lil yachty interview 2022

Lil Yachty on His Rock Album ‘Let’s Start Here,’ Rapping With J. Cole, and What’s Next

By Jem Aswad

Executive Editor, Music

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Nowhere in the rap star manual does it say that a guaranteed formula for success is to “make psychedelic rock album with almost no rapping.” Yet that is exactly what Lil Yachty did with “Let’s Start Here,” his fifth full album but first rock project, after years as a top rapper with hits like “One Night,” “Minnesota,” “Oprah’s Bank Account” and guest spots on Kyle’s smash “iSpy,” Dram’s “Broccoli,” Calvin Harris’ “Faking It” and others.

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Are these the first dates you’re playing behind this new album?

At the album listening session, people did not seem to know what to think.

No! I didn’t know what people would expect, but I knew they wouldn’t expect that. I’ll be honest with you, I’ve never been more confident with a body of work, so my chest was out. I didn’t think anyone would be like, “Oh, this sucks.” I genuinely felt like even if you didn’t like it, if you’re a music head, you’d have some kind of respect for the body of work itself, and for an artist to pivot and make something in such a complete, utter, opposite direction from what came before.

You said the people you played the album for included Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Tyler, the Creator — all of whom have made moves something like that in the past.

I’ll tell you, Tyler was a big reason for this album. He’ll call me at like eight o’clock in the morning — for no reason — and we’ll talk for hours. I was such a fan of [Tyler’s Grammy-winning 2019 album] “Igor,” his character and his way of creating a world — the color palettes, the videos, the billboards, the fonts. It’s all together. And I was like “How do you do that?” Because I was trying to figure out how to make a pop-funk-psychedelic-rock album cohesive, without it sounding like someone’s playlist. Then I started working on the visuals, and what I wanted to do was extremely expensive. To be quite honest, I don’t think my label believed in it enough to give me the budget that I truly needed for the visuals to bring this album to life, so I just made two videos.

Tyler and Drake both called me before my first show — I didn’t even tell them the show was happening but they both called me. That means something to me, because those people are my idols. I remember the day Kanye tweeted [Tyler’s 2011 single] “Yonkers,” I was in eighth grade. So them checking on me means a lot.

Is it a lonely feeling, sticking your neck out creatively like that?

Yeah, at first it was, but another thing Tyler taught me was not to be afraid of that. I was so scared before those first shows, like, “What if they don’t wanna hear it?” Tyler would always say, “Fuck it, make them feel you.”

Like, on the first show of this tour, I told the [sound crew], “Play psychedelic music before I go on, don’t play hip-hop” — but right before I went on they played a Playboi Carti song and I heard the crowd turning up and I was like, “Oh no, they’re gonna hate me!” And when I came out, I have in-ears [onstage monitors] and I have them set so you can’t really hear the crowd, it’s like dead silence. But I just kept going, and then my rap set comes and they go fucking crazy and that gives me confidence, and when I did the big rock outro on “Black Seminole,” they all started clapping. And for me it was the biggest “Oh, thank God,” because I couldn’t tell if they were fucking with it.

Is it exciting being in such a risky place creatively?

You were a teenager.

Exactly, But I still wanted respect, you know? I cared! My career was never solidified, I felt like folks were writing me off, so when I was making “Let’s Start Here,” I was at a point in my career where I did not have a hit rap record — it was like, “Man, this could really go left!” But I didn’t start thinking about that till I got deep into it. When I started, I was just like, “Man, I really love this stuff. Why don’t I hear anything like this now? No one makes psychedelic songs anymore.” I do psychedelics and I knew I wanted to make a psychedelic album. I love long songs, I love to just get deep into them — that’s why I love [Pink Floyd’s 1973 classic] “Dark Side of the Moon.”

I was on psychedelics when I first heard it and I would listen and just be like maaan. Like, bro, how can music make me feel like this? How can music make my brain just go to a new dimension? And how did you do that in 1973? I was like, can I do this? And obviously my answer was no. I mean, no offense, but how many rappers successfully made a rock album?

Almost none.

That’s what I’m saying. I think one of them was Kid Cudi’s rock album — I love it but a lot of people hated it. It’s not a full rock album, but it has a strong rock element to it.

Where did the rock influences come from, your parents?

My dad played a lot of Coldplay, a lot of Radiohead, John Mayer, Lenny Kravitz, a lot of John Coltrane, and I’m named after Miles Davis. My family loved James Brown, my dad loved Pharrell. He actually didn’t play Pink Floyd to me, but I’m glad I heard it as an adult.

I tried to make “Let’s Start Here” five years ago — “Lil Boat 2” was supposed to be “Let’s Start Here” with teenage emotions, but I was too young. I got too nervous to experiment on my rap record, and I didn’t have much experience or knowledge in alternative music. I met [“Let’s Start Again” collaborator] Jeremiah Raisan and tried again with the next album, but I chickened out and made another rap album. But when I had that conversation with Tyler, I was like “I’ve gotta do this, let me get that guy back.”

You had a hit with “Poland” — why isn’t it on the album?

That’s what I battled with, but at some point, you have to trust yourself. In the middle of making the album, “Poland” was a huge Internet hit and people were like, “You gotta put it on the album.” But I was like, it doesn’t fit! Just because it’s a hit record doesn’t mean it makes sense anywhere on this record. I was so focused on making my Black “Dark Side of the Moon.” And there is a small rap verse on the album, at the end of “Drive Me Crazy.”

You’ve said you recorded a hip-hop album after you finished “Let’s Start Here,” what’s it like?

What do you want to do next?

I get off tour around Christmas, and in January I’m starting a new album. I don’t know what it is yet, I don’t want to say “alternative.” I have rap album, but I just decided I’m gonna keep dropping songs [from it] until my next [non-rap] album is done.

Do you know who you want to work with on the next album?

So many people, obviously I want to do it on mostly with the band I made the record with, [writers/producers] Justin and Jeremiah Raisen, Jake Portrait and Patrick Wimberly. But I want to work with Donald Glover, I really want to work with Florence from Florence and the Machine. Sampha, Frank [Ocean], Buddy Ross, who worked with Frank. Chris Martin, Bon Iver, Solange, Mike Dean.

I’ve just been exploring, doing things that people wouldn’t expect. Even if I’m not the best at something, let’s just try, let’s explore, let’s create new things.

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Lil Yachty Wants You To Be "Ready For Everything" At The Field Trip Tour

As Lil Yachty hits the road for his 42-date global tour, the rapper details how he'll be bringing his trippy album 'Let's Start Here' to life — and why he feels like his seven-year career is only just getting started.

Fans first got to know Lil Yachty for his catchy, sing-songy tunes like "One Night" and "Minnesota," rap songs that sound like the rapper's once-signature red braids: bright and attention-getting. But as the man who once dubbed himself the " king of the teens " has now become a father in his (gasp!) mid-20s, his musical horizons have expanded.  

While Lil Boat is still making catchy tracks  (see his minute-and-a-half long earworm "Poland," released last fall), his latest album is something else entirely. Inspired by big statement LPs like Pink Floyd 's 1973 classic Dark Side of the Moon , Lil Yachty's Let's Start Here is a psychedelic record created with members of Chairlift and MGMT, as well as Mac DeMarco, Alex G and a handful of other out-of-the-norm collaborators. While the style change may have been unexpected for many, it came out exactly as Yachty envisioned it.

"It felt future-forward, it felt different, it felt original, it felt fresh, it felt strong," he says. "I'm grateful for the response. It's nice to have people resonate with a body of work that you've worked so hard on and you care so deeply about."

Yachty's most recent release, a four-song single pack featuring the swirling "TESLA," brings him back to a more traditional hip-hop style — by Lil Boat standards, anyway. But even with the four new tracks sprinkled throughout the set list, he's still determined to share the sound and vibe of Let's Start Here with his listeners. 

The Field Trip Tour, which Lil Yachty kicked off in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 21, brings the album's trippy vision to the stage. The rapper recruited an all-women band for his latest trek, which includes Lea Grace Swinson and Romana R. Saintil on vocals, Monica Carter on drums, Téja Veal on bass, Quenequia Graves on guitar, and Kennedy Avery Smith on keys.

"My life is surrounded by women," Yachty explains. "I feel like they are the most important aspect to this world and that they don't get enough credit or shine — especially Black women."

GRAMMY.com caught up with Yachty as he was on his way to rehearsal to chat about the tour, the album, and what he learned from four old British guys.

You made your band auditions public by announcing them on social media , which is not the usual way of going about these things. When you had the auditions, what was it like? How many people showed up?

Hundreds of women came from all over. People sent in auditions online. It was so fun to hear so much music and see talent and meet so many different personalities. I felt like Simon Cowell.

Other than musical ability, what were you looking for?

It was nothing more than talent. There would be multiple people with extreme talent, so then it became your own creative spunk: what did you do that made me say, "Oh, okay. I like this. I like this"? I wanted a badass group.

What was behind the decision to put the call out for women only?  

My life is surrounded by women — my two assistants, my mother as a manager, a lot of my friends are women. Women really help me throughout my day. 

I just think that women are so powerful. I feel like they rule the world. They are the most important aspect to this world and they don't get enough credit or shine, especially black women. So that was my aura behind it. I just wanted to showcase that women can shred just as good as men. 

Is the band going to be performing on your older rap material as well, in addition to the album cuts?  

No. I'm not a big fan of rendition rap songs. I think the feeling is in the beat, the feeling is in the instrumentation. When you have to reconstruct it, the bounce gets lost a bit.

Tell me about the rehearsal process once you selected the band members. What was that like?  

They're all so talented, so they all learned it very quick. I gave [the music] to them early, and gave them the stems. When it was day one, they all knew the songs. Even my new guitarist that came in later than everyone, she came in knowing the music. 

The rehearsal project for this tour was a little different, because I'm reconstructing the whole album. I'm moving everything around and changing all the transitions and trying to make it trippy. So it's a process of me figuring out how I want to do things. But they're so talented and so smart, all I have to do is tell them what I want, and they'll do it instantly. 

Like yesterday, I wanted a solo on the end of a song called "The Alchemist." Because at the end of [the album version] is this [singer Brittany] Fousheé breakdown and she's singing in a falsetto. But I took her vocals off and I wanted a solo. And [a band member] was working through it yesterday and it wasn't quite there. But I'm on the way to rehearsal now, and I know when I walk in this room, it'll be done. It'll be crazy. So they all take it very serious and they care, and I love them so much. 

The festival shows you've done so far have had everyone in Bantu knot hairstyles, sometimes with face paint . Is that going to be the look for this tour?  

No, I don't think so.

What was the thinking behind that look?  

I was getting really deep into the world of '70s bands, '60s bands. Just unison: moving as one, looking like one, feeling like one. A family, a group, a team. You see us, we're all together. 

When you play rap shows, so much of what you're doing is keeping a high-energy mood—getting the crowd going, starting mosh pits. With the new songs, it's about a diversity of feelings. What was that like for you as a band leader?  

I'll tell you, it was not easy. I've been in this industry for seven years, and my shows have been high-energy for seven years. So the first time I went on a stage and performed Let's Start Here , I felt like, "Oh wow, they hate me. Do they hate this?" Plus I have in-ears , so I can't hear the crowd cheering. I don't perform with in-ears when I do rap shows. 

