No Jumper - Rooga on Losing His Cousin FBG Duck & Chicago Gang Culture's Impact on The World

Episode Date: February 1, 2021

Rooga candidly shares about growing up with his cousin FBG Duck, making plans on getting out the hood together, becoming bigger artists, traveling the world, making money, helping their families, until Duck''s untimely passing. https://www.instagram.com/jhe_rooga/ ----- CHECK OUT OUR NEW SPOTIFY PLAYLIST https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5tesvmDS8h50LkjnSAWMOs?si=j6sJD6DkR4mk5NZZWnlK7g FOLLOW US ON SNAPCHAT FOR THE LATEST NEWS & UPDATES https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_Jumper/4874336901 CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE!!! http://www.nojumper.com/ SUBSCRIBE for new interviews (and more) weekly: http://bit.ly/nastymondayz Follow us on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nojumper iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/no-jumper/id1001659715?mt=2 Follow us on Social Media: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_Jumper/4874336901 http://www.twitter.com/nojumper http://www.instagram.com/nojumper https://www.facebook.com/NOJUMPEROFFICIAL 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 adam22hoe on Snapchat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No Jumper coolest podcast in the world. And today we're in here with Chicago's very own Ruga. How you feeling, man? Yeah, I'm feeling good today. Got me a fat row, blunt. Yeah. Feeling good. Fat to say the least.

So you don't care about how long it is so much, as long as it's fat as fuck? It got to have a little, you know, a little left to it, though. You know what I'm saying? But it's just got to be thick, you got to have your blunt stick, bro. Right. It can't be playing out of them. It was a Chicago thing, man.

Chicago dudes are very proud about their woods being as thick as possible. Yeah, I like. Yeah, you got to perfect it. You've been out to L.A. a million times, or how many times you're out here? Is this still kind of new to you? Yeah, it's still new to. It's my second time to L.A. Okay.

That's my second time. First time I was I was here on business, though, you feel, me? I weren't really traveling around and nothing like that, so I ain't really get to see nothing like that. Right. This time, I see it all. You appreciate it out here? Yeah, yeah.

It's definitely, it's motivation, you feel? I mean, big houses, people running around with their kids, dogs, walking the dogs, just comfortably. You know, it's like, it's different, you know what I'm saying? Right. Chicago, way different. Yeah, there's a lot of possibility out here. Yeah.

Because you could be in the hood and you can be in, like, Beverly Hills in, like, 20 minutes, and that will really, like, show a motherfucker in the hood. Like, well, it's possible. Like, there's a whole big world out here. LA hood, too. Like, it's a lot of, like, I see it's a lot more. I see more homeless, like people, a lot of places around here, like, I don't know. Maybe it's because it's hot.

Like, they come here the way it's hot, you know what I'm saying? I'm guessing you ain't really seen, like, downtown Skid Row super crazy, but downtown, I mean, there's so many goddamn homeless people, and it used to be bad when we had a shop down there about five years ago, but I was down there the other day, and holy fuck, it must have got bad after COVID. They got tents everywhere now. Yeah, that's the thing, too. COVID.

Oh, my goodness. Like, they, it's serious down here. I see, like, people walking around like, like, I should, like, I should know something. Like, I don't know something going on out here. But, no, it's kind of serious out here. I've been seeing it, so I've been trying to just wear my mask a lot. Right. No, yeah, definitely.

So, tell me a little bit about your upbringing in Chicago, what area you grew up in and what your upbringing was like. Well, I grew up in the Englewood area of Chicago, you feel me, middle, the heart of Where it all, you know what I'm saying? Happens that. What happened that. But basically I grew up, you know what I'm saying, in poverty, you feel me? Me and my mama, my five, my four brothers, you feel me?

We weren't fortunate always, you know what I'm saying? So we was in the trenches, you know, the trenches, that's what we call it, the trenches. But shit, I just, you know, I was a young, I grew up young, you know what I'm saying, household. We was all together, you feel me? And don't give me, I was in the streets too, you feel me? start hanging with friends that was in the streets you know just getting them type of friends and now it's like I grew into the streets you know but were you was that something that was kind of all around always around you or was it something where you

felt like at a certain point you just started to get exposed to that type of stuff more and more and a lot of kids are afraid of getting in trouble and shit I'm guessing it sound like you didn't really have that in your brain too much it was more like when I was younger I wasn't out you know what I'm saying my mom my mama she was a you You feel me? She was a strict. You feel me? She wasn't going. Y'all had to be in the house when the street. We had to be in when the street lights came on. You feel me?

But once I reached that age to where I can kind of be free and I can kind of be out later, you feel me? I started hanging with them different type of friends. And we kind of moved from where we was living at. So once we came over there, it was a whole different environment. It was different type of people. And I just had to adapt, you feel? Because that's where we at. We couldn't go nowhere else.

Definitely. In terms of music, what kind of music were you growing up listening to and how much did it mean to you? And did you ever see yourself becoming a rapper as you got older? Yeah. I always used to rap when I was younger. And I used to look up to listen to people like Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, you feel me? Who else was popping back then when I was younger? Like artists like that, you know what I'm saying? Honestly, them are the main artist that was popping back then to me. as a kid. I used to like R&B too shit. I used to listen to R&B music.

Tray songs when he was out and shit back then. Right. But no, I always, I knew I wanted to rap when Christmas, 05, you feel me, my mama, she bought me an, I told her, I kept begging up for it. I'm like, give me that Lil Wayne album and that Tray songs album, you feel me? Because I don't know if you know, I'd know how to sing, too, you feel me? I do R&B too, so it was always that alone she bought me those two you see what I'm saying like the R&B and the rap

and I listen to that shit about a thousand times just to a point where she wanted to throw that shit away but now for real I always had music in me though like it's just like I just wanted to do it I always used to walk around the house rapping singing

and my mama and my brother and they always used to tell me you should you know take it a little serious but you know I took it serious though I started taking this series eventually. Right. In the long run. Would you say that you got heavy in the streets or heavy into the music first?

