The Breakfast Club - Lil Baby Talks New Album, Activism, Friends Locked Up, Issues With Akademiks + More

Episode Date: October 17, 2022

In this interview with Lil Baby, we sit down and discuss his new album, activism, friends locked up, issues with Akademiks + more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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listen to podcasts. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Angela Yee, Charlamagne Tha Guy. We are The Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building. Yes, indeed. This album little baby welcome back brother what's up what's all y'all doing how you feeling this morning man we were just saying it's the most press we ever seen little baby do ever in life you came a long way from never talking from never wanting to do tell me about it everybody it's still hard to get me done now what's the hardest part about him now i still just don't like interviews Everybody. It's still hard to get me to do it now. You're talking more, though. Yeah, what's the hardest part about them now? I still just don't like interviews.

But now I like talking more because when I watch the interviews, I'm like, damn, I wish I would have said that. I wish I would have. Now I feel like if I am going to do an interview, I'm going to try to say a little more. Word, word, word. And you got a lot going on. I think even just as far as in the world of activism,

like we talk about you in that space a lot too. And I think originally you might not have thought about yourself like that, but you can see that you are somebody who is really active in the community. I saw you talking about bringing arts to the schools with Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre. Of course, the bigger picture was a huge deal when you put that song out for people to feel like they could relate to you and other positive things that you've been doing. Is that something that you felt like was something you wanted to do, or was that just kind of came about without you even thinking about it?

It's something that's actually been on my mind all the time. So from the beginning, I always knew this is what I wanted to do, or not even what I wanted to do, what I've been doing. Before I was a rapper, before I even made it to 100 million, I always tried to take care of my community and stuff. But then as I get bigger, as I got bigger. How much you said? I said take care of my community.

Oh, no, I thought you said you made 200 million. I wish. I thought he said before made 200 million I wish I thought you said before you made 200 million I didn't hear that either what you turned into

a bird right away 200 can I get a whole something but go ahead so you said you've always wanted to take care

of your community so I always wanted to take care of my community so now I'm in a position I can like help take care of the world

I'm with you let me ask you a uh you wanted a humanitarian award recently right for your contributions in your hometown but then you and gunna just went diamond for drip too hard so which feels better or do they feel the same which means more to you um humanitarian work mean more than me you know what i'm saying but the Diamond record means a lot too though. Hell yeah. Super, super a lot. But it's like two different fields. You know what I mean?

Like, that was a great music accomplishment for little baby. And the humanitarian war was a great accomplishment for Dominique. Your family probably

cares about one more, right? Right. Your mom like, oh, humanitarian war. They probably understand Diamond. You ever really understand the influence you have with these kids?

Like, you know, where you from, of course, your neighborhood, you're a huge influence because they see somebody who made it. But then when you travel this world and this country and even overseas, how much these kids really follow you and love you? Does that ever hit you? Yeah, definitely hit me a lot. And do you feel like you have to live up to a certain way of living because you got these kids following you?

All the time. I try not to say certain stuff. I try not to post certain stuff. Like, I know for a fact. And not even just all the other kids, because I think about them, but my kids, like, they do everything I do. So I have to, like, be honest. So that helped me for, like, the other kids, too.

You got the new album, It's Only Me, with the album cover with all your faces on the Mount Rushmore. Break that down. You know how at the time I made the album cover, people probably was in the Mount Rushmore stage and they was posting it. Everybody put their own pictures and stuff. So I was just thinking,

I'm going to just use my face for all of them. Ashley, me and Cash from AXO, we came up with the idea. I was thinking about it, too, because it's like you're a first-generation millionaire in your family. So that title probably reflects your personal life, too, right? Well, I didn't really, like, think about it, like, in your personal life too, right? Well, I didn't really think about it in my personal life, but it's more so on the fact of I don't really worry about nobody else. I'm only focused on me.

More so something like that. I would say you're one of the very few artists that has super, super success but still do records with a lot of people, still fuck with a lot of artists. It's almost like you still challenge yourself to see if you can challenge them. A lot of times when rappers get to a certain part in their life,

they don't want to do records with certain people or it's about the number with you or the cost or the price. But with you, I see you do that a lot more. Why is that? It's just basically like, number one, I ain't no hater. And number two, I feel like it's a team sport, just like it is. Like everybody's solo artist, but as a team, I feel like we can do more.

Because you'll do an artist, of course, with this artist, which is known. Like you do a record with Thug or with Gunna, right? That's family. But then you do a Sleazy, but then you do Ice with Vezzo, but then you do this one. Like, it seems like you like the competitive sport of it. For sure. Definitely. Well, Vezzo QC now, though, right? Now, yeah.

