the Shots Podcast Network (shots.com). You can listen to the audio version of this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & anywhere you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pretty much my good friend at this point. What's good, Polo? What's up, buddy? You guys are like best buddies now? You could say that. I would say that. I've been telling people that. How did you see this guy's DM of all people?

That's what I was curious about. Because he likes to Stine. Stani landed you. So it's pretty big guest for you, Stani. No, I know. I've been flexing this all week, bro. Thank you. You've done a lot for me.

Now, I'll be checking my message request sometime. And he was at the top. So we got lucky. That's what it sounds like. I'm not going to lie, bro. It was like a six month ago thing. and then out of nowhere. Yeah, I've seen you at my gym with the trainer.

Yeah. Do you train really consistently? I'm off and on. Sometimes, like, the longest I've been consistent probably like three months. Do you have a specific goal? Yeah, I'm trying to get, I'm trying to, right now I'm like 165 pounds. I'm trying to be like 185. You want a gain weight?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I'll be there. So you know this guy? Yeah, I've seen him. Yeah. You guys have ever talked before or no? Briefly in the front.

Yeah. Boy, you're like, I'm going to give him his space until I'm ready to move in with the camera. I'm not a, I'm not a cloud chasing like that, man. I just say what up. Should we get the whole squad in here, too? Yeah, you got to. We got to stop renting Airbnbs for podcasts. Everyone just goes.

It's a dope spot. Yeah, whatever. It's all good. What you, what did you say? I said, just what have you been up to you? Living in LA now. Yeah, how's life? Shit, man.

I've been, I've been gone for the first four months of the year. and just moving around a lot I'm in Paris I was gone for my birthday and I did some shows I've been doing a lot of shit yeah weren't you just international somewhere yeah I was in Paris for Fashion Week

Oh shit No yeah I got it I got a question about this chain Like this is this is outrageous Wait hold on hold on Hold on big boy Cuban real quick Look at this It's a custom cube and it's a B link Okay listen

Hold on when you posted that I gotta say listen Have you seen a Cuban this big Okay, bro, you asked him if he's seen a Cuban that big? Yeah. You think he hasn't seen a Cuban that big? Have you? Come on, bro. Yeah, I'm pretty sure, though.

He has, okay. Okay, whatever. When you posted that and everyone's like, yo, how are you going to charge it? That's what they say? Like, what are you going to, like, put it on the charge? Is it a real iPhone? Yeah, it's a real iPhone. Is it, like, functional?

Do you use it for anything? No. Just if I want to play a video, just to show off. Fuck it. Let's talk about how did that idea. What made you want to do that? It really originated off of, I'm a big fan of, like, I'm a big fan of, like, UFC boxing and shit.

So, like, I pay close attention to, like, out of sign you. And I seen him with the Apple Watch chain. And I'm like, damn, that's a dope idea. And I was trying to think of something to commemorate my homie because I got a homie name B Doggy. So that's what the B and the dog is for it. And it was originally supposed to be.

Apple Watch's playing the flip grandma just moments of me and him together But then he ended up Icebox ended up upgrading it to a whole iPhone So when people first see it they're like Why the fuck would he get an iPhone in the turn? But it's pretty deeper than that Who's your favorite UFC fighters? Like top three?

I like Adesia I like the guy who just lost Usman. Usman? Yeah, I like him. Yeah, he's a beast. I was going to, because I thought that iPhone was removable.

Yeah, it is. So what you can play stuff on there? Because I was worried at first because I was like, what if, what if hypothetically you're with your girl and then your side girl start hitting you up and it's displayed for everybody?

Ain't no side girl, man. Okay, well, that's, that'd be the biggest. You're trying to get them caught up. That was just a concern that I had. What the fuck are you talking about? If I was wearing it, that'd be a concern. Bro, shut the fuck.

You're not going to put your chat fizzy on a chain. That's stupid. Come on, dude. Let's get it together. Let's talk about Chicago. Let's talk about where you came from. Let's talk about, Let's talk about how you started.

Like, how did you get into rap? And why did you decide it was for you? I knew how to rap since I was a kid, like a little kid, like, shorty, like, probably, like, nine, I made my first song. And I have been, like, rapping all the way up until I got into high school when I took it seriously. And it's really just, like, me finding a passion for it and me knowing that I wasn't going to do shit else. Like, I ain't going to play basketball. I ain't going to do nothing.

I was going to ask, did you, I know just coming from Chicago, too, because you said, I saw an interview where you said the two biggest things are rapping in basketball. And I know you're Derek Rose fan, so did you ever, did you ever hoop or try and do that? Yeah, I tried a hoop. I was, I was weak when I was a little kid, and I got old. I was decent. But. You just knew it wasn't going to work out.

Yeah. How did you know you were going to rapping, though? Because you said you knew you're good at it. Was it just someone told you or? I just always knew. always had a lot of confidence when it came to rapper, too. Like, before I ever really was on the forefront with making a song, like, I had, the few songs that I had, I felt that I was so good, like, as far as my lyrical ability, that

I tell people, like, I'm the best rapper from Chicago. They're like, man, hell no. And we are arguing all day long, and then when I actually got to a point where I got far enough, like, as far as the new generation of rappers, that became an argument. No, and it's just me having that strong belief in my son. Do you think that it's important to have that sort of belief, to have that actual success, like to be known as one of the great rappers? You have to believe it first.

Hell yeah. Hell yeah. It's easier to believe it, though, before it happened. It's like when you actually make it, though, that's when the doubts kick in because now you've got to keep your reputation going. Yeah. How hard does that get now? Now that you're like, you know, you're kind of like at the top,

how much more competitive is it now? to like be the best, now that you're like in the mix. It's more competitive with yourself now. Yeah, that's more competition with myself more than anything because that's all I'm trying to do. I'm trying to outdo my last achieves. I find this really interesting with music and artists in general. Is like, do you ever feel like you get to a point where you've made, you know,

so many albums or you've put out so many, so many songs that you kind of like don't want to keep recreating the same sort of content and it gets hard to make new content but still like your style. Yeah. Because a lot of times there's so many songs that didn't come out because I felt like it sounded like some shit I don't did before. It'd be a lot of times where it's just like I run into a wall and feeling like I don't say it, damn to everything I can say.

Because you be far removed away from what made you you. Absolutely. Like we and I'm living a whole other lifestyle separate than what I came up in. Yeah. So it's harder to. Find inspiration. Yeah, it's the same thing that happens with a lot of, like, just content creators in general.

It's like where you start is not always where you continue to go. But what do you do to continue to challenge yourself in that realm? Like, how do you continue to make music, you know, mean something to you? But isn't obviously the same. It's not indicative of the beginning. Now it's beginning. Like, it's about what you're doing now, but how do you still have the same heart in it when it's not? Because I still got, like, I still want to be one of the best.

I don't want, I don't really rap for money. Like, I don't really even think about the check that's at the end of all the work that I'm doing. I'm really doing it because I got a passion for it. I'm really doing it because, like, I just want to be one of the best at rapping. Even when you didn't have money? Yeah, for sure.

Well, you're still too. No, I was definitely rapping for the money back then. I'm talking about now. Yeah, okay. Where I'm at now. What was your first big check for, like, anything rap-related? The day I signed? Nothing big.

before that? No, hell no. I probably was getting, I used to do. Yeah, wait, let's talk about like when you had to do like the smaller shows. Like, what was that like in your bags like that? Yeah, I do used to be on like a homecoming tour, like right before I popped off. And I was going, doing little shows in Chicago doing little homecomings. I'd probably perform for all of like five minutes. Really? What do they pay you for that? Probably like $2,500 here and there, $1,500. Okay, that's not bad. And I'm stacking this little money up that I'm good. But you still got, like, you still have a squad then.

