No Jumper - Desiigner Speaks on Airplane Arrest for the First Time & More

Episode Date: July 10, 2024

Desiigner talks about his early days, rise in the industry, overnight success, creating Panda when he was 17, making new music, and more! ----- Get the latest news & videos http://nojumper.com CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE!!! https://shop.nojumper.com/ NO JUMPER PATREON http://www.patreon.com/nojumper CHECK OUT OUR NEW SPOTIFY PLAYLIST https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5te... Follow us on SNAPCHAT https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_... Follow us on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4z4yCTj... iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n... Follow us on Social Media: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_... http://www.twitter.com/nojumper http://www.instagram.com/nojumper https://www.facebook.com/nojumper http://www.reddit.com/r/nojumper JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/Q3XPfBm Follow Adam22: https://www.tiktok.com/@adam22 http://www.twitter.com/adam22 http://www.instagram.com/adam22 adam22bro on Snapchat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No Jumper, coolest podcast in the world. Today, I'm in here with my man, Remo, and we're having to sit down with the man himself designer. How you doing? My God, I'm 22 in Remo. Feeling good, man. How you living? I'm feeling great.

I'm feeling great. Word. Just, you know, just creating and staying positive. Word. Hell yeah. That's good to hear. What's life like lately? We'll get into the whole story, but tell me about where you're at right now.

Life right now is just, you know, just creating music. It's staying in the gym. staying focused, staying on my hikes, reading books. We're just trying to deliver the positive message for the world and for myself. You know what I mean? That's good to hear, man. For sure. So tell us a little bit about coming up in Brooklyn, just for the people who need a reminder about exactly where you're coming from.

Oh, man, I'm coming from Best Stop Brooklyn, New York City. The City of Love, the City of Hate, the City of the Watchers, the City of the Hators. But I made myself a wave. I made myself a wave there coming up straight up with just, you know, just listening to my father. My father had great knowledge about, you know, China and stuff like that about the government. He told me about kids and stuff like that. That's why I panned out. I wound up coming up.

He was like how kids took over the government, things like that. But word, it was cool. It was cool just hearing that inspiration and hearing stories and stuff in Brooklyn and developing my style and making a cool way for it. So you had both parents your whole time growing up? My mom, my dad been married like 50 years. Oh wow, okay. So that's very interesting. So totally happy family life while you were coming up? Like, what were your parents? Like, how would you describe their influence? Because I've heard you speak about your dad a bunch. I know he's had a big impact on you.

My dad and my mom, they had a super impact on my career. My father, he just was a great God. Great God, man, really wanted just to this show love in the household. He ain't had much, but we made what we had of little. And we took it to the top. Like that. Tons of music growing up? Tons of music. What do you remember them playing around you? My father played my father music. He played, what's my guy name? On the guitar, Spanish music, all type of music, bro. Jimmy Hendrix. Jimmy Hendrix, all type of music. No, I think he was going to say. Carlo Santana. Carlo Santana. Yeah, Carlos Santana. All the type of good stuff, you know. Hell yeah, that's dope. Okay, and so your area, like growing up in bedside, obviously like one of the most famous parts of Brooklyn, like, What was your growing up situation like? Were you dealing with tons of shit?

Was it active as fuck outside from your earliest memories? Well, it was active. I was involved with some gang stuff and all that stuff. But, you know, I just eased myself out of it. As I started realizing that I got a talent, I started realizing that early when I was young, I was like, yo, man, let me just focus on what I could do out here because I could die in these streets,

wind up being in the wrong shit, shit coming on from left. And, you know, everybody just growing up out there. We all don't know certain things that's at the young age. So just like just staying to myself and putting myself in the studio was the best place. Was there anything in particular that you witnessed that made you want to step away from the gang shit? I've been shot when I was 14. You were 14. Holy shit.

What happened? I just got shot. Like I just say like wrong place, wrong time. And things just went left. You for me? It was in Brooklyn? Word. In basketball.

What was the day like that you got shot? Just a little random day? Like, um, random day. We're outside, not listening to my mom and my dad. You feel me trying to be around and trying to be, you know, tough and stuff like that and just like, you know, wind up getting shot. Because like the era of Brooklyn that you're coming out of, the most common way that people were able to break through as rappers coming out of that area, obviously is like kind

of the early days of like Brooklyn drill and shit. So did it take a lot of confidence for you to sort of separate yourself from that music that obviously focuses on negativity and violence and everything like that. Like where did you get the confidence to kind of step outside that? I got the confidence from myself and God above. Word, I was just really just focusing and seeing my talent actually could do something. I was seeing that I could have my friends, everybody just turn up and stuff like that. I'm like, yo, man, like if I can't sell drugs, I'm going to sell myself.

And I just wind up selling myself and it's, you know, using myself as a marketing tool and a business and started getting more business shabby. For sure. So you were recording all throughout high school and everything? All throughout high school or middle school. How old were you when you made Panda? I was 17, 18. So you were still in high school at that time?

We're 10th grade, 17th turn to 18. And so what's that like being in public school in New York City with a song that blows up like that? It was cool. It was cool. It was cool. It was cool. We're just, you know, seeing everybody just like throw up from everybody.

I didn't see everybody on videos that are piping up to it. So it's cool, man. It's cool to seeing the level and everything. Did you just immediately get into the position where nobody was capable of treating you normal? Like, did your whole shit just change up, like, really fucking fast like that? Super, super, super. It was just like, you know, it went from Sid the kid on the block to designer

in a matter of seconds and the matter overnight. So when you recorded, Panda, like, what was the process of you dropping it? Because that wasn't the first song that you had making noise. You had a song before that? zombie walk. Zombie Walk, all right? Right. And you did Hulk Hogan before that or after?

Yeah, Hulk Hogan before that. All right, so break down when you, what was it like when you dropped? Hulk Hogan and Zombie Walk. How were you dropping it? Where were you dropping it at? I was dropping it straight out of school. I was in school. I went to high school with a whole other mindset.

I was like, yo, when I go here, I'm going to do features with everybody from five burrows. We got five burrows in New York. Y'all know Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and Stan Island. And Stan Island, you phone me worse. So we just put. everything together just like that excuse me for saying I'm and all that stuff but word is just you phone me word just putting it together from high school and wanted to

see everybody and came in there with a whole other idea just like I'm gonna make sure I hit all five burrows and we gonna put this together we're gonna work as a team and make this right who did you actually do songs with from all the different burrows um my god fresher when I did one song from fresher word you phone me you know fresher with a pH man shout out my guy and word we had wanted to make it some moves and from there it was just like that one move elevated me to Canya West. Holy shit. So when you're actually making Panda though, like was there anything in

particular going through your head that informed that song? Because it's just such a unique sounding song. Like, where was your headspace at at that time? My headspace was like, yo, I need to connect with something that's going to bring everybody to the table. Like, you know what I mean? Everybody from all cultures, I didn't want one culture left out.

