Why bbno$ Says He’s ‘Rich Forever’

Alexander Gumuchian, aka bbno$, always felt called to help people. After his initial dream of professional swimming ended, he wanted to become a chiropractor. The Vancouver, B.C., native did graduate with a degree in kinesiology, but solidified his future in music upon completing his education. Since, successful albums like recess, eat ya veggies, and most recently, bag or die have earned the 27-year-old agency to fulfill his original purpose — both in his music and in giving back to his community. “I’m definitely helping more people than I ever could have touched,” he says.

Foundation

Growing up home-schooled by his mother, bbno$ was encouraged to learn how to read music and play piano. In 2008, as a young teenager, his brother’s friend suggested music production, too. But it wasn’t until high school, when he broke his back and derailed his aspirations of professional swimming, that he considered it. Soon enough, playing around with AutoTune during a casual hang with a friend led to an “epiphany” for bbno$ — and helped ease his depression following the injury. “I wish I had started earlier,” he says, “because I didn’t know there was this much fun in creating.”

Discovery

While studying at the University of British Columbia in 2017, bbno$ started writing two songs a day and releasing one a week. The momentum, he says, was fueled by the success of his now-friend and collaborator Yung Gravy, who bbno$ initially cold DM’d. (The two have since created two full projects and numerous singles together, including recent releases “touch grass” and “C’est La Vie.”) “I was like, ‘I’m going to spend every breathing moment trying to make [music] work.’ ” The payoff came two years later, when he released his cheeky, melodic rap single “Lalala” with producer Y2K on his college graduation day. By the summer of 2019, it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 21 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 55. The song’s success earned him five record deal offers, though he ultimately remained independent.

Future

“My financial adviser just told me I am essentially rich forever,” says bbno$, who in October released his seventh project since 2018, bag or die. He’s now thinking about his impact beyond music, including a desire to create a nonprofit organization on the downtown east side of Vancouver to combat the city’s opioid crisis. But don’t expect his output to slow: He’s already working on music for next year, starting with a project full of ballads that he hopes will draw in listeners outside of his current fan base. His 2023 goal, he says, is simple: “Drop as much music as I humanly can.”

This story will appear in the Nov. 5, 2022, issue of Billboard.

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