Boy, he's QC, though. That was 47. You got 23 songs on this album. You only got about six or seven rap features, though. You kept them low for a reason? What do you mean? That was a lot. You think for 23 songs now there'd be a feature on every song feel like from these rappers i feel like seven was a

lot oh okay okay okay why i'm 23 songs too that's a lot and i know it's been a while people have been waiting that's the reason i put out a lot because i ain't been out so they say i i plan on dropping again like nine ten nine, ten months or something. I'm going to have 23 songs. It'll be, like, a shorter song. But since I ain't dropping, like, almost two years, I just like, fuck it. And why was it so long? Was it because those other records were still ringing and still top 20 records?

Well, I think because COVID kind of, like, I dropped my last album, like, right before COVID. So that was, like, a year that I wasn't going to drop none or even a year and a half. And just, like, coming out of COVID, trying to get myself together, get back to working, stuff like that. This had a different title first too, right? Originally.

No, I ain't never had no title at first. Okay. How did they convince you to do a documentary, man? Because you seem like you're very, you're private. How did they convince you to do a doc? It really wasn't,

it really wasn't right, honestly. What you mean? Meaning like, they had a cameraman in Atlanta for like four or five months. I only let him come with me

like two or three times. You do know you're a rapper now. Y'all get it. I get it. The way he moves, he baby moves like he don't fuck with nobody.

He's a rapper. He's a superstar. He was like, who this dude is keep following us with this camera? He was like a white boy. He a superstar. He was like, who this dude is? Keep following us with this camera, man. Yeah, he was a white boy. Oh, Lord. Yeah, he was young, too.

He was just still, you know. I might be on the phone talking to somebody. I don't know. It's just my personal space. You had to be in the house, in my real house. Yeah. All right, with me and my children, stuff like that. But now that I look at the documentary,

I kind of wish I would have let him come with me a little more. You know what I'm saying? him come a little more cuz you gotta be like stuff though like you like I want around cuz we might do something just I just ain't comfortable yeah I feel record me yeah did you know what he was there for but it's like natural so it like, you just record all day. You know what I'm saying? Or whenever you pick the phone up, I ain't really fun in it.

Yeah, but like even being in the studio or doing a show, that's a good time to film stuff just to see the business aspect of things. Right. And when it came to negotiating, like I saw before you were talking about how you get $350,000 for a feature now. And I remember previously you had said it was like... A hundred. A hundred, yeah.

A hundred thousand. So, when people are asking you for features, you just tell them it's $350,000. I really don't even do features no more. Like, I ain't in that space right now. Because people can't afford them? People can afford them. People can. I turn down like

two, three features a day. Damn. Yeah. Probably not for $350, probably $250. Mm-hmm. You know what I'm saying? I didn't say $350 either.

I said like $300 to $250. Maybe I'll even take $200. But I ain't really, I ain't trying to do it. So if you want me to do it, I got a fee. What makes you turn down? Yeah, what's the reason for turning them down? I ain't really, I ain't trying to do it. So if you want me to do it, I got a fee. What makes you turn down?

What's the reason for turning them down? I ain't really trying to do them. But like just because you have your project out or you just don't? Yeah, maybe because like recently I've been working on my project and I already had enough features out and I knew I needed to at least drive a project. So I just keep doing feature, feature. So I just don't want to do them. Who's the one person you haven't worked with that you would love to get in the studio with

and go back and forth with? Andre 3000. Really? Three stacks. Have you reached out to him? Yeah, actually, he could have been on the album for sure. He's like sending me songs. But I didn't feel like I had to work for him.

I really wanted to get in there with him versus sending him a song. He was an Outkast fan, of course, growing up. growing up no not really really I'm like too young for that but I mean of course of course I'm a fan of energy thousand I'm saying once I got like older and I went to like the back story and stuff but growing up I knew they like big songs I want like had to get a album I just love energy down sweat I love how in the doctor you showed how I'm not getting the nomination for my turn for the Grammy impacted you. But what did you do creatively around that time after that?

I know you did the performance, but how did that affect how you approach this? It did. I don't really think about stuff like that. Honestly, I ain't never going to be like, I got to get me a Grammy. I don't think I'm ever never gonna be like, I gotta get me a Grammy out of this. I don't think I'm ever gonna be like that. What is important to you when you put together a project? That it do well, you know what I'm saying?

Also that it do well for a long period of time. That's what matters to me. I want it to stick. That's all I really care about. I don't really care about first week numbers. All that type of's how I want You know, you know you at the point now where you've been winning so much they waiting on you to fail Yeah, I see that. Yeah, it's like no matter what you put out. They're gonna be like it ain't good

But that comes with the territory, you know that I guess so I saw this video the other day Allen Iverson was saying I told LeBron they love you now But eventually they gonna hate you it just comes with it yeah i hate lebron though oh yeah they do they've been here yeah they've been there a long time but it don't matter because he keep winning he keeps doing his thing right how do you handle that when you see when you see things people saying like i don't like that i don't like that record uh oh baby could have came hard enough the same way yeah i just keep working. Do what I got to do. Everybody is not going to not like it. Everybody in town, they don't want to pay.