I wanted everybody to feel like, yo, panda was going going to make the move. So that animal really did. It was a super animal, a special animal for me. But what made you just come up? but the concept of Panda, like, what was your headspace? Word. Honestly, when I was making the song, I was like, under, under, under. And I'm saying, you know, I got broads in Atlanta,

and I'm like, yo, what's going to be this three words that I'm going to say back to back that's going to make everybody just like pop? And it was Panda, Word. And then you put the emoji with it, and that's when it really... Exactly, and word. And my father's story of telling me with the kids that took over the government in China. Word.

That's pretty deep. It was like just considering how few people probably like really read into that when it was blowing up. Word. Did you ever like really explain that publicly or did, did, was that important for you to understand the meaning of it or were you just kind of whatever? Like people can just enjoy it and then dig deeper if they feel like it. Word.

I was like, you know, y'all going to enjoy it and dig deeper as I just, you know, just keep explaining the story as I grow, you know. Definitely. So, okay, you put the song out and then how long is it, is it blowing up in the streets before you really get linked up with Kanye? It was blowing up instantly, bro. at Instant Fire. The first day it was going up a million. Like you just hit a million

and it just kept going from there. Millions by the day. Every five minutes, all right, it's go up. It's another $250,000. Every re-click. And this is on SoundCloud. On SoundCloud, man. Shout out all my SoundCloud legends. Y'all know the vibes, man. We're here. We hear. We hear. Facts. When I was listening to your music earlier,

I was feeling like you still drop like you're on SoundCloud because you have like your last project was a long time ago, but then you just drop singles like over and over on iTunes and streaming services. Exactly where. Like, you just don't give a shit.

Like, if you've got a song and you like it, you just put it out. Yeah, you know, it comes down with some things. I want to mark it before me and put money behind, but just use it as, like, a design of radio and just, like, just drop my music there. So you drop Panda is getting millions of views just off the rip. Yep. And so when I first heard a Panda,

the Tax Stone at the time, he's tweeting. Like, this is when he got the Tax Stone podcast and shit, and I'm a fan of him. So I was watching his. podcast all the time and I think I seen him tweet about you one day and a big part of tax at the time was that he was very proud of his ability to make a song blow up right he would always uh who was that loyal deuce I think his name was I forget to do his name but like there was a few other songs that he was pushing at the time and he would really like wear that shit as a badge of honor that he could

make a song blow up and he really wanted to like put artists from brooklyn in particular on exactly were that was his whole goal yeah it was kind of like um kind of like you without the podcasting, you know? Well, the early days. Word. You know, like he just, yeah, yeah, for sure. How did he get hip to your song and how long after him tweeting that song out, did Kanye and him connect with you? Instantly, bro. Kanye, I don't know how

his team is just like, they out there, you know what? They want to get to, they get to you. Word. Was it all push a T? Because he was head of good music at the time, right? Well, I know is that Kanye called my management at the time and we was just in the car. We're doing 11 label, Benin Ward.

Everybody's going crazy. I'm standing on tables. I'm going to all the labels performing it. Some labels love it. Some labels are like, uh, what else you have? And I was just like, yo, man, I got talent. You know, I got talent, and I got performance level that's going to bring it to the top. And word, that's what we did.

But you said you were willing to take less money from good music as opposed to the other labels. Like, how much of a pay cut are we talking about in terms of what was being offered by some of the other labels? Sometimes it was less. but I was really looking for the best opportunity. Whoever just was going to put in the best work, that's why Collier worked the best for me. Definitely. So what, you fly out and meet him, or how did this call unfold?

Yeah, I met him at L-A-X where he just was with Kim. He was with Kim at the time, and he had to drop the baby off and where the baby car seat in the back seat, and we just was like, yo, man, we're just going to put it together, he for me? Really, wow. So was his energy, like, really high when you met him? Like, did he seem personally enthused about it,

or did it kind of feel like he was just doing what the, the A&R type people around him were encouraging him to do? Nah, he was, Kanye West. He was Kanye from off the rip. I met him. Like, he was like, yo, dad thought we got in the car. He was like, ready? I'm like, I ain't played that shit.

Kanye ain't worried. He played it. I'm like, all right, this shit crazy. And then he was like, yo, this is it. I'm about to dip out. You phone me and worry, we're going to put this together. We just went to the studio, started creating overnight. And so how much time passes between that and then his album coming out in which he took

Panda and basically like added it? Like, he basically like remade the whole. whole song because it's like he's rapping on a completely different beat and then it cuts into panda and like now you're talking about how everybody knew about and stuff I actually didn't hear it until that Kanye album was like blown away and then had to like go on YouTube and be like oh this shit already exists outside of this song okay that's cool but but so how did how much time went before that decision was made and how did you feel when he when he decided to basically like create a whole new song out of it um I felt great I felt like whatever tasteful moment he wanted to put

inside of it and make it like, you know, put its own steeds on it. I was cool with it, you know, like, I was just like, as long as I can just make this song, this is still, you know, an opportunity for me to have my song be able to reach the masses and go into national. So it's just a, you know, a great moment. For sure. So the album comes out and then the song starts even going crazy or what was that feeling like? Like, were you just locked in the good music studio at that time, just trying to figure out what was going to be next to? Um, we're just in the studio with me and Mike Dean and it was cool where me and Mike Dean we was in there just cooking up just laying the process he had the whole life of Pablo camping and we was just in there

cooking definitely um and and during the whole time period are you like becoming close with everybody else who's on good music because at that time it was kind of like a real stacked roster right yeah it was a super team like there's very few labels that have that big of a of a star-studded lineup these days were um everybody else I wound up me in throughout the time, me and Push-a-Tee, that shout-out my bro, Push-a-T, you know the vibes. It was just us just linking up from there. We started linking up, Stephen Victor, and us started putting it together. Besides from Push-a-T, who was, like, the other first people from good music that you linked with, besides Kanye and Push?

Travis Scott, Two-Chains, Big Sean. We met all at Madison Square Garden. And y'all are performing? Yeah, we performed. Panda. This was when they let me perform, Panda on stage with all of them. And I shut down the stage. Yeah, break that day down because like this is your first time performing at Madison

Square Garden? First time performing at Madison Square Garden. It was huge, man. Shout out the summer jam. Shout out the Hot 97. We was out there just turning up. It was my time. And once I got the time, I just, hey, do the mic up. Got busy, you, for me? That's my kind of vape trick right there.

But, okay, like, are you still living in the same apartment in this stuff during this whole time period? Because I just imagine this being like a very hectic time period and especially New York where everybody's just stacked on top of each other. It's got to be a weird transition because I'm sure there was all kinds of weird energy coming your way in the neighborhood and shit, right? It was just like not in the neighborhood. I had wanted to moving out. We was making like, what, like $30,000 a month at that time.