It took me some time to get used to the switch. Tyler, the Creator once had a talk with me and explained to me that, it's not that they don't f— with you, it's that they're taking it in. They're comprehending you. They're processing and enjoying it. That clicked in me and I got a better understanding of what's going on.

What is it like in the same show to go from the Let's Start Here material to the rap stuff?  

It's a relief, because that's going to my world. It's super easy for me. It's like flipping the switch and taking it to the moon.

Now that it's been the better part of a year since Let's Start Here came out, how are you feeling about it? What sense do you have of the reaction to it?

Since before it came out, when I was making it, I always felt so strongly because it was something that I felt inside. It felt future-forward, it felt different, it felt original, it felt fresh, it felt strong. 

I'm grateful for the response. It's nice. It's not what you do it for, but it is extra credit. It's nice to get that love and to have people resonate with a body of work that you've worked so hard on and you care so deeply about.

Have you felt peoples' reactions change over the past few months?  

Well, this is the first time when people are like, "Man, that album changed my life" or "It took me to a different place." People love my music — always have — but this reaction is, "Man, this album, man, it really took me there." 

It did what it was supposed to do, which was transcend people. If you are on that side of the world and you're into that type of stuff, it did its job, its course — the same course as Dark Side of the Moon , which is to take you on a journey, an experience. 

What was it about Dark Side that grabbed you?  

Everything. The cover, the sounds, the transitions, the vocals, the lyrics, the age of Pink Floyd when they made it. I could go on. I got into deep fascination. It was so many things. It's just pure talent.

** I've read that you studied Pink Floyd quite a bit, watching interviews and documentaries. What were some of the things you learned from that process and brought to Let's Start Here ? **

So many things. The most important element was that I wanted to create a body of work that felt cohesive and that transcended people, and that was a fun experience that could take you away from life.

I was curious about the song ":(failure:(," where you give a speech about failing. What were your inspirations for that?

" Facebook Story " by Frank Ocean , which is about a girl who thought he was cheating on her because he wouldn't accept her on Facebook. It inspired me to talk about something. 

At first I wanted [":(failure:("] to be a poem, and I wanted my friend to say it. We tried it out, but his voice was so f—ing deep. And his poem was so dark — it was about death and s—. I was like, Damn, n—, lighten up. But then I was just like, you know what, I'll do it, and I'll speak about something very near and dear to me, which was failure. I felt like it would resonate with people more.

** The idea of time shows up on the album a lot, which is something it has in common with Dark Side of the Moon . You talk about running out of time . What are you running out of time to do? ** 

Sometimes I feel like I'm growing so fast and getting so old, and maturing and evolving so quickly, and so many opportunities come into my life. You go on tour, and then you start working on an album, and you run out of time to do certain things. It's like, "Are we going to be together? If not, I have other things to do." 

I think that's where it comes from. I don't have all day to play around. Too many things to do. Then it transpires to feel like I'm running out of time.

I love "drive ME crazy!" I was wondering if there are any particular male/female duets that you looked at as a model when designing that song.  

Fleetwood Mac . Again, with all the inspirations for these songs, I still did my twist on them. So I don't want people to go and be like, "Oh, that sounds nothing like a Fleetwood Mac song." I wasn't trying to copy a Fleetwood Mac song. It just inspired me to make a song in that feeling, in that world.

When you began your career, you were the "king of the teens." Now you're a father in your mid-twenties. Who's your audience these days? Is it the people who were teens when you started your career, who are now in their 20s like you, or is it a new crop of teenagers?  

I think now it's from the 12-year-olds to the 40-year-olds. My last festival, I had 50-year-olds in my show. That was so amazing. In the front row, there was an 11-year-old asking for my sneakers, and then in the back, it was 50- and 60-year-olds. It was crazy. The age demographic is insane.

Whenever I'm leaving somewhere, I like to have the window down and see people. [At my last festival] these 60-year-olds were leaving. They're like, "Man, your album, we love it. That show was so great." And that's awesome, because I love [that my music can] touch everyone. 

You've been opening your recent shows with " the BLACK seminole ." What does that phrase mean to you? How does it relate to the sound of the song and the rest of the lyrics?

It's saying, "I'm a warrior, I am a king, I am a sex symbol, I am everything good and bad with man, and I'm Black, unapologetically." That's what it's about. 

Any final thoughts about the tour?  

Just that it's an experience. You're not walking into a rinky-dink [show with] some DJ. This is going to be a show . 

I feel like it's the start of my career. I just want people to come in with an open mindset. Not expecting anything, ready for everything. 

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Photo: Motown Records

Offset Reveals His Favorite Verses: Inside "WORTH IT," "SAY MY GRACE" & More

Before Offset returns to Atlanta for a special GRAMMY U “Unwrapped” event, the rapper breaks down how Takeoff, "Bad and Boujee," and superstar collaborators like Travis Scott and Future inspired some of his best bars.

Offset understands the weight he shoulders as a former member of Migos , the eternally influential hip-hop trio that made Atlanta trap a global phenomenon. He carries his past with pride, even as he works relentlessly to define his artistry outside of Migos' shadow.

"People always relate back to my group, and I'm putting so much into my creativity to be a standout artist," Offset tells GRAMMY.com. "Carrying the legacy of that is a challenge, too. [Migos] was big — massive — so I'm just trying to make it as big as possible on my own. I want to get to the point where Offset is selling out arenas. That's a dream of mine, so the next album has to be an arena album."

Offset has steadily built toward an arena-ready album. With Migos, the three-time GRAMMY nominee delivered the "Bad and Boujee" hook heard around the world, setting the bar for Migos' world-beating Culture trilogy. His clever wordplay and infectious flow yielded anthemic results outside of Migos, including the six-time-platinum-certified "Ric Flair Drip" from Without Warning , his collaborative album with 21 Savage and Metro Boomin , and the GRAMMY-nominated Cardi B team-up, "Clout," from his 2019 solo debut, LP Father Of 4 .

Still, Offset didn't feel like he'd come into his own until SET IT OFF , his sophomore solo LP that he released in October 2023. He developed a mood board around Michael Jackson , even cosplaying the late pop icon on the album's cover and in his self-directed video for "FAN." His hands-on approach to video direction and creating a bold aesthetic bled into autonomous lyricism. The album opens with "ON THE RIVER," where Offset showcases his signature bravado and proclaims his solo star power. But with the album closer "HEALTHY," he isn't afraid to admit that he's still human, and striking out on his own is scary.

"That was my statement to let people know — and let myself know, too — I'm here to stay," the 32-year-old polymath says of the LP. "For my next album, I'm thinking about naming it Kiari , my real name, so I can break barriers and say things that I haven't spoken on before." 

SET IT OFF opened the door to bottomless vulnerability. While he didn't specifically mention Takeoff , who was fatally shot on Nov. 1, 2022, Offset alluded to his former Migos groupmate and the trauma from his death on tracks like "SAY MY GRACE" (which features Travis Scott ), "DON'T YOU LIE," and "HEALTHY." Writing about his suppressed emotions reminded Offset why he committed his life to music in the first place.

"I'm back to enjoying making music," he says. "I've pushed through so much hardship. I feel more confident — like I can breathe."

On Sept. 20, Offset will return to his native Atlanta for a special GRAMMY U "Unwrapped" event in collaboration with the Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter and the Black Music Collective , as well as participating sponsors Amazon Music and Mastercard. The panel will see the rapper go in-depth about the creative process behind SET IT OFF and offer tips to aspiring artists.

Ahead of the event, Offset sat down with GRAMMY.com to reminisce on his favorite memories with the late Takeoff and dissect some of his favorite verses from SET IT OFF and his latest release, “STYLE RARE” with Gunna . Below, in his own words, the rapper details the stories behind lines in "SAY MY GRACE," "WORTH IT," and more.

"ON THE RIVER"

"I had got off the juice / Then the money start blowing up out of the roof / I'm telling the truth, I became the one when I got out the group"

People be taking s— wrong. I ain't want them to flip it as if I was saying something negative about [my time with Migos], but "I became the one" is like I found myself. I found myself when I stepped out and could be myself fully, and I could have control of everything around me. I feel like I'm going to hold the [Migos'] legacy down at the same time. 

When I started making my own songs, I think I was just more confident. After "Bad and Boujee," I was real confident because I had finally brought something to the table. People didn't think about it, but the whole time [in Migos], I was like, Damn, I haven't brought no hit yet to the group. I did that with "Bad and Boujee." Following that, I did "Ric Flair Drip." Finally, after "Clout," it was right there for me to go grab and reach at it. I wouldn't have been able to write "I became the one" if I didn't do those songs.

"DON'T YOU LIE"

" Where would I be if I didn't have Atlanta?"

[This song] came down the line in September, right before I dropped the album. I don't be in Atlanta a lot, you know? I'm in New York because of family. I'm in Los Angeles for business. I just wanted to tell those people I wouldn't be as big — or where I'm at, period — without their support. It's not like me being from Atlanta; it's Atlanta supporting the culture and the music scene in Atlanta that brought me into the doors. I never want to forget that. I don't know where I'd be without Atlanta.

The line came about because it rhymed, to be honest. And it was just a great statement. I did the song in Atlanta, too. "Don't You Lie," even when I performed it at my concerts, that song and this line really made me go down memory lane. 

I was thinking about Takeoff, honestly, and the greatest times we ever had. Me and him playing basketball. We sucked. Our jump shots were bricks, and he'd be laughing about it. 

He'd sleep late, no matter what. Times when we was smoking and s—, laughing at jokes and what we'd seen online. He always put me on some good movies I'd never heard of or seen. Sci-fi movies. It'd be a good-ass movie every time. He's like 100-for-100 on movie [recommendations]. 

He'd also humble you. He's so down-to-earth that he'll make you feel like you're not being down-to-earth. He'd be like, "What you got to do, bro? You always got to do something. Just sit down, smoke, watch the movies, and laugh." And then just [remembering] how great of a human being he is. Bro is non-problematic. He says what's right, what's true, and what's real. There ain't no human like him because he's so soulful. Even if you had the right to be mad at something, he'd be like, "Bro, just let that go."

I felt like the production was kind of soulful, where you should be talking about real s—. It wasn't a beat that you should be having fun on.

"WORTH IT" (feat. Don Toliver)

"I'm watchin' on your 'Gram, you givin' them angles / I'm payin' for it, you ain't never gotta stress about no landlord / You ain't never gotta ask me, 'What you plan for?' / Private jet, we're puttin' stamps all on your passport / I got plans for it, leave your man for it"

I'm talking about things that women always talk about online — like the supportive man who makes sure he's taking care of the bills. You ain't never gotta ask me, "What you plan for?"

"Worth It" was a very special record to me because it's timeless music. Fifteen, 20 years from now, you could play that, and it's a vibe. Also, I wanted to show people that I can get into that bag. Everything ain't just rah-rah-rah. It was a really musical record for me. We even broke down the stems of the beat. Like, "These levels need to be a little lower because the instrumental of the beat is just beautiful." 

[ Don and I] were already cooking. Every time he'd be in L.A. or I'd be in L.A., we'd pull up on each other. We've got like five joints. We picked that one because, to me, that one got your ear immediately as soon as the beat plays. Before a word is even said. That guitar. It's off-rip.