So you got to take care of everybody, all that. Like, does the pressure ever see like that? Yeah, everybody paying their own way back then. That's some now shit. If you ain't had no money to get there, we want, you want coming. I like that. Hey, you hear that the hell? Bro, I pay what you mean.

I'm just kidding. You bought me lunch today. Yeah, don't pay. What was the first? What was like, was there a moment when you felt like things like tipped and things really started to take off like a certain song pop out and i made pop out yeah that was huge yeah we still because it was like pop out is it's such a fucking bang it so you could you could play it at any time like yeah especially when you're going out pop out we did we did one live show ever and i remember i was like

what song were we walking out to and he said dude it has to be pop out so when we walked out it's a bang it's a banger like it's just slaps bro yeah i feel like pop out was too in the beginning of that ticot era yeah and that thing so it went viral on that talk about the social media stuff a little bit. Do you think that social media has like a large impact on artists' success now? Like to be able to be successful as an artist now, do you think you have to like live in that social media space? I feel like it been like that for like the past damn five, six years. Like a lot of people are like internet sensations. Some people are more viral on the internet than they are with their music actually. Do you ever look at certain artists

and you're like, damn, bro, like, if it wasn't for social media, this shit wouldn't be a banger. Like, they kind of ride that TikTok wave, but if they didn't have that TikTok, it'd be like, dude, is this even a good song? I feel like that's for a lot of music, though. I'm not going to lie. Even though good songs, like, you don't really know. Like, because they put it to everybody here. Yeah. Back then, you probably had to follow a certain system.

Like, let's push this to radio. Yeah. Let's make sure they play this fucking song eight times and ten times. in the date. So do you think it's easier now? Yeah, for sure. But you're actually really right on that because if you think about it, like,

even if older people, like our parents' age that are on TikTok could hear his songs that would have never heard it before. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Because the viral nature of the things. But we did Metro Boomin like a month ago and he said that he has artists

come into the studio that say, yo, like this song is for TikTok. Like, they're not even making it about the music. That's crazy, though. I think you would fall by the wayside doing some shit like that. You can't have that mentality. Making music just for social media.

Yeah. Yeah. What part in your strategy to social media play, though? Like, what do you have to do social media? You almost got $11 million on IG. Yeah, because your IG goes crazy. It's really the only time I'm looking towards social media is for rollouts. Because that's really important in music.

But outside of that, I'm not thinking, like, oh, let me make this song because IG might like it on TikTok. Like, like, that's crazy. But it's fun, like, I think what Kyle was asking, though, is like, in regards to social media in general, do you do you do you do, do you do? certain, like, things for your music? Like, is it how important is social media to your music and to, like, drop in and all that? Like you said, for rollouts, is there, like, a certain way that you do it? Yeah, like, most of the time I had to get up on my label, we meet. They give me some ideas of what they think I should do with my rollout.

I get them ideas. Like, when I did the Kaisanat commercial before one of my songs, that was my idea. like I wrote out the treatment for the commercial and thought to get Cala in it because I knew he was pretty big. Yeah. But that was an idea of me and a label collabed on as far as getting him.

But just a little shit, you know that's going to catch a lot of people attention. Yeah. How big is the streaming stuff then for you, like jumping in people's streams? Does that help? Like on a big way or a small way? We also saw Aiden Rosses, obviously.

Yeah, I feel like now that like streaming podcast all that is a part of hip hop now like you got to you got to go out there and do that it's funny just sorry i mean but it's funny because you see now like every rapper is getting in somebody's stream so it's like they got to keep up or like they're behind almost yeah like you saw a little baby 21 you're doing it you got to fucking wild everyone's doing it yeah that twitch shit we just had aden ross on that shit's just they're taking it to a new level now that shit's like mega viral it's going through your playlist too because Obviously with rap star, Martin Gina, just all of it, what do you think differentiates you

because some of those are from three years ago, but you can hear them and they're still bangers. And a lot of times now with the new rappers, like a song gets old after three months, two months. Your shit's really like melodic though, too, right? Like your style. So what do you think is that unique factor that makes you different than everybody else? I feel like I can only touch on my process. Like I really take music serious.

I really take my time. I'm really intentional on what I say. I'm going to make sure that every bar relate to the last one, you know? Yeah. Like, it's going to all flow. And I'm going to try to tell a story. I'm going to try to say some real shit. I feel like that's what lasts more than anything.

I'm sure. Is it true? Like, I think on a genius interview you were talking about, like you try to have some bar in your song that is, like, very memorable. Do you do that with all your songs? Yes, for sure. Is it just because you just think it's going to stick more? Like, it's just a one.

line to really like, I almost say, like, when the artists are saying that they need to have a bar that's a caption, it's almost like that. Like something that's going to stick with somebody. Like, damn, he just said that. I could take the Siri line. I could take what, yeah, exactly. That went hard. What is that? What was that line? Only bitch, I have a conversation with the Siri. Yeah. That's stuck. And I'm sure everyone, every chick was like, no, my captioned on him. Not yet. Not his inner thigh for sure. So, like, what's your process to find you out like how those bars fit in your songs. Is it like, do you start there and then go around that?

Sometimes I start there or sometimes like I'm just catching the flow and I'll get a reaction from my engineer. If I get a reaction from him, because sometimes it's hard to get a reaction out of him. If I get a reaction from him, I know that that was a strong line. Yeah. You always work the same guy? Yeah. I've been working with the same, for the most part, I've been working with the same engineer

for the past, for the past four, five years. How Key is having like a really good engineer for like upcoming artists? That's like everything. Yeah, yeah. I just learned in rapping like I need a specific mic. I've just learned. Really? What mic is it?

I think it's a song. I can't really tell you. I'm going to end up line. Like what's so special about that man? Yeah, how did you learn that? Hearing it. Like I like it's a lot of shit I'm still learning and rap. Like it took me a while to get with somebody like Southside and.

understand and that it's a difference. And no, not to the up-and-coming producers, but somebody who sees and you hear the difference. And it took me a while to, like, learn a lot of shit when it comes to hip-hop. So me just recording for so long, it's something that just popped up in my hair, like, damn, this mic sound way more clear I need to be on this. A hell of time I'm rapping. Yeah.

Let's talk about the creative process a little bit. You know, the rap star, there was some, like, I don't know how much controversy about, like, you writing all your own stuff. you always write all your own music. Yeah. Every song I ever wrote. Every bar? Every bar.

Every album I ever put out. It was all me. You don't think there's... What about the melodies and stuff, too? Everything. The only person who's helping me is the producer. And he, by making a beat. Yeah.

I would grow open to... Yeah, I was going to ask you. Getting a writer somewhere, getting wit writers somewhere down the line. But I would never let somebody fool of flat. write a song for me. And it'll be a specific lane, like a song for the ladies, a pop song, a club record. But if I'm talking about being back at home and what I'm going through, can't nobody write that for me. So on that topic, Martin and Gina, are there certain inspirations to these songs? Are there certain women in your life that, you know, like you had

a heartbreak, you had a heartache? I really want to talk about that. It was really me being around women and I used to feel like my music wasn't getting spins from them because I weren't making girls. So I'm like, damn, like, every time we get in the car, from every artist, it was like, from every artist that like do the same shit as me, but they was just making those love songs. That's what you hear when we got to come. I'm like, damn, I must be sliding. So that's where I really found the inspiration to even make.

So there's no specific woman. No. What about, something I was saying about is, obviously, everyone knows in Rapsar, you say 2000 a minute. What about when your rate goes up, do you have to make a new song and increase? No, it's going to be still the same concept. I want to ask about pop-out because I really like that song. So how did that song, like, come about since that was the first big one? It would be cool to hear about that.

Yeah. I had made that song in Atlanta. So you started it? I made the song in Atlanta before I had signed to Columbia. I just made the hook. That's all I did. And around that time, I had writers block. So probably this a month prior to me signing.