And this is before me and Kanye, so I already had my own apartment settled and stuff like that. Okay, for sure. And so at that time, did you really feel like Kanye was fully invested in the long-term health of your? career like were you guys all really like invested in talking about what was going to be happening with the the project and everything um we didn't really have much to talk about this is when conya was going through a lot so we didn't have much to talk about but we all understood that it was like yo it was time to go it was like yo we need them in the studio we need this kid working and stuff yeah because where year did you drop panda um i dropped panda what 2017 2017 2017 2017 yeah because

you made the the xxel 2016 freshman cover exactly so panda was out already before that All right, so it had to be 2016. Word. So what was that experience like, finally, you know what I'm saying? Your music going crazy. Now, XXL wants you to be on the cover. Break us that, break that down for us. Oh, it was like, it was fascinating, bro.

It was like, yo, man, I'm on the XXL cover. It was cool. Seeing everybody there. Shout out to Herbo. Shout out to Luzzi. Everybody that's there is there today. I'm happy to see that. And word, it was just like dope to see that.

You know what I being the number one star at that time. that cover got a lot of hate at that time but to me it seems obvious that that was like the high point of the list thank you thank you because i remember from the very earliest days and that felt like when it really hit the top level and now i feel like they kind of have a problem where the really big stars don't want to be on the cover anymore like this year sexy red should be on the cover she's not she's not she got so much shit that she could be doing that i feel like to her it's probably not worth it but at that time in 2016 it's still legendary though it was It was still like the superstar dudes that were popping off, like Kodak and Yadi and you and everybody, 21, they were all happy to pull up.

Word, for sure, for sure. Different era. Word. We wanted to throw a meet each other, man. Shout out the whole team, man. I know that. We got to do a whole 2016. We're a reunion.

Yeah, we're a reunion. Yeah, we're a crazy song. It'll be lit. That cover is one of the most legendary XXL covers. Like, everyone always compare the 2016 cover to all the other ones. And they say, like, they got it right the most that year from all the superstars that came. But you even just said, you felt like. At that time, you were the biggest one?

Well, the numbers don't lie at that time. You know what I'm saying? So, yes, I was the biggest one at that time. Because you were the first New York rapper to have a number one hit in 10 years at that point, which really puts into perspective how big a song needs to be to hit number one. Like, I was just watching this little video about it, and they even pointed out that, like, Drake was, like, 10 years into his career before he had a number one hit. Like, a song in order to be a song, in order to be a little bit.

being number one hit needs to be so unbelievably massive. There's a lot of big songs that come out, but like that really puts it into perspective that this wasn't just like any old song. This like really took the world by storm. Word, Panda 5, Panda. And then you did the XXL freestyle and then from the freestyle, I think that's when Timmy Turner spun because at first it was just a freestyle, correct? Yes. And then you flipped it into a song?

Yes, word. But you already knew it was going to be a song, right? But Timmy Turner. So Timmy Turner was a freestyle. I used to do Timmy Turner the back of clubs. Like, it was dark in the back clubs. It snapped my fingers and Timmy Turner would just ring off and people would say that's voodoo or something, you know? So that was the plan though? It was like you did that as the freestyle and then you came with it as a single? Exactly. Because it was a request. Everybody wanted it to be a song right after you did the freestyle right? Where. Who is Timmy Turner?

Timmy Turner is me. It was a suicidal note. It all started from me one to, um, really we just wanted to like get rid of myself, bro at the time. It was, it was coming from, you know, know, this, you know, being in the streets and like, yo, man, this is the life. I got to live. I have to live every day with a gun. I didn't even, you know, I don't want to talk about it. But it was just like, you know, just me just, you know, putting all that on pin and pad and making something creative out of it and bringing it to Mike Dean and let Mike Dean put a splash on it.

So that's a song that you wrote before Panda started taking off in your life all of a sudden had meaning that was like left over from that earlier part of your life? Yes. Really? Yeah, I didn't know that part of it. Was it easier for you to write songs when you were still struggling? Or do you find that now that you're more successful or more stable, that it's more of a challenge?

Sometimes it could be a challenge, sometimes I could be reaching at certain points because of what I have done. But it's still like, you know, just having fun. It's learning just, you know, as that motion comes up, I just let it just flow off and just be like, yo, man, just keep design and radio alive. How was at the time, because, like, when you were coming up, you were getting a whole bunch of comparisons to future.

and then Future had a few tweets I think you had a few tweets back and forth and then if I'm not mistaken future like kind of dropped a song where he was kind of like sublimately dissing you with the he think you want to gram me right he was kind of saying that you thought you wanted to gram me because you were excited about when you perform

okay okay so were you influenced by Future when you first came out like did he have a impact on your style? Honestly his future music was ringing off you know what I'm saying so like I'm not going to say like I haven't heard of him nah like I think you know future was a cool artist and stuff like that it's just like I just like I just have my own style, you feel me?

When I just start rapping in my cadence, it just start, you know, we have this comparison that it starts coming up. And it's cool, you feel me? It's pretty cool to me to be compared to somebody that dope, you know? It's a tricky position to be in. If you're a rapper and your voice, just kind of naturally sounds like somebody else who's already huge. It's like a weird decision of like exactly how you want to play your career from there because you could like intentionally go out of your way to like change your voice,

I guess. There's like a lot of people who do that kind of shit at that time. But do you feel like you ever intentionally were like trying to sound like him? Or was it just a coincidence? No, just a coincidence. When I heard it, the first time, I was like, wow, this sounds like something that's on the radio. You for me? I was surprised myself, you know, and I was just like, you know, I'm just going to just keep going

and just make this lit. You follow me, whatever he's doing, I just hope when it's like me and his stocks. You follow me, it's like, when he's up, I'm up. You for me? So, like, I just like to keep him up, you know? But do you feel like, because I feel like you're a person who's like kind of all about positivity and you seem like you don't ever really want to dwell on shit that's negative. But there you are like early on in your career where you're in a position where you're being

compared to a legend slash having the legend kind of taking shots at you. And it's like automatically you have like a big crossroads right there. Like are you going to get down in the dirt and do battle with somebody who clearly has like a gigantic fan base or are you going to just try to take the high road and just like ignore it or whatever? Like what was your thought process on that at the time? Just ignoring and keep going. You phone me? I'm young. I still got many years in the game. I'm only 27 years old. So it's just like it's, it's plenty more. It's plenty more that's going to happen.

And you got to like pick and choose your battles and rap music. You know, like we watched Drake kind of like duck the Kendrick smoke for like 10 years and then he finally got into it and it probably ultimately wasn't the best idea. I remember like early on when Trippie Red and 6'9 were going at it that like 6'9 was like the smaller artist and he was like really, I remember seeing him like really hold back on distance. Trippi because he knew the Trippi's fan base was so much bigger and then once he got bigger than Trippie it was all out war because he realized like he had the fan base to actually do it but in rap if you're like the new kid battling with the big dog is like it could either work out like incredibly well for you or it could just kind of hinder your career from real early on. Word. Seriously. Seriously. Word. But I'm I don't I don't have no fear. You know, design is here and really just you know just really want to just deliver.