Actually, here's a funny story. Don hated the song, bro. He did not like his parts. He tried to change some s— and send me some new s—. I'm like, "Hell nah!" We went back and forth about it. To this day, every time he sees me, he'll be like, "Bro, you were right! That s— crazy!" 

Something about my boy Don Toliver's voice is a different vibe. It sounds old, but it sounds new. When I heard him do that "Ooo" in the hook, I was like, "Oh, my god . This is it." I told him, "This is how you came in, bro. This is the bag you came in on." He was like, "I'm on some new s— now, bro." 

I told him this had to go on the album, and he [begged] to send me something else. No, sir. It's over with. We were doing this one. He was like, "Alright, bro. If it don't do nothing, I told you so." It was out for about a week, and he said, "I ain't gonna lie, OG, you got us one!" He performed it on tour in Europe. After he performed it, he called me, like, "Bro, they know it!" I'm like, "I told you."

"BROAD DAY" (feat. Future)

"Money bring a lot of power till the money go down / I was knockin' at the door, and then I kicked the door down"

When I say, "Money bring a lot of power till the money go down," it's like you're powerful when you got the money, but when you're broke, people treat you that way. Now, your ideas are not that good. People just turn their backs on you.

You know how some people may think in the beginning you don't have money, then you get it? I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about after you become successful, and then you lose it. It's just not respected. And so, I said that as a message to try to stay at the top. Save your money. Make sure you don't fall off or fall down because when you do, people will let you know that consistently.

And then, when I say, "I was knocking at the door, and then I kicked the door down," it's like, before I dropped my album, letting people know I'm going solo. I'm doing this on my own. SET IT OFF was me kicking the door down. I'm here. Let me in now.

"Broad Day" was a fun record for me. I was going for the do-it-for-the-city vibe. My boy Nick Papz made that beat, which he's a low-key producer. He came up with some fire. I thought, I hear Future on this s— . I know he's gonna go crazy . I sent it to Future . He called me and said, "This s— hard. I'm already at the studio." Future knocked it out in one day. That's how he do. He don't play. When I perform the song, they go crazy for it.

"HEALTHY"

"Praying for a sign, Lord, can You help me? / Keeping all of this to myself, oh, no, no"

This is me saying I'm a little scared and insecure about going solo at first. Help me to be able to do it. It ain't easy coming behind something so big. I know all the eyes are gonna be judging. It's not like being a new artist. You have an expectation. I had a little fear of that — just being honest, being the creative music man, especially in this time. You never know how shit will go.

It was a heartfelt record. I wasn't even going to put it on the album. I knew it wouldn't be the biggest record, but I felt like maybe I should put it on there so people could hear me in a melodic way talking about myself being solo. I made it the last song because I wanted to be a little vulnerable at the end of the album.

I was actually in Cabo making this one, too. It was nighttime. I had just walked on the beach by myself, smoking a blunt real quick — just thinking. I had a couple of shots in me, too, so I was a little lit when I made the song. I always listen to the production. The guitar on that was just so beautiful. I was like, "I'm just gonna be vulnerable." I was out in Cabo. Just me and my engineer. Nobody else. 

It gave me more confidence to be in that bag. To be in that pocket of sound with the autotune because I'm not a big autotune person. That wasn't my expertise. I started to play with it. When you have those types of records, and you got the tempo, and the template must be changed, then you have to learn which key matches the beat so that the tune doesn't skip or sound off-balance. The production put me into different settings on my vocals.

"STYLE RARE" (with Gunna)

"Flow like a butterfly, Lambo' the V"

"Float like a butterfly; sting like a bee" is a known term that Muhammad Ali said, so I caught people's ears immediately. It's the first thing I say [on the song]. I made it "Flow like a butterfly" because of my flow. When I get on the song, it's smooth as a butterfly flying. 

I was in Miami around this May. I don't know why this line hit me, either. I swear I don't even have a reason. I freestyle all my music, so sometimes, it's in my head. I'm just listening to the beat. I usually start off mumbling to see the cadence I'm gonna use for the beat, and then I feel out the words.

[Gunna and I] were just f—ing around, cooking up, and working a lot. It was in the same session in L.A. When I lock in, especially with somebody from Atlanta, we're gonna lock in . When you go in the studio like that, you're competitive. We're going back and forth. I hate saying I'm competing with people, so I don't even want to say that. It's like a fun collaboration. You're good, and I'm good. We're both from the A. I've been rocking with him since his first album. 

The fans like it when we do songs together. We made some hard s— with "Prada Dem," and then we made this. We were in a confident bag. We both fly, you know what I'm saying? 

The video was more of a fashion film vibe. That's why there weren't so many scenes or activity; it was more placements, colorations, and settings. I went crazy on that motherf—er.

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Epik High Are Still Pumped After All These Years: How The Korean Hip-Hop Trio Broke All Their Rules By Going Back To Basics

Photo: OURS Co.

Epik High have released their first mixtape, 'Pump,' 20 years into their career. Frontman Tablo details their new release, U.S. tour, and why he wants to be onstage in his grandpa years.

When Korean hip-hop trio Epik High released their debut album, Map of the Human Soul , in 2003, the world seemed completely different.

"Can you believe we didn’t have smartphones? I can’t imagine, I can barely remember," says  Epik High frontman Tablo over a video call from Seoul. 

Yet, those are the years the group aimed to recall in their first mixtape, Pump . Musing on their beginnings, the trio — also composed by Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz — breaks free from their usual formulas in favor of fluid and raw tracks, as can be seen in the single "Antihero." 

"We wanted to create like we were rookies again," Tablo says. "We didn't want to think about the path too much, although we did make references to certain songs from early albums because it's fun." 

Released in June, Pump is a testament to Epik High’s ability to reinvent themselves. Over 10 studio albums, four EPs, and a handful of special releases , they remained a pivotal group in South Korean music. Through chart-topping hits like "Fan," "Fly," "It’s Cold" with Lee Hi, and "Born Hater" featuring rappers Beenzino, Verbal Jint, B.I, Mino, and Bobby, they helped popularize hip hop and rap in a country dismissive to those genres. Their insightful and honest lyrics encouraged larger discussions about mental health and social issues, inspiring artists such as BTS and B.I. And Their message and music led to global acclaim as well: In 2016, Epik High became the first major South Korean act to perform at Coachella; they would perform again in 2022. 

To celebrate another year of growing success, the band recently embarked on a world tour. After crossing Asia and Australia, they kicked off the first out of 23 shows in North America on Aug. 22, in Vancouver, British Columbia, and are set to play in Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Orlando, Boston, and other U.S. cities throughout September.

Ahead of the tour, GRAMMY.com caught up with Tablo to chronicle this distinct moment in their careers, how to maintain longevity as a band, and living a life worthy of a K-drama.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Epik High just released their first mixtape. In previous interviews , you've defined 'Pump'  as a mixtape because, sonically, it’s very different from your studio albums and EPs. Why are you exploring this format 20 years into your career?

We felt kind of lost as we were leading up to our 20th year, which is ironic. On the surface, it looked like we had it all together, because we were doing our 20th tour and we had a movie [showcasing the group's 20th anniversary concert] out, but it's a scary number. It was scary when we hit 10, but hitting 20 — when a human hits 20, they're like, I'm an adult. Now, what do I do with my life?

Epik High turned 20, and we [started wondering], What would we do if we were back to our first year and no one knew us? If we didn't know how to make music the way we know now? What kind of album would we create? We [thought], A mixtape, just free flowing and doing whatever we want, and breaking all the rules . Not music rules, but Epik High rules, because we've developed some of them over the years.

What are some of these rules?

Well, it's not necessarily rules. What I said to my members was, "I think our biggest weakness is that we know too much." Over the years, we've gained so much experience and our skill level has gone up to the point where we know exactly how to craft a hit, and we know exactly what kind of songs will speak to what kind of audience. Knowing all of this typically would be a good thing, but for us, it's our disadvantage — because we will immediately go to those decisions, instead of exploring something new or risky.

It took [the members] a while to accept that. I had to drag it in, and then they came to me, "You know, you're right. We do feel like that." And I was like, "Let's write these things down that we don't want to do." All of them were things that we usually do, like, let's not just go to a famous feature, because that's such an easy thing that we know how to do. Let's not make big melody hooks that we know will work. And then we just went with that, which in itself is very risky, because we didn't know how the audience would react.

Judging by our streaming, usually hit songs spike like crazy in the first couple days, and then fall off because a lot of people only listen once or twice. And then there are songs where less people listen because it's not commercial or it's not catered to everyone, but they listen over and over again, and that's what we're seeing with this album. It’s a very interesting phenomenon, and something that actually makes us very happy.

I noticed that 'Pump' is quite different from the music that you have been doing lately. You need to spend some time with it to understand what's going on and to find its magic. It's not an album of easy hooks, like you said. Do you think you guys were revisiting the Epik High of 20 years ago, or that you were rewriting that era, doing what you wish you had done?

There's both. We wanted to create like we were rookies again; we didn't want to think about the path too much, although we did make references to certain songs from early albums because it's fun. 

But we don't ever regret things, or wish we could go back to a certain era, because there was a lot of good stuff, but there were also a lot of terrible things that we don't want to ever revisit. So, we're more focused from today on.

Thinking back to 20 years ago, what are some of the changes you witnessed, either in music or in yourselves?

Literally, the entire world has changed. When we started, people were still dropping cassette tapes. Now, cassette tapes are something fun that artists do as a collector's item. We didn't have streaming. We didn't have social media. I'm sure some people who are reading this interview can't even fathom, but we did live in a world without any of that.

The downside is that it was very, very difficult to get our music to audiences. To get one listener was almost an impossibility, so we were forced to go out and perform. Back then, hip-hop was not accepted at all [in Korea]; it was just not a genre that people liked. And because we didn't have any stages to go on, we performed at a zoo, we performed at clubs with 13 people in there, we just had to do that because that was the only way to get our music out.

And the huge upside, though, is that, because we developed our skills performing to an audience that was either confused by us or didn't like us, we had to make them understand the music and make them vibe. We developed a very specific skill set that is really hard to attain. I think that's why, 20 years later, we're still able to headline festivals and to do these big tours, and people have a really good time at our shows.

Nowadays, a lot of times musicians will feel satisfied with their streaming numbers, or with their social numbers. They might not feel that it's necessary to get out there and to perform in front of 10 people. I'm sure none of them will perform at a zoo.

This mixtape’s single, "Antihero," approaches people’s perceptions and misconceptions about Epik High. When someone gets famous, they are either idolized or demonized — we see that a lot in the Korean music scene, specifically in K-pop, where fans even call artists "idols." What do you think about that? Is this related to the message you wanted to convey?

"Antihero" is less "I'm an antihero," and more "You see me as an antihero," where you may like me, but you don't fully like me. There's always some flaw, or some weakness that you're looking for, and that's sort of the stance of the song. 

Epik High has had a lot of anti[fans] over the last 20 years, and at the same time, though, we provide a lot of entertainment to these antis . They would literally have nothing to do if we didn't provide them with something to get angry about, or to harass us about. In a way, we're sort of these twisted heroes to them as well.

That's why, if you look at the music video, [there is] a hero part, and then a villain part, because those are the two sides of an antihero. But that's also the two sides of any star, or any person, actually. Some people choose to see the good parts of you, but some people will choose to ignore all of that and see just the parts that seem dark. I think that the song is touching on all of that.