Streets. Yeah. Definitely. So around what age and what kind of stuff were you running around doing? Because, you know, from a lot of people's perspective, it's like, yo, Chicago has crazy street shit. Chicago has a crazy gang problem. Up close and personal, what was your perspective on how that all related to your life? Honestly, we was like doing like Chicago only like everybody think it is.

It was fun at a point of it, and it still is fun. You know what I'm saying? We was just doing simple stuff kids do. Be outside and chilling in it. And you're chilling in the park, playing basketball, literally. Like, we all just chilling, chilling with the girls in the hood. You know what I'm saying? Just, but I can, then it just turned into people.

We all went to school together. You know what I'm saying? Everybody. So it turned into them over there at this school. They lived on this side of town and we lived over here. You see what I'm saying? and they'll get into it over some petty shit, over a female. You know what I'm saying?

Next thing you know, their friends riding with their friends, and our friends riding with our friends, and they turned from some fights to beef now. You feel me to wars now. This shit crazy, but the everyday life, though, out there is just simple. You know what I'm saying? You're like, you just got to have your head on, man. You got to have your eyes open out there.

Like, it's like it's different in Chicago. You know, you've got to move swift. you got to always be aware of your surroundings, like, wherever you go in Chicago. That's just how it is. Right. And I mean, any young kid coming up in that kind of environment, you have to make a choice at a certain point.

It's like, do you want to protect yourself or do you want to be walking around as a potential target for somebody who's more well equipped than you? And, I mean, did you have to make that decision at a certain point at a young age? Because that seems like that's got to be the hardest choice for a young kid. Like, do you want to just try to stay out of it or are you going to protect yourself? And it's like, even the kids that stay out of it, you feel mean? Shit happened to them, too, you know?

Because it's like, you could just be walking down the street, bro, and like, you got people that's driving over here trying to do some hits, you feel me, and trying to get down on them, on their ops. And people don't even care who they see, like, to a point. Like, if you look like a member or something, like, you just look like one of those, it could happen to you, you know what I'm saying? So, nine times out of ten, if you had your gun on you, that probably would have saved your life, you feel me?

like it is and that's just how crazy it is like it's almost like it's forcing you to get a gun like forcing you to protect yourself the way you talk about it you seem like you have a how old you 27 27 so you've definitely seen the pros and cons of of the street life which is interesting because when when you're 15 a lot of kids are just like woo woo like this is tight I'm into it all this violence and shit is just fine and you get to a certain point and like you're start to get a little weary of it, like you see too much. Yeah, and that's kind of what it was. Like, it's kind of like me seeing it and me seeing other people go through it.

It's a cycle. You see what I'm saying? I lived long enough in it to see a cycle happen. You feel me? Like my cycle, then the younger kids cycle started happening. Once I started seeing them go through it, you feel me? And like, I just started looking at them like, this same shit I was doing, you feel me? So it's like it kind of woke me.

That's the type of shit that woke me up more, like, just seeing other people do it and be like, I'd be like, I was really doing this dumb shit. Like, I was really standing outside four, five hours, you see what I'm saying? And the cold waiting for my fucker to pull up, come shooting at us, like, just doing, it's like, it's like, you just, you just see shit. You know what I'm saying? Especially, like, when I got a vehicle, when I got a car, when I bought my first car, I really started seeing shit for what it really was because I wasn't walking as much, you feel me? And I started driving past the hood, just looking at all the guys out there standing around. doing the same shit and it's like you really look at everything you know what I'm just like just like you on the inside just looking at it on the out looking at it like damn like when you

drive past you see shit different like for some reason right no that when you're saying like seeing the next generation come because I mean at a certain point like you know when you're 15 or 16 like a lot of kids really think that they invented gang bang and they invented fucking killing people and shit like that and they don't their their perspective is just too short term to realize that like now this has been happening for a long as time right nothing cool about it and it's going to keep happening until something changes you know yeah for real definitely um okay so i got to ask how much did the climate in chicago change when chief keef came out because that you know you just hear people who were not from chicago talk about how

everything was all good in their city or their town and then all of a sudden like this this era of drill music came out and it changed everything on not just Chicago but in other places as well. Did you feel that shift? Yeah, I definitely did. Hell yeah. Chief Keith put a big impact on the music, you know what I'm saying, game for Chicago. You know what I'm saying? He kind of gave a lot of people from Chicago hope, you feel, me that I could make it.

Like if Chief did it, I could make it. It kind of put the eye on Chicago, you feel? me so yeah he definitely um made a big stop you feel me on what he did shit I feel like he changed you know a lot of shit and music you know what I'm saying like the way people think and rap and you know like everybody think like I got to get on the way chief keep got on or something you know what I'm saying it kind of put you it's like he changed a lot like he make people go a lot of people went that tried to go that route he went you feel me So that's all I could really say.

He kind of influenced a lot of people from Chicago to rap. It showed a lot of people in Chicago probably that they could make it out of their area off of the strength of their music. But at the same time, it's like his content for a lot of people sort of like personified the identity of like a young, violent Chicago team. He happens to be making good music. But this is kind of the stereotype that people are worried about when they talk about Chicago. Yeah.

because you got people that that put this image on you, you feel me? And it's the image that they want of you. And it's like sometimes that's what's getting the bills paid. You got to keep giving off that image, you feel me? And I feel like that's what it was more with him. Like, you just had to keep going and kind of put itself in the box, you feel me? I feel it.

So when did you, or you've just known ducks since you were a kid? or like how close of cousins were you guys? That's my blood cousin. I'm talking about like since we was six, seven years old, like knowing he, like hanging together, like playing football in the yard, like all that type of shit. Like, yeah, like I can honestly say me and Duck, as family members, we wasn't, as when we was younger, we wasn't as close, you feel, me,

because he was in a whole different neighborhood. He was in, we're in a whole different household, you feel me, at the same time, and we're young, You feel me? So it's a lot like we can hang together as much as we won't. But when we started getting older, he branched to his neighborhood where he was at, which is 63rd St. Lawrence on that side. And I was on 50 Knife and Wabash, which is about a mile away from each other.