Do you listen to your old music? I do. And so when you reflect, like even looking at this album cover and you look at the space that you were in, in each one of those pictures, what are your thoughts about your growth as an artist? Not even just my music, but anybody's music. When I hear it, I automatically go back to, like,

the time I was there when I, like, remember playing the song a lot. So I don't really just look at the album cover and think about the time I was there or something, but different songs on the album put me back in the spot from the last two years when I've been making the songs. Because some of the songs from, like, two and a half years ago then someone kind of recent were you afraid I reveal so much about yourself in the documentary no

because I don't feel like I just reveal everything mm-hmm right so maybe the documentary was like a little teaser to me. But then, like, I didn't get on there and just tell, like, this, this, that. I gave, like, major PowerPoints to get you to understand the story, but it ain't really, like, a breakdown of my life. Like, I told you what I did and stuff, but it ain't, like, getting the details. And I could have really gotten the details. Mm-hmm.

Do you, with everything that's going on in the world right do you move differently the reason i ask is you know when i talk to other djs whether it's in other cities and other markets they'd be like that little baby was here i was talking to somebody in l.a they was like nah little baby came to the club by himself it was just him and one look outside no now but do you mean differently now because of what's going on in the world and recession and you know what's differently now because of what's going on in the world and recession and, you know, what's happening with everybody? What's your mind frame with that? All the way, honestly.

All the way, honestly. I'm on that, what you said. I be by myself. You would think I be, like, if I know I'm going somewhere, I'm with a lot of people. But when I just go somewhere on my leisure, most of the time by myself. And,

like, I hate security. But P, he makes sure I have security. Yes, P is right. P is absolutely right. And you shouldn't be

sliding by yourself nowhere neither. Why? Cause, man, these motherfuckers crazy out here. Huh?

Story I heard about LA, they said Lil Baby's crazy. Lil Baby's comfortable. They said, don't worry, I'm good. I ain't saying nothing can't happen to me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't think I'm saying like so like, but I'm about LA, they said Lil Baby's crazy. Lil Baby's comfortable. They said, don't worry, I'm good. I ain't saying nothing can't happen to me. You know what I'm saying?

I don't think I'm saying like so like. But I'm saying like, man, I want to live my life. Yeah. You worth something, though. You know, E-40 told me one time, he said, man, when you worth something, you got to protect it. You got to protect it, but I ain't going to just be at nowhere lollygagging. You feel me? Like, I'm going to handle my bed and do what I got to do and get on.

You feel me? Sometimes a lot of people be a headache. They be stressful. Sometimes I'm going to handle my bed and do what I got to do and get on. You feel me? Sometimes a lot of people be a headache. They be stressed. Sometimes I just want to put my hoodie on. Then sometimes, if you know me, you know me. You feel me? Like, I know how to. I could come in a room with all y'all in here and y'all wouldn't know I'm in here.

You feel me? Like, I don't got to be loud. I could be by myself. I don't need to get on no drip. Shit like that. Yeah. We seen video. I seen the video of you sliding to the store by yourself one time. I wasn't by myself. Oh, you wasn't by yourself? I wasn't need, I don't know Drew. Shit like that. Yeah. We seen video, I seen the video you sliding to the store by yourself one time.

I wasn't by myself. Oh, you wasn't by yourself? Oh, you wasn't by yourself in that video? No, no. Oh, okay. Actually, somebody was in the car. Oh, got you, got you, got you. Wait, wait, wait.

I was walking out, but I did go in the store by myself, though. All right, all right. Now, we seen your interview with Looney. Shout out to Looney. Salute to Looney. And Looney he said I think in the interview you said Now you're into skinny girls

You're not mad at just talking And kicking it to skinny girls What made you start liking skinny girls? I don't know At first I just had like a preference I just like I like thick girls at first See he always say he like thick girls

But now he thought you was up to skinny Now I just like I don't know I think I'm on my little supermodel phase So all your thick girls, but now you're a little bit skinny. Now I just like, I don't know. I think I'm on my little supermodel phase. So all your thick girls got into your DMs and started texting you like, fuck you. Nah, I ain't saying I don't like thick girls no more. I like slim girls now too. You can do either.

I can do either. You got a couple records for the ladies on this project. For sure. What's the joint called? What was it? What was it? I forgot which one it was. yeah forever forever yeah yeah yeah yeah uh friday future friday was that to somebody you know something too we kind of up on it i already had a song named forever on another project i didn't catch that. The last project. Yeah, but we ain't.

Different type of record, though. Yeah, but we ain't got the same song. When the streamer name keep popping up. Change it to the girl's name that you wrote it about. I ain't writing about a girl. You were talking about a girl on that record. Maybe several girls. Oh, okay.

All right. When I rap, I kind of speak in general. I try to say stuff that could go to like anybody's situation. It don't even really gotta be my situation, but it could be something that I went through that I know everybody go through. You know what I'm saying? So I don't really just like try to sing to one girl or like sing to a person because I know I got an audience.