The lyrics to "K-drama" use Korean TV dramas' vocabulary — like "dramatic reversal" and "OST" — to talk about real life. What do you think about the image that South Korea displays in these shows?

I'm a huge fan of K-dramas. It's just very fun, and always has you at the edge of your seat. I don't know if people outside [of Korea] think that, if you come to Korea, you're immediately stepping into a K-drama. A lot of people get deluded and think, like, all Korean men are perfect. 

But just the same, a lot of people outside the U.S. think that, if you go to L.A., it's going to be like a Dr. Dre music video, or a Snoop Dogg music video. And that's just one depiction of one part of a very complicated, beautiful, and complex place.

There's always truth in fiction, so you will discover elements of K-dramas when you come here. But if life was a K-drama… A lot of K-dramas are really tragic, the plot twists. Although I will say, I've been embroiled in the TaJinYo scandal [Editor's note: Starting in 2010, Tablo was victim to a smear campaign that accused him of faking his bachelor's and master's degrees from Stanford University. The school came forward multiple times to confirm his accomplishments, and eight TaJinYo members were sentenced to prison .], and there were actual directors, even overseas, who wanted to turn it into a drama or a movie. So, I guess I did live a life that's like a K-drama, true with heroes, villains, and victims. It was crazy.

Why hasn't it become a series or a movie yet? Do you plan on making something like that?

Well, it's a very tricky story to tell. It's a timeless story, because it's about the internet, and it's about hatred and idolization, but it's not an easy thing to turn into a fictional story.

Do you feel like it would be weird to see your life depicted on screen? Or do you already feel that, since a good part of your life has been public ?

I am very good at keeping myself and my family detached from our public persona. But I don't mean to say that Tablo or Epik High are not an actual version of ourselves. It's just that Epik High is different in that, when we come off stage, we don't experience that huge drop off.

On stage we have a very specific goal, which is to make the audience have a great time. Nothing else is on our minds. And because of that, when we come off stage, there's no high to come off. We finish the concert and we're home 20 minutes later, doing dishes and vacuuming. I’m not kidding. Epik High is notorious for not having after parties, and we will just come home after a huge stadium concert and watch YouTube with our kids, or take out the garbage.

It keeps your ego in check.

Yeah. When we first became famous, we probably did have a period where we thought, This is about us . But very quickly we realized that, if this was about us, we were not going to have longevity, because that fades. But if you keep it about the audience, as long as they're there, you know that it won't change.

Since you talked about longevity, what are the most important things for a band to stay together and to still be relevant and innovative after 20 years?

Over the last couple of years, a lot of huge brands in Korea have invited me to speak to their companies. I think they look at us as a case study on the longevity of a brand, or how to stay connected for a long time. And I've declined, because speaking is not something I wanted to do, but it made me think, What is it?

First of all, you have to have no "yes men" around you.This is a very simple, but also extremely difficult thing to do, because people need an affirming environment, and that's not a bad thing, right? It's a very thin line between a supportive person, and a person who just tells you what you want to hear.

Epik High has absolutely zero of those people in our rooms. In interviews and stuff, the three of us almost seem like we hate each other. We're never not fighting, and we're doing it on screen, so imagine what we're like off screen.

Also, our staff [is] a very dedicated group of people, and we're all very, very honest — from our engineer to our art guy. Most of the people that we work with have been working with us for a long time, and none of them are scared to tell me, "Tablo, that outfit ain't it. Your hair ain't it." Or, "Tablo, your voice sucks right now." Or, "these lyrics are terrible." We're all very honest, and I think that's key to longevity.

An artist's career is sometimes destroyed by outside forces. But I tend to believe that, in a lot of cases, artists' careers get destroyed by the artists themselves. It's not their fault, but when you're constantly told what you want to hear, instead of what you need to hear, it's impossible to grow. If the people around you actually care for you, they will never prevent you from experiencing things, which is necessary for growth.

Looking ahead to the next 20 years, is there anything you want to do that you haven’t done yet?

We actually had this conversation lately: Wouldn’t it be really cool if there was a Korean hip-hop group who stayed together until they were grandpas? And we’re on stage with gray hair, but we’re still super good. And people will see us on TV or so, and will be like, "Those grandpas are dope!"

A lot of young artists tell us that they started music because they listened to Epik High. But later on, after they become big stars, they tell us that now we inspire them because we show that it’s possible to do [this] for over 10 years, 20 years, and still do what you want to do.

We never had that. We didn’t have anyone to look up to, any [groups] who stayed together and [kept making] music at the same level that they always did, so we were really scared. Hopefully, us becoming dope grandpas in the future will show people that it’s okay. It’s okay to just keep doing it.

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Ice Spice Is The Drill Queen On 'Y2K!': 5 Takeaways From Her Debut Album

The 10-track LP clocks in at just under 24 minutes, but it's packed with insanely quotable one-liners, star-studded collaborations, and bold statements.

Since Ice Spice first caught our attention two summers ago, she's been nothing short of a rap sensation. From viral hits like her breakout "Munch (Feelin' U)," to co-signs from Drake and Cardi B , to a Best New Artist nomination at the 2024 GRAMMYs , the Bronx native continues to build on her momentum — and now, she adds a debut album to her feats.

Poised to be one of the hottest drops of the summer, Y2K! expands on Ice Spice's nonchalant flow and showcases her versatility across 10 unabashedly fierce tracks. She dabbles in Jersey club on "Did It First," throws fiery lines on lead single "Think U the S— (Fart)," and follows the album's nostalgic title with an interpolation of an early '00s Sean Paul hit on "Gimmie a Light."

Y2K! also adds more star-studded features to Ice Spice's catalog, with Travis Scott , Gunna and Central Cee featuring on "Oh Shh...," "B— I'm Packin'," and "Did It First," respectively. At the helm is producer RiotUSA , Ice Spice's longtime friend-turned-collaborator who has had a hand in producing most of the rapper's music — proving that she's found her stride.

As you stream Ice Spice's new album, here are five key takeaways from her much-awaited debut, Y2K!.

She Doubles Down On Bronx Drill

Ice Spice is one of the few ladies holding down the New York drill scene on a mainstream level. She's particularly rooted in Bronx drill, a hip-hop subgenre known for its hard-hitting 808s, high-hats and synthesizers — and according to the sounds of Y2K! , it’s seemingly always going to be part of her artistry.

"It's always time to evolve and grow as an artist, so I'm not rushing to jump into another sound or rushing to do something different," Ice Spice told Apple Music of her tried-and-true musical style. 

While Y2K! may not be as drill-driven as her debut EP Like…? , the album further hints that Ice isn't ready to retire the sound anytime soon. The subgenre is the dominant force across the album's 10 tracks, and most evident in "Did It First," "Gimmie a Light" and "BB Belt." Even so, she continues her knack for putting her own flair on drill, bringing elements of trap and electronic music into bops like "Oh Shhh…" and "Think U the S— (Fart)."

She Recruited Producers Old & New

Minus a few tunes, all of Ice Spice's songs start off with her signature "Stop playing with 'em, Riot" catchphrase — a direct nod to her right-hand man RiotUSA. Ice and Riot met while attending Purchase College in New York, and they've been making music together since 2021's "Bully Freestyle," which served as Ice's debut single. "As I was growing, she was growing, and we just kept it in-house and are growing together," Riot told Finals in a 2022 interview.

Riot produced every track on Like.. ? as well as "Barbie World," her GRAMMY-nominated Barbie soundtrack hit with Nicki Minaj . Their musical chemistry continues to shine on Y2K! , as Riot had a hand in each of the LP's 10 tracks.

In a surprising move, though, Ice doesn't just lean on Riot this time around. Synthetic , who worked on Lil Uzi Vert' s GRAMMY-nominated "Just Wanna Rock," brings his Midas touch to "Think U the S—." Elsewhere, "B— I'm Packin'" is co-produced by Riot, Dj Heroin, and indie-pop duo Ojivolta , who earned a GRAMMY nomination in 2022 for their work on Kanye West 's Donda . But even with others in the room, Riot's succinct-yet-boisterous beats paired with Ice's soft-spoken delivery once again prove to be the winning formula.

She Loves Her Y2K Culture

Named after Ice Spice's birthdate (January 1, 2000), her debut album celebrates all things Y2K, along with the music and colorful aesthetics that defined the exciting era. To drive home the album's throwback theme, Ice tapped iconic photographer David LaChapelle for the cover artwork, which features the emcee posing outside a graffiti-ridden subway station entrance. LaChapelle's vibrant, kitschy photoshoots of Mariah Carey , Lil' Kim , Britney Spears , and the Queen of Y2K Paris Hilton became synonymous with the turn of the millennium.

True to form, Y2K! 's penultimate song and second single "Gimmie a Light" borrows from Sean Paul 's "Gimme the Light," which was virtually inescapable in 2002. "We really wanted to have a very authentic Y2K sample in there," Ice Spice said in a recent Apple Music Radio interview with Zane Lowe. Not only does the Sean Paul sample bring the nostalgia, but it displays Ice's willingness to adopt new sounds like dancehall on an otherwise drill-heavy LP.

Taking the Y2K vibes up another notch, album closer "TTYL," a reference to the acronym-based internet slang that ruled the AIM and texting culture of the early aughts. The song itself offers fans a peek insideIce's lavish and exhilarating lifestyle: "Five stars when I'm lunchin'/ Bad b—, so he munchin'/ Shoot a movie at Dunkin'/ I'm a brand, it's nothin.'"

She's A Certified Baddie

Whether she's flaunting her sex appeal in "B— I'm Packin'" or demanding potential suitors to sign NDAs in "Plenty Sun," Ice exudes confidence from start to finish on Y2K! .

On the fiery standout track "Popa," Ice demonstrates she's in a league of her own: "They ain't want me to win, I was chosen/ That b— talkin' s—, she get poked in/ Tell her drop her pin, we ain't bowlin'/ Make them b—hes sick, I got motion." And just a few songs later, she fully declares it with "BB Belt": "Everybody be knowin' my name (Like)/ Just want the money, I don't want the fame (Like)/ And I'm different, they ain't in my lane."

For Ice, "baddie" status goes beyond one's physical attributes; it's a mindset she sells with her sassy delivery and IDGAF attitude.

She's Deep In Her Bag

In album opener "Phat Butt," Ice boasts about rocking Dolce & Gabbana, popping champagne, and being a four-time GRAMMY nominee: "Never lucky, I been blessed/ Queen said I'm the princess/ Been gettin' them big checks in a big house/ Havin' rich sex," she asserts.

Further down the track list, Ice Spice firmly stands in her place as rap's newest queen. In "BB Belt," she raps, "I get money, b—, I am a millionaire/ Walk in the party, everybody gon' stare/ If I ain't the one, why the f— am I here, hm?"

Between trekking across the globe for her first headlining tour and lighting up the Empire State Building orange as part of her Y2K! album rollout, Ice Spice shows no signs of slowing down. And as "BB Belt" alludes, her deal with 10K Projects/Capitol Records (she owns her masters and publishing) is further proof that she's the one calling the shots in her career.

Whatever Ice decides to do next, Y2K! stands as a victory lap; it shows her prowess as drill's latest superstar, but also proves she has the confidence to tackle new sounds. As she rapped in 2023's "Bikini Bottom," "How can I lose if I'm already chose?" Judging by her debut album, Ice Spice is determined to keep living that mantra.