So he was kind of doing his own thing and I was doing my thing. He was rapping. But like 2012, 2013, around 14, I wasn't rapping as much, you feel me? He was famous back then. You feel me? Which he keep when that happened. But yeah, our relationship really got close through music. You know what I'm saying?

And I got real close with them, you know? And we did the exposing me song, you know what I'm saying? And it was just like we stuck together with it as family. You know what I'm saying? I ain't proud of it. You know what I'm saying? But at the end of the day, that song kind of brought us close because that was kind of like my big peak for my career too.

Like it did like 20-on or like 20-something, million views you feel me 30 million right now I think yeah probably is but um it just kind of brought us close it showed us like we got to stick together you know what I'm saying we family and this happening for a reason like both us is we we did like the chosen ones of the family you feel me and we was like that the muscle you feel me we the muscle of the family so we just stuck with that you know what I'm saying and kept grinding last we posed to so when you saw him getting his shit together in terms of the and everything. Had you really had anybody who educated you on the game up until that point, or was he sort of someone that was showing you like, oh, this is, you got to do this, this,

and this if you want to have a rap career. The crazy part is, you know, Duck really my little cousin, you feel me? But it's more so I found myself telling Duck more stuff than anything, you feel me? Like, because Duck, because I always, I looked up to Duck, you feel me? So anytime I felt he was slipping up when it was just like I'll call him or hey I feel like you need to do this more you feel me or you need to you know what I'm saying put put more thought into the videos or put females in the videos or I even sent him a long-ass text saying that type of shit like recently before he died like I always been like that you know what I'm saying that angel on his shoulder just to try to guide him right and he'd been like that with me you feel me you were telling

to put females in the video yeah we can't have no girls in the slide video that's not going to Yeah, not slide. The definition of what the slap video is is no girls allowed. Like, this is the hardest rap video in the world. If there was one girl in it, it would ruin the whole thing. You got girls out here that'd be slide shit. I believe it. I hear about it.

I heard the stab you in your sleep. Hell yeah. But, yeah. I just, you know, I always told him, you know, told him the right thing, and he always told me the right thing. We were just good for each other, you know what I'm saying? We were still shit we needed to work on. Don't know you feel me, but we was getting it together.

Right. It was all kind of unfolding and happening. Did you always feel like what Duck was doing and what you were doing was that you guys were kind of the underdogs in Chicago because you sort of had like the other side of Chicago really blowing up and shit, were you always perceiving it that way? Or is that something that we, that's the way we kind of perceive it now as fans? It's more so as now, you know what I'm saying? But because more so we still.

we still get the recognition. You feel me? It's like, it's like we still could do millions of views. You feel me? And I feel like that's good enough. Like if it's going to keep doing, they viewing it, they're looking at it. It's like they're going to do it at the beginning.

You know what I'm saying? It's still, I feel like it's still a lot I got to do, you feel me? A lot I got to prove to people to make people understand. Maybe it's just something that I ain't did yet. You feel me? that people may look at you like an underdog or like but because I do see that in my comments a lot like

you know y'all the underdogs like y'all y'all um what's the word for y'all underrated you know what I'm saying it's like but it's up to us you know what I'm saying to overcome them type of things and keep just grinding and keep pushing because Doug had said that in his career I think right that he felt like he was kind of blackballed out the industry by certain people yeah it's definitely like that you know what I'm saying because you got people that you got people that get in you feel me and and bad mouth you and basically just

build certain relationships with certain people not saying that's a bad thing you feel me it's good to be a relationship but but you got people that bad talk people and be like no don't fuck with him he ain't you know what I'm saying he ain't these niggas ain't right they might rob you or them niggas just and this person is so willing to work with this person because he might be big you feel that he might he's gonna believe it and be like like, I'm not going to work with him. All of a sudden, like, shit that normally is just street beef, street politics becomes kind of like an accepted, like, narrative arc within, like, rap music because you got so many fans

paying attention to it and you got, you know, rappers who want to be cool with one person and they just sort of like, you know, pile on with that, right? Yeah, it definitely do. And it's like you got, you got, I call it dick sucking. That's what it is to me. Like, when rappers do that and, like, be. Ain't nothing wrong with being friends with a person. You know what I'm saying?

And making new friends, but you can't let that person beef. You can't, you know, dictate how you fuck with the next person. You know what I'm saying? Because you will block your blessings like that. You might miss out on a real good opportunity. Right. Do you remember when Tuka passed and how that changed things in Chicago? Because it felt like that's where a lot of people who didn't realize it were like,

oh, like there's a real, like, there's really. crazy shit happening behind all this music. Yeah, when Tuka died, see, me personally, I didn't know Tuka, you feel me? Because I told you, I'm from a whole different neighborhood. Right. Around that time, back then, I wasn't kind of hanging over that. That's, like, duck friend, you feel me?

But when he died, it kind of, it hit the rap game, you feel me? Like, his death hit the rap game so hard. Like, something you couldn't pay attention to, like a really young kid game. Exactly. It's like, you know what I'm saying? It's like, people even still talk about it to this day.

Like, it's like, what's the purpose? Like, that's a 15-year-old boy. At the end of the day, even if he was in the streets, you feel, me, whatever he did. These kids don't really be having their own minds out here. They'd be, like, lost at that time. You feel him? And it's like, even if he're a op, like, you just don't, you know, you got mommas on the internet, like, crying, practically crying, they coming together doing interventions and shit all together.