I try to make it like, well, talk about stuff I know everybody goes through. Yeah, so you're just rapping. It's entertainment. Right. So how do you feel about them trying to use lyrics in court nowadays? I hate that. For sure, I hate that. You think you could love more than one girl at a time?

Be careful how you answer this. Probably not. Probably not. I mean, you can have love for everybody but in love i don't think i could be in love with two people at one time i think on one of the lyrics you said something like nope you should tell girls i got love for you you love me i got love for you you could be with a woman who was with other men too. Like you said, we could share or whatever. That's fine with you because you're not ready to settle down.

Right. So you don't expect somebody to be committed to you if you're not committed to them. Exactly. All right, that's open-minded. Some people feel like I'm with you, I don't want you to be with anybody else. Did you used to be like that? I ain't on that. I ain't on that.

That only makes sense. I ain't on that. That only makes sense. I ain't selfish in no kind of way. You ever had a guy hit you up about you messing with this girl I'm messing with and try to confront you? Mm-hmm. How do you handle something like that? What's the conversation like? I know.

Hey, Mr. Little Baby, can you please stop knocking down my girl? Yeah. Yeah. Damn. You done had him like that? That shit be wild. Damn. How do you reply? Give me one more time next week.

No snitching. I'll send it back home soon. How do you reply? December, December. You get it back in December. Is this a year lease? Year lease. I don't know, man.

See? No snitching. I felt like he wouldn't tell. a year lease? Year lease. I don't know, nah. See? No stitching. I felt like he wouldn't tell. Like, he's, you know. I don't know, nah. I feel like you got to have those conversations, especially when you're dealing with two brothers with money. Right.

Because you might be doing stuff for her financially, and he might be doing it. Ain't no need for y'all to bump heads like that. Right? That ain't my business. I don't know what nobody else do. I'm just focused on what I do. Yeah. Plus, everybody don't get what nobody else do. I'm just focused on what I do. Yeah.

Plus, everybody don't get a Birkin, right? Hell no. Why you say so? Why you say hell no like that? You be minding Birkins? Somebody must have asked you a couple times. Somebody must have asked you for a Birkin. You was like, hell no.

No, I don't. I really don't need to come out and ask me for a Birkin. I don't talk, so it's kind of hard to ask me for something. What you mean you don't talk? I don't talk. That's the to the you know you gotta warm certain up yeah i ain't we ain't gonna make it that far do you talk in bed no i'm like a little awkward that's what i heard quietly quietly I don't say too much I'm focused

I ain't trying I ain't trying to talk you don't even say you give her a warning like I'm about to nothing you can do oh man do you at least tell her

you call the Uber I ain't never called a girl the Uber I don't got Uber and stuff like she need to have that stuff set up she got to get her own car service

yeah I ain't you don't have no apps I don't got that type of stuff I just don't you got about a hundred cars baby I know you can get somebody to drive a home you probably don't want to put the address I just don't don't use right I get it cuz then you gotta put your address and then they know where you're at and then they see where you're getting somebody dropped or i will get somebody to send you all right all right all right i see you getting into tv too man you co-produced uh what's the show the bt the impact impact atlanta what's got you getting into TV now? Peter Ray. We got a new little film company.

Yeah. So I'm like, we're just going to start getting into TV. All right, all right. And one of your baby moms was on the show, right? Right.

Did you have any reservations about putting her out there like that? I mean, I'm not against whatever somebody want to do. You know what I mean? It was an option.

You know what I mean? We talked about it before she did. You know what I'm saying? I mean, we brought the idea to her. Right, right, right. And Jada's a businesswoman.

For sure. And she seems like a great mom. Great mom. Excellent mom. We seen you had a couple of shots of Academics on the album. There's only one shot. I thought it was on two songs. I thought it was a song with future.

Only one shot. And on the Turning Point record. Academics, niggas down there can't get touched. Meaning somebody who be on the computer all day. Got you, was a song with Future. Only one shot. And on the Turning Point record, right? Academic niggas that can't get touched. Meaning somebody who be on the computer all day. Got you, got you, got you. It wasn't really trolling. It wasn't at him. It was him as an example.

But I seen another interview. He like rappers broke. They leased their cars. You said you ain't got more money than me. Stop it, man. Come on. I never thought about that. Never in my mind did I even think to compare y'all financially.

He do all the time, though. Not with you. I don't think he talk about you. That's what I'm saying. Why he say me? Oh, he said your name? Yeah. He said you got more money than Lil Baby?

All their cars leased. They all they label this. He even had like a breakdown. My son. See, this is what pisses me off when my son show me something. My son show me something. He like, Daddy. He like, what? Your son ask me, Daddy, you got though he said it to you pull it up and show me

everything I seen the titles for about 40 cars now you you know he he doesn't wrap his going up he will wrap the cars you know when you want to wrap the cause that's the difference you don't know you can pay $50 car drivers like screen paint like that's smart though the cause already depreciate with value right his cause they my cause they like they like go up or even though they did appreciate a, they like, I let them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But they don't appreciate, for the most part, the cards I buy. Are you sure you said that? What? That he made more money than Lil Baby?