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Photo: Richard Bord

On Rakim's 'G.O.D's Network (REB7RTH)' The MC Turned Producer Continues His Legacy With An All-Star Cast

On his first project in 15 years, "God MC" Rakim produced seven songs and called on some of hip-hop's biggest names. The legend and his team detail his new album and working with Nipsey Hussle, DMX and Snoop Dogg.

Every album comes with a backstory, but not many come with two. Rakim 's new project G. O.D's Network (REB7RTH), out July 26, came together in a few quick months, from signing a deal in February 2024 to completion in June. The process was spurred by one dedicated A&R person frantically combing through his network of rappers to get guest verses over beats produced by the God MC himself.

But to hear that A&R man, Matt "M80" Markoff, tell it, creating the seven-song project didn't take four months. It took four years .

"I've known [Rakim's longtime manager] Matt [Kemp] and Rakim since 2007," Markoff tells me when I get him on the phone in late June. "They're used to getting calls from me a couple of times a year just for, like, show referrals, verse referrals, things of that nature."

Back at the beginning of the pandemic, Markoff had been talking to the folks at Fat Beats, the venerable record store-turned-distributor that's a huge name in independent hip-hop. He mentioned Rakim's name to the company, and Fat Beats responded that they'd love a project from the God MC. The original pitch, Markoff remembers, was "a three or four song EP with some remixes."

Rakim quoted his price, Fat Beats agreed, and the project was underway, with the emcee meeting with producers to look for beats. But Rakim, who hasn't released a solo album since 2009's The Seventh Seal , is not one to be hurried.

"Ra was having [DJ] Premier and Pete Rock and Ninth Wonder and some of these people come to the studio," Markoff says. "Because of scheduling conflicts and stuff and, you know, normal course of life, it just wasn't right. The vibe wasn't there."

That's where Jazzy Jeff came into play. Rakim and the legendary DJ began working together and, per Markoff, it "just meshed." It seemed like, instead of a handful of songs, a full-length record was in the offing.

"As soon as they finish the first song, I walk into Fat Beats and say, ‘Hey, this is what we're doing now,'" the A&R man recalls. "Instead of Rakim with random producers, it's Rakim/Jazzy Jeff. That'll be huge."

Then…nothing.

A few years pass , and the Rakim and Jazzy Jeff project is still unfinished. (Rakim described its status as "We have a couple records already done.") Fat Beats, which was on the auction block (it was eventually sold in March 2024), wants its money back. Rakim obliges, and everyone seems set to forget about the whole thing.

Markoff, however, was not about to give up on working with the man he calls "my favorite emcee of all time."

The revamped album started its life as not an album at all. Instead, the original conception was a model Markoff had used before: licensing beats by people not typically thought of as producers. In this case, he'd be offering aspiring rappers the chance to get beats by arguably the most influential rapper of all time.  

"He's taken people who are not necessarily known as producers and put together beat packages for them," manager Matt Kemp says of Markoff. "And then, one of the things he does is he goes out and he licenses those beats through a company that he has. If you're a European artist that wouldn't necessarily have access to things like that, you can get it."

So that, as of February of this year, was the (revamped) plan: have Rakim do six beats and one verse, and sell non-exclusive licenses, so that any rapper, anywhere in the world, who wants to use them in a song of their own could do so. This, indeed, was a vision that was followed through all the way to the finish line — you can see the end result released July 12, priced between $700-$1,050 depending on what you want to do with the beats and the rhyme, here .

But along the way to creating that package, things got significantly more complicated. As Rakim was making the beats, he found he really liked them. In some cases, he even wanted to rhyme on them himself.

"As the beats started coming together and Rakim was really in the studio and we started putting the rhymes onto them, we realized that it was bigger just than that [original vision]," Matt Kemp said.

The wheels started turning. Rakim, the God MC, as a producer? That would be a project worth sharing with the world, not just a few aspiring artists.

As it turns out, unbeknownst even to many Ra fans, the rapper has been making beats since the beginning. In fact, he produced — and played drums on — one of Eric B and Rakim's classic songs, 1992's "Juice (Know the Ledge)." So producing an entire project didn't seem like such a big stretch after all.  

"I always was attached to making beats," Rakim explains to me. "But I got to the point where I'm confident with my production now. I got the chance to produce the album and jumped at the opportunity."  

Rakim, as has been well documented over the years, comes from a musical family. His older brother Ronnie was a keyboard player of some note with his own claim on rap history , his other brother Stevie is also keyboardist who performed on some Eric B. and Rakim songs, and the rapper's aunt is the late R&B legend Ruth Brown. So when making beats, Ra will often play drums, bass, guitar, or piano. (He cops to enlisting one of his brothers if the keyboard part gets too complicated.)

He describes his production style this way: "You try to add on to the sample, and enhance certain sounds that you hear. Or you might just add a melody that you feel enhances the sample as well."  

In addition to playing instruments on the project, Rakim also plays the turntable.

"I always knew how to DJ, and I like being able to enjoy the project from a different seat," he tells me. "I enjoyed putting the music together, coming up with the scratch patterns."

So with the musical side of the equation firmly in place, what about the vocals? Rakim was inspired to add verses on a few songs, and hooks on a few more.

"It's mostly a project that I was supposed to be producing," he explains. "In the midst of that, there's certain beats that I'm playing and I'm like, ‘I gotta rhyme on this one,' or, ‘I got a rhyme that fits this one perfectly.'"

The question was, what to write about? After a decade and a half without an album, the rapper had a lot to discuss, and needed to find new ways to say it.

For the project's lead single, "BE ILL," he got in plenty of internal rhymes. And the song's tempo allowed him to come up with different rhythms.

"When tracks are at that speed, I'm able to manipulate time and space to come up with different rhythms because I have so much time and space to deal with," he says. "It was one of them songs I loved rhyming to. Just having fun with words and phrases, and at the same time having so much on my mind to say."

"I'm trying to say a lot of things," Ra admits when discussing his writing on the album. "It's hard to just come back and say a verse when you've been gone so long. So I tried to be very specific and cautious with the words that I chose, and try to be entertaining at the same time. So it was a little nerve wracking."

Even with Rakim's vocal contributions (he ends up with either verses or hooks on six of the project's seven tracks), more was needed to complete the songs. That's where Markoff really got going.

"Literally, I didn't waste a single day," he remembers. "I was calling the artists in my network. I reached out to each artist one by one, and let each artist go through the folder [of beats] with me and make their picks."

Among the artists Markoff reached out to were several members of the Wu-Tang Clan . He has a long relationship with the crew, having worked with them on several projects including the well-regarded 2005 album Wu-Tang Meet the Indie Culture .

Markoff recalls the exact moment when he lined up Wu member Masta Killa for his appearance on what became "BE ILL."

"I was at the first ever Wu-Tang Clan residency in Vegas, and I told Masta Killa, ‘Dude, I just got these Rakim beats 10 minutes ago.' I played 10 seconds of the second beat, which was the beat for ‘BE ILL.' And he was like, ‘That's the one.'"  

A different Wu-Tang show was responsible for one of the album's other notable guest appearances, Cash Money stalwart B.G. The two met at the concert, and the Louisiana rapper was in the studio "48 hours later," Markoff recalls.

For a handful of artists he had good long-term relationships with, Markoff let them choose which of Rakim's beats they wanted to rap over. In addition to Masta Killa, he names Chino XL, Hus Kingpin, 38 Spesh , and TriState as being on that short list. After that, he says, it was all his decision.  

The end result is a list of some of the top rappers in his Rolodex: Kool G. Rap, Method Man , Kurupt , Canibus , KXNG Crooked, Skyzoo , Joell Ortiz, and many more — including an outro from Snoop Dogg . But one of the most surprising things on the tracklist is that a number of the guests aren't alive anymore.

Nipsey Hussle , Prodigy, DMX , and Fred the Godson have verses on the record. All of them were people Markoff had worked with in some capacity over the course of his career. He says that all of the verses were "in my stash or under my ownership." So when he was looking for material for the Rakim project, they were a perfect fit.

The Nipsey Hussle contribution in particular stood out so much that the entire song, "Love Is the Message," was designed around it. The project's engineer placed Neighborhood Nip's verse first, and everyone else listened to that when recording.

"We kind of glorified who he is, and came up with the title ‘Love Is the Message' to put everything in perspective," Rakim tells me. " So everybody vibed off of that and everything that we implemented had to have that feel or had to be in that direction."  

One thing Rakim noticed as he was listening to the contributions coming in? Many of them were paying tribute to him. In particular, B.G. says in his verse that he's "on a song with the greatest."  

"To hear things like that from my peers is a beautiful thing," says Rakim, who also admits to tearing up when hearing Snoop Dogg praise him on the outro of one of the album's songs. "Hip-hop is one of the more, I guess, feisty genres. It's hard to get that love from your peers. So it's a real blessing to hear it from people like that, to hear what they think of you and to say that on records. A lot of people might think that of you, but would never say it on a record."

For Markoff, B.G.'s tribute was particularly meaningful because of the rapper's history. He began his career in a duo , and later a quartet , with another rapper sometimes considered the greatest of all time, Lil Wayne .

"For B.G. to have that history, but acknowledge Rakim — I was speechless," Markoff confides. "It was really cool to see. It's like, ‘I'm not just going to say my partner, my friend, my confidant Lil Wayne's the best because we grew up together.'"

Finally, after all the guest verses came in, the project was ready. Seven songs, entirely produced by Rakim, with raps by him and a broad cross-section of artists. The question, then: what exactly is this project? An album? An EP? Rakim's big comeback? A teaser for his eventual full-length return?

To Markoff, none of these labels are important. He's not concerned about fans being disappointed that a project under Rakim's name features only a handful of the rapper's verses.

 "The fan is going to look at it however they want to look at it," he says. "The negative people will stay negative. It wouldn't matter if it was the greatest album of all time. The positive people that are so grateful that I stepped up to the plate to help bring new Rakim music to the world are going to love it."

After all, he continues, "The whole point originally when we started making it was letting his peers shine on Rakim beats. The fact that this project morphed into something that Rakim literally is on 95% of, I couldn't have asked for more of a blessing."

So Matt Markoff, the boy who fell in love with Rakim's music at 12 is now, three decades later, putting out music from his hero.

"Dream fulfilled," he says right before we hang up. "Now I gotta figure out what I'm going to do for the rest of my life."  

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Lil yachty's delightfully absurd path to 'let's start here'.

Matthew Ramirez

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 29: Lil Yachty performs on the Stage during day 2 of Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival 2017 at Exposition Park on October 29, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Rich Fury/Getty Images hide caption

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 29: Lil Yachty performs on the Stage during day 2 of Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival 2017 at Exposition Park on October 29, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.

Lil Yachty often worked better as an idea than a rapper. The late-decade morass of grifters like Lil Pump, amidst the self-serious reign of Future and Drake (eventual Yachty collaborators, for what it's worth), created a demand for something lighter, someone charismatic, a throwback to a time in the culture when characters like Biz Markie could score a hit or Kool Keith could sustain a career in one hyper-specific lane of rap fandom. Yachty fulfilled the role: His introduction to many was through a comedy skit soundtracked by his viral breakout "1 Night," which tapped into the song's deadpan delivery and was the perfect complement for its sleepy charm. The casual fan knows him best for a pair of collaborations in 2016: as one-half of the zeitgeist-defining single "Broccoli" with oddity D.R.A.M., or "iSpy," a top-five pop hit with backpack rapper Kyle. Yachty embodied the rapper as larger-than-life character — from his candy-colored braids to his winning smile — and while the songs themselves were interesting, you could be forgiven for wondering if there was anything substantial behind the fun, the grounds for the start of a long career.