They all talking about. about this shit and it's like to get on there and disrespect them again it's like you got to be like one of the lowest people like like you got to not even give a fuck about life itself like right and there's so many people who look at the Chicago rap stuff and like you could tell that a lot of things that like kind of happened in Chicago for the first time in terms of the way that a lot of the beats play out in music and stuff that shit is so not even just the sound of it because obviously there's tons of music that still sounds like 2011 drill coming out in New York and England and wherever the fuck it is. But just like the attitude and the willingness to like

sort of represent your beats for people in music, like that was so influential to all kinds of other places too, which is crazy. And it's like it's crazy how they just look at it. Like they, it's like people on the outside looking at it. They glorify this shit. Like they just love this shit. Like they be all in my DM bro. Bro, drop that shit, diss them niggas. I'd be like, they just want you to just dis people, diss the dead. I don't be on that type of time no more, you know? Right.

I'm trying to, you know, elevate, you feel me, and see better shit. Like when Gucci said smoking on Pookie Loak to Jeezy during that versus battle, I mean, that doesn't happen without Chicago making that slang popular, you know? Honestly, what he did that is like, I understand in a way because the situation I heard, dude, his homie tried to kill him away. whatever it is. And I'll be mad too if a person try to kill me, because I could be gone today too, you feel.

You feel, you feel, me? That you just, you know what I'm saying? You should just stay at sometimes. When you're on a certain level like that, I don't think you should kind of dip into that. It kind of shows just like it's easy to get reactions out of you or just like, I don't know. Yeah, I definitely felt like that was a good way

for Gucci to win that battle. He talked this shit, though. I ain't gonna lie. By giving everybody something that was so offensive and crazy that nobody could help but pay attention to it, I definitely thought it was a smart move to win the battle. I also thought it was kind of unfortunate in terms of, you know, him just being an older guy in rap

and somebody that so many people look up to to see him sort of go with something that we normally think of as being some young boy shit of being able to say something like that. He snapped, though. He turned a Chicago up on that motherfucker, though. I ain't gonna lie. Like, Gucci on some shit. Yeah.

But, yeah. Was it crazy to see Duck's career start to spike up, like, after he had already been around for all these years? Because when Slide came out, it was all, like, boom, all of a sudden, he's like a brand new artist again. Everybody's freaking out. Yeah, that was like, that was big. It was big for him. You feel? I watched it.

That's what really, like, you know what I'm saying? Gave me hope. You feel? That's what made me want to rap more. Like, my cousin just blew the fuck up. Like, and I was rapping. You feel me still? My music wasn't, you know what I'm saying?

It was still getting there, but that shit motivated me, you know what I'm saying? And I saw him doing it. He's doing shows. He's getting booked everywhere. He's getting, you know what I'm saying? His life was changed. Got signed. Money coming in, he got signed.

You feel him? He was happy. It was just like, it was a blessing, you know what I'm saying? And from there on, he was just grinding though. You know what I'm saying? He was grinding. He just kept pushing. I can honestly say he was one of the murder.

most hardworking as people I knew, like, for real. Like, that boy, like, worked hard, like, for real. And he never gave up. As much as, like, people like, who you know it, like, go that long. You know what I'm saying? We're, like, kind of moving at that same pace for a while. Then it blow. You know what I'm saying?

Then it's like he never gave up. You know what I'm saying? No matter who tried to kick him down, who tried to make him a bad person. Who tried? He just, all he did was raped. You feel? me. People. Yeah. Go ahead. You want to say something?

No, I mean, he just, he, in terms of, like, feeling like he was blackballed, in terms of, you know, being five years removed from when he really started to come out and become known as a rapper, however many years it took. I mean, that was pretty incredible. You don't see that every day. Yeah, you don't. Because normally it's, if you, if you get views that first time, you just blow up that when you first hit the light. Duck kind of been blew up, though. You know what I'm saying? He had, like, what's that song? yeah I got my gun on me I ain't trying to box right now it's called right now that song did like 10 million views right it was at like 7 million views back in like when he dropped that 2013 2014 around that time man that song was already had me as you feel me so duck was kind of there but he reached that peak though when he hit that slide boy that that shit still rock the world definitely do you think that like that song just felt like he made like probably one of the most defensive like Chicago gangster rap records right there. Like it was the most bloodthirsty song I ever heard, but it was also just like-

It was one of the most gangstest commercialist songs. Like I can't imagine somebody making a song like this that is much better than this. Like this is pretty much as good as it gets. And I think it was more so what he was doing in the video too. Like when he pulled the fucking gun out the oven, like, I ain't never say that anybody pull a gun out of the oven. Don't come about that like.

Yeah. That shit was just creative, you feel me. He was an artist. He was a he was humorous too. You feel him, he was funny. He was funny as hell. He wasn't like the way everybody make him seem to be like he's just this fucking devil

or something. You know what I'm saying? Nah, man. He was a loving person, man. Like, you could get along with Duck. Anybody got to get along with Duck. He don't discriminate with nobody or try to make nobody being his beef, you feel me, and feel some type of way.

Definitely. Were you all, because, you know, now people have the conversation about him and say he should have been out of the hood. He shouldn't have been still living in Chicago. Like, he should have known that this kind of shit would have happened to him in Chicago. Like, as somebody who was close to him, did you feel that way? Did you feel like, bro, you're too famous? You should get out of here or you should at least not be moving around. I tell him.

I used to tell him all the time. Duck was out of Chicago. You feel me? Duck didn't live in Chicago. You know, but he wasn't too far from it, though, you feel me? But it's more so I used to tell him that, too. Like, you still need to get farther shit. I need to move farther.

But it's like Duck was a real family-oriented person. Like, he cared about the family. Like, he made sure the family was good. I can't sit here and say he was able to take the whole family with him. You feel me? But he was staying here to make sure the family good. I can honestly say that. Like, everything he did was for the family.

whether it was bulk cars it was one time he bought a van just for the family that motherfucker ain't last for like two weeks they crashed it though really hell yeah he was bad as hell that's fucked up but yeah he was that type of person

like he was making sure everybody was good but I feel like I told him like I feel like you got too much of a big heart you feel you got to think about yourself sometimes and take and think about you know what I'm saying take some time off and work on your on your career, because you got a platform, you there, you feel me? Right.