Did you in the Future ever run across each other Have a conversation? No, after all these years? We had one conversation. We had one conversation in the past. Actually, we wanted to make some moves. Me and Future wanted to make some moves, but me and Kanye was already in the middle of making moves,

so it couldn't happen. As in like he wanted to sign you or something? Word, we wanted to make some moves, word. Yeah. That would have been crazy. That would have been like Little Wayne embracing young thug because, like, Little Wayne didn't embrace young thug and young thug, kind of like, started to, like, kind of fall back from, like, fucking with

Duane. So, like, did you feel the way that Future didn't embrace you at first? Nah, Future embraced it. He embraced it at first. I just had my own movement going on with Kanye. It was just so hot that it was going on. It was just like, yo, who you, not comparing and saying that anybody's bigger than bigger, but Kanye is a legend to me.

You know, I looked up to Kanye since I was a kid, since, if you wonder, and you know, what I mean? But you said he embraced it at first Because he was dissing a little bit So did he start dissing after you sign with Kanye And then signed with him? Like if you had signed him a future It would have been all good

But then also like when he was probably Trying to sign you It's not like he knew this was going to become The biggest fucking song in the world And that everybody was going to be saying That it sounded like him Like he didn't necessarily know It was going to get to that level

Where you feel me? Which is interesting you mentioned Thug Because Thug is somebody That had signed a million artists and a lot of those artists sound like a lot like him rest in peace little keyed little uh little got it over the years gunna etc like a lot of those people you could have like thug could have looked at them and said like nah i don't want to f*** with him because he sounds like me but instead thugs seem like he was always down to bring people in and try to develop him

right do you regret your decision like now if you could take it back would you have signed with future or you you happy that you made decision to go with conier with good music i have thoughts about that before in the past, but not with no regrets. I'm just like, you know, just like, I think I just made a proper decision with going with Kim and Kanye and being around that family and stuff like that, seeing things like that. Where did things go wrong with you and Kanye? Because after a while, I remember one time you went on live and you were actually complaining and saying that Kanye is really not helping you, you're doing everything on your own. When the things start going bad where you was like, you know what, I don't think good music's for me?

It's just when, you know, everything started getting a little too political for me and stuff like that and I just needed certain help with like, you know, PR and stuff like that. I just needed certain help. So like I just felt like I just needed to fall back. That was all. That's all I can say on that. But so was it the politics? Like literally like him being so wrapped up in the Donald Trump shit and like saying crazy controversial things on a consistent basis? Because you signed to him when his image was a little bit cleaner. And then like you fast forward a couple years and all of a sudden he's like making headlines every other day saying some wild shit. And I needed to be turning and stuff like that. I just felt like I just needed some help and stuff like that with the album and stuff.

And so did that hurt because you're talking about like the family. And I can imagine like Kim and Kanye having you around and you really felt like, damn, I'm part of something. And then it must have been really distressing for his energy to be going in totally different directions. And meanwhile, like, you're realizing like, oh, if I'm not obviously like exploding at this moment, I'm not really going to be able to get the attention. Like as soon as the attention dipped a little bit with you, like you felt like you were kind of on the outs with them?

Not really like that, but just like me and Cony just had like things in contract that I felt like like, you know, we just needed to really just get into. Like, you feel me? And things like that really couldn't happen because of what he was going through. So like I just kind of just left it like, hey, I got to get up out of here. So it was more so a financial decision?

You didn't like the splits on the contract? No, never just no financial decision. Just like, just a... What was wrong with the contract that you wasn't feeling? Nothing really was wrong with the contract. It was just like when it's time again, it's studio, I just thought Kanye would be there before me, and I just wanted him to have, like, his producers, like, things like that, so I could be able to elevate and take it to a whole

another level. I was going back to SoundCloud mode, looking at stuff on YouTube, and I'm like, yo, I'm signing to Kanye West. Like, I could be working with the camp all the time and making some moves, you know? I think I heard Big John say the same thing at one point. Was that a situation? Because was he hands-on with the majority of the good music artists, or, because, like, it seemed like he was just letting everybody do their own thing. It's like even Big Sean had and make comments like that saying that

Kanye wasn't as hands on with his career. Like was that talks you guys were having? Like, yeah, I don't think he's helping me out either. It was just like, talk to my lawyer and his lawyer and stuff like that. Yeah, I mean, that's the problem of signing to a big artist, you know?

It seems like it happens to people all the time. Like, Drake has signed a shitload artists over the years and, like, more often than not, if you were to ask him what their complaint was, it would be like, I just wasn't really getting the attention that I felt like I needed and stuff. I mean, that definitely seems like a pretty consistent complaint. But did you, like, try to work through it with Kanye?

Or did you just kind of reach a point where you were just fed up and you just reached out and said you wanted to get out of the contract? Just, like, you know, try to work through it with Kanye as much as I can, for real, and just make the best out of the opportunity and best out of the move as possible. When did you and Kanye officially part ways? Or did he drop you? How did you guys? I asked to get released and he released me.

And he honored it? Yes. He didn't seem like he had any issues with that because they probably already invested a bunch of money into you, right? No, the record was doing, like, God bless us with a beautiful, you know, beautiful record. So the record is doing what he's doing. He took his splits.

I took my splits and he's still good people to today. Shout out John Monopoly. Shout out the whole team. Definitely. There was that one Blueface song that you remix though where you said that Kanye was crazy. Oh, man. I did not call him crazy. We got, we take mental health very, very serious around her designer.

that. Oh, really? I didn't call him crazy. So what did you say? Because I said, got him going crazy like the Xana. I got him going crazy like Kanye. So I was saying like we was both crazy and we was just like. But everyone at the time took it like you was calling him crazy because that was the narrative of like Kanye being crazy.

So when that came out, did Kanye have anything to say with you? Like why are you spreading this or? No, no. Because what I said was got him going crazy like Desana. I got him going crazy like Kanye, you know. Yeah. But also he is crazy. So that seems like a pretty fair.

Like if you don't think Kanye was as crazy, and you don't really, like, you ain't been paying attention. I mean, at least in our basic definition of the word crazy, in the sense that, like, his energy is just going a million different directions. It doesn't really seem like he's capable of controlling what he's working on at any given time. So that's why when something comes out, like, oh, they're doing easy porn, and then it, like, doesn't happen. And all of a sudden, you fast forward a few months and you don't hear anything else about it.