I don't know if Axe said that. I know Baby said that on the record with Future. He be going crazy on rappers and shit. I don't like that. You know what I like, though? I like that you... A lot of people think rappers are broke. Because a lot of rappers

are broke You are blessed I think the majority of artists Ask Pete I be giving people the benefit of the doubt I don't underestimate people

I try to overestimate people Right But there's ups and downs too There's sometimes That's up and down How much money you get Absolutely Ups and downs for sure

And it's also how you financially handle your money because sometimes it takes a lot to figure out investing making sure that you're good during the pandemic a lot of people did struggle because they didn't have things put up and save so i think but that that's across the board that's just not rappers that's like anybody yeah absolutely but it's just something about rappers people got like a little because rappers front the most right they floss the most. Right? They floss the most. Like they talk about having the most. You know what I mean? And there's an image that people feel like they have to live up to.

Right. I just like that you call yourself a rapper. Because you got a lot of people that are like, I ain't no rapper. I'm a hustler. I'm a speaker. I'm a rapper for sure. All the way. Artists.

That's right. Artists. That's it. Yeah. Artists and businessmen. That's right. That's it. That's rightmen That's right That's it That's right

Now you also said God watch my friends I can handle my enemies Right Right on never hating And so Do you feel like Part of the reason

Why you're alone Is that you've had A lot of things happen With your friends Because those are the people That can betray you the most Right The people closest to you

It's crazy I don't really get betrayed By my friends though Because You kind of know People's traits after a certain amount. So even if they was to portray me, I kind of already knew they would do that anyway, if you understand what I'm saying. So, like, I'm alone just because I'm alone.

You feel me? Like, I'm just used to being alone. I'm, like, kind of private. You feel me? And I can't take you where i'm taking my money i can't show you where my baby mama stay i can't so like that's why i always been like alone because that's how i live like private do you feel like um in certain ways coming from where you came from that you need to open up more in certain situations what you mean like let's just say going to events or maybe

even befriending people and having like interactions it might not be a friendship but just being a little bit more open to those things that's definitely right i wouldn't i wouldn't speak or nothing you know what i'm saying now you know i i'll try to make it and that's like a part of like for me even saying like i am a rapper like not saying I'm screaming like Me thinking like a screaming shit. I don't want to kick it But like as a rapper and it's my job needs to my co-workers. I need to mingle Friends or whatnot, but I still take the time to see if I'm interested in something And I'm sure the more you grow like you you kind of just naturally distance yourself from people.

But there's folks who can relate. For sure. As an executive, what type of relationships do you have with artists that are, you know, that you want to sign or that you work with?

I try to just get, like, keep a real relationship. Meaning, like, ain't gonna sugarcoat nothing, ain't gonna try to make it sound what it ain't. Like, it is what it is, and everything on the table, that's the way I like to keep my relationship,

all my relationship, honestly. Not just with artists, just period. Now, you said you get your advice from Mike Rubin. Right. What advice has Mike Rubin given you that's helped you increase your empire? He gave me a lot of advice, honestly, in a short period of time.

Like, main advice would be, like, it'd be something simple about business that just we don't know could because we ain't into business. You know what I'm saying? It could be, like, something real simple, like something simple, simple. You could do a 10-night exchange. Like, you get money, you could clarify where you're going to get the money. And you could tell them what you're going to buy. And you could go on and buy it and then know how to pay taxes on it

until you sell. You can hold it for 40 years before you sell. Like, simple stuff. But definitely, I get a lot of advice from my room. On this album, you talk about having dinner with Chris Jenner and somebody else. Corey Gamble. Corey Gamble.

Corey my main man. I just love Corey. What's them conversations like? Me and Corey, we just kicking on some cool shit. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just said me and Jenner just because. That's his girl, whatever. Right.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. How you connect with them kind of people? It's crazy because the people I connect with, we really be on some real shit. It's the people who you can have a cordial conversation with and it don't be weird. You can just feel like, damn, he like me. You feel me? Something like that.

Sometimes you talk to somebody, it just don't work. You can laugh, fake laugh. It just, y'all don't really click. Sometimes you can just talk and talk and talk and talk with a person. I love on the doc, you know, it shows the relationship of how, you know, P and Thug, you know, really, really believed in you in a real way. I think that was one of the most important takeaways

from the doc. Like, if you believe in somebody, like, really pour into them. Right. So with that said, you know, being that Thug's not here right now, how does that impact you? It definitely impact me. Like, you know, Thug's not here right now, how does that impact you? It definitely impacts me. Like, you know, Thug's still my personal friend.

So it's like one of my friends being on tight situations, being like Gunna, you know what I'm saying? That's like my personal friend, Gunna. We like talking more than me and Slime probably, and Thug probably. So that kind of definitely put me in a little, I don't even know how to explain it, feeling like a little uneasy feeling. Then like, even just, what makes it so uneasy is because it's them.

