I believe your success is based off what your goals are. Are you trying to feed your family or have plaques on the wall and be broke? In that case, I think the game is in a better place. We have all heard of famous artists who are broke. Then we know of artists who may have had only a song or two on radio, but have a million or two dollars off that quick come up.
I think the I Am album allowed me to show fans that I'm more than just a mixtape artist, who can make music on a different platform, a bigger platform, and I think more people respect what I'm doing now.
Just the responsibility of wanting to see my mother have a better life; making sure my sister had a better life. I went ahead and accepted that responsibility when I was young and it paid off. That was really the only goal.
I was blessed with the talent. God gave me the gift to put words together and make popular songs.
With each project, whether it's an album or a mixtape, I try to learn more in the process.
It was special with me being from Memphis and knowing the history of the venue, knowing all of the artists who performed in the Orpheum before me. Even having the idea to approach it was ambitious on my part, but I thought they would turn me down at first.
I would buy a house, and try to buy a house every month. I didn't have education or information about real estate at the time. I learned after I bought a few houses, and then I kind of fell in love with the rehabbing of the houses and fixing them up and just the whole process and turned it into a business.
I played pee-wee football coming up. If I had known the type of chicks they would get when I was in school, I'd probably focused on it a little more.
I didn't grow up eating no vegetables. I ate at fast food restaurants every day.
This whole 8 for $8 tour, I handpicked every city, every market on this tour, I handpicked myself. I wanted to go to New York, I wanted to go to Baltimore, I wanted to go to Philly, I wanted to go to Chicago, I wanted to go to Atlanta, of course I wanted to go Memphis, I wanted to go to Oakland.
I feel like it's our job, between me and Jeezy and Gucci - I feel that's who the streets look at as far as trap music. So if it's gonna be saved, we have to save it.
I most definitely respect Jay Z hustle and everything he built. He's a businessman first and I think he respects my hustle.
You could be the best lyricist or rapper or songwriter, if you ain't mentally prepared to put in the work, it's a waste of time.
We are all Ahmaud Arbery. Everyday activities should not end in death sentences. We must hold people responsible for their actions.
Boxing is a full-body workout, and while you're in it and learning the procedures and steps, you're working out at the same time. Sometimes it don't feel like you're actually working out, which I like.
When I came up with the title 'Trapped,' I was going through a lot of personal stuff. There were a lot of things in 2018 that had me in a trapped mentality.
'Letter to the Trap' is a real approach on how I really feel. It's like when you're in that culture and you're living that life, there's always obstacles when trying to get out.
As far as artists go I like Don Trip. I think Don Trip is one of the coldest artists, that's my little partner.
I stay away from the carbs and try to make sure I'm not intaking a whole lot of sugar.
Me as a person, man, I'm just rapping reality. Every time I get in front of the microphone I'm just speaking about real life and what's happening.