As if to supplement his résumé, Yachty seemed to emerge as a multimedia star. Perhaps you remember him in a Target commercial; heard him during the credits for the Saved by the Bell reboot; spotted him on a cereal box; saw him co-starring in the ill-fated 2019 sequel to How High . TikTok microcelebrity followed. Then the sentences got more and more absurd: Chef Boyardee jingle with Donny Osmond; nine-minute video cosplaying as Oprah; lead actor in an UNO card game movie. Somewhere in a cross-section of pop-culture detritus and genuine hit-making talent is where Yachty resides. That he didn't fade away immediately is a testament to his charm as a cultural figure; Yachty satisfied a need, and in his refreshingly low-stakes appeal, you could imagine him as an MTV star in an alternate universe. Move the yardstick of cultural cachet from album sales to likes and he emerges as a generation-defining persona, if not musician.

Early success and exposure can threaten anyone's career, none so much as those connected to the precarious phenomenon of SoundCloud rap. Yachty's initial peak perhaps seeded his desire years later to sincerely pursue artistry with Let's Start Here , an album fit for his peculiar trajectory, because throughout the checks from Sprite and scolding Ebro interviews he never stopped releasing music, seemingly to satisfy no one other than himself and the generation of misfits that he seemed to be speaking for.

But to oversell him as a personality belittles his substantial catalog. Early mixtapes like Lil Boat and Summer Songs 2 , which prophetically brought rap tropes and pop sounds into harmony, were sustained by the teenage artist's commitment to selling the vibe of a track as he warbled its memorable hook. It was perhaps his insistence to demonstrate that he could rap, too, that most consistently pockmarked his output during this period. These misses were the necessary growing pains of a kid still finding his footing, and through time and persistence, a perceived weakness became a strength. Where his peers Lil Uzi Vert and Playboi Carti found new ways to express themselves in music, Yachty dug in his heels and became Quality Control's oddball representative, acquitting himself on guest appearances and graduating from punchline rapper to respectable vet culminating in the dense and rewarding Lil Boat 3 from 2020, Yachty's last official album.

Which is why the buzzy, viral "Poland" from the end of 2022 hit different — Yachty tapped back into the same lively tenor of his early breakthroughs. The vibrato was on ten, the beat menaced and hummed like a broken heater, he rapped about taking cough syrup in Poland, it was over in under two minutes and endlessly replayable. Yachty has already lived a full career arc in seven years — from the 2016 king of the teens, to budding superstar, to pitchman, to regional ambassador. But following "Poland" with self-aware attempts at similar virality would be a mistake, and you can't pivot your way to radio stardom after a hit like that, unless you're a marketing genius like Lil Nas X. How does he follow up his improbable second chance to grab the zeitgeist?

#NowPlaying

Lil yachty, 'poland'.

Let's Start Here is Lil Yachty's reinvention, a born-again Artist's Statement with no rapping. It's billed as psychedelic rock but has a decidedly accessible sound — the sun-kissed warmth of an agreeable Tame Impala song, with bounce-house rhythms and woozy guitars in the mode of Magdalena Bay and Mac DeMarco (both of whom guest on the album) — something that's not quite challenging but satisfying nonetheless. Contrast with 2021's Michigan Boy Boat , where Yachty performed as tour guide through Michigan rap: His presence was auxiliary by function on that tape, as he ceded the floor to Babyface Ray, Sada Baby and Rio Da Yung OG; it was tantalizing curation, if not a work of his own personal artistry. It's tempting to cast Let's Start Here as another act of roleplay, but what holds this album together is Yachty's magnetic pull. Whether or not you're someone who voluntarily listens to the Urban Outfitters-approved slate of artists he's drawing upon, his star presence is what keeps you engaged here.

Yachty has been in the studio recording this album since 2021, and the effort is tangible. He didn't chase "Poland" with more goofy novelties, but he also didn't spit this record out in a month. Opener (and highlight) "The Black Seminole" alternates between Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix-lite references. It's definitely a gauntlet thrown even if halfway through you start to wonder where Yachty is. The album's production team mostly consists of Patrick Wemberly (formerly of Chairlift), Jacob Portrait (of Unknown Mortal Orchestra), Jeremiah Raisen (who's produced for Charli XCX, Sky Ferreira and Drake) and Yachty himself, who's established himself as a talented producer since his early days. (MGMT's Ben Goldwasser also contributed.) The group does a formidable job composing music that is dense and layered enough to register as formally unconventional, if not exactly boundary-pushing. Yachty frequently reaches for his "Poland"-inspired uber-vibrato, which adds a bewitching texture to the songs, placing him in the center of the track. Other moments that work: the spoken-word interlude "Failure," thanks to contemplative strumming from Alex G, and "The Ride," a warm slow-burn that coasts on a Jam City beat, giving the album a lustrous Night Slugs moment. "I've Officially Lost Vision" thrashes like Yves Tumor.

Yet the best songs on Let's Start Here push Yachty's knack for hooks and snaking melodies to the fore and rely less on studio fireworks — the laid-back groove of "Running Out of Time," the mournful post-punk of "Should I B?" and the slow burn of "Pretty," which features a bombastic turn from vocalist Foushee. That Yachty's vaunted indie collaborators were able to work in simpatico with him proves his left-of-center bonafides. It's a reminder that he's often lined his projects with successful non-rap songs, curios like "Love Me Forever" from Lil Boat 2 and "Worth It" from Nuthin' 2 Prove . That renders Let's Start Here a less startling turn than it may appear at first glance, and also underlines his recurring talent for making off-kilter pop music, a gift no matter the perceived genre.

At a listening event for the record, Yachty stated: "I created [this] because I really wanted to be taken seriously as an artist. Not just some SoundCloud rapper, not some mumble rapper. Not some guy that just made one hit," seemingly aware of the culture war within his own genre and his place along the spectrum of low- to highbrow. To be sure, whether conscious of it or not, this kind of mentality is dismissive of rap music as an artform, and also undermines the good music Yachty has made in the past. Holing up in the studio to make digestibly "weird" indie-rock with a cast of talented white people isn't intrinsically more artistic or valid than viral hits or a one-off like "Poland." But this statement scans less as self-loathing and more as a renewed confidence, a tribute to the album's collective vision. And people like Joe Budden have been saying "I don't think Yachty is hip-hop " since he started. So what if he wants to break rank now?

Lil Yachty entered the cultural stage at 18, and has grown up in public. It adds up that, now 25, he would internalize all the scrutiny he's received and wish to cement his artistry after a few thankless years rewriting the rules for young, emerging rappers. Let's Start Here may not be the transcendent psychedelic rock album that he seeks, but it is reflective of an era of genreless "vibes" music. Many young listeners likely embraced Yachty and Tame Impala simultaneously; it tracks he would want to bring these sounds together in a genuine attempt to reach a wider audience. Nothing about this album is cynical, but it is opportunistic, a creation in line with both a shameless mixed-media existence and his everchanging pop alchemy. The "genre" tag in streaming metadata means less than it ever has. Credit to Yachty for putting that knowledge to use.

Lil Yachty Ready to Get Going With New Album ‘Let’s Start Here’

• By Jon Blistein

Jon Blistein

Lil Yachty appears ready to release his first new album in three years later this month. 

On social media Tuesday, Jan. 17, the rapper shared what was ostensibly the weird-as-hell cover art for his next LP — a surreal image of a group of besuited adults sporting some deranged smiles — along with the title and release date: Let’s Start Here out Jan. 27. 

Lil Yachty then cryptically added, “Chapter 2,” before thanking fans “for the patience.”

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“I met Andrew from MGMT, and I’ve been talking to a bunch of people. I met Kevin Parker [of Tame Impala], I’ve been talking to him. It’s just inspiring,” he said. “I got a bunch of side projects I’m going to drop before my next album. But what I’m trying to do on my next album, I’m trying to really take it there sonically.”

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Lil Yachty Explains Why He’s Celibate: “Women Probably Think I’m Gay”

Rapper Lil Yachty explained in a new interview why he’s no longer sleeping around with several women. He also shares that his newfound celibacy may cause women to think he’s gay.

“I don’t have sex, and I think women probably think I’m gay,” he said during a recent interview. “I don’t care that much,” he said. “I think a lot of times women think if they flying out to you like that we have to have sex. Or like that’s on my mind.”

“Sometimes I just like to see what someone is like,” he continued. “Or even if I can be around them ’cause I usually can’t.”

Yachty says he had so much sex before his spiritual awakening that he is over it.

“I just had so much sex that it’s like diluted to me,” he said. “Yea, like, it’s just… it’s not what it used to be. Like, I get off more on just really laughing. Like, ’cause laughing is so good to laugh and it’s a real laugh and it’s like yea, we’re laughing together.”

CLICK HERE to watch the interview

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Lil Yachty Announces New Album ‘Let’s Start Here’

The rapper's last set,  Lil Boat 3 , was released in 2020 and debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard 200.

By Heran Mamo

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Trending on Billboard

Jane's Addiction Guitarist Dave Navarro Posts Apology to Opening Acts After Tour Cancellation

This wouldn’t be Yachty’s first dip into the genre, as he collaborated with  Tame Impala on a 2021 remix of “Breathe Deeper” from  The Slow Rush B-Sides & Remixes , which peaked at No. 47 on  Hot Rock & Alternative Songs . 

In October 2022, the 25-year-old MC returned to the  Billboard Hot 100  for the first time since 2021’s “Hit Bout It,” featuring  Kodak Black ,” with his  frigid, viral sensation “Poland.” The song reached No. 40 on the all-genre chart and entered the top 10 of  Billboard ‘s  Rap Streaming Songs  chart. He also produced several songs on  Drake  and 21 Savage’s collaborative album  Her Loss , which debuted at No. 1 on the  Billboard 200 .

Lil Yachty Sues NFT Seller For ‘Blatant’ Use of His Name And Image to Earn Millions

Yachty released his last full-length album,  Lil Boat 3 , on May 29, 2020 via Capitol Records, Motown Records and Quality Control Music. The 19-track set, which included lead single “Oprah’s Bank Account” featuring  DaBaby and Drake, launched at No. 14 on the Billboard 200. 

See the album artwork for  Let’s Start Here  below. 

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Lil yachty is the latest rapper to start a podcast.

He displayed his interview skills back in February during 'A Moody Conversation' with Drake.

By Armon Sadler

Armon Sadler

Hip-Hop Reporter

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Lil Yachty has been gracing microphones for almost a decade and is now gearing up to use his voice in another medium. The 25-year-old revealed that he is launching a podcast this week.

The Atlanta rapper solicited topics and questions from his fans via Instagram on Tuesday (June 13). “Filming my first podcast,” he wrote. “Send me any questions u want me to answer / any advice u need. Haha let’s go.”

Lil Yachty, unlike Joe Budden and N.O.R.E , isn’t preceding his venture into podcasting with retirement. The eclectic artist released “ Strike (Holster) ” back in April and some fans believe it is the highly coveted “ song of the summer .”