All you got to do is get his own and get that tunnel vision. You would get that, you feel me? And that's what he was doing. He was doing that. He was doing that. He was traveling more. We was just talking, we was all, like a week before he died, we was all planning a trip to Miami.

We was all going to go, you feel me? Me and Duck was going to go out there on some business type shit and find a studio to work in. You know, we was going to be out there for like a week. But just to do shit different. We all just wanted to do, you know, just traveling us. We were just talking about traveling so much before he died. Damn, that's sad.

Yeah, I mean, okay, so in terms of the duck situation, though, do you feel like the, do you feel like he was genuinely bothered once the whole 63rd thing started to kind of become a meme? And, like, his, you know, very much felt like certain people in the industry where, you know, sort of hating on him and his neighborhood as, like, a reoccurring meme as, like, a promotional stunt of sorts. It wasn't, I wouldn't say it hurt him, you know what I'm saying? Because Doug was the type really don't let nothing.

There ain't nothing really get to him. He'll laugh at the shit, like, that shit goofy, you know what I'm saying? But when you got people, it's not the fact that they saying it, it's the fact that they got other people saying it. You see what I'm saying? When you know you got other people that's saying that don't got nothing to do with none don't know what's going on never been in the hood Just saying smoking too cool I'm not from six you third Just shit like that it's like you y'all making people choose a side

It's almost like you putting a person in your beef It's almost like you putting a person in danger even about doing shit like that because you don't know what a person to do how much a person Ludd a person or they block what you disrespecting you know what I'm saying It's crazy as people out here that get up with you. You know what I'm saying? Find ya But it's more so It ain't really affect them You know what I'm saying It was just like

It's just like shit He looked at it like I'm gonna do it back to y'all last You feel me? It was like a I'm y'all want to send shots I'm gonna send shots back That's what it was

And it's like I'm gonna dish your people's on a dead I'm gonna dish your dead homies on a song And I'm gonna let the Now you in a club And they didn't through this shit on And you gotta hear it You feel me

now you in a club looking stupid that's just how I'd be you feel me and it's like that's what it was it was like a shot back Duck wasn't like too fond of diss and dead people like he ain't like that shit like that is just more so like he

he a family person he protect his family he gonna stand up for his family and that's all he was doing no yeah when you paint that image of like somebody being in the club and having to hear a record where somebody's talking about somebody's dead homies I mean that's just that's deep whatever you could we could be trying to do to decrease the violence and make Chicago chill the fuck out. I mean, that's the kind of thing that's just throwing kerosene on the flames.

You got these promoted, like these DJs, people who play shit on the radio, and it'd be a lot of shit that used to be disrespectful. And it was like, this is the thing. Like with us, if we was to do it, it won't, they'd be like, that's disrespectful. It won't get played on the radio or something. But you got a Chief Keefe song, he on this bitch, smoking Tuka. You see what I'm saying? you on the radio saying this shit but it's like they promoting it and it's like who is really

the ones that's promoting and the ones that's really like like they like do they like this shit do they want this shit to keep going on like once the artist gets popular enough or whatever they're just going to take the the fact that they're offended by it and that's going out the window right but they don't look at the fact that you got people mama's on the internet crying about this shit her son and she you probably got thousand people in her DM or some DM or her goofy shit just toook or this or she just might be somewhere in here a song and here toke this and her son. You know what I'm saying? That she might have to relive that shit every time she hear that. Right. You know what I'm saying?

I think that's really bold of her to come out and lay her feelings on display because it forces people to really think about how fucked up it is to just keep, you know, it's bad enough people getting killed in the streets. There's a whole other level to like have to infect the music with that and have to make a mom have to deal with that over and over. I mean, she should have been healing for damn near 10 years from losing a kid, you know? Instead, it's like an open wound that keeps getting ripped back open. Yeah, that ain't. But, you know, that's just Chicago, man, how they is, man.

Yeah. Definitely. Do you, yeah, so that was a crazy time period where the comments were just filling up with the 63rd thing. Like, that was just a wild. moment for me to be like, wow, like all these kids are getting involved in this fucking, like by turning something into a joke or a meme, it's kind of like you could get kids on board with it to a level that they might not have been previously. Yeah, that's like, because I'm like manipulating the mind.

Exactly. Okay, so can we talk about how you found out about Ducks passing? Because he, you know, that was one thing people were really shocked about was that he didn't die in the hood. He died in a nicer area of Chicago when he was just out shopping. Yeah, that's like, when I found out shit, I was at like a little rib spot somewhere. I was in the car

literally, pulled over to eat my food. If you know how he'd be at the restaurant, you got to eat your food in the car. But yeah, I got a call from my, my pops. He called me. He was like, yeah, Doug just got shot. You feel me? And I'm like, damn, just got shot. But I'm not thinking of nothing

too major about the way he said it. It was like he just got shot. Like, I don't know, you know what I'm saying? So he hung up. I'm trying to now, I'm calling around, trying to see what's going on. I finally get, you know what I'm saying? I called, called, nobody know what's going on. Everybody's saying they took them to the hospital, you feel me,

they rushed them to the hospital. So me personally, I don't like going to the hospital and seeing that type of shit. I don't like it, you know what I'm saying? So even when my best friend passed away, I didn't go to the hospital when he was up that because it was like I just don't be I'm not you know I don't know my I just don't like being at that type of shit but I was at home my mama I went home my mama I told her what was going on we just cut the news on she was praying

right there she was got the praying she was just like my mama get the praying she get nervous you know what I'm saying but I just watched the news they announced it that's why that's when I felt out they was like um so-and-so another male was shot in critical condition and a 27 year old male pronounced deceased that's when I knew that shit crushed me you know just to see it on the news like that was when I it all hit me my mama just broke down it's just like yeah that shit was hard it was tough you know yeah yeah and so was there a period of time there was a period of time where you weren't sure if he was going to pass. I guess once you've seen so many people get shot and survive, it's like you kind of

just start to assume that it's not going to end that way. It was to a point where it was like, like I said, like I couldn't even cry. It was so deep. Like I just watching my mama cry. You know what I'm saying? I'm trying to be strong for her. You know what I'm saying? And be strong for his mama. You got to, but it's just a deep pain. You know, like I've seen this shit a lot of times, you know? And it's like when it hit, it's like, you just got to prepare yourself. You got to mentally for the whole process that's going to happen behind it, like the funeral. That's everything that went through my mind. When I first heard he died, I thought about when we was young.