I signed a bariline. She was the person who signed me. She was working at Columbia at the time. She put me in a stew with TJ and his A&I was that Lou. And we going through beats all day trying to make a new song and I played this. They like, you ain't got shit. And I played that and they're like, man, hell no, you gonna jump on that. And I did my verse that day, T.J. had sent it back to me probably like a week later.

And we, I pulled up in New York just to come out there for New Year's and we end up shooting the video. So when you heard that song, did you think it would be as big as it was? Everybody was telling me that, like, man, this is a hit, this a banger. I wasn't really thinking about it. And then I just dropped the song out of the blue. Like, my label was calling. Like, what the fuck is you doing?

Like, you can't just drop shit on your own. I dropped it on YouTube. The video or just so? So you put it out without them knowing? Yeah. Like, they had to go behind and put it on Apple and Spotify. But it was going crazy. And then they had a meeting and they clapping for me and shit.

That's good. It worked out. Okay. Damn, what did that, is there any, like, numbers that you know that that song did? this one trending first came out like YouTube trending so my shit our shit was number one trending that's really why we had the meeting like damn it's going up we're gonna push it yeah that's crazy i think one of my my favorite songs too three-headed go i think one of your best verses is your second verse in that song yeah but that's you little baby and dirk right yeah

so when did how did that song come together was that your first track with dirk and baby yeah with them together i have been made a song with dirt you know we both from the rock. And who, who, like, leads that? Like, who's, like, yo, this is my track and I'm putting Dirk and Baby on it? No, that was Dirk. That was all his work. Like, he sent me the song, this, if I'm not mistaken, this one, it was the pandemic. Yeah. He sent it to me. I was recording in the crib around that time, and I just laid the verse and shit and sent it back to him. Is there pressure on you when you are working with those two guys as opposed to, like, anybody else or you just do your thing? Around that time, I was still

up and coming, I feel like. So I took it personally like, no, I got to run this. Yeah. What's your process like? Are you fast? Is it like how quick you turn around songs? Or like how long would that song take for you to give your verse?

Book Club on Monday. Gym on Tuesday. Date night on Wednesday. Out on the town on Thursday. Quiet night in on Friday. it's good to have a routine and it's good for your eyes too because with regular comprehensive

eye exams at Specsavers you'll know just how healthy they are visit Spexavers.cavers.cai to book your next eye exam I'm provided by independent optometrists That when I know it only took me like a day Is that typical for most of your music? Most of my music I ain't gonna lie

it take me a while like I don't really just I don't stand versus straight back unless I'm feeling it that day or sometimes I'll have an out of raw night where I'll make a lot of songs and then Stani would enjoy that

Nah, I don't know what she's talking about Okay Came me up after this, what the hell Yeah, yeah So that was probably the first DM you sent them, man If you ever need Addy Any time of the night I sent it on my Adderall night

No, I sent it on my Adderall night He responded on his out all night I love that So I got a question in regards to that Like, what do you start with? You start with a concept, you start with a beat, you start with like a story

Like, how do you start your music? Sometimes I have some shit that I already wrote, and I'm just looking for a beat to fit it. Sometimes I, like, everybody say that I got an unorthodox way of recording because I take eight beats that I listen to and I like, and I'll put them all in one session. Wait. Wait.

What do you mean? So, like, I'm listening to five beats. I'm listening to probably, like, 30, but out of the 30, I'm going to pick eight of them. I'm a tail of engineer, put all of these into the same session. One project. Yeah, one project. I'm going now, I'm going to listen through them and go for one by one.

So I may have liked it when I heard it on the speaker, but when I hear it in the headphones, it don't register. So I'm like, go to the next one, go to the next one. I'll probably do three songs in that one session. Just with all those same lyrics that you wrote? No, just like, okay, I did that song. Let me go to the next one. I did that song. Let me go to the next one.

What about, what about your song? studio sessions. Is there a certain vibe you got to have every time? I know everybody's is kind of different. I just got to chill before I record. Is it like a party in there? Is it like, yo, I'm doing my thing? No, hell no. I can't work like that. I can't even work with too many people being in the stew because I'm going to think about too many opinions. Yeah. I got to be damn there by myself. Yeah. Just because we've gone a couple times and it's either like a party in there or it's like this guy's like locked in. No one's in there. If it's a party, I'm I ain't getting no work done.

When did you go? You went to the studio? I've been invited two times. Okay, but you didn't go. I did go. Oh, okay. 42 Doug and Roddy Rich one time. Oh, interesting.

And they immediately said, who the fuck is that guy? They said, get the fuck out of here. Yeah. No, yeah, that's funny, though. All right, I'm going to ask you this, but it's only because how much does it piss you off the narrative, right? Like, we've seen on social media. They're doing the whole, like, he unfollowed gun of bullshit.

Like, how do you feel about that? I don't know if it's true or not, but. It ain't, I don't feel no type of way for real. It was just me seeing us because I have been seen it. But I didn't care. I don't really respond to social media shit. But it was like me seeing a certain, a specific headline, like you worded away, like I'm trying to following it, knowing that's not me. That's the only real reason I address the situation.

But like, I don't really. Yeah. Yeah. You tend to stay out of all drama. Yeah. I don't really get into nothing of that, man. I'm chilling too. You're stupid.

Well, I didn't. No, you didn't. Did you? Check my following. I didn't fall him in the first place. Check my following you. Hey, but how do we know you followed him in the first place, bro?

Right. Is it a real thing, though? Like, the people just like, they're not fucking with people who, you know, have been in trials and shit like that, or? I mean, yeah, it looks like it.

His nickname is Bradley Pleadiel Martin. Okay. Before anything happens here, motherfucker. Motherfucker, I went to the fucking court system to keep my gym open. What is it up to do? Yeah, for a court system.

I took, I went to the court for way worse than that So I want to hear your bullshit Like what bitch I went fucking 15 times I did fucking 90 to 65 Oh okay yeah 90 and 60s

I think I did like 130 before What are you whipping these days? I just got a new I got a new Cullinan Damn How many cars you got? 10

10 Which one you drive the most Yeah what's your daily The Cullin I won't drive though You just sit in You sit in the, damn, okay. Do you ever take anything out just for fun?

Like, I'm going to take this for a spin? Yeah, it'll be like if I ain't drove this car in the minute. Like, damn, I forgot how this bitch ride. And then do you let your boys take the cars out or no? I used to. They'd be fucking my shit up. Always, bro. I used to let them drive.

They'd whoa that out. Yes. Can you tell us the collection? I got an I, I got a Corvette, I got a Durango, I got a BMW X, six i got a bmw x7 i got a tesla i got i got the color now i got a bulletproof truck in chicago i got a g wagon a mayback god do you have the mayback truck or the sedan i got the sedan's dope yeah you sit in the back in that right yeah he don't drive those are fucking dope right how much is all those fucking cars man probably in total i probably pay like two probably

close to two men. I don't really know. I'm saying like when I bought them, I know. What was your? What was your? I paid cash for my cars. I leased my first car and I switched it over to a finance just for my credit. But anything else I bought after that I paid cash. What was your first big purchase? Wow, bro. That's crazy, bro. My first big purchase, I leased the crib out in Calabasas for like 120,000. Nice. I I noticed something with Chicago rappers, like, it's all, any time they get to that success, everyone leaves Chicago, which is kind of rare, too, because if it's like Florida and New York,

they always like to stay there. Why do you think that is that? Because you did it, Dirk did it, Kanye, pretty much everybody. Chicago, man, I ain't going to lie. It's different than them other cities, man. You could probably move around and still be okay. I'm fucking into it with you. They ain't going to never forget that.