Like, all right, and one of the guys go to jail or something, I feel a certain type of way. But like with them, it's like you hear them everywhere, you see their pictures, so it's like a reminder, like, so it's kind of different. You see their pictures. So it's like a reminder. So it's kind of different. You feel like it's an attack on the industry? Especially with the artists, like we've seen recently that... I don't think it's got nothing to do with the industry.

It's like Atlanta. It must have been Atlanta. You feel like they're attacking artists in Atlanta. Because you look at Gunna, it said there was nothing violent in his case. And he still denied it. No evidence. Yeah, it's weird. Which seems wild.

In any other case, they would've let him go immediately. So does it feel like it's an attack on rappers in Atlanta? For sure. For sure. And you think that's due to what? Because I mean, it's due to the rise of violence. What they don't understand is people like them, they took more and more, not in jail.

That's right. And you. Stop the violence. Stuff like that. To, like, stop the violence. Yeah. Stuff like that. Like, you know, that don't make sense. Because y'all providing opportunity and... Not even providing opportunity.

You just got a voice. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Like, if y'all wanted to... I feel like if y'all wanted to be, like, on something and, like, imprison somebody or something, just make them do what you want them to do. Mm-hmm Meaning like I gotta go to hunter schools. I do this I got I make them do something that actually

Change a better community if y'all feel like somebody was doing something wrong Whatever the case may be nurses like putting a jail really whatever the case may be, versus putting you in jail. That don't really stop me. I saw Thug say, if you don't drop this album Friday, y'all ain't brothers. Yeah, he just bored. I'm bored. That it was a rumor that you paid $16,000 to sleep with a porn star. Yeah, that is so untrue.

So untrue. I never paid nobody $16,000 to do nothing. Ever. Where did that come from? You take a porn star. The porn star. Oh, the porn star said it. Yeah.

Ain't never did no tricking. Yeah. Not $16,000. Ain't no sucker. Ain't no sucker, man. What's the most you done paid? You ain't paid no cash. And by the way, it's indirect too.

You buy the bag, you buy the flight, take them shopping. Yeah, that's still even $16. That's a lot. I ain't doing that. I ain't just sign you out, take you shopping. I ain't one of them type guys. Yeah. I pay you to leave.

Well, that is what they say about hiring. That's what you're paying for Paying to leave What's the most you ever paid Somebody to leave baby Couple thousand Couple thousand You know where I gotta go Ha ha ha

How quick I need you to leave And it depends on the price Oh man We saw that video of you paying accidentally, I guess you got charged $250,000 instead of $25,000. People were like, damn, he got it because he was like, it's okay. People are so crazy. Like, who would, like, you feel what I'm saying?

Like, I just let the jeweler just keep $225,000. I knew he was joking. He knew I was joking. You feel me? He's like, baby, you're too fast. I knew you were joking. I ain't going front feel me Like baby I didn't know you was joking I ain't gonna front I'm like That's

I need my money back Right now We not leaving here To my money right now No I thought You had the store credit He made a mistake So you don't even

Got the store credit He charged my car For two minutes He just was playing I know he was playing Shit The internet Gotta be a mind fuck man

You know what I mean Cause it is You can make the internet believe Whatever you want it to believe If you learn that You know how to run the internet How much attention do you pay to that stuff Like cause I know

I don't feel like you be online To a minimum I try my best not to see a lot of stuff You know I'm on the internet So I see a little stuff But I ain't trying to go on no blogs, I ain't on no shade room, I ain't reading no comments, I ain't trying to do that. That's good.

I don't think sometimes these people understand these folks real life they dealing with though. Because I feel like sometimes they talk about things online they shouldn't be talking about. Almost like wishing things on people that they shouldn't be wishing things on. I see people, I see people. They say stuff they don't even believe. But it's just a comment. But somebody else can read it. Fuck, they can hold everything up.

I ain't into that. I don't really. I try to stay away from it. That's a whole little cycle. You check your DMs, though? No, I don't know. I used to. I don't know.

Why you stop? Yeah, I was going to say, why you stop? I just stop checking. I be so busy and shit. No, I ain't looking for nothing. I was just thinking about how T-Pain missed all of these DMs from like, because you can see the verified. I'm sure I missed a whole lot of them.

Your team ain't missing nothing though. I'm sure. Yeah, probably not opportunities. I don't think opportunities come in my DM like that. That's why I really ain't looking anyway. But it'd be like brands and stuff who would reach out to you personally and stuff too though. You know what I'm saying? Or

like other people. It could be somebody supporting me or something it'd be like stuff i really wish i would have seen you know something like that was there pressure making this album because so many people have been putting you on like the top rappers list and stuff like that no i don't think like that i don't i don't it's like when i put myself like i don't put myself as the top rapper list or the bottom rapper list. I'm not on no list in my head. So I just got to do what I got to do. That's it.