That's what I thought about. That's the first thing hit me like, damn, all these years, you know? Then just get to thinking about the funeral, how all this is going to be, how everybody going to be acting, how that shit was just tough, man. Yeah. The family. Do you think that he was paranoid at that time? You think he was moving around, like, thinking that people really wanted to do something to him.

And it's one thing for people that want to do something to you. It's another thing for people want to do something to you so bad that they're going to hunt you down in a nice-ass area where you don't expect that to be the case. I think he was basically honestly not the type to be all scared or nothing. You know what I'm saying? Because, like, as you saw, whatever it was, he had it on him. It was what it was, but I don't think he was, I think it was more so startled. Like, you know what I'm saying? When he's seeing him, I think he peeped whatever he saw.

You feel me? He saw it first before it happened. And it was more so like he just couldn't control the situation. You feel I mean? And that's how it happened, you know? Like you say he was going to get something for his son. You know what I'm saying? I could see if he was up there even shopping for him.

You know, I'll be like, he shouldn't have been there, but it's like everything happened for a reason. You know, it's like he was there for his son. It's like he was, look at what he was doing. You know what I'm saying? What fathers you know even? Some fathers don't even do that. Some rappers don't even go in stores for their son. At the end of the day, he felt like it was his job as a father to go in here to get something for his son.

You feel me? Right. But when it happened, you know, it happens. And it's like, it happened fast. Shit. I just feel like he just said. and thought about it like damn you know it happened yeah but I know Doug he he wasn't he went out like a G you hit me he sat there and he thought about all us he thought about the

family everybody and he he know what he left on what he his legacy you feel me he left a great legacy right and make sure it live on you know do you uh do you live with the fear like is that a constant in your mind that kind of thing happened to you Yeah, I think about that all the time, you know, like even before fame, before rap, you know what I'm saying, just how Chicago is. You got to think like that. Like, it could happen to you anywhere, you know what I'm saying? Like, he was downtown. You feel me?

Like, this shit can happen anywhere, especially if you're in his life or if you even living around that environment type of shit that's happening. You got to be prepared for that shit. You got to be mentally ready, you know what I'm saying? And prepare yourself. You got to adapt. to what you're around you know what I'm saying so yeah how's it been seeing the outpouring of support from people who his music meant something to uh even even stuff like you know seeing his mom going Vlad and uh you know talk about how how all affected her like how has it

felt in terms of how he's being remembered and everything it's been such a fucked up year to be honest that it's almost like people have a hard time focusing on one tragedy for too long yeah it's definitely been a crazy yeah like like you like you don't even get no time to grieve you know what I'm saying like she just lost another son you know what I'm saying before that like maybe maybe a year two before that you know what I'm saying it's like you don't get that time like grieve it's like it's just back to back like that shit of how you know him definitely um yeah because one crazy thing is that probably one of the biggest interview clips that we had last year was King Vaughn

talking about duck. A couple months later, Doug's gone, a couple months after that, Vaughn's gone. That's pretty fucked up. Yeah, it is. And that clip had all those views, like people were so obsessed with this beef between them

even before they both passed, and then now you have two of the most popular Chicago rappers of the last few years, both gone. How's that sit with you, just knowing that this was, that people were that enamored by that conflict? It's like, it's a lot, you know what I'm saying?

With Bond and Duck Dying, you know what I'm saying? Because you got people that was just making a mock out of it. You feel me, when Duck died, like on the internet just going crazy. Even the ops, like, just on that just saying crazy shit. And then it's like, tables turning just happened to him. Yeah. But me personally, when it happened, I wasn't like, you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm trying to get over here and go this error all this.

This is Dissom. Nah, man, it's like, because at the end of the day, you know what I'm saying? Op or not, they both put an impact on Chicago. You feel me? They both played a part in rap and drill rap or Chicago rap. You feel me? So, yeah, we took two losses at the end of the day. But shit, real, you know what I'm saying?

Life too short, bro. You can't be out here living like that, like living with no remorse. You know what I'm saying? That's one thing. like living with no remorse boy that shit catch up which definitely do you um do you believe that they actually had a conversation before uh before duck passed or was that not true honestly i don't even really know if that shit true i never talked to duck about it he never talked to me about it i don't know i can't even tell you if that shit true i don't know if he was trolling

because i don't know you know i seen a little video when he well he said it like on he posted it yeah I don't know if he was trolling or what, but I don't know. I can't even say. No, that was really confusing to me, too. I'm like, is he trying to be funny? Or is this a real thing that happened? It was very kind of confusing, yeah. Shit real, man.

You got to, you know, point out here, this shit crazy. Do you think that the Chicago fans, you think they're going to learn anything from all that they've seen in 2020? Like, the rap fans, the young kids in the bad neighborhoods who are fucking trying to become rappers and stuff? Do you think that this is like informative to them to some extent? It's a lot of, there's a lot of shorties that's going to learn from it. You know, and a lot of stories that might just not, you feel me? But it's a lot of, I feel like there's more people learn from it this year, though, because it was a lot of deaths.