You know? Is it more like that's the only way to kind of focus on rap and leave the street street? And I'm saying it could go work. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. They could work both ways. Like, you can get wrapped up in the wrong shit or the wrong shit could catch up to you. That ain't no city you won't just be standing in. Do you think Chief Keith Sosos was the goat?

I love these guys. I think he won the goats for sure. I love Sosos. Is he an inspiration for you? He influenced the world. I know. He was an inspiration for me. I didn't go down that road.

personally inspiration yeah i don't know if you ever saw this but he lived in um hinsdale and they used to take the at tvs out bro it's like the bougiest neighborhood in every day him and he would take the at tvs out if you seen that yeah and they kicked him out of the neighborhood and moved to l a man yeah you say what what what neighborhood hinsdale hinsdale central yeah but uh no yeah i love him so what else you're working on right now i got the uh i got a project with me and Southside, produced by Southside 808 Mafia. Oh, shit. It's camp.

You know, that's really it. So I'll be working on a few projects at once, but that's the one that I'm focused on. And I'm curious. Do you hand select, like, if you listen to a track, do you say, you know, I need so-and-so on this track? Hell, yeah. You can hear it, though.

Like, damn, this nigger sound cold on her. Do you have anybody that you, like, just know, that like your favorite guy to collab with or anybody you just love working with? I got a good chemistry with TJ, of course. Yeah. And I always end up making some shit with dirt. Yeah.

What about, I was listening to this too, because you had a relationship with Juice World too. Because I know you guys did Flex together. What was that relationship like? That was my dog. I feel like as far as sound, we didn't make a lot of music, but as far as our sound,

they compliment each other well. like we would have went up like through time. That song's so good bro. Yeah. Um. Have you worked with anyone specifically that's like motivated you or influenced you to want to be better? Not that obviously you motivate yourself, but anyone that's came in, you know, to your circle

or in the song with you that you were like, oh, I really like what this person did. Like anything that you were like, damn, I want to step my shit up or that motivated you to be better that you worked with in this industry. Juice World was that person that made me feel like like, yeah, I want to take this shit far. Because when he was fucking with me, I was an upcoming artist. I'm going to drop my first album, shit like that. And I'm seeing what he was doing early in his career. Yeah.

Going on statewide tours, world tours. He was just going crazy. Taking fucking jet-sail-well, I'm just feeling like, damn, I want to be at this level one day. And as far as, like, seeing somebody process those crazy to me, it was like being in the Stewart Future one time. Metro Boom and said the exact same thing, bro. He write the shit in his head.

Yeah. And it's like he could probably just nod his head to the beat for a little minute. Every rapper we've ever had on this show always pays respect to future. Yeah, he's knocking out that verse in probably like 10 minutes. So is that intimidating when he just goes and like fucking runs it like that? And you're more of a like calculated kind of like writer? I'm going to stick to my process. But I'm going to probably try to take notes and I'm going to try new shit.

Like lately I've been trying to get to the microphone. freestyle as opposed to like typing in my phone all day but like that don't really like intimidate because I know slow and steady can win race sometime how does a how does a producer get your attention like you know what I mean like you must get tons of beats all the time how do you like how does like an upcoming producer get your attention I ain't go I'm always open to listening to everybody like I check my DMs and shit like if somebody come run up on me right now and say, hey, I make beats. Can I sing you a pack? I'm going to tell him, yeah. I'm not really booed you to that. Like, I'll hear anybody out because you never

know when you hit a one, you know. How quickly do you, like, fly through beats? Like, if you open a pack, like, how many seconds is it to, like, next? Probably like five to ten. Yeah. You know right away. I'm going to know right away. I'll get in a session with a producer and piss him out because I'm steady next. Trash, trash. Next. And it ain't even the shit weak, it just don't register to me. Yeah. You ever done any producing yourself or like, do you do any part in that? I try.

I get little beats in my head all the time. I know that's like something telling me to really start doing this shit, but I'm, I never got around to it yet. I wanted to ask you about Smooth Criminal, the remix you did. Was there anything more behind that like you, because you did do pretty much a remix to Michael Jackson song? Yeah. So, was that like something you always wanted to do, or is he a huge inspiration for you?

No, it won't really like that. I fuck with Mike, you know, like coming up, the older generation of my family just always put you up on his songs and shit. But I was really, like, riding on my way to the studio and I was watching an interviewer here. I don't remember what it was about, but I was just watching an interviewer here. I'm like, it'd be crazy if I just remix a Michael Jackson song. And I came in the studio on one. So I was turned. Have you ever gone on the studio, like, pretty on one and just had a crazy session

and been like, yo, that was a complete waste of time? All you're saying, like, fucked up. You were too sourced in there? I ain't going to lie. I did that a lot of time. I'm listening to this shit like, man, what the fuck? Sounds fire in the moment. Is that a frustrating thing?

Or do you just kind of laugh it off and be like, yo, next time I got to take it. Sometimes it's frustrating because I'll take the music series. So I'm like, damn, I don't. I just spent 12 hours in that bitch for none. Sometimes I'm going to be pissed off. Yeah, that's funny. How has, like, just success overall? Has it affected you?

Would you say, like, obviously, it's a great thing, right? You have it. Have you dealt with any moments, like, of, you know, anxiety or any moments where you're, like, worried about maintaining it or keeping it or going further? I wanted to kind of change it up a little bit. Are you, like, as a human, like, 100% happy all the time? Do you ever deal with, like, fuck, man, it's not enough? Or I wish it was something else?

Yeah, hell yeah. I deal with anxiety a lot. Just feel me, just going through the emotions of being a rapper all together. A lot of times I'd be feeling like too hard on myself, though. I know I'm, I know all in all I'm a great artist, I'm good at what I do. But sometimes just being too wrapped up into what-ifs or if I'm doing as well as I'm known for doing, Like sometimes I get so wrapped up in that and, you know, the self-doubts and et cetera. But I always pull myself out of that shit.

How do you pull yourself out of that in those moments? Just being consistent and working. That's the only thing. Like, I'm the type of person. If I don't work, I'm going to be depressed. Like, so just being consistent and working until I found my groove again. Have you had any times when, like, you were like, you were like finding yourself getting low and you're like, fuck, I need to fix this? Any specific moments in your career or your life?

Hell yeah, even more so, like, recently, like, sometimes I need to, like, move around or... Travel? Yeah, like travel, see some different shit, get in a different space, because I can be at home in LA for them that 30 days, two weeks, and it's like I'm just repeating the same schedule every day, speeding the same cycle, and sometimes that would make me crash. I think I read something recently that you talked about. about you went to Egypt and you're talking about how the just the different cultures shock you how what's what's different when you like travel or you perform internationally as opposed

to and yeah how is how is I went out there for my bidet that show was fun what did you guys do like see the pyramids and shit yeah we went inside we we went inside one went up to the top of that bitch sink to like a tomb or some shit we went to the museum that's lit he was riding camels and shit all type of shit You like seeing, like, different cultures and stuff? Hell yeah. Like, I'm, I make it, like, every year I go and travel out the country from my meeting. What's your favorite place to go to outside of the U.S. so far?

Cabo. Yeah, Steve would have loved that. No, we spent a lot of time there. Holy shit. What do you like about it? Just because it's, like, the vibe. Yeah. The vibe just all together.

From the moment I touched down until I left, I was just having fun. I was feeling myself. I was, I was, that's when I first started really fucking with the shrooms, too. So I was feeling good. Oh, here we go. Jesus. I was trying to get to that. That's why I was asking the question.

Thursday is going to go 30 minutes about shrooms now. Yo, shut the fuck up, bro. Relax. At least have them one time. You should just have them one time. I should, I should bring them every time. When did you start taking them? That, yeah.