It's like, nobody's surprised because it's like, I'm sure he was really excited about starting this porn company at one point. And then I'm sure a week later, he had basically, like, forgot about the fact that he was even working on it. That's just how he goes. You know? Yeah. But, okay, like, when Pusha T left good music, I remember, like, at least, like, some of the complaints were basically about, like, the fact that if you want to be in that environment, if you want to be working on music with him, you have to kind of be willing to, like, be in the studio till, you know, eight in the morning. You have to be willing to, like, not get sleep.

you have to just kind of show up at the studio whenever he wants to work and stuff. Was that part of the problem? Is that, like, you had a hard time getting on the schedule that he works at creatively? Oh, no, not at all. Crew Summer. I was working on Crew Summer. We got records if you're out. We got unreleased records on YouTube.

Word. It's easy. I felt like the creativity, when me and Kanye would have been massive, but we would have actually work together and really, like, locked in. Like, we could have made something larger than Panda. and worry. I just felt like, you know, we just needed to have more of a relationship and build that relationship and just have that dynamic, like, eye to eye and things and, like, conversations like a little bro.

Like, I'm coming out of high school. I got all this money. I'm a millionaire. I just need just that guidance and just that big bro to help me just like, you know. Because, like I said, Panda came from a story, you know, and I'm more of like a story guy. I hear stories, and then I just build from there, you know, it's just not just like I'm going in there and it's just shaking my ass.

and just making music for that. I'm trying to make music that's going to connect to all of us at the table. Yeah, I mean, I always think about signing the artists, and I always think about how I don't feel like I have the bandwidth or the time to really invest into that. But then it's always fascinating to me when I see artists sign other artists and then just kind of let them do whatever, like give them like the sort of basic co-sign

and then kind of just throw them to the wolves and like let them figure it out. Like that's always kind of crazy to me to like take on that responsibility of somebody's career, knowing that that's everything to them and then not really like put your all behind it you know we're trying to wear but hey it works with some artists but this artist it just didn't work for yeah you want to him to be more hands-on but crew summer was it EP? Um EP yeah it was one of our albums we was gonna drop what it was that was a good music EP wasn't it it was our we had a we had a um yeah crew summer was our good music EP slash album

yeah all right so how was that what was the process like for that because it seemed like everyone which is if y'all wasn't in the studio working together where y'all just submitting songs and then whatever got picked it's all in the studio we all link up me kutty big shan we all link up tie dollar sign and all of us all right so break that down because crew summer i remember was that the white cover was it uh what was the cover we didn't get a cover yet all right yeah it was just all on the board we just had everything on the board first so what was where were you guys recording at and like how was the recording process like you guys would just show up and decide who wants to do a song um word we just show up and he'd be like got the easy team out there

there. We'll come out. I go out there, watch the Eiji team, see them create some shoes, and I'll come right back in the room, and then I'd be like, yo, you feel me, just sit there and call me and be like, and hear the melodies. And then you put me, we just hear the melodies and then we just create. So you have to just kind of be on deck to like acknowledge how you would flow on the beat, like, and then he kind of picks who he feels like has the best flow. Where, you put me, and I was writing like hooks and stuff. Interesting. So you were free of Kanye and Good Music by what year? Probably like 2019.

Okay. And so then what does your recording process look like that? Or what's your perspective on where to take your career at that moment? My recording process then is just like, you know, still trying to have conversations with my dad, stuff like that. He's decided over what we did or for the conversation that we had and made something great out of it. it and it was just like, yo, it's still trying to hear and just listen to me a student of the game. But like how did it feel being independent all of a sudden after having been part of this big machine?

Like does it feel, did it feel liberating or did it feel like kind of depressing? It felt cool at first, you for me, but then it started feeling like where was we going with this shit because, you know, I'm not really hearing no stories and things like that. Hearing stories, though, what do you mean? Like great stories, like, you know what I mean? just having like great conversations and stuff like that with my teammates and stuff like that just wanted to just you know create with them big Sean

and two chains and stuff like that who you're working on music with once you left that whole world because like I'm sure you met a million people on your way to the top like who did you end up really working on music with and shit I started working music with Steve Aoki man we wind up going overseas we got tattoos with each other man we probably were and then just wind up taking it over

with BTS shout out my brothers BTS and worry we just going international so you just went on the road road and like were you touring that that song a ton for a while there we're touring that and torn and torn mic drop and timmy turner and word outlet and stuff like that someone you did reach out to for a song was eSDG because you went you went viral because he i think he tried to charge you like 75,000 it's crazy it's crazy it's crazy bro you know i respect his art you for me but you know i was just like yo we can make something real great and i feel like if designers reaching out to you you for

me not saying I am a megastar, whatever, but like, yo, let's work something out. At the time, you had the hottest wave going on. So, 75,000 was crazy. Right. You felt disrespectful when he threw that number. Of course. Why such a high number you think? I think because he's seen everybody else coming with numbers, and I guess, I don't know.

I mean, he was having a big moment at that moment. But then also, I feel like this was kind of like at the tail end of pain and everything. Because it wasn't this in like 2020 or some shit when this happened? Yeah. So I feel like that, if anything, that story was so viral because people perceived it as like a reality check for you that like, damn, like this is a dude who it might only be a few years later that this conversation is taking place, but he clearly wasn't really like concerned about whatever you had accomplished before. And people always love narratives like that where they can really see somebody to be put in their place. So like, I don't know, like from your perspective, did you learn anything from ESG rejecting you on that? Or what did you take from that?

I just take, you know, it kind of made me just, like, kind of shake up about who should I ask for features and stuff like that. Because I got a lot of dope songs on me. And I'm just like, yo, like, who could fit on this shit? But I didn't just didn't want to get charged. Because I wasn't charging nobody. Like, I wouldn't charge nobody for features. Like, before me, we didn't charge. That's where I come from.

Like, yo, bro, we're going to make some dope and we're going to get paid off royalties. No, yeah, that makes sense. Any other features that you try to get that people maybe declined or you got that you never put out? No, that was the last and the only. Yeah, then I used tight. Not tight. I just was like more just careful or just action. Yeah, discouraged type of shit.

Word. Yeah, now, brocade. He had you tight because you call that nigga hot garbage. You was like, a nigga, you was hot garbage type shit. Yeah. I feel it. I feel it. But, man, I'm like down south rappers.

Like a lot of them are like, I mean, there's like different parts of rap. And there's like certain scenes and like vibes where people won't necessarily be trying to like press for every last. dollar, but when I see a lot of these down south dudes who have a real, real hustler mentality and they just, like, their mentality is that they're charging for everything. And they're really maxing out how much they can make from shows and features from day one. So I guess I wasn't really surprised to see him trying to charge that. But I definitely can understand from your perspective how you were a little taken aback by it.

Word, just a little bit. How did you come up with the name design anyway? We came from a conversation. We was talking me and my brother. We was just like, yo, man, he's like, yo, you need to design something with your name. And I was like, oh, that's my name, designer. You for me? And I was, it just went like that. And my name is designer Royale at the time because my middle name's Royale. And it was just like, yo, like, designer Royale. And then I wound up going to see my sister.