It was a lot of, with the corona shit from this life itself was a challenge to 2020. You know what I'm saying? For a lot of people, for everybody. But musically, shit, yeah, like losing them people and all this. beef shit all this extra shit blocking everybody blessings from getting what they want to be at the end of the day i'm not sitting here saying i'm it's a truce for me no you know what i'm saying at the end of the day just be smart and smarten up how you move and what you do in the music you know what you say and how you say it's like everybody don't have to know who we who you beefing

with or everybody don't have to know none of that shit like if you beefing with this nigger don't he don't nobody have to know you beefing with him you feel me it is what it is let it leave it in the streets right yeah that seems like it's something that gotten kind of forgotten at a certain point that people just love to air their fucking grievances out on records and shit these days huh yeah people like to tell on their self too on records right or just social media in general it's very hard for people to hold back on that at a certain point huh yeah social media is crazy like social media is a part of a lot of this shit too like why people die like this and why that's crazy like this because this shit do you how you paid attention to how hard it is to get your

eyes out of your phone oh yeah like just go a day without a phone that shit is like boy that shit is like death without a phone i can't i can't function without a phone you get so addicted to this constant surge of information that it's just really, really hard for you to just go back to just being alone with your own thoughts. For real. Which is a shame.

And then when I notice it that really bothers me is when I'll be playing with my kid for 20 minutes and then I realize at the end of the 20 minutes that I'm thinking about my phone. I'm thinking about like, oh, I'm like feeling that that itch. Like I got to look at Instagram for a second. I've got to look at Twitter real quick. You've been to looked at it and you look at it.

You realize you ain't did shit, but scrolled. It's just scrolled. you would be at night just laying down to your damn neck star heard and scroll. You never scroll so much your neck in the back to start her laid down. Yeah. But yeah that shit. And they fuck with your eyes, the phones. Like, you know, look at the phones so long, you look, when you look at something else, it look blurry. Yeah. Or look at a TV after you look at their phone, you look blurry. I don't know. They put in something in these phones, man. No, definitely. Um, what do you want to do to keep Ducks

name alive or to make sure that people don't forget them all I could do is you know just keep pushing you know what I'm saying do whatever do what he was doing you know I'm saying do what he want me to do still you know what I'm saying and finish whatever we we finish our plans of what we had you know just keep going you know I'm saying and just get better myself you know what I'm saying and and learn from his mistakes you feel right and and and do it do it better you know what I'm saying and do For myself, my son, my family, take care of the family, the same way he was. You know what I'm saying?

I'm going to do what he wanted. You know what I'm saying? That's what's going to make him proud and keep his legacy going, you know? I'm going to scream his name as much as I can, you know what I'm saying? Because, you know what I'm saying? I just know, like, and he still got music that ain't been, you know what I'm saying, released. He still got an album that's going to drop, you know? We're going to keep his name lit.

That's all, you know? Yeah, no, definitely. Do you ever think about the contradiction of the fact that like a lot of a lot of his biggest music was his most violent music a lot of you can say that for a lot of rappers from that's me too right does that make you ever think about changing the kind of shit that you're comp you're rapping about or is it is it weird because you realize that you might not be able to have songs that are nearly as big if you lay off of the street shit? Mm-hmm. It's like it's like like I say they try to keep you in this box you feel me and people let people control

their minds you feel me when you get it to a point where it's like I gotta make this because this what they want that's you letting them control you you need to just do whatever makes you happy do whatever makes you feel good you know what I'm saying rather the views on your shit change whatever it is they're gonna accept you

for who you is regardless it is what it is you know I'm saying good music is good music Rather you, because I go through that type of shit, like, I rap about some pain type shit with the melodic sound, you feel me, and do it, it'd be good music, you feel me? But you got some people that just might not want to hear it. You got some people that just, they don't want to hear that soft shit, or you just got different type of people for different type of music. You know what I'm saying? So, but me personally, I try to make all type of music. Like, I make rap, drill music, shit.

I didn't make reggae music. R&B music. I'm talking about I try to do everything, you feel me? Just so I won't be in this box. You feel me? Definitely.

Sosa actually came out recently and said that he's done this and his dead ops and whatnot. Do you take that seriously? Do you take anybody seriously from Chicago? Who said that? Chief Keith. Shit, if they do say it, yeah,

I'll take it serious shit because you said it. You feel me? And you're a big name. Now your word is out there. Now if you do it again, you're just looking like a fucking phony. Like, now you just look at fake as hell. Like, at the end of the day, shit, that's how I feel. You feel me?

I ain't on that shit. Like, honestly, I've never been a type of diss people on songs. That one, that's one song. You go through every song I got. I don't diss nobody. Right. You know what I'm saying? That one song, me and Doug did it.

You feel me? But it is what it is. It's done. You can't take nothing back. It is what it is. But I'm saying? I think people be, if you say it, you better be serious. You better stand on it.

Right. I mean, him as somebody who basically invented it and popularized it, I mean, maybe not invented it, but definitely popularized it. It's got to seem kind of corny after a certain point, especially when everybody's doing it now. And in particular, I think he was responding to Almighty Jay who said something about it at that time. And his attitude was kind of like, you ain't from here. What did he say?

I'm not sure exactly. Smoking somebody or something, Tuka or something. I saw on the game thing, he was trying to say smoking Tuka or something. See, them one of them type of niggins that don't know. You could get fucked up out of her for saying shit like that. You know what I'm saying? You got to be careful. Stop being so fucking dumb out here.

Like, this shit real, bro. I think that's the first time I ever talked to Duck was that Little Pump had a clip that went viral because he said he was smoking Tuka. And Duck was saying something about it. I hit up Duck. Like, yo, like, he didn't, you know, he don't really know what the fuck he's doing. Like, I hit him up trying to stop the problem at that time. and I guess it worked.

But yeah, I mean, there's a lot of young-ass kids and shit who have said shit like that. You say shit like that, like Duck might have wanted to work with L'Upump. You see what I'm saying? You never know. It's just like, why would you say that? Like, what if Doug just go dig some shit deep up about Lut Pump and just be like smoking woo-woo-woo-smoking your family member?