“Strike” followed his fifth studio album Let’s Start Here . which came out in January and is regarded as his most experimental effort to date due to the psychedelic rock and funk elements. The 14-track LP featured Daniel Caesar , Teezo Touchdown, Justine Skye , Fousheé, and Diana Gordon.

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Lil Yachty Performs ‘Poland’ In Poland Six Times In A Row

Lil Yachty has gone out on a limb and performed his 2022 infectious single “Poland” six consecutive times while at a show in Poland.

Footage of the insane feat was reposted on Instagram by Lil Boat on Saturday (July 1).

Lil Yachty stood in front of a massive crowd and took his energy to the next level with each subsequent playback of the popular track. By the time Yachty got to the fifth and sixth performance, his pants were almost to his ankles and his voice was gone.

Lil Yachty captioned the post by saying, “Love 4 Lyfe Poland.”

Check out the energetic footage below:

Although the 25-year-old rapper is enjoying performing the monster record, his energy toward it wasn’t always exciting. 

In February,  Yachty admitted in an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe that he didn’t even want to release the intoxicating track.

“That was irritating,” he said. “I was pissed because I made ‘Poland’ while making this album on a day when they were mixing and I was in the other room just bored with the homies. I would’ve never dropped ‘Poland’ — ever — because I wanted to pivot myself into this.”

“So I was really irritated when it dropped, but I’m so grateful it did. Like I said, I really don’t know what I do next. I don’t know if I’ma do this again or do more rap.”

The warbling hook ( “I took the Wooooock to Poland,”  a reference to Wockhardt, the pharmaceutical company that produces promethazine-codeine syrup) inspired  countless memes  on social media.

The Quality Control rapper eventually released the AutoTune-laced song in October 2022 to capitalize on the viral moment and “Poland” invaded the Billboard Hot 100 where it cracked the Top 40 and the Lyrical Lemonade-helmed visual currently boasts over 27 million views.

Also, In October 2022, Lil Yachty received an invite to the European country based on the attention “Poland” was garnering at the time.

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April 17, 2023

Quality Control CEO Pierre “Pee” Thomas shared an alleged text conversation with Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki inviting Lil Boat to his homeland.

“Thank you for the call,” Pee wrote, alluding to a recent phone conversation with Prime Minister Morawiecki. “Let’s make arrangements to get Mr. Yachty to [your] country to celebrate.”

Morawiecki replied: “Will check the schedule and get back with you. Thank you for your time.”

Pee then sent the text exchange to Lil Yachty, who initially had no clue who Morawiecki is. After looking him up online, an astonished Yachty wrote back: “Oh shit.”

“Poland” earned co-signs from many of Lil Yachty’s rap peers upon its released including Drake , Wiz Khalifa , and Offset .

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Roots, Rock, Reggae: Fousheé’s Culture Clash

A family reunion in Jamaica shaped Fousheé's 'Pointy Heights,' one of the year's best albums. We spoke to her about Bob Marley, Steve Lacy, the history of ska, and more.

When I heard Fousheé’s “Still Around” for the first time, my mood changed. At this point in my life, existential crises come and go on a weekly basis and mood swings happen, but this was different—I couldn’t even decipher my own internal response. I attribute this particular mood shift to the melody in “Still Around,” the lead single from Fousheé’s new album Pointy Heights .

Speaking with her over Zoom, I blurted out that I believe there is such a thing as a Fousheé-type melody. I instantly regretted saying that aloud, because no artist wants to be boxed into any one type of thing , but I stand by what I meant. Whether she’s making hushed R&B over trap drums, aggressive punk-inspired rock, or sleek, synth-driven pop, there are melodies and pockets within those melodies that only Fousheé would spin into existence.

The mood shift that “Still Around” triggers is complicated—Fousheé is a master of contradictions, and sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what emotion is being evoked by any given song. There’s yearning, pain, nostalgia, serenity, anger, tenderness, and despair, sometimes swirling around each other at once, and mostly ambiguous enough to be left up to your own interpretation.

This delicate balancing act has been apparent ever since Fousheé’s breakout hit. It all started with a royalty-free sample that Fousheé uploaded to Splice. Brooklyn drill rapper Sleepy Hallow used a loop of the haunting vocal snippet to serve as the backbone to his “Deep End Freestyle.” It blew up ( unbeknownst to Fousheé , at first) and she eventually followed it up with her own extended version of “Deep End,” showcasing a spellbinding performance over skittering hi-hats and sparse guitar. To further distance herself from the potential confines of her unlikely, far-reaching first impression, she also shared an acoustic version of the song .

From there, her first project Time Machine featured a Depeche Mode cover , a Lil Yachty feature, and over half the songs were drumless. On 2022’s softCORE , she veered into explosive pop punk territory and brought Lil Uzi Vert along with her for a song. By 2024, she had collaborated with Steve Lacy (multiple times, and earned a Grammy nod for her contributions to “Bad Habit”), Lil Wayne, Ravyn Lenae, Childish Gambino, Pink Siifu, Vince Staples, King Princess, Saba, and Teezo Touchdown. The point is: whatever boxes listeners may have built around Fousheé through lazy labels like alt-soul, trap-R&B, or urban-whatever, she tore through them.

Even in her music’s brightest moments, Fousheé’s songwriting obscures any sentiment implied by the beats, words, instrumentality, and production. Musically, her new album Pointy Heights is some of her most radiant work, beaming with syrupy grooves and free-spirited charm.

The project was made in Jamaica during a trip to Pointy Heights, a community that Fousheé’s late grandfather established after buying land for his family to live on. Fousheé hadn’t been since she was a child, but her connection to Jamaican culture runs deep—her mother was a drummer in an all-girl band in Jamaica and reggae was always playing in the New Jersey home that Fousheé grew up in. The rhythms and messages stuck.

On Pointy Heights the album, Fousheé embraces those Jamaican roots—sometimes obviously, and other times more discreetly through an easygoing bounce or the swing of a rubbery bassline. “War” is powered by an untroubled ‘60s rocksteady sample, and the hook includes phrases like “No one can save you from the truth you create” and “We build our world with the tongue, and I’d rather not be at war.” On paper it might read like an uplifting call for peace of mind, but when you put it all together with her playfully pining, almost mischievous tone, it elicits something more complex. And then in the song's sole verse, Fousheé sings irreverently: "Pray for my opps every day, ‘cause they gon' hate this here year I'm having."

“I love things that sit in between two things—good and bad, salty and sweet, love and anger. I think it's healthy to have balance, and I like to write that way,” Fousheé explains. “If the music is sweet, I love the irony of more gritty words on top of it. Mostly I'm just trying to explain how I feel in the moment.”

So what is Fousheé feeling at this moment, with her new album finished and ready to be released into the world a week after this conversation?

“Everything,” she says. “Some hours of the day, I feel excited. And some I feel nervous. Some I feel relieved, but one thing that has been consistent is when I hear this album in its entirety, it's still something I stand behind.”

I have to start by talking about “Still Around.” I love that song, and I’m curious why you decided to release that one first. “Still Around” is a song about acceptance and detachment. It's basically saying that in order to love you, I have to have a certain detachment from you for us each to be our best selves. I think it's a hard pill to swallow.

In a relationship, a lot of people feel like they own the other person in a way. I found it interesting that for everyone's best interest, there has to be a detachment for that person to be able to experience the world. They have to share their love with other people, and that could be monogamous—it could mean a lot of things—but they have to be able to experience that person in the now and for who they are right now, as opposed to holding onto the concept of who they were in the past.

I was saying that I'm okay with you going out and experiencing the love that the world has to offer you and it doesn't change our relationship and it doesn't change what we mean to one another. I know that I'm still your pride and joy and I'm okay with that. So it's like a sad song dressed up as a happy song.

Is that a message that carries across the whole album, or was releasing it as the lead single more about setting the tone sonically? Every song has its unique topic. It touches on romantic love, detachment, nostalgia within friendships, conquering your mind. So everything is unique. I would say the thing that ties it together is the fusion that I was aiming to make sonically.

I was trying to find where the crossover was between the music that I was already making and the music that was made in Jamaica, through all time. I found myself in the 1950s where ska was just being created, and they were replicating Western sound. In the process, they created a genre of their own.

I feel like it's connected. I hear the elements of soul and then I’m taking ska and implementing it in some records. “War” is a sample of one of the staple pioneers of ska, Prince Buster , and I’m reinterpreting that for now, to the present. That's what the whole album is, an interpretation of the place my family comes from.

Pointy Heights is a town that was founded by my grandfather. They called him Pointy because he was pint-sized. On that plot of land, all the family lives—there’s nine children and all of their houses are back to back to back. So there's this culture there that I got to re-explore as an adult. Before going back there, I hadn’t been there since I was like 5.

What led to the decision to want to make that trip? Was it a personal decision, or were you searching for inspiration? It's something that I always knew I wanted to do. I wasn't searching for inspiration. It was just something I couldn't not do, you know what I mean?

Once I was there, I saw that wow, this is the road it took for my mom to be in the US and for me to be able to do what I love. It made me question: am I ready to pass the torch on to the next? I guess in the present, I'm taking the torch and now I have the responsibility of telling those stories of past generations. So it's that cycle of existence in a family and going back to be able to go forward.

I think I saw that before you took this trip, you were already talking about an album. So did you already have music made, and then you got there and you realized you wanted to start over, or how did that work? It's funny, one of the first songs I made from the album was a song called “Feel Like Home.” The irony of it is that I went back home, and suddenly I was clear-minded on what I wanted to make.

So it didn’t change the concepts I was writing about, because I’m not talking literally about the family in the music—it’s more like life gems that are in the music. Being there made me want to do more research on the musical history and my family history and incorporate that in the instrumental aspect and the visual aspect of everything.

My actual family is featured in the videos, and it's based on the trip I took there for a family reunion. So in the first visualizer I get the call from my uncle, and then I'm there and it’s me just existing in the town and interacting with everyone in the family and passing the story down. But I also didn’t want to abandon what I was already doing and making, so it's a mixture of things.

That's your uncle dancing in the “Still Around” video, right? It is, yeah. The bald one.

Is your family aware of what you’re doing and the success you’re having? They're so excited about it. My uncle was just telling me after we left how quickly the word spread around town and how proud everyone was. He's a teacher, so all the students were sending him messages about his appearance in the video and the effect it made in the community.

We had an all-local crew each day. Just being able to employ 20 local men, women, or whoever working on the crew, it really affects the area and the economy there. I’m happy to have been able to provide opportunities for people there. It’s a very tight-knit community, so they’re all kind of like family, and I wanted to be able to include the full family and raise awareness about what my grandfather built and shed light on the family, which is the community of Pointy Heights, and shed more light on Jamaica and this part of Jamaica, Saint Catherine. It was a very specific story.

What was your relationship with music from Jamaica, whether it was listening to it or making it, before this album? My first experience with Jamaican music, with reggae, was very early. My mom was a huge Bob Marley fan, so we played all the albums religiously. I think subconsciously, it always had an effect on me, but I was so into whatever was on the radio and pop culture and I became Americanized.

But now looking at the artist that I've become, I guess [Bob Marley] was one of the first examples that I had. He was playing the guitar, writing impactful lyrics, and his whole artistry was based in authenticity and cultural impact. That's definitely what I aspire to do. And now as an adult, I appreciate it even more. I'm going back to the lyrics that I learned and those messages are still very useful today.