I'm like, little sis, man, like, what do you think I should do with this name? And she was like, take out the name. Take out the eye. And she said, put another eye in the name and drop the Royale. And I just dropped the Royale. Oh, yeah, no, that's hard. Do you all, you still mess around with shrews? I remember one point I think I seen an interview where you said you was like messing out.

No more shrooms. No more stuff. All the psychedelics. Oh, the psychedelics, man. Oh, the psychedelics. Well, that's interesting. You said that because, like, how much of a presence in your life were drugs prior to Panda's success? And then, like, how did that change once you started really having fame and money?

It just became more accessible. You feel me? I was more accessible to the strums and just vibing out. You found me? Like, I was just, at a time, I was alone. You found me, becoming famous, you lose friends. You lose everything. You lose everything, and then you just start from you,

and that's when the strong starts in. That's when everything starts kicking in, you for me. So you mentioned shrooms right away. That was always your drug of choice? Shrooms and marijuana. I like some weed. I love weed. Really?

I feel like people always running the problems with, like, pills and lean and shit. That wasn't an issue for you? No pills. I was doing bennies when I was a kid. Benedigils? Yeah, Benadryls. I used to do those. Interesting.

But you never really became like a perk guy or a Zanick guy? Anything like that? Nah, word. That's probably for the best, but then, like, I guess doing a ton of mushrooms could probably have a wild effect on you as well. Or you, like, really, like, geeking, like, like, because, like, now they have all these mushroom candy and, like, gummies and all this type of shit. They're cool, but you were really eating out the bag?

What? Eating out the bag, man. We were, yo, putting in breakfast, man, eggs, bacon, egg, and shrooms. For real? Word. Oh, my God. Big and shrooms is crazy. Wow, that's a wild hobby.

Lord, man. You know, peak, never tweak. You feel me when you peak, never tweet. You say that when you gain fame, you lose a lot of people and lose a lot of friends. Why do you feel like you lost a lot of people around you? Because everybody just wasn't moving and the motive I was. Some people just sitting around and just like waiting for me to do certain things. And I like to sit around older crowds because like, you know, there's just like a lot of conversations going on.

And I could just stay student in the game. And I felt like, you know, like being young and around a lot of young people at that time, it was just like it's young thoughts. And I just, you know, I felt like matured there. And especially like in the, the beginning, you're bringing a bunch of your homies on tour with you and trying to do as much as possible for them because you feel like you're about to be the biggest thing in the world. You're about to make so much money.

And then as time goes by and it starts to seem like a little bit more realistic, you kind of realize like, this is getting expensive with me dragging like three homies around everywhere we go or whatever. I've seen that happen over and over. And then those people don't think, oh, like, designers are great guy because he was flying me around with him for the last six months. They're thinking, man, fuck this dude. you ain't doing it anymore.

Word, you film me, and then that started leading around, and then you phone me things like that, saw happening, stuff like that. What was your mentality on the hose during this time period? It was all, it was free ball, bro. You just went out of control or what? Word, just went out of control with them, you know what I mean, and had fun, just had fun, you know what I mean?

It was all this fun, and it's nothing crazy like that. Okay. How many is the most chicks you ever slept with at once? Two. Okay. but that's enough. That's old me. Okay.

I remember Yadi had an interview talking about going to, like, Switzerland and six chicks at the same time. And, like, everybody was just, mind was blown. Like, damn, this young-ass kid having European orgies? That's crazy. Crazy. You still talk to anybody that's from, like, the 2016 cover? Like, what's your friendship with any of the guys? No friendships for any of the guys.

Just really trying to get back in connection with them and let them know, like, designers here. I'm ready to work. And I'm looking forward for us to do a major track with each other. in the future. What do you think the misconnection came from? How come he wasn't able to keep a connection or just keep a rapport with any of the people who had good music or the people that you were on the cover with?

John Monop and Stephen Bickdon kept connections with them. But in terms of the actual, like the artist, you're talking about a 2016 cover. Or even people on the label, like your peers that were rapping with you, how come you didn't, like, keep a rapport? Were you, like, having a hard time, like, keeping relationships with them? because it was just like we was just like I don't know I guess everybody kind of looked at

looked at it as like we was in kind of competition I guess I don't know definitely and so okay like what's your lifestyle look like as like this all shit the shit all starts to unfold like I feel like the pandemic was like this big thing that like you know you were probably doing a lot of touring and stuff up till the pandemic right and then that kind of all just goes away all of a sudden where and so what was that like just having everything kind of slow down from there. And like, what have you been doing life-wise since then? Just been staying focused, bro.

You know, after everything happened, you know, just really just finding love, bro, finding somebody I could really just be a companion with and worry putting it together and have some great conversations and flow again. Oh, when did that happen? Oh, it happened after the incident. Yeah. The great incident.

So, okay, you're flying back from Tokyo. What were you doing in Tokyo? Tour, Thailand. And just really just, you've found. me selling merch. I sold $80,000 in merch and had to my PMR, me and A. Bougy. We did the great relationship. Shout out of my bro, A. Bogie. You know, and just, you know, just kept it going. Okay. And so, like, what was going on? Was it a drugs thing? Or, like, what led to you having this meltdown? Mentally, Adam, I wasn't in the right place. Like, I had a long time to think about this.

And it's just, like, literally, mentally, I wasn't in the right place. I was just, like, having so much fun. I was just having so much fun and just, like, word. not controlling myself at the time. So, you know, I came back home, though, and I just really just started bettering myself from there. I was just like, yo, it's time to read more. It's time to go on hikes. It's time to work out.

It's time to really put myself and build a mental, you know, camp for myself for really just putting it together. I had wound up going to music cares. I had wound up going to NAMI, 1-800 numbers, and just building myself from there. But so what, like, because I feel like part of the fascination with the storyline for people and why it went so viral is that people just didn't really understand.

So was it like you thought that it was funny? Or was it more something where, like, you were just fully, like, tweaked out of your fucking mind and you just didn't know what you were doing? Yeah, didn't know what I was doing. I was fully tweaked out of my mind. This is when I was vegan. I didn't have enough sugars and stuff like that. Yeah.

So it was like, I was kind of like out of my body. It was an OB experience, like, Word. It really wasn't, like, who my character was. And it's just like, word, bro. I was on medication. I took medication and Word and just went to sleep. on the plane and so the FBI's waiting for you when you land were for real and what was that whole process like like what kind of questions were they asking and how concerned were they

oh man they was like yo like why would you do that on plane I'm like out of my body saying just like wild shit just like yo like a word I had to get back home and just get myself together bird meditate get myself back together and stuff like that excuse me and so are you someone who's always like really in touch with what people are saying in the media and everything Like was that kind of fucking you up to see people just painting you as like a mega weirdo or whatever after that? Of course, because it's my first time being famous, you know what I mean, in life. And I'm just like, yo, just thinking like, damn, I hope nobody thinks I'm like, I'm a pervert anything. Like, that's not what I'm all about, you for me.