Why did you start taking them? Just wanting to do something different. Like, I came up in the PIL era. So everybody do that shit. And that's something that's something that I was falling back off of and hadn't done that's so long. I'm like, damn. My trainer actually, Danny, he was telling me like, man, that shit, it helped you tap into a different space in your mind. Yeah.

And I'm like, yeah, I'm going to try it. So has it helped you? Hell yeah. Like, as far as getting clarity for certain shit or just feeling good about myself. Do you do microdosing or you take, like, large doses? No, I'm microdose. There's been times I took large doses. Yeah, that's a lot.

That's a lot. So you've done, you followed any specific protocol, like a month on, month off? Like, what was your regimen when you did that? Or you just kind of taken it? He's just fucking easy. Yeah, it was more so me taking it. But like, like you say, probably I'll take a month or two months off before I do it again. But when I do, I'll probably go for like that month.

You get what I'm saying? Yeah, absolutely. So you say overall it just helped you just like be more clear or be more like level-headed or what? Yeah, more level-headed. Even being creative sometimes. Like I don't made some hard-ass shit off of our streams because it's like everything going to do something different. Like if I make a song just drunk, I might be a little bit more aggressive. If I'm making a strong song off the shrooms, I'm really try to be so creative though.

Yeah. It's all different feelings. I love it. I don't want to get too deep, but I am curious, like, with what goes on now with everybody outside, you see crazy shit, obviously was what happened with Juice. Did that change the way that you move or you go about things? Yeah, for sure. Hell, yeah.

I know for a fact I haven't popped a purpose since that situation with him, you know, just making me want to fall back off doing a lot of shit that I feel like one really serving me no purpose. Yeah, you know, because you get so trapped into just wanting to feel something like you be out of touch with reality with that shit. Yeah. I feel like that's the thing. It's just certain rappers feel like they need to have some shit to perform or do the things they do. Mm-hmm.

But then you learn if you can do it without it, then you get still like shrooms, great alternative. Yeah. Or maybe, you know, you don't even need that. Adderall. I mean, you can stop the Adderall. You can take more shrooms, dude. Nah, because then I don't, you don't fall asleep on that shit. That's a problem.

I don't fall asleep on run. This shit done. You've tried some bangers. I know fucking rap star Martin G and one of those was done with a 10, 30 milligram, something. No. No. A little salmon bomber. Have you tried any other psychedelics?

Mm-mm. No, like acid. Hell. No. No, that's next level. Yeah. Really, too scared of that. That's intense, bro.

You've done acid? I haven't done acid yet. No, but it's a psychedelic. I would do that at a show. I've done ayahuasca, though. I'd do that at a poll of a show. You said, huh? I've done ayahuaska.

What's that? You haven't heard of that? Mm-mm. It's another plant medicine, but it's like the craziest version of, uh... So I'm saying how it makes you feel. Oh, man. Imagine like a lot of mushrooms, but a lot more intense. All right, yeah.

I'm scared of that. Oh, yeah, I'm not doing that. Yeah, it's the best way I can describe it if you had any nothing to judge it from. What are some of your favorite things to do outside of rap? Like, do you have anything, any hobbies you do outside this? I see them. I like, yeah, I like to work out. Today was my first day working out again in like 15 days.

I felt good as fuck. I thought I worked out. I like to play basketball. I hope a lot. I play the video game, 2K. I've been on the Nintendo Switch a lot lately. What are you playing on that? Mario Kart.

Yeah, wow, that's the best. Are you hooping with your boys? Hell, yeah. Do they kind of like give you, like, let you win type vibes? Because it looks like Drake, like when we watch Drake, like, it looks like no one's playing D on him. No, I ain't going to lie. We get physical.

We'll D your ass up if you want to take it. No, I'm just kidding. Right. Pause. No, I ain't gonna lie, though. Our games be pretty competitive. Yeah. How great, and I miss these, how great was the D. Rose, Tivodeo days?

Man, I watch every game. His MVP year is, like, the most slept-on, hardest year of an NBA player that didn't get respect. This made me watch, I watched a mixtape today on YouTube, just of D. Rose, because we were doing this interview. Yeah, no, I fuck with Rose. That shit was crazy. Boy, bro. Have you ever watched Derek Rose's MVP year? I've seen the highlights.

It doesn't get the love it deserves straight up. No, I think he, I think a lot of people fuck with Rose, though. Gone too soon, for sure, the injury, man. What's good? Are you still, like, watching the Bulls this year, even though Zos out? Yeah. Well, Zach Levine and you got, you got a couple of ballers on there. Yeah.

The Bulls, I'm going to always support them, though. Even if, like, they was the worst in the East, I'm going to still support them. Where else have you traveled to? That's, like, one of your favorites. Egypt, anywhere else crazy? I've been, I've been to Dubai. Dubai is, though. We were there recently.

Yeah, I love it. I've been to. I just recently went to Turks for my B-Day. How's Turks? It's beautiful? Yeah, it's nice as hell. I'm just trying to think about some other shit that I like. I like Dubai.

I went on the tour in Europe, though, but I ain't really like that shit. No? Why? I don't know. It was just probably too consistent. Like, we was doing shows every day. I didn't really get a chance to sleep. I didn't really like that shit.

I like London, though. I like Paris too I never been there You've been there I've been to London Yeah Well what do you think London's cool

Overrated I like more like Personally like the warm parts Of like Paris was kind of dirty To me Yeah I'm being honest I gotta be honest

I fucking love Dubai I love Dubai Yeah Dubai is amazing It's so beautiful Oh who's Is there any artists out there You've yet to work with You really want to

Do a project with Or like even future maybe No I want to say I want to do a project with him. Someone you haven't, like, you just love to do a track with. Um, because I'm trying to think, who the fuck having a, Savage, probably, 21, Savage. He don't, he wasn't the only artist I haven't made a song with, one of the only top

Drake, of course. I didn't make shit with him. That'll happen, I think. Yeah. That would happen. That would happen. He's from Toronto. I'm trying to think that I even ever make some shit with Trippie.

Like, I made some shit with him, but like, did it ever come out? come out. I don't know. When you see, like, obviously there's a lot of big albums. Oh, yeah, I did. Me and him got that song with dirt. You and Trippie? Yeah. Just hasn't come out? No, it did. When you see these guys other, like, big albums coming out, does that make you, like,

get you excited and you're like, fuck, I got the pressure's on me now? No. I don't really be thinking about. Anybody else? I'd be trying to zone in on when I'm dropping. I've been ready the whole year. I know my, I mean, this whole time, I know my fans be on me. I don't even be wanting to be on Instagram because I know all they're going to ask me for is my out. But I'll be zoned then. You talked earlier about going to, I think you Paris, Fashion Week.

You went to Fashion Week? Like, are you big into fashion? Is it like a thing that you, like, are passionate about outside of music? Yeah, it's something I'm truly trying to, like, do more outside. Like, if it's any lane that I'll take outside of music where if I was to stop rapping something that I'd be into, it would be fashion. Yeah. So I'm really trying to, like, feel shit out, get to understand and how shit work.

That was really the reason I went. Any inspirations specifically that you really, like up to or like? I can't touch on anything specifically. But, like, as a whole, though, I'm into the whole fashion culture. Yeah. What else do you do to, like, stay level-headed? I saw one of your interviews to say you do, like, morning like affirmations and stuff like that what's kind of stuff that you do to keep your head

clear yeah the affirmations give me a lot of clarity uh sometimes i just like if i do end up driving like i'll drive a short distance like somewhere i'm going there and back just to get just to clear my head when i drive but that's that's pretty much i'm pretty uh you don't meditate I thought maybe the mushrooms or have you meditate? No, I meditated before, though. Yeah. Did it help?

Yeah, dude, but that's just so hard to be focused. Well, what? You just got to really sit there and like, on everything out? Yeah. Focus on breathing and just chill. But it's hard.

I think you probably want to come back to what you're doing. Yeah. Well, it's just like, I don't, I can't, because I feel like meditating, you post a clear your mind completely. That's hard for me.

Yeah. What do you think is your most memorable show you've ever performed at. I saw you brought out, I'm sorry, is it on where your niece does the intro? That's my little sister. Or your little sister? I brought her out to Rolling Wild one time.

How crazy. And how do you even think to have her on the intro of the track? That was actually my mama idea. That's so great. Is that the A-A-Polo-G? Yeah. What song is that again? Through the storm, yeah.

So that just kind of was like a random thing and it works out? Yeah, because everybody, like, I was just in Paris and somebody said it to me, like, somebody ran up on the, hey, big brother, it's me, some shit like that. So I didn't think it was going to be that memorable, but it'd be little moments you need like that in the project and the album. Because I saw that clip when you had her come out at Rolling Loud. Is that something where, like, you get emotional, you're like, damn, this is crazy? Or is it just, like, kind of funny?

It's just crazy looking back on it. Because when I came. Can we pull that up? I want to see that. When I did it, I want to think about it. How old was she at the time? She was younger than seven years old. Because that's a fucking crowd.

Yeah, massive. My little says, she like a star. She wasn't nervous at all? No, she was stuck. How often do you do that or is that the one and only time? I did it probably like three times. That's fucking dope. So you were talking about people come up to you and like saying stuff about

stuff that you've done? What's the weirdest interaction you've ever had with like a fan or someone coming up to you? Have you anything strange happened? I can't really recall, because so much should be happening. So much should be happening. I can't really recall a specific moment. Hey, big brother, this is me late. Remember with the old house I said she was going to be a big star one day?

I'm so proud of you. Zee's scared Paul. Oh, yeah, she gave no fuck, that? I'm on that bitch, just yelling. You ever, were you ever nervous doing any of this stuff? No, in the beginning, because I really just did my performances, like, fuck it. But you never were nervous. You were never like.

But the nervousness came when I dropped a song like rap star, and they was putting me on all the big stages. So it was like now people really critiquing me from my performances. Like, he don't have his in ear. His production ain't right. He ain't doing this. He ain't going that. And I'm like, damn.

Back then, I'm doing a 15-minute set. So people not really thinking too much. But now I'm up. I got to stand up for 45 minutes. I got to work the stage. How my breath control. So then it came. People start feeling like I ain't the best performer.

But it's like something I'm working on. I don't really get mad at it though because I know where it comes. Part of the process. And I know for a fact leading up to now, like I have a stage, right? Like, a lot of times I get up there, I was getting up there and feeling like I need to psych myself out. I probably need to be intoxicated before I do the shot. Yeah. Some because- That's like Stying.

Yeah. That's not like me. Do you drink or anything before shows? Yeah, sometimes. But now I don't need it though, because now I've been, like, I've been working on my shit. I was going to say, though, one of the biggest, like, the craziest things if you think about it is, like, years ago, you would like have experience, but now you can put a, like, have a bang or, you can put a, like, have a banger. right go viral on TikTok whatever and then you're just expected to perform in front of the biggest crowd of people ever yeah you know what I'm saying because you go so viral so quick and

then it's like fuck I'm not used to this yeah that's what you're talking about the criticism because the massive like the bigger the bigger audiences but like you're working on it what what kind of things have you done to work on that part like are you going like stage presence type stuff like classes classes to work on my stage presence like breathing techniques not even that um just like search he's hitting a fucking grandma's room's bro, I'm just saying fuck it. Dude, that's it. Honestly, that's the fucking move.

That's it. I can go two ways. Though, that's, that would scare me. That's a call. No, that could go two ways. I believe in you. No, that could go to ways. I probably tried, though.

I ain't go wild. Even a little tiny bit, just take the edges off, you know? Be good. Yeah, but you could act like a complete crazy person up there too. And then it could go really well. But if you take a lot, yeah, if you take a lot. But if you take just a little bit, no, I take the edge off. You'll be nice for sure.

If I get to tripping on stage, right, I'm off the shroom. I'm going to walk off. A little G walks off, yeah. Hey, good luck. Do you have anything big coming up, like any festivals or anything you're excited to do? No, I don't really got nothing. I'm trying to just put a tour together for my project. Hopefully, I dropped my project in the springtime.

So is that the one with South Side? Yeah. How many tracks do you have, like, in your, are you selecting at this point? You have a, like, 100 tracks ready to go and you just pick, or? Yeah, but I know, like, I got more than about 25 solid tracks that could potentially go on the album, but I wouldn't go past 20. I wouldn't even hit the 20 mark. Yeah, what's, is there any logic behind that? Like, how do you pick, like, yo, I want to put 20 on this or you want to save some?

Like, how do you pick the exact number? Like, I feel like streaming is different now. Yeah. That doing a 20 pack of songs don't really make sense because, In the meetings, like, I could remember, it's like almost like back in school when you had grades and shit. And they say, if you get 100 on the paper, but you get a zero, that bring your shit all the way down. It's the same shit with music. You got 20 songs on here.

And for like, for shit, like first week numbers, you got 20 songs on here and five of them didn't do shit. But the rest of them did. They just dragging another. I'm not going to be that guy right now, but this was posted. but like Ice Spice I'm not a huge fan but she posed or she did an album

with only six songs on it so it's just like damn that's nothing I think what you're saying what you're saying is that like you need more quality like you don't want to have

20 songs it's something whatever they're not getting enough place it'll affect your streams what's your thoughts on Ice Spice

I feel like she a dope artist she's got bangers I'm not the girl I haven't heard one of no I don't listen to that I feel like the girl shut the fuck you're playing on the way over here

what's her song what's the biggest track that well funny as fuck my boy's a lizo fan right here what's good with you bro you were playing it on the way i feel like she do got hit songs though for sure well she's everywhere bro like academics is supposed about her biggest song i don't know much to much so i'm gonna pull this next album bro like i'm waiting for that that's what i'm talking about i'm listening to epidemic 33 21 all day bro you were listening to that much song on the way over here straight up where's your boy with the food

too text him yeah yeah i'm hungry let's put a lot tour bro i can smoke in the back They ate the food already for sure. I ain't gonna lie, that food, I always say. Do you, do you, like, go out a lot, or is that not your thing? I really don't like to go out, but I will. Like, a lot of times I go out just to, so we ain't bored as a group. Like, we all sitting in the grill, like, flies on the wall. I'm like, all right, man, let's just go to the club or something.

You like doing that shit? No, I don't really like going out, though. I hate it, bro. I think Sonny wanted to invite you out tonight if you want to come out. Who's going to invite you out? I mean, you can if you want. That makes me look more than I am. You have a song called pop out and you're not going to pop out.

Like, that's, man. Yeah, like, what's up? He's heard that before probably, man. Have you heard that? For sure. That's a brutal. That's like when you know, how much you bench to me, bro. What is, if you had to, like, I guess narrow it down to a passion project or something you've always wanted to do or something that you really want to do, what would you say would be?

Like, even if it required leaving your lane a little bit from what you're used to. You're saying music-wise? Yeah. I will want to make a conscious album, like, something that don't got nothing shit to do with really, like, street life as far as, like, glorifying it in any sense. And I'm one of the rappers, one of the artists that don't really glorify it as much, but I still won't say, like, I ain't got a line to say this. stood that in the third, but like, I really want to, like, the older I get, I want to stray away from that style of music because I don't want to be 30 rapping about killing the art. Yeah.

I saw, too, that you just, did you just now sponsor the AAU team from Chicago? I had did that a while back. You still doing that? No. When you say you're going to steer away from, like, the street shit, what do you steer into? You said the conscious stuff. But what is some of the conscious stuff? Like, just speaking on.

world problems, world issues. Like more mature shit. Yeah, basically. Even from relationship shit, like everything that's going on in the world. Is there anything that you're passionate about that's like going on in the world right now? Yeah, like, you know, the usual shit, the police brutality, shit like that. Just anything, any type of oppression, period. Oh, yeah.