There's this one song called “Who The Cap Fit” and I'll never forget, my mom used to just talk those words all the time. She used to just drill it into me, the lyrics to this one song:

Your worst enemy could be your best friend And your best friend, your worst enemy Some will eat and drink with you Then behind them su-su 'pon you Only your friends know your secrets So only he could reveal it Who the cap fit, let them wear it

All the lessons in the music, I still think about today.

I know your mom was a drummer in Jamaica. What do you think about music as something that’s in your blood or in your DNA versus something that you soak up through exposure? Like nature versus nurture, but specifically with music? I think it's a hundred percent spot on, just like how humans from different regions, their biological makeup develops to adapt to that environment. It’s the same, like if it happens enough within your family, I think it gets implanted in your DNA.

I wouldn't say I picked up her specific skills—I can't drum for shit—but the love of music and appreciation of music is definitely in there. Her great-grandfather was a choir director and had a beautiful voice. I never met him, but I heard. On the other side, my grandmother's father was a guitarist and he would perform at cafés. Yeah, I think it's somewhere in the DNA for sure.

Photos by Alondra Buccio (L), Noah Becker (R)

On Pointy Heights , it's clear how Jamaica influenced this project. Is there any New Jersey on this project, or is that part of you present in everything you make? New Jersey is always going to be there. It’s in my blood, it’s in the way I speak. It's where I was born and raised. It's kind of like how when you hear someone with an accent speak—to themselves, it doesn’t sound like they have an accent. So it's probably there and I don't see it, but I know it’s there.

You’ve collaborated with so many artists over the years. Why did you decide not to have any features on this album? Was that even a decision, or just how it happened? It was a decision. I wanted a chance to tell my own story without... I don't know, I'm a fan of every artist that I've ever worked with and collaborated with, but I also didn't want to hide behind features. I want to be able to stand on my own two feet, and for people to appreciate me for me. People still don't know too much about me, so telling this story was important and I didn’t want that crutch of, “Hey look at this person or that person.” It’s just me and the songs I have to offer. You can either hate it or love it.

It’s interesting that you bring up people not knowing too much about you. We spoke about that with Mach-Hommy recently , and Mk.gee is another artist who's getting a lot of attention but maintains some privacy. It seems like there are more artists coming up in a time where oversharing is almost expected, and they’re rejecting it. What’s your philosophy on that? Is it difficult to move that way today, without regularly sharing details of your life? For me, it's easy because I'm a pretty private person with anyone that I meet. I appreciate my privacy and I use music as a tool to put forward the pieces of me that I want people to perceive. I feel a sense of control and grounding that way, but I just don't feel the pressure to overshare.

"I didn't want to hide behind features. It’s just me and the songs I have to offer. You can either hate it or love it."

That’s not to say that I think there's anything wrong with being open about your life, but sometimes it’s not about the music anymore. I want the music to be the center point. Once you put out too many details about your life, people analyze and pick it apart. Over time, people will get to know me, and I like the pace as opposed to just being a buffet. Let me course it out and ease into it, because it makes it more special when you learn new things. It’s healthier mentally.

I didn't want to focus on collaborations, but I did want to ask you about Steve Lacy because he helped with at least some of this album, and it seems like you two have a special bond. How would you describe that relationship and what does it look like when you work together? It is a special bond. We can speak without words and be honest and vulnerable, and he pushes me a lot to challenge myself. Everything is kind of this game of ping pong with things we're excited about. We can exist in this world where it’s all about capturing that excitement and making great music, and there’s nothing superficial about it. It’s all for the love of music, and the fact that he’s such an amazing musician helped me with my own ear and musicality.

He is one of my best friends—so forward-thinking, so dynamic, one of my favorite artists, and I’m so grateful every time we are able to make music together.

He’s someone who's been in the music industry a little longer than you have, and he also moves on his own terms. Have you learned anything by watching that side of him? Oh yeah, so much. He's taught me to calm down. When I first got in the industry, I was very stressed about certain things, and I loved how laid back he was about everything while still being serious about his artistry. There's a certain fun and this sense of whatever's for me will find me, and being happy within his own world. I definitely learned so much from that and applied that to my life. It saved me in a lot of ways.

What were you stressed about when you were starting in the industry? Consistency. What am I supposed to be doing? What is the right move to make? Nothing is right and nothing is wrong. It's following your gut, working on your craft every moment that you can, pushing yourself, and being appreciative for the people around you—your team, your collaborators, treating everyone with respect and love. I didn't think you could be like that and be successful. He proved to me that you can be kind and laid back but also successful. You can live in your own world and still be of the world and still touch a large group of people without compromising.

You’re in the major label system and you’ve had songs that hundreds of millions of people have heard, but instead of following a formula you’re still taking risks and experimenting with new sounds. How do you think about commercial success versus your own artistic ambition? I still believe that if you stay 100% focused on your artistic vision, the commercial success will follow. It doesn't happen on the same timing for everyone, but that is just more of a beautiful outcome. If you chase commercial success, eventually you'll get it. But I don't think it gives you longevity in your career, in your artistry. I don't think it makes it easier to sleep at night unless you're soulless. But different people do it for their own reasons. Some people just need money, and I understand that. I think I'm doing it for survival through expression because I'm not a very open person, so I rely on these moments in music to express myself.

"If you chase commercial success, eventually you'll get it. But I don't think it gives you longevity in your career, in your artistry. I don't think it makes it easier to sleep at night unless you're soulless."

Do you think about the reaction from your fans outside of numbers and other metrics of success? Is there a desire to challenge or surprise your fans? I think every artist thinks of numbers, but that can be a dangerous game and it will change the art. So I try not to, but I’m a human being and something I do look [at numbers] and I do see what people may say. I take it with a grain of salt, I work on what I can within myself because I don’t think anyone is a hundred percent right or perfect, but there are some things I choose to ignore.

I always want to make it an experience for my fans, but I don’t consider the surprise element when I’m making music or planning the rollout. But I mean, I wouldn’t want my supporters to be bored. [ Laughs ]

It's fun to not know exactly what to expect out of an artist. Oh, it's scary!

It’s exciting. I never thought about it that way. It's scary to see the reaction. You never can calculate it. You never know what's going to surprise someone. I thought a natural next step from my first album was to make a punk album. It didn't feel like a surprise to me. But it was, and what surprised me more was that people were shocked that I was making punk music.

It's funny that a lot of artists go into punk at some point, but at the same time, it doesn't surprise me because it's a genre that is about resisting the system. So when you're in the system, it's a feeling that's natural.

And then people just implement it in different ways, within their attitude of not caring what people think or say. So I think anything can be punk and have that feeling, even ska. What I thought was interesting about this genre as I did my research, was in the second wave of ska in the ‘70s, Jamaicans immigrated to the UK, and ska came together with punk and new wave and reggae to make this second wave of ska that still had all those textures in it. I think that's what I'm also incorporating here—the mixture and the feeling of all the genres that I love and all the music that I've made. So it's just another element to it. I didn't abandon softCORE . I didn't abandon Time Machine . It’s all still in here to make this new era of sound.

The visuals around this album are also really distinct. I saw your post mentioning Malick Sidibé and I was looking into his work, and it was cool seeing that and then looking back at some of your imagery. When did that start coming into focus for you? I was looking back at where these kinds of overlaps happened, and I was looking at rock in Africa in the ‘60s and ‘70s with bands like Witch. I love what that music sounded like, and what it looked like visually. I did more research on African rock during that time, just seeing what it felt like visually, and [Sidibé] was an example of that.

In the late ‘60s, he took photos of local youth in Mali, and portrayed them to look like the rock stars and movie stars they wanted to be. How that looked and felt and tasted, and the textures—it nods to Africa and all Black music, and it was so clean and clear. The blend, that was exactly how I felt. And there was not much imagery of what that feeling was. I knew it had to be a derivative of that, and that we had to create our own interpretation of it. So I think it has some of that mixed in with a more modern, maybe punk-leaning feeling.

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So much of your music has a bittersweet quality to it, at least for me. I can’t really put my finger on it. Sometimes it’s the melodies more than the words. I was wondering: what comes first when you’re making a song? Usually the melody comes first. but sometimes a concept or idea will come first. I am a person of balance. I love things that sit in between two things—good and bad, salty, sweet, love and anger. I think it's healthy to have balance, and I like to write that way. If the music is sweet, I love the irony of more gritty words on top of it.

Mostly I'm just trying to explain how I feel in the moment. It could be a reaction to the music, how the music makes me feel, what emotions it incites. I’m trying to capture how I feel in a bottle, in a time capsule, and I never know what's going to come out. After that, it’s always built on and drawn out more—what else can I say about it? How can I balance this record? What else does this record need for the feeling to be conveyed? I’m still learning about that balance and making it more dynamic.

"I love things that sit in between two things—good and bad, salty, sweet, love and anger. I think it's healthy to have balance."

On my first album, I was scared of drums. I felt like drums boxed in the song to a genre. It’s like once, you add this type of drum, it's hip-hop, it's rock or whatever. And I wanted to be all those things, so I just took out drums. There's so many acoustic songs on there. And then softCORE was, for the most part, pigeonholed into one world. I'm just learning. I'm always learning.

That's interesting about the drums. I never thought of it like that, but you're right. Even if you take a song that is a straightforward rock song, but you add trap drums, it's just some version of trap now. Yeah, it's so true. Maybe because the drums are the heartbeat.

Do you get bored quickly? Or maybe not bored, but once you live in a sonic world for a while, are you ready to move on? Or do you ever want to stay in one world for a little longer? I do get bored. I don’t think I could make one sound for the rest of my life, but it’s interesting because I love artists who I can depend on in that way. Like a Bob [Marley]—you know what you’re going to get with Bob. Or Tracy Chapman, or Ecco2k. They kind of have their coined sounds, but I’d get bored if I had to stay in one sonic palette. I just don’t think I’m that type of artist. Maybe I’m someone put here to find new paths.

There are certain things that I associate with you throughout all of your music, though. To me, there is such a thing as a Fousheé type melody. Even if the music is totally different from album to album, you find these melodies that feel very unique to you. I'd be interested to hear what a Fousheé type melody is. I'll say: I don't do a lot of major chords.

I don't know what it is. I think it ties back to that bittersweet feeling. But there are certain melodies that I'm like, oh, that's something only Fousheé would come up with. I love a melody that kind of makes me want to cry a little bit.

With this album being finished and so close to being out, how are you feeling right now? Are you excited, nervous, relieved? Everything. Everything. Some hours of the day, I feel excited. And some I feel nervous. Some I feel relieved, but one thing that has been consistent is when I hear this album in its entirety, it's still something I stand behind.

When do you start thinking about what's next? Always.

Are you already working on new music? Yeah, I have a lot of things. I'm always thinking about what the next thing is, and I have some... I kind of have another album.

Damn. A different sound. But nothing is in stone. I have a lot of exploring to do. I want to see some art and listen to all the music I can. I want to experience all the life I can to see what the next evolution of myself is going to be. I don't know. And that's beautiful.

I think that's a good way to end it, unless there's anything else you want to talk about. Let me think. Wait, hold on...

* Hums quietly *

* More humming that starts to sound like the seed of a new Fousheé song *

I think we talked about it all. Yeah, we touched on everything.

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