I'm all about just like love and just like keeping things going and stuff. Definitely. So are you like, can you still fly now? Like, what happened with that? Oh, I can still fly. Word. It was just, I had to be medicated. that I had to be medicated and be right.

But shout out to American Airlines. Shout out to the flight attendant. Thanks for helping me out and Word. And I know that might kind of sound weird and stuff. But Word, that lady really helped me out. You phone me? Like, it was the whole team. Shout up my whole team.

So what? They could have potentially tried to like press for you to be banned from flying, but they didn't really try to like make it. That was even issue? Exactly. Okay. Interesting. And you said she helped you out in terms of like, can you help?

Yeah, calling you out. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. My team know that I need to help. You know, shout out to Riv, you know, Riverton, man, Scott, Andrew. I appreciate y'all. Listen, man.

You phone me, Joyce, where my PR and everybody else that's helping me out right now. And so did you actually go to, like, a therapy or like a treatment center or anything like that? Yes, I went to therapy and the treatment center. So how was that? It was cool. It was cool. Having cool conversations waking up in the morning, breakfast. And it's word, just building from there, bro.

Word. And just like, just sitting there and just thinking about, you. know, how can I explain to the people and apologize, sincerely apologize, and really just didn't want nobody ever to think about me in a negative way like that. And was that your first time being totally away from drugs and, I don't know, we were a drinker as well? Nah. You weren't a drinker?

Yeah, just something here, shots here, you know, Don Julio and stuff like that. Yeah, what was that like just being in this treatment center and just not getting f***ed up or feeling anything like that at all? Was that kind of a disruptive experience of that? time. It was cool at first, you know what I mean? But, you know, you start thinking about, hey, yo, man, I need the drugs. I need this shit.

Like, but then you're like, yo, this is all clean. I knew at that time, once I was on the plane, I was like, yo, this is my place to really, like, detox and get all this out of my body and really to start off from a fresh start. Definitely. What drugs were you on when you were on the plane? Just out of my body, bro. I tell you, bro, I can't even explain how my body personally felt, you know what I mean? But there was no drugs in your system at all at that time?

Like, just overdose on shrooms. All right, so you were on shrooms at the time? And young, and not really knowing how to really be, like not being prescribed them, you know what I mean? So it was just like this free, just boiling and things like that could be in your liver and pack up. And you feel me, you could have a trip, a trip just being there, you for me? But did you feel like you wanted to like come right off of that and put music out while you had that attention? Or was it obvious to you that you wanted to take your time? Take my time.

Take my time and rebuild myself, rebuild my character and stuff. Because that would have been crazy if you dropped like a storytelling song. We're just like breaking down what happened on the plane. Go full King Vaughn on them. Yeah, you probably not. Yeah, that might have been too much for the people. Word. What do you say to the people that's like watching this for the first time?

Because have you talked about it since? No, I haven't talked about it since. That's my first one. I had to make sure I had to be here with Adam. I didn't know that. That's crazy. That's good. That's super dope.

So what do you say to the people that's watching this right now that's like this the first time I'm hearing from you since the incident? And they just won't know what I'm saying? This is the first time you're hearing from me. I would say this is, you know, don't judge me from what you heard in the past. It's, you know, I'm moving forward. I'm moving focused. I got, you know, free world merch. I got mental.

Oh, that's your stuff. Okay. Word. So it's just like, you know, just being mentally aware and being focused and work, being able to just. show my growth of character from here. So you're 100% sober now? 100% sober. What's that like?

Life as a sober man versus a guy who's... It's really cool. It's pretty cool. Being in the studio, cream with a sober mind. It's like, you know, more reading books, more just, you know, just going back to be in Sydney,

you know, and just want to be focused and just, you know, still be student in the game, but extra, like, cautious. And like I'm saying, it's free world, but you can be charged with certain things.

So just be careful with what you're saying nowadays, you know, how you're moving? What's the concept behind the free world? Why did you, why free world? Free world, free way of thinking, free thought, you know, and just knowing that you're not being charged with your thoughts, so just make sure you spend it wisely, you know?

Do you spend most of your time on the West Coast or in New York now? On West Coast. Okay. So you go back to New York often, or you totally over it? Nah, I don't go back to New York. I need to go back to New York, though. You phone me word, but no, I don't go back to New York word. I'm like, I just feel like, you know, like,

So much I got out here I want to start my fan base again out here And start talking to the West Coast or more You know? How do you feel about your connection To your fan base? Like have you seen it Wayne over the years?

Or like do you still feel like you have that super fan element that'll check out everything that you do? I still got fans out to check out everything I do I feel strong that they're still here And they're still watching And they're just waiting for that great epic moment again Just as you know The newcomers, the ones that have been here

And the ones that's sooner be coming And follow. Do you still feel like really motivated to make music or like do you feel like if you write another panda that it's going to get through to the audience or that like maybe they have such preconceived notions of you that they're not going to because like in hip hop people all like they love the underdog story they love the idea of a guy coming from out of nowhere to make it but then a lot of times it feels like in hip hop they're not as interested as like oh this dude who had a hit five six seven years ago he's back

and he's got another hit like a lot of people might kind of turn their eye to it because they love newness in this culture. Word. I feel like that's part of the game. You know, you got to deal with adversity and I'm more part of it, you feel me. I love the new crowd. I love the newer stars that's coming up.

I just feel like, you know, word, it's still room enough for me to make some win. You still listen to a lot of new artists coming out? Word, I still listen to some new artists. Anybody in particular that stands out to you? Somebody who's in particular that stands out to me, I'll say, who have I listened to? Yeah, who's on designers playlist right now? Who's on my playlist? What?

One, the Bantan. Word. It's one of my African artists. We got a record that's going number one in Africa right now. Oh, word. Damn. So have you been to Africa? Yes.

Okay. What's the fan base like out there? It's beautiful. It's beautiful, bro. Hell yeah. Interesting. What kind of music you got out cooking? I know you got some music that you're working on.

Word. Oh, man. I got all different types, bro. In my section, all different types, bro. Word, man. I see a lot of people talking about down the ground what's going on in the clubs. In my section is one of the ones that's coming out, you for me.

But just all type of music, bro. This all type of music, all tipping ideas and where it is building, just building all type of stuff. So what will be like your process now of putting music out? Because back in the day, you would just drop on SoundCloud and it would just take off. And you really wasn't doing too much marketing behind it. Now, what's your plans on dropping music, marketing and stuff?

Still Google ads, still pressing on. Google ads. I think Google ads has been a major plus for me. You've been helping me for me and just like word moving and stuff like that. As far as like a label situation, are you currently looking for a deal or are you signed right now to anyone? I'm independent right now, but I'm signed to Riverton and I'm distributing through Empire. So what does it mean to be signed and independent? Because you said I'm signed to Riverton. Well, that's like a partnership deal. We're doing a partnership deal. So yeah, they help me out with my videos and things like that. And Riverton, where is that based out of? LA. All right, for sure.