And that, Lut-Pump just like, why Doug doing that? You know what I'm saying? That's how we're looking at it. Like, what the fuck? Like, what's wrong with you? Like, that shit is. pointless like you just doing this just because the next man saying it you know the mean and behind this shit you know what I'm saying so I just look at it like it just make

niggas less of an artist to me like you shouldn't even be at the point where you at like shouldn't nobody even like look up to you like that because it's like dumb you're not even you you're not even a man if you do shit like that that's not being a man right to me probably one of the weirdest like plot twists in all this was seeing 6-9 come with hell of security to Chicago and talk down about dead people, stuff like that. Yeah. How you feel when you see that?

You're checking your face out. Who? No, but man, look, I don't know. Dude, that is weird as him. He's, I don't even want to talk about it. He might get to looking up me or something. It felt kind of sad because he did it and nobody really paid much attention. And that was kind of like, damn.

Like, you really are at the end of your fucking career here that nobody really gives a shit about you. Honestly. You're doing something really fucked up and nobody's really talking about it. This is the peak. When he came home off that shit, that was the peak of his career. But it's the worst career to have, bro. That's the worst career you can have, bro. Like, I know he don't be happy.

I don't get a fuck with what nobody said. You could make your video jumping around dancing with your lollipop hair shit. You're miserable. Yeah. You're a rat. He's bogus. Definitely. I'm done.

I don't want to talk about him. It's a ass of right. I feel you. In terms of your own personal music and everything, where are you at in terms of your shit right now? I know as you put a few videos out recently that are doing big numbers and stuff, what do you feel like you need to do to keep your career going the right direction? I feel I just got to, you know, I feel like to travel more. You feel me and just be willing to network more and get to know new people, open up a little more, get out of that. Chicago phase. You feel me, that mentality. Just open up a little more. And, you know, and I say drop music more, drop more videos, you know what I'm saying, be more consistent, get a fan's what they want, be more active on the internet. You know, things like that, you know, tap into the business more, you feel me? And I've been doing more homework on the business, you feel me, and trying to learn the business more because this game is tricky, you feel me? So, yeah, that's just, me.

mainly what I got to do and just keep dropping. Keep dropping that heat what they want. Like shit like that mini man. You heard that mini man? Oh, the new one. Yeah, yeah. Man, that's like the hardest shit right now. Like, they, they, they in my inbox right now for that one, like, so fucking hard.

That's interesting because 50 said that many men was the most relevant song of the year. That's what he said. He said that, but he was referring to, what, 21 used part of the beat in one of his songs. and I don't know who else you used it in their songs that 50 was saying that, but... I ain't here, but I'm gonna keep it real with you. I'll wipe that motherfucker. If that motherfucker was the song with a year,

it was because of me. That shit hard, though, man. It's hard. Definitely. So for people who want to tap in, want to pay attention to exactly what you got going on and everything, how do they tap in with you? Yeah, you can,

Sure, you can follow me on Instagram. J.H.E. underscore Ruga. Same thing. No, Twitter. Rio underscore Ruga. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? I got, I got music. I got music coming, upcoming.

I got an album on the way. It's called Heartache. Basically, me opening up, you feel, me about my struggles. You know what I'm saying? My pain and shit I went through. Shit I was kind of holding in and the world kind of don't know about me, you feel? Me.

Just, I got an album. coming you know and you can basically follow me on them platforms whatever it is you know and it's the sky's the limit from here you know what I'm saying I just got to keep pushing y'all gonna see it new album on the way heartache facts there it is Ruga I appreciate you coming on man yeah man it's all love man y'all know y'all my people's man I fuck with I'll be watching your shit too like I appreciate you watching bro like I like your energy I fuck with you I appreciate I watch that on black china interview she was on this motherfucker like she was that was a street classic yeah she was on this like white China I like a guy like you comes in here

you and two of your homies all basically involved in a contest to see who can roll the fat is blunt yeah we smokes we are smokers like I got shit like I got my shit but it's some shit I ain't gonna lie. It's called Lucky Charm. I was feeling lucky. Mm. Y'all got some shit. I like y'all weed.

Hey, California. Come on over anytime. We'll roll you one. So do it be mountain lions out here and shit? Yes. Last night I went out to smoke before I went to bed, and I hear all these fucking mountain lions or whatever it is going crazy. They're definitely eating some animal,

because I hear the animal, like, crying in pain, and then slowly dying. And I could just hear these mountain lions, fucking tearing it apart. and it was a really odd soundtrack for me to smoke a boat too. So will a mountain lion tear you apart? I don't, I think maybe if you were to catch it in the right environment or whatever, but I've been just standing out on the street and just see the coyotes like walk right by me,

and I'm just like, it's still kind of scary, but I don't think they go for humans like that. No, yeah, that's some weird shit. Yeah, that's some shit right there. Like, yeah, that's different. If you shot a mountain line, you're going to get in trouble? You just shout it, no, shoot it, no problem? Yeah, I guess if you, yeah, that's sense. What?

What? Fuck, they protected the mountain line? Would the mountain line get in trouble if it bit you shit? I know. Officer. I feel like a cop would have to understand. Right. I'm protecting myself.

Fucking hell, man. You shouldn't even go to jail for the gun if it's illegal. Shit. Yeah. No. That's self-defense. That's what we need guns for, mountain lines. All right.

Ruga. Appreciate you, man. Man, it's all love. Man, I appreciate you, man. You know what I'm saying? Reaching out just fucking with me in. You got an important story to tell. most definitely man it's definitely getting hurt you know what I'm saying it's

getting out we kidding now let's go up at a time really what's going on with the phone you guys right there man that's forever much respect no jumper coolest podcast in the world check us on YouTube SoundCloud iTunes like comment subscribe nojumber.com you want to support RIP Doug RIP everybody appreciate y'all