So there don't really be no pressure for real. Only time pressure comes when I do shit like get my label a date. But then now we got to get, we got deadlines. But then it becomes pressure like that. But as far as me making music and stuff, I don't got got no pressure on that what's your process like in the studio when it comes to you putting a song together is it do you write to the beat and then um or do you get like an idea first right at home bring it to the studio how do you work that with people around you i actually i don't like people in the studio with me it It's people who hang with me every day. They never seen me rap before.

I'm like a cat rapper. Everybody go to sleep. I like sneaking rap. You know what I'm saying? Why is that? I don't know. It's just I feel comfortable, more comfortable that way. And I just listen to beats.

The beat give me the vibe. If I hear the beat that I like, then I just rap to it. I don't write in there. I punch in. Is that because early on that's how you and I just rap to it. Like, I don't write in there. I just punch in. Is that because early on, that's how you learned how to rap? Probably so. It's probably just how I used to rap,

because I used to only go to the studio like one o'clock in the morning to like eight o'clock in the morning, so everybody usually sleep and stuff. So now, I go to the studio at one, and everybody else be there at 1. You know, like everybody hang out at the studio and stuff. But I'll go to sleep and then I'll wake up at like 4 or 5 when everybody gone and just rap.

That's what I remember when ESTG was up here. You see when they did their record, they all did their verse and you was sleeping. I was sleeping. When I woke up, everybody was gone. I heard the song. I don't care. I don't know. Yeah, that's what they say.

It made me a verse. ESTG on this album with the back and forth record? Yep. Detroit rappers are some of your favorite people to collaborate with it seem like. Yeah, CG from Kentucky though. Oh, you from Kentucky? Yeah. Oh, I don't know why I thought you from,

oh, Doug from Detroit. Yeah, Doug from Detroit. All your friends ain't around right now. Yeah, yeah. Doug get out today though. No, bro. Yeah, Doug get out today. That's what it is.

Ain't nobody knew that i told you why nobody announced that release date he probably got other stuff going on too though but i'm saying his situation to get a little better i think he got a house yeah like nah like i ain't like a halfway house halfway house yeah yeah do you stay in contact with them like him thug do y'all okay I try to I know how they should get any money help like you can just need shit I try to like hit him up and I didn't make sure they don't need none of some you ever feel any guilt just cuz you out here like you know you see you know okay you for it no I'm just saying what some of your men caught you from jail and you,

damn, I'm having such a good time. Guilt ain't the right word. It's probably not the right word. Not guilt. What's the word? Guilty, bro. Well, a feeling. Yeah, a feeling.

Maybe like, uh, uh. Nah, because I get it. When they call, like, what you doing? You know what we doing. We turning the fuck up. Yeah. I ain't even going to shit. You know what we doing? Yeah. Shit. We Yeah I ain't even gonna Shit the code I ain't gonna You know what we're doing

Shit We grown as hell Yeah Ain't like kids And it's not like They gonna be in there forever They come out Yeah

I saw you with Stacey Abrams too Right Do you feel like you Since you come from That environment That needs that kind of assistance You know how to have

Those conversations With politicians In ways that they probably Don't get from other people? That's why I feel like I come in at like, it's like a bridge from the hood to like, I'm a politician though. So like, I don't want to be a politician

or even get into politics, but I know that I understand the hood or just say the minority and then I can understand what they saying in politics because we don't know nothing about that and I'm saying we as the minority like nobody explain politics nobody explain how this work nobody don't really know that like if everybody in the community wants something to happen it can happen you feel me like we got control of that but nobody don't know that for real. Like, nobody to tell you, hey, long story short is, I'm going to help them figure it out.

When you're talking to people like Stacey, you know, if she becomes governor, like, what resources would you tell her, like, this is what we need in order to make our communities better? I'm all for the kids. I feel like the kids control the community because the older people are going to die, and the kids are going to be older.

It's just going to, you know, survive in the circus. So my focus would be, like, the youth. We get the problem started with the youth, and then the youth still helps adults because anything we get the youth doing, we still got to put adults in charge of it and stuff. But I think it would just start from the root, I mean, the youth. Do you vote?

Definitely. Okay. Now, that's important. And that's what I'm more on, too. I'm not even more on, so, like, kind of getting the politics to say I'm with him or I'm with her. I just want people to vote, to know that if you do vote, it can't make a difference. You feel me? And then one vote, I know you're like, my vote ain't going to matter.

But it's like collectively, it's like if we can come together and we all can vote, we really can make a change. Absolutely. We can actually come up with a law. You don't know that. We can come up with a law. You get somebody to sponsor it. You come up with the idea. All we got to do is vote for it.

People don't know. It's like it's control for it. We don't know. It's like, it's control for it. We can win if we do it right. And you can exercise your power by everybody coming together. Like, if you're like, we're going to all, I have a whole group of us, we're all going to put our power behind this

candidate if we get these things done. And that's how you make it happen. Yeah, we ain't going to hold you much longer because we know you don't want to be here. But I do have one more question. How do you control your gambling? Because I always hear you rap about gambling. You see the documentary.