So how do you feel about people who call you a one-hit wonder? You know, people hit you with that, with the... I feel like, yo, come to my shows, see my fans. You know what I? See them have fun to it. And then you call me in one-hand wonder and see if it still goes. Do you feel like you and Kanye will ever get back in the studio? Because, you know, sometimes, like, I can see Kanye doing, like, a good music tour and bringing any talks of that.

Where's Kanye had at now, or have you even talking to him? Speaking and spoke with him. Word, I haven't spoke to him, but soon in the future, I'm looking to get back with the camp and just, like, the show my maturity and the show, like, I'm ready to work, no matter if you're in the studio or not, with me, designer, it's just, I proven to myself that music is all that it is to me. You know, I have nowhere else to go. This is the studio is my friend. The studio is my everything, you know, so, like, word, it's, word, that's how I feel about it.

You ever read any songs for you? Yes, word, we went some songs, Word. Yeah, I figured, because he'd be having, he'd be using, like, a lot of people in his camp to, like, I'll write songs. isn't your shit for them? Yes. You still eat off like the songwriting credits from stuff like that? Yeah, for sure, for sure. It's a nice lump sum of Brad, man. Shout out the good music, man. I'll never forget them. That's my, that's my back. That's my backpack. When people make, because like, you know,

especially after you have a situation like the whole airplane thing, there's always, like, people on YouTube who want to make videos where they basically break down your career and the highs and the lows of it. From your perspective, like, do you tune into that stuff ever, or do you just have to block all that shit out and just stay full? I got to block it out, bro. I got to stay focused and just keep everything just like, yo, bro,

this is, it happened, that's the past. Let's just keep it going, bro. Let's go, bro. You know what I mean? Word. Are you on social media much in general or you try to just avoid it? Not on social media as much. Word. You know what I? For sure. Just playing a game back on social media because it seems like nowadays all the rappers are using social media

to get their career where they need to be. So you feel like you're going to have actually start partaking in social media again to get back to where you need to... Word, for sure, for sure. Word. We got some viral challenges going up right now. You feel me? If you look at the page, word. We got some viral challenges that starting it there with me and my girl.

Do you feel like you have to put yourself out there 100% like that, like in terms of social media? Because, like, I've seen like some drill rapper who had a clip the other day where he was talking about that. He's like, if we want people to care about us, we have to put our whole fucking life on social media for people to indulge in. And I was just thinking about how much pressure that must feel. feel like, especially if you're somebody who's got, you know, business going on in the streets or

whatever. It's like being a great artist and making music, it's like such a separate thing than like having a whole social media strategy and showcasing your life on a day-to-day basis. Like, from your perspective, do you mind doing that or is that? Yeah, I don't mind doing it. It's just a matter of the strategy. Like you said, it's all strategy and making sure we just, you know, hit the points that it's going to be interactive for the people. And so how long you've been with your girl? I've been with my girl, what? My father. months now? Five months.

And so do you think that's overall, like, made your mental health better? Yes, it made my mental health better. It was just like just being able to just, you know, communicate with somebody, somebody at home, and we could be able to just create. We could create, have fun, laugh, cook, and just have all that together. It made me happy. Happiness is the best thing I ask for everything, so that brings power and work. Take a lot of the messiness out of your life. You don't have to, like, be having random chicks come over. Word, you phone me? Word. It was saying crazy. You know how I could be out of it. Giving your address to their drug dealer boyfriend and all of a sudden they're running in the crib.

I don't know. I'm petrified. I've been with my girl for eight years, so I'm terrified of what it would be like to be single. I can't trust these hoes. A bunch of demons out there, man. Demon gobblers. For sure. They're evil.

Okay. So what do you got planned in terms of like shit that's coming up? Do you plan on releasing a full project at some point? You feel like you need to kind of get the momentum going in the right direction before you want to do that? Word. That's why I'm up here, man. Express it with y'all, man. I see I have a great platform. And word, just put out the music from here, you know what I'm saying?

Start working from here. You got anything like you're about to drop soon? Anything like you work? You know what I'm saying? Yes, we got some music. We're about to drop soon. Word. Right, right, right. Hell yeah. Definitely. If you put out a project right now, would it have like a mix of hip-hop and Afro beat type stuff?

Is that something you're railed into at this point? Word. I've railed into that hip-hop and Afro beats and even EDM, bro, even tapping into all-lane. You know what I mean? Word, man. Shout out together. Shout out to all. If you could work with any artists right now,

they listen to this, who would you want to work with? Honestly, right now, I can't just say one artist, but I say I'm looking for features. I'm designing is looking for features, and he's open for features. And if y'all want to get into studio, just reach out. All right, man.

Well, it was dope to have you on here. Very much appreciate you showing or telling the whole story with us and everything like that. And we're definitely behind you. And I feel like you still got some high points to come. I feel like as much as the commentary community and the peanut gallery might enjoy kind of kicking you when you were down and everything like that, I still feel like you have the talent that you could, you know, recreate your previous success. And ultimately, if you are able to do that, once that narrative takes control, that's when people are going to really be like,

oh, maybe he's actually around here to stay and everything. So I feel like you got to just keep grinding the music and really like find, like, I haven't seen content of you and your girl on social. meeting and everything, but I do feel like having a strong relationship with a woman and stuff is the kind of thing that will make people reconsider you because they like seeing you as like a full human being and a lot of times the relationship shit will get you there. Seriously, seriously. Yeah. For sure, man, we're behind you.

Let's definitely do some more shit in the new years or anything that you want people to check out. Anything in particular? Oh, man, check out my newest, my latest single, Fly as Hell. Make sure y'all tap into that. Fly as hell. YSL. You phone me? I was just listening to it.

Keep the free word. Make sure y'all get the free world merch. Exactly. Get the free world merch. You for me? Oh, that's why you're asking me. My size. I got to hook you up with one.

I got to hook you up with one. I got to hook you up with one. I got show the bag. She's saying show the bag. What's on the back? Come on. Oh, man. It's a Gucci, man.

Design are always wearing some designs. Ah, I have for sure. Royale, you feel me? And you don't put that together with this. All right, the free world. What's on the back of the shirt? She's shown on it. All right.

So that's the free world. Where can they get it at? You can get it at Riverton store. It's located in LA. Word, you call me. The store we got everything in. Hell yeah. That's what's up.

You ever seen 8 Mile? Oh, man, come on. They'll be saying Free World and that too, right? Come on. Is that it? Yeah, okay. Go ahead. For the show, man.

Well, designer, appreciate you coming on. Thank you for sharing the story with us. Thank you to Remo for co-hosting. And, yeah, everybody, check my man out. Check out all his new shit on streaming services and all that. Appreciate you, dog. Penda, penda. Penda.

No jumper. Coolest podcast. Like, comment and subscribe. We out.