Yeah. What about, so working with Clueless, one of the biggest bangers, worked with, was Fabio and Pop Smoke? Why is that, why do you guys laughing that shit? Sorry, sorry. Why, I'm a student of the game, bro. I know, I love it. I actually do love it.

Bro, I love rap music so much. We've done a lot of rockers on the show. We've got to talk about this before we ask you this question. Every time we have an artist, like a rap artist, he, like, is a different person. I'm not playing. He's so hyped. He's like answering the door. I love rap music, bro.

He does. No, I respect it. I told, but I just like how excited you get. I'll be honest. I'm not even. talking shit. The first interview I ever did on the show was Kodak, so it was like, huge for me.

Yeah, because I love him. It went great. I'm still here. Thank God. Yeah. Go ahead, though. I don't even know what I was saying, bro.

You like interrupted a really. I'm so sorry. Just the way you said it, you're like, so clueless. Oh, yeah. One of the biggest bang. Let's talk about that. What? No, that's why we laugh.

Just the way you presented. I love it. But two New York legends, obviously. Yeah. That song's a banger, bro. You could have done a lot more, obviously, with Pop Smoke. Yeah. Is there ever anything where you're working with guys from different backgrounds of,

like, New York or maybe Florida or wherever, that makes it different? No. Or Atlanta, I guess. I really merge well with, like, artists, like, depending on their sound. But I fucked with Pop Smoke and the whole drill sound, you know, coming from Chicago, like, that's what that shit started at. So, like, I really tapped into their shit. Like, I hit up Pop, like, yo, let's do this.

He had been hitting me up in the past, but before I knew who he was. And then when I seen they wave going strong, I hit him like, y'all fuck with y'all shit. Let's do something. Did you work with him in the studio? Yeah, Pop, I worked with him. The craziest thing, I worked with him, like, right before he passed. Like, I was in the studio with him. He said he leaving to L.A.

I stayed in New York an extra day to get men. make sure Favio laid his verse. And Pop, they was, a contact was telling me Pop wanted to get in the stew in LA the night he passed. Damn. Because I live there, he lived there, we're supposed to get up. How talented was he in the studio? Like, what was his process?

Was he quick or more like methodical with his? No, yeah, he was quick. He asked me, he went on for the bar where he said, I'm downtown Chicago or Michigan Navi. Like, what's a popular spot that everybody goes to in Chicago? And he threw it in a song. Dude, he would have been fucking... Yeah, I'll let him know, like, everybody be on Michigan now.

It's crazy because when that song, when you guys were recording, you were probably both like, what, 20, 19? Yeah, and I ain't know he was that young, though. I know. He was the same age. Bro. About... Yeah.

A little bollick, he got the face you had deep boys. Like, way older than that. And so when I seen, they say he was only like, I'm like, what the fuck? He was ahead of his time for sure. He was versatile, too. He started out with really hardship, but then he could start making, like, chick songs and, like, he was singing.

Yeah. He would have been one of the biggest, bro. He was talented, man. Crazy. So you got, what, 10 whips now? How many other changes you got at home? I don't know. I know I got a lot of them bitches, though.

I need to stop back him so much. Do you get a new crib, too? Yeah. I got the crib probably, like, a year ago. How much should that run you? I don't know if you've said that. Can I ask that? It caused me like $300,000.

This was $3.50. You took that rent, and that's just for this bid, dude. That's not yours. What jewelry you went to him? This up-and-coming guy, happy jewelers. They're not quite icebox yet, but they're going to get there. That's not his, by the way. He's just holding it for this.

He rents, change. That's what he does. I don't rent. No, like factual. I have a collection, but like I also like to, I told these. guys bro like you got to fall in love with it so i'm not gonna buy it until i know i really like that's that's smart though yeah see it's lucky brad no it's not even true though you're just doing that you're just doing that for this he does he has to do story promos to like no that was my promo to wear this

right now yeah yeah no it's all good like now he didn't even have to pay to have that on right now no it's all good bro i'm gonna do something crazy with this one though for real what are you gonna do it don't worry about it boy with the food where did they go yeah i'm hungry they went to uh shop griff Does it ever piss you off? Like, yo, my boys went back with my food and it's been an hour and a half or no. That was such a- They gonna go to my fucking-

There's a 4-D tours, bro. Yeah, they don't at the strip club with the jack in the box right now with the bag. Yeah, 100%. They're gonna go to 50 other places. You guys ever hit the strip club? Yeah, hell, yeah. What's the most you've ever thrown on a strip club?

I don't know a lot of money in the strip club. I'm known for not going to a lot. That's good. You're like, you're like, I love that. That's good. So wait. They see you just the back table or what? He's just sitting there like this.

Yeah. Like your polo's coming in. They're like, okay? Jordan and Gia comes on. Like everybody else. I had to learn, though, like, that's probably fucked up to just sit in the club. And not so I'm slowly but surely. But my trick is I'm going there for like five minutes.

And if I throw $5,000 or $2,500, I'll leave right out. So it seemed like I do it nice amount of money. That's good for five minutes. Bro, it's so funny. I love it. I love that. Yeah, I mean, not wasting money. You don't need to waste money.

Do you ever go to clubs and, like, test your tracks out, like, unreleased shit? Okay, or no. Never? Oh, nobody hit this shit till it dropped. Well, going off that, yeah. We saw Metro said that, right? Do you ever show, like, there's a... But I feel like I got more, like, serious music.

Like, I don't really make club music, like. Do you have someone specifically you go to and say, yo, I want your honest opinion? Do you like this before I put it out? Or is it all just, is it all just on you, like, I'm taking all this? I play music for my family, like my immediate family, like my brother. Like, everybody who I work with and my team, too, like, I got a family bond with them. So, like, everybody don't tell me the truth.

So I'm always, like, they know I'm a bug with it, too. Like, you fuck up this for real, man. This shit hard for real. Like, tell me the truth. I don't want nobody around me, like, yeah, this everything hard. Has there ever been a track you've taken to them and been like, yo, bro, this shit sucks? Yeah. I'm saying I go to them like I play some shit for him like man that shit weak to me like they'll tell them you triple yeah

what what tracks have you put out any tracks you put out that blew the fuck up and you were just like I had no idea that I was gonna do that's that I say pop out was one you didn't know that was gonna blow up I I know it was gonna be as big as it was you can't predict that success that shit how many does that happen was it finer things big too yeah yeah yeah fun things is big Well, dude, we've... Which one you have the most fun? Distractions, a banger. Did I have the most fun?

Yeah. I ain't gonna lie. I say a song like, never care. Even though it's a remix. No, it's a banger. Because I was still in trenches. And I know I was going to turn the trenches up with that. What's the song that you have with Nardo?

What's this called? Damn. G. G. Nikes. Yeah, yeah. Banger, too. Fuck with that. Gang, gang, right?

That's with Lowell Wayne. Yeah. What was it like doing a track with him? He's an OG legend. I ain't even know Wayne was going to get on that song. My N.R. Biz. He, he put that play together. He just played it for me in the stool.

And I just hear Wayne come on that band. And I'm like, I get to tripping before I could even hear it. Wait, you didn't even know that you got it? No, I just heard it? Yeah. And I'm like, damn, man, hell. No, running back, run it back, run it. And now I'm listening to it

And like on the first time Listen I'm just steady reacting to Yeah, Bob, because he really fucking me up So Wow, that's crazy Yeah, I ain't That shit tripped me off. And then after like he's just like, yeah, like you got the future?

Yeah, yeah, I was happy as hell That's fucking that's a little one What does that dude for you when he's Like just an OG I guess at this point? I know it was like crazy for me to Just how that feature, just see it, like shooting a video with him and shit. Like, I don't really talk to people no matter how I feel about him. Like, I'm really not that much of a social person, but I know, like, seeing the shit

and just knowing what I had just did was fucking with me. Like, damn, I really just made a song with Lou Wayne. I was listening to him when I was probably, like, I'm fucking 10 years old. Yeah. You have any other moments like that? Like, I made it moments. You're like, damn, this is special. Like, music-wise are just life.

Yeah, shit living down there because it's like going through the motions of being where I'm at now in comparison to where I was. Yeah. A lot of shit different. Sometimes I just realize that and just be like, damn, I am blessed, you know. I want to know what I think we all probably think about this, but what you miss most about more of like the struggle and the come up as opposed to now being here where you're at now. It's really just not being as known. You really have way more peace in being not a famous person than being somebody who just a celebrity. Because it's like you're not, people feel like you don't deserve to have privacy, have privacy, want to rest.

If I'm out in public, you know how many people like wanted to damn neck get into it with me just because I didn't want to take a picture at a specific time while I'm out with my son and I'm telling them I don't want to take a picture right now. A lot of crazy shit. People have no sympathy. The more famous you get, it's also because they just think you're rich. Man, he's rich. What is he fucking... Recently, there was a thing with Kanye and the TMZ pulled up on him and he was like trying to go see his like his kid or something like at a game and he was like really mad.

He was outside the car shit. Yeah. And then he like jumped down like dual girls phone and all this shit. But I totally understand what you're saying. Like I think it's hard because at the same time I don't think we can go like, oh, you know, don't treat us that way or don't treat a celebrity that way. Because, you know, I mean, if you're putting yourself in that position to be looked at or viewed in this way, you can't, you kind of have to learn how to live in it. But have you ever had any moments like that where you felt like super uncomfortable with someone like, you know, I need this from you.

You have to take this picture. You need to do this? Yeah, a lot of times. How do you react to it? People won't give up too. Right? I mean, sometimes like if I know my fucking on bullshit, then I'll just try to ignore them. I'm sure the shit off.

like you feel me but sometimes like even it's not even a moment where they what they're telling me like damn you ain't gonna take the picture like so i don't like to tell nobody know that i don't want to take a picture with them like so that's the last thing that i want to do so sometimes it fuck with my head if i see i'm gonna fuck a bummed out that i didn't take a picture what's been i want to just honestly personally just know when you're back when you're recording when you're trying to take off right what's the biggest difference when you're trying to get studio time. Like, is it more of like a hustle? Like, yeah, we got to get this together. No one respects me type thing. As opposed to now, obviously, you're this big name.

So in the beginning, what's that like when you're really trying to get the studio time? Are you even in a studio? You're just recording for SoundCloud? You know what I mean? No, I was in the studio for sure. Just really trying to make the most of the moment, like going on the two-hour session, four-hour session, paying for scraping up little dollars to go there. And I had to be on-time. I had to be ready. I had to make sure I had all my shit together. So it's going to be a good session. Now I'm probably going to pull up two, three hours late for the first four hours.

And then finally make some shit. Like, now I can relax. Is it crazy in the beginning when you look back and it's like no one really respected you or knew who he was? And now it's like, yo, I show up when the fuck I want. Yeah, it was like I had to break through a lot of barriers. I'm still breaking through them today, though. I don't feel like I'm, I feel like I'm, I feel like, I feel like I'm. I'm at my best or I'm at the top of my career, but, like, I still got a long way to go.

It's crazy, too, because I feel like we've been banging since we heard in 2019, you know, your first tracks, like that were on Spotify, right? So it's like we've kind of come up with every track that you come out, like we're looking forward to. So you're still so new to the game. Yeah, I feel like that sometimes, though. Because you look at it, and I even go to Spotify, and I'm like, damn, his first album, 2019. Like, that's not that long ago. Yeah. Super new.

Super new. Like, so how is that so different from others who, like, you look at, then you're like, fuck, this guy had a mixtape in 2012, like, 2013. But my shit's so recent, and I'm still on the up. It makes me realize, like, the type of effect my music has

that I can sit with the people who've been more experienced. But then again, now it's, like, it put more eyeballs on you to, like, is he going to stand the test of time? Is he going to be here for a long enough is that is that any sort of scare that you have like fuck like what if i don't stay on top like i am now or pressure i mean it's pressure but i don't really be scared of that because i know me staying true to myself alone gonna keep me where i'm at yeah and i think you're you're known for

like your music's just fire like you're not really one for antics and like you don't see you're going viral for doing dumb shit like 100% you have such a loyal fan base even like your i g's so fucking act. You just have a diehard fan base because your music's fire. Yeah, I feel like, and that's what separate me from a lot of other artists. Like, I ain't, you don't know me from no type of beef. You don't know me from shit, but my music. And I try to keep, I keep my private life private for that reason. I don't want to be known for shit else besides rapping until I venture off to do something

else, you know. Why did you have that mindset? Have you always had that or someone teach you that? That's don't. Was it something that? You can say being just brought up the way that I was brought up. And I was one person that listened to the older people around me. So I got probably like an older mindset.

Like I don't want to be in bored shit. What were some of those older mentalities they gave you? Just like stay off the street shit? Not even that. Just like just being wise to a lot of shit that I shouldn't be involved in. that I shouldn't get too much of my attention to. Nice. Do any of those people, like, specifically, do you want to speak on them?

Yeah, like, my pops for sure. That's the person, been there in my mind the whole time. I was saying that's really the main person. Like, he really been there for me every step of the way. So it's like I learned a lot from them. Yeah. You take care of your whole family? Is that something you do?

Hell, yeah, everybody, ain't nobody, don't nobody around me going for shit. everybody's spoiled. Yeah, we could tell. It's been an hour and a half. I'm hungry as a motherfucker. Throw it up your boy. What the fuck? All the boys went home, took a whip out.

Yeah, they're at home, smoking at the crib, taking every whip out. We're here. How many bedrooms is the crib? I think it's like eight. Do you ever go back to Chicago? Yeah. But the bigger I get as an artist, the less I grow back. So it's really like, it's that serious there, huh?

It ain't even that It's like that shit on me Like it like It ain't even no point Like it used to be a time When I was first coming up Around the time I dropped my first album I used to still be on my block

Like damn that A month of the year Then you go to a time like last year That just passed I'll take a year break off Of going back to my neighborhood It ain't the same Because so much shit

It'd go on Like a death Or whatever the case may be It's like it killed a neighborhood I have to ask you What is it like with your success now going back to where you came up? How do you get treated? It's always nothing but love.

I really love fucking with the younger kids, just tweaking with them all day. They have crowd me and stand around me all day, won't let me breathe. I got to talk to them, kicking with them, and long enough to be like, all, all going here now. Is it crazy to think, like, you give a lot of people hope when you go back, like, yo, look at Polo now? Yeah, yeah. It's crazy to think because I ain't had nobody to give me that type of answer. It was great. Yeah.

This was lit. Yeah. We got to do a, we should do a house tour for the Nalk video. Yeah. You want to do some? Or whenever, yeah.

We got to do something for the NLK video too. This is obviously the full-send podcast, but we got to do one more thing with you. This was fucking amazing, bro. Thank God. Yo, you're responding to my DM has done a lot for me. So I appreciate you. Yeah, I'm living.

I'm down. You guys got anything else? Are we good? I think it was fire. I'll see you at the gym tomorrow. Polo Mother fucking G. When can we expect the next release or when are you looking to put more music out? I'm gonna drop some in February.

I got something coming in February, man. Stay tuned. Ooh, let's go, baby. All right, thank you, bro. Appreciate it, I appreciate it, man. Hell yeah.