We know you was a big gambler. Most people get more money and gamble more. How do you control your gambling habit? Well, I used to be like a street gambler. So I ain't in the street no more. So I don't even got nobody to gamble. You feel me? I don't gamble with my friends, like people I know.

I don't hang around nobody. So I'm really good. But now I gamble at a casino. And that's like way worse than street gambling. But I haven't woke up one day and like I'm going to the casino. If I'm there, now I gamble. But I'm really over up one day and, like, I'm going to the casino. If I'm there, nah, I gamble. But I'm really over that stage in my life. Are you good at walking away when you're up?

I just learned how to do it. That's how I've been winning. I learned how to do that. Like, if I win $200,000, I'm still trying to win a million. Now, I'll just be like, all right, let's just leave with the $200,000. You know, and this new album, you talk about losing but then getting it back the same night. Right.

Yeah. Like, I done been down a million dollars. Then got all my money back. What, in the street or at the casino? Casino. Oh, okay. We had a million-dollar dice game before on the street, though. I ain't never went down a million in the street.

I done went down in the street, like, $200,000 down to $1,000, and then got my 200 back one night so we always gamble with that always lose that it's just a lick every time we see him i ain't gonna put him out there like that he rubbing his hands though it's a few of them though it's a few around here now for sure is he one of them for sure one of them he don't got no him he ain't no gambler for real I need somebody who gonna

YK lose 5, 10,000 I don't want that I'm trying to fuck you up yeah I'm trying 2, 300 usually when you bust somebody down

you give them a little bit so he can be happy on the way depending on who it is you give them a little bit like here you go depending on who it is.

Some people be like, suckers, like, they won't give me nothing back. So I just gone. And then you talk shit to them to the point where they want to cry. For sure, for sure. So they want to fight, shoot, whatever. That's my goal. They shouldn't be ass-betting with you then. They shouldn't bet what they don't got?

They got it. Okay. Nobody don't want to be losing't got. They got it. Okay. Nobody don't want to lose. Nobody want to lose. What's the most somebody done hurt you for? Probably one time. I lost like 500 bands in like two days. To the same person or just in? Couple people.

Yeah. Like in the house. That was a bad weekend. I got signed the next day. You got signed the next day you got signed the next Drake or me they both seem like they gamblers Like like me and me and Meek We didn't kind of Build a A personal relationship Without telling y'all Like I don't gamble

With my friends But Meek used to try To run up on his shit You know We didn't gamble But Drake He won't I won't gamble

When he like Drake He won't He won't I ain't saying They be scared of me But like But they be scared They be hearing stories

And shit They ain't like Fuck that Drake he more like A casino gambler anyway. Do you ever have to tell somebody to stop? Like, look, I think we got to close. I think this is enough.

Yeah, that's enough for you. People try to. My people don't even tell me to stop, though. Because I'm like the comeback kid. Feel me? So telling me to stop really going to piss me off. Because I can get my money back. So I kind of like the casino

because i gamble with a credit line meaning let's say if i get a credit line for 20 000. i'm only going to be able to lose 20 000. so i i first is like gambling the street you can lose everything you got you just keep going get more and more once i get to the casino and i get to a certain match it's like no other way for me to get no more money. It's like, not like I can, unless, like, I can go to the bank, nighttime, it's nighttime, it's gonna be when I lose, it's just, I'm done. Once I go to sleep and wake up, I ain't gonna wake up, like, I gotta get my

money back. It's just gonna be a lot yesterday. Alright, well, let's get into it. Joy, off the island, what you want to hear? What you want to play, man? Mmm. I'm gonna never never hating with Doug okay

never hating alright well we'll get into that next little baby it's only me out right now out right now and I always wanna say thank you

cause every time I do a car show whatever I need you open up the doors and you allow me to borrow you and use your car so I appreciate that

I just wanna thank you for coming and doing interviews cause I know it's gonna be a point in your career where you ain't doing no interviews I appreciate you too on documentary too appreciate it oh absolutely absolutely I know it. I just want to thank you for coming and doing interviews, because I know it's going to be a point in your career where you ain't doing no interviews. I appreciate you too on

documentary too. Appreciate it. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. I know it's going to be a point where you ain't doing no more interviews no more. Yep, it's getting closer and closer. I told him that yesterday. You told him that yesterday? Yeah. My goodness. Little baby, it's the breakfast club tomorrow.

Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's the breakfast club of the morning. Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not.

No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. We need help! That's Escape from Z-A-Q-A-S-T-A-N on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about.

It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love.

I forgive myself. It's okay. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best. And you're gonna figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, y'all. Niminy here.

I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Executive produced by Questlove, The Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history. Like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing.

Check it. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. latest happening in our entertainment world and some fun and impactful interviews with your favorite latin artists comedians actors and influencers each week we get deep and raw life stories combos on the issues that matter to us and it's all packed with gems fun straight up and that's a song that only nuestra gente can sprinkle listen to gracias come again on the iheart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast