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17 months is an eternity in the rap game. Legacies are defined, careers skyrocket while others fizzle, and fickle fans turn their attention to the next fresh wave of artists being championed by tastemakers and record labels.

42 Dugg was forced to sit down and watch from the sidelines when he spent 17 months (from May 2022 to October 2023) behind bars due to a 2019 illegal gun possession charge. The timeout temporarily quelled Dugg’s momentum, after he built a solid foundation with two years of industry buzz at the beginning of the decade.

Meanwhile, a new batch of Detroit rappers (led by Veeze, Skilla Baby and BabyTron) picked the baton up from Dugg and continued to put on for the city in his absence. It’s been three years since 42’s last solo project — two years since he touched the Billboard Hot 100 — and Dugg knows he’s got some making up to do.

“I’m missing out on money and songs,” he tells Billboard in disappointment when looking back at his prison bid. “You missing out on an era really. When I got out, it was a whole girl thang going on. It’s still going. Me and [Lil] Baby was talking and he was like, ‘A lot of people ain’t listening to music right now. There’s a lot of decline in the purchases of music.’”

Dugg continues: “Right now, I’m like, ‘What’s the thing we can do to get the most people back listening?’ I know if they listen, they gon’ like it.”

As an avid gambler, 42 Dugg’s crackly Midwestern flow and signature whistle — which he records unique to every track — is rolling the dice again with his 4eva Us Neva Them album, which landed on July 4 and features assists from his favorite rapper Jeezy, Meek Mill, Sexyy Red, Lil Baby and more.

There’s not much difference from the CMG/4PF rapper of a few years ago to today, but Dugg says he’s taking his craft more seriously and handling each move with careful consideration, which he didn’t in the past. Even through the chaos, Dugg is unbothered and letting the chips fall where they may. “I just live life, pray and try to see if I hit the Mega Million,” he calmly states, as if it’s scripture.

Check out the rest of our interview below, with 42 Dugg hitting on his Eminem fandom, gambling with James Harden, his issues with the BET Awards and more.

What was your mindset heading into this album?

I just wanted to show the people the growth of what type of headspace I’m in, and what I’ve been through and how far along I’ve come. I wanted it to reflect in my music and I feel like I put a good group of songs together. My beat selection was on point. 

I heard you say in another interview that the beats aren’t hitting as much as they used. Expand on that. 

Usually, your first three beats, you’ll find something. If not, we be going through beats for hours [now]. Even music — I feel like people are going in a different direction of what they’re rapping on. I wonder what happens if they run out of beats. If they run out of patterns. 

Nothing is original then, so everything will be some sort of sample or interpolation.

I feel like that’s what people are doing. Even on my album I noticed that two beats like, “Damn, this one sounds like that.” “Megan” sounded like “Catch 1.” I was listening to that, like, “What the hell?” Maybe the producers are getting lazy, or they’re running out of ideas. Like writer’s block — they might be getting beat block. 

Was there something you picked up while in jail that maybe sharpened your skillset? 

I would just say I slowed down, as far as rapping. Even if I do a verse, I make sure I go back and fix a few lines. Before, I was like, “Let’s go!” Now I’m like, “Nah, this s–t gotta mean something.”

How do you define success for this album?

The streets, man! If one out of three cars playing it, you got it. I ain’t gon’ lie, I see a lot of albums doing good, but I don’t hear them. This the first place we been, but in Detroit every other car you hearing that s–t. You go in the club, they playing it. Everybody I see, “Congrats on the album, man.” I’m like, “Yeah, this b–ch going crazy.”

You said “Fresh Out the Feds” is one of your favorite songs on the album — how did that come together?

I was fresh home and I was thinking about one of my lil’ man’s. On the first verse, it’s talking to my lil’ man’s. Then on the second verse, I get to talking to my other homeboys that’s in jail. I’m trying to keep my lil ‘man’s out of trouble. That’s the story to it. The first verse I’m trying to keep him from going where they at. I’m keeping someone out of trouble and I’m trying to get somebody out of trouble. 

Did you send the album to jails early?

That was supposed to happen. I ain’t got no call from jail yet. It’s been like four days. They usually on my line so I’m waiting on that the most. They got some different s–t in there. They got some s–t, you can’t even cuss. They got a majority [of the new releases]. 

Are you actually whistling on these songs?

Yeah, each one I did different. Live in the flesh, Ron Artest. 

What do you think about Detroit having a moment in rap right now compared to when you first broke onto the scene?

I feel like right now it’s the best opportunity we been had as a city to go crazy. I’m just waiting on somebody to go stupid. We got a few people [knocking]. Everybody one song away. I be telling them, “You don’t know how close you is.”

How was working with Jeezy on “BMF?” You told me in 2020 you wanted to work with him. 

Yeah, that’s my favorite rapper. Now, that’s my homie. [It started] with this song. I made it in 2020. I couldn’t leave the house. I made it in the house and sent it to him. I got his number and he got straight on there. I finished it and told him, “I’ma do the first verse and you do the two verse in between.”

I tried to send that motherf–ker to 50 Cent. This how I’m thinking at the house: “I’m bout to make a song for the BMF soundtrack. I’m finna get Jeezy — the only motherf–ker running with them.” Then I sent it to 50, and I wanted it to be the theme song. I sent it to 50 and he was like, “We don’t like Jeezy.” It went viral. “We f–k with Dugg, but take Jeezy off.” Hell nah, can’t take no Jeezy off. Y’all are trippin’. 

Was Eminem someone you looked up to growing up?

Yeah, I wouldn’t say looked up to, but f–ked with him. We street young n—as ain’t looking up to nobody. We damn near looking up to Big Meech. We from the hood. 

Nobody’s looking up to Chauncey Billups?

Hell nah. We admired these people more. 

You had to get pumped watching 8 Mile.

I f–ked with Eminem. I knew damn near half of Eminem’s songs. It’s Eminem. I be arguing motherf–kers today. You can’t f–k with Eminem. Hold on, we do got Eminem. But you can only look up to people you see. I should get Eminem’s number. He was so f–king cold. Everything he do is gonna get measured to “Stan,” “Mockingbird,” “Toy Soldiers.” I ain’t gonna say what he can’t do, but trying to make one of them.

People have been saying you remind them of Eazy-E. Have you heard that?

That’s the s–t I get from everybody. They send me, “Re-do the ‘We want Eazy.’” They want me to do anything that gotta do with Eazy-E. They like, “Just do something.” I got y’all. I f–k with him. Eazy was the one. They say he couldn’t rap and they used to teach him to rap.

You go to the casino recently?

Yeah, I just lost $60,000 going up in there playing Blackjack. It ain’t just real Blackjack 50/50. I think they cheating. 

How big are the hands you play?

I’m like a $2,000 a hand. I might get to $5,000. I really ain’t that arrogant, but hopefully I get by myself and just play. I seen James Harden win $500,000. I been trying to win that since. We was in [Las] Vegas and he f–ked their a– up. I learned how to play from him. I’m doing everything he did, and I ain’t won. [This was] Super Bowl. 

How was the studio session with J. Cole? How’d you link up?

He was having some studio type s–t in [Atlanta]. I pushed up on him and played him a few of my songs. He was like, “I ain’t gon’ lie, your s–t hard. I want you to pull up.” I pulled up, and we kicked it and worked on a few, and that was it. J. Cole’s turnt. J. Cole just told me to send him a song for real. I should’ve sent him that “Still Bout You.” 

Who are you listening to in rap these days?

I’m f–king with Bossman Dlow. I’m f–king with Don Toliver. I f–k with A Boogie’s s–t too. I like Cash Cobain. I seen Ice Spice in person. 

You say something to her?

Hell yeah. I said, “They can’t f–k with you!” She just looked. GloRilla going crazy, JT going crazy. The girls going crazy. Sexyy Red. Ice Spice so motherf–king cold. I ain’t gon’ lie, she might have had the best performance at [the 2024 BET Awards]. 

I thought Victoria Monét did. 

She’s cold. Where [did] she come from? I heard the song before but, d–n, I’ve never seen her. She look like a bad motherf–ker. I need a feature. Do you think Tyla should’ve won over Sexyy Red? Hell nah! Then I saw her go up and I’m like, “I ain’t gon’ lie, this motherf–ker cold.” She might got no Sexyy bangers, but she finer than a motherf–ker. I seen someone call Tyla an international superstar. I’m like, “Y’all must’ve not seen Sexyy. Sexyy international — she everywhere.”

What else you got coming music wise?

I want to put something else out, but we’ll see how much we can put into this one. See if we can make it go crazier. It’s been three years since I dropped a solo project. I’m trying to finish out Young & Turnt 3. The final one. I gotta do it before I get old, man. I’m 29. 30, it’s over. I ain’t never been 29 bro, this s–t is crazy.