Rap
Page: 2
“We bet our lives on it a long time ago,” says Christian Clancy. He’s seated on a couch in a cozy corner of his Los Angeles home next to his wife and business partner, Kelly Clancy, surrounded by plants. Getting into artist management “was never something we talked about,” Kelly says. But nearly 15 years after starting their small firm, 4 Strikes, it has continued to punch above its class, becoming one of the mightiest forces in management today. And Tyler, The Creator has been there from the start.
Before founding 4 Strikes in 2010, Christian and Kelly worked at Interscope Records in the early 2000s (most recently as head of marketing and marketing manager, respectively) alongside the label’s roster of hip-hop greats, including 50 Cent, Eminem, G-Unit and Dr. Dre. “There was no better place and time to learn the business,” Christian says. But by 2010, they’d decided to strike out on their own. Kelly departed the label first, in 2005, and she admits, “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do next.” Christian “burned out” on the music business and, five years later, left, too.
Trending on Billboard
That same year, a former Interscope colleague, David Airaudi, introduced the pair to a young, charismatic and carefree (almost to a fault) rapper who changed the course of their careers — and lives. Christian and Airaudi started managing Tyler’s collective, Odd Future, with Kelly joining soon after. “Tyler reinvigorated what was inside of us,” Christian says. A year after marrying in 2006, the Clancys welcomed their daughter, Chloe, and just a few years later launched their management company from their home. When Odd Future split in the mid-2010s, the couple started managing Tyler on their own. “We put our whole lives on it,” Kelly says. “It felt like a family from day one.”
The 4 Strikes roster has just four full-time staffers (including the Clancys) and has remained trim from the start, currently boasting five artists: Kevin Abstract, Romil and Matt Champion, who together comprise what Christian calls “the Brockhampton sector” (referencing the trio’s former group); the estate of Mac Miller, whom the Clancys managed before his untimely death in 2018; and, of course, Tyler — “and Tyler’s 147 businesses,” Christian jokes.
“We trusted and believed in [Tyler] along the way,” he continues. “I can’t tell you how many times I’m like, ‘Bro, you’re tripping.’ Turns out, he wasn’t tripping. But I always say, ‘I’ll listen, and if I disagree with something, I’m going to say, “I think you’re crazy” ’ — And then after I say that, I’ll jump off a bridge with him.”
What do you remember from when you first met Tyler?
Christian Clancy: [He was] staying on his grandma’s couch, eating Wendy’s.
Kelly Clancy: Three dollars in his pocket.
Christian: He’s still the same dude.
Kelly: He’s still that kid who’s full of wonderment. He gets excited about the smallest things and then can look at something, like a 10-year anniversary [of his own Camp Flog Gnaw festival in November] and stand onstage and go, “Holy s–t.”
Christian: He’s self-aware. As he’s gotten bigger, he realizes he knows less — and respectfully, that’s rare in a business when you’re typically surrounded by yes men, which he isn’t. And then your ego takes over. And the beauty of him is he’s open to new ideas, thoughts, discussion, perspectives. Doesn’t mean he’s not confident as f–k. He’s wildly confident, but there’s a big difference between confidence and ego based on fear.
Christian, you said early in your career that your job is to give artists the best opportunity to succeed without compromising. How have you done that?
Christian: Well, that has a lot to do with the people you work with. When you surround yourself with people who know who they are, that becomes easier. Tyler had a great ability to seemingly know and believe that he’s going to get to the top of the mountain. If you remove fear, you’re free. You’re not going, “Well, what are they going to think?” Like, f–k all of that and be true to yourself. I actually learned that from Rick Rubin. If you’re honest and confident, it’s pretty hard to lose. You may not win big, but you will for f–k sure have respect.
What are some key decisions you two have made to help Tyler climb that mountain?
Christian: The decision to [sign] with Sony, who gave us the freedom and full creative control and [ability for Tyler to own his] masters and all the things that were imperative to ever doing anything like that. We’re huge [Sony Music Entertainment CEO] Rob Stringer fans. He gets it. Betting on ourselves with [Tyler’s clothing brand] Golf Wang. Betting on ourselves with the festival that was supposed to just be a zipper ride in the middle of Fairfax Avenue and the city was like, “Oh, hell no.” And [us saying], “Well, let’s go figure it out ourselves.” All the way down to [lifestyle brand] Le Fleur now, most of those answers are going to be betting on ourselves. If you don’t know something, that’s OK. Go find the people that do and question everything and build your own house in whatever shape you want. It might not work. But so what?
Tyler is still hitting new peaks in his career: Following its October release, Chromakopia became his longest-running No. 1 album with three weeks atop the Billboard 200. How does that mentality of betting on yourself help drive his continued success?
Christian: Well, he’s got the best trajectory in music as far as I can tell, from [2011’s] Goblin to now. No. 5, No. 4, No. 3, No. 2, No. 1 — and then a [two-week] No. 1 [with 2021’s Grammy Award-winning Call Me If You Get Lost] and then three weeks at No. 1. He doesn’t lose fans. He grabs the next generation.
Kelly: Also in a world where you have access to everything immediately with the emergence of TikTok and the way that our brains are constantly receiving information and we’re just like in this swiping generation … to create a world which you can step into and you know exactly [what it is] when you see a color palette or the silhouette of his hair, I think it cuts through. And he’s been doing that [with] every album. Like when the guy came out in a blond bob wig, a suit and loafers [for 2019’s IGOR]. When he sent us the photo first, I think we looked at each other like, “All right…” In the genre he’s in, you don’t do that without utter confidence.
Christian: Even if you didn’t get it, you respected it because we all want to be that confident. It’s interesting because Mac [Miller] was a lot like [that]. Mac had a way of reinventing himself in subtle ways in his trajectory of albums. And his was a vulnerable confidence, and there’s a similarity there, which is, again, rare where you have artists that have the gall to f–k it and not worry about the results. Trust in it.
Kelly, you posted on Instagram that “most people just will never know” what Tyler went through to get Chromakopia out. What did he go through?
Kelly: There was a lot of pressure — this is not him, this is just me speaking — from the last album. His trajectory has always gone [upward]. Looking at the landscape of music and things that were really successful and knowing that he doesn’t fit in these metrics or a lot of the tentpoles that artists look at as validation for what they’re doing in their career … Tyler never creates from that place of trying to match those. So a lot of times, he’s left off a lot of lists that I believe … I get frustrated because I know he should be on all of them. Obviously, I’m protective, too.
Christian: That’s starting to happen now.
Kelly: But it’s felt like it’s always been this upward battle, which I wouldn’t change at all, but all that said, now that he’s becoming much more of a household name… I just think the process of him getting this done, truly no one will really understand. Tyler’s a unicorn in that he literally does everything — like, everything. That guy is producing everything. When he has an artist come in to be a part of the song, he already knows the cadence of how he wants them [to rap or sing]. He’ll take what he thinks is their superpower and weave it into what he’s doing. He’s instructing the horn players. Thinking of the visuals, being in the edit room, this dude touches everything. So I do want him to have that recognition. He’s never going to be the guy to ask for it.
From left: Christian Clancy, Tyler, The Creator and Kelly Clancy photographed November 20, 2024 at Quixote Studios in Los Angeles.
Luis Perez
Kelly, you once said that your mother being a teacher helped shape your management style. How so?
Kelly: Being a woman in the industry at the time when I started, it was a much different landscape than it is now.
Christian: It was a f–king boys club.
Kelly: It still exists in different forms now. But her being essentially a single mom and a kindergarten teacher and never feeling like my brother and I were without gave me such a strong foundation. And then when I became a mom, it was incredibly valuable. I’m incredibly protective of my squad and that showed itself in so many ways over the years. I think it’s why it’s always been important for us to maintain a small company, because it allows us to serve in a way that’s not transactional. Like, we’re a part of some of them having their first kids, we’re in the hospital. Buying their first homes, renting their first apartments, these huge life milestones and being able to [be there] for them. Tyler, he’ll joke to Chris and I every now and again like, “Man, if you guys ever got divorced, I don’t know what the f–k I would do.” It’s like, yes, we’re partners in a business, but I feel like we’re also representative of a relationship. What does a relationship look like? Those things are really impactful, especially when you’re meeting [artists when they’re] at a younger age.
On the 2012 Odd Future song “Oldie,” Tyler calls you, Christian, a father figure. Is a familial touch necessary to be a successful manager?
Christian: I don’t take that for granted. Some of the people we work with don’t have an immediate father. And so you also take on whatever they think of their father, for better or worse. Is it necessary? No. Is it maybe helpful? I don’t know. We learn just as much from them. Tyler taught us so much about the metrics that weren’t being monitored by record labels. There were no cultural metrics. There were just [Broadcast Data Systems] and SoundScan and these things that sort of missed this whole thing that was happening. We learn so incredibly much from the people we work with. Mac, the way he looked at life. It’s an amazing two-way street.
What’s the key to maintaining an artist-management partnership?
Christian: I was fortunate enough to learn from Eminem and Paul Rosenberg. That’s who I came up with. I’m not a big fan of the word “manager.” I’ve always preferred “partners” because that’s what I really look at it as. The artists who change managers all the time, I mean, maybe it’s necessary. Although I do know, many times, it’s hard to look at yourself and it’s easier to point the other way. So the manager is right in the line of fire if something doesn’t work. And they may have just been carrying out what your vision was. For us, the family thing is what works. It’s up, it’s down. It’s good, it’s bad. It’s thick and thin. Once it feels transactional, it’s lost that bond — then you’re just the manager.
What are you two most proud of in your own careers?
Kelly: I’m really proud that we’ve managed to, by design, keep a small company. Not folding into a larger company. That becomes convoluted because it’s hard to superserve artists like Tyler, with like-minded goals, when you’re in a bigger company. [When] we started, it was just Chris and I working out of our home. So to be able to maintain that feeling that resonates with Tyler and all the artists we work with, I’m really proud of that.
Christian: We could have the opportunity to work with somebody [else] that would hypothetically bring a bunch of money, but at what cost? I don’t want the headaches and hospital visits from stress. We’ve really managed to surround ourselves with like-minded people and to Kelly’s point, there was never this drive to be some big company. That sounds exhausting. And the fact that we don’t hate each other. We’re married, for f–k’s sake. This isn’t supposed to work, not for that long.
What grounds you?
Christian: Can I tell you one fun fact? I can’t remember the last time I missed an Eagles game. We [once] watched a meaningless Eagles-Giants game in a tent in the Serengeti at four in the morning. No joke. We got Wi-Fi, there’s a lion roaring and I’m locked into an Eagles-Giants game that meant nothing.
Kelly: We try to go every year to Lincoln Financial Field [home of the Philadelphia Eagles], but this year we couldn’t because…
Christian: F–king Tyler.
Has it gotten easier or harder to carve out personal time over the years?
Kelly: Harder.
Christian: Definitely harder. This year? Impossible.
Kelly: This is the first year — and Tyler and I joked about it — we didn’t go f–king anywhere. Everyone was doing s–t in the summer and all of us were just in L.A. like, “F–k.”
Christian: Waiting on this f–king dude.
Kelly: We’re planning our vacations around artists. We’re planning our personal lives around our work lives.
Christian: Well, you try [to plan]. It’s a year-to-year question. This year’s a f–king mess — a beautiful mess.
This story appears in the Dec. 14, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Bro, everything I thought I knew was gone. I thought I had a grasp on s–t. The songs that’s been out three weeks went up more than the classic records.”
It’s an early Tuesday afternoon in mid-November and Tyler, The Creator is still in disbelief. Just a few weeks earlier, he’d released his new album, Chromakopia, and the response was unlike any in his entire career. “It’s been a f–king crack in my reality, for this album where I’m just crying about being 33 like a b–ch.”
Three days before our conversation, he’d performed a set largely dedicated to the album at Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, a two-day music festival in Los Angeles that he started in 2012 and continues to curate. This year was the 10th edition, a triumphant moment for an event that began with seven acts and now feels like a smaller, more walkable Coachella for locals — complete with music and food and rides and merch and fashionable selections from Tyler’s line GOLF — in the Dodger Stadium parking lot.
Trending on Billboard
At Flog Gnaw, Tyler took the stage atop a shipping container, wearing a green suit fit for a bellhop in a slightly bizarro Emerald City, a bust-like mask with cutout holes for his eyes and an Afro with two peaks and a valley between them — an ensemble with hints of Janet Jackson circa Rhythm Nation (at least from the neck down), and which Tyler described to me as both “Captain Crunch” and “a gay dictator.” It’s the uniform of the character he takes on for his new album, both haunting and militant, the latest alter ego the Hawthorne, Calif., native has assumed. After performing the first four tracks, he paused to thank those in the audience for their love — and let them know that Chromakopia was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a third straight week. Only Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter did three straight weeks in 2024. “To do that, at my 10th carnival, in my f–king city, what are we talking about?” The crowd cheered for him and themselves: Together, they did it.
Tyler released his album on a Monday instead of the standard Friday; he wanted people to start their week with Chromakopia instead of in the middle of the night as their weekend began. The decision reflected three distinct sides of his personality — putting the music over everything, rejecting industry norms and a confidence that, regardless of the day of the week, his fans will show up. “The hope was that people listened actively, not alongside thousands of other things that come out every Friday,” says Jen Mallory, president of Columbia Records, which has been releasing Tyler’s music since 2017’s Flower Boy. “Of course, shortening the release week is not an instinctive idea in today’s market, but when you deliver the creative T did alongside the album — visual trailers, touring announcements, live events and more — it was undeniable. And the absolutely massive response indicates that his hypothesis was more than correct.”
“I kept telling n—as for a year-and-a-half, ‘Whatever I put out next, I’m putting that b–ch out on a Monday,’ ” Tyler says. “I’m not doing that stupid Friday s–t. We’re putting that s–t out on Monday and everyone’s going to know about it.” The plan worked, with Tyler hitting the top spot that week, even while handicapping himself with a shortened sales week. Only Beyoncé, Swift, Carpenter, Travis Scott, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar had bigger first weeks in 2024. “I knew people would be interested,” he says with a confusion that he’s embracing. “But I didn’t expect this.”
Luis Perez
Following his short Flog Gnaw speech, he transitioned into songs from his catalog. But even as fans enjoyed his earlier material — belting every word of “Dogtooth,” moshing to “Lumberjack” — there was a palpable eagerness for Tyler to get back to the new album. The opposite is typically true at festivals; an artist’s faithful primarily in attendance to see their favorite bring the hits to life. But that Saturday night, Tyler was performing for people who hadn’t turned off Chromakopia since its release 20 days prior. And as he marched through his eighth studio album, the crowd was right with him, screaming along to every lyric, ad-lib, chant — even Tyler’s recordings of his mother that appear throughout the album and rang out as if she was the voice of the nighttime California sky.
Tyler and Sexyy Red traded verses and threw ass at the crowd during “Sticky,” a big fun song built around horns and whistles and beating on the cafeteria table. “I wanted something for the drill team at the f–king pep rallies,” Tyler told me, “something for the band to play at halftime.” His wish came true before his performance; Jackson State University’s Sonic Boom of the South broke it out earlier in the day in its matchup against Alabama State. He brought out ScHoolboy Q — whom Tyler describes as one of his few real friends in the music industry — for “Thought I Was Dead,” and, 10 minutes later, he performed “Balloon” with Doechii and Daniel Caesar, fueling a “Doechii, Doechii” chant and thanking Caesar for his help in finishing Chromakopia. The love and appreciation was at an all-time high, both in the crowd and onstage.
“I have friends that’s been to about every show,” Tyler says after Flog Gnaw is over, “and they were like, ‘That’s the loudest crowd I’ve ever heard.’ ”
I was prepared for the adoration Tyler gets in his city because I saw him in June at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, up the street from where he grew up. It wasn’t even his show — this was The Pop Out: Ken & Friends, Lamar’s first concert since his beef began in the spring with Drake. “I wasn’t even supposed to go — I was in Atlanta working on this album,” Tyler explains. “But I landed that morning and couldn’t miss this s–t. And I don’t even get FOMO at all, n—a — I’ll go to sleep. But I’m cool with Kenny and Dave [Free] and Tim [Hinshaw] from Free Lunch. So I went home, showered and ran straight there.”
He performed two songs, including “Earfquake” from his 2019 album, IGOR. Seemingly everyone at the Forum knew every word. “I genuinely think I’m better at my R&B singing s–t as a whole than my rap s–t,” he tells me. “And those are usually my biggest records.” And when Tyler screamed “Say what!,” the capacity crowd turned into the Southern California Community Choir, belting, “Don’t leeeeeeeeeeeeeeave, it’s my fault.”
Tyler, The Creator photographed November 20, 2024 at Quixote Studios in Los Angeles.
Luis Perez
For years, Tyler has continued to complicate what a pop star can embody. He’s taken on different personas, different looks, rapped about different things and keeps getting bigger and bigger. But as he’s become one of popular music’s most reliable and admired mavericks, he’s existed outside of the L.A. hip-hop zeitgeist. The city wasn’t a leading identifier for him, at least compared with a Lamar, a YG, a Vince Staples. But he’s central to the current historic run of Los Angeles music, as well as the community that makes L.A. one of the special hubs for hip-hop.
“I’m really from the city,” he says. As he continues to talk about home, his accent gets thicker and thicker. That love for Los Angeles is why he started Flog Gnaw in the first place: “Outside of sports stuff, it felt like L.A. didn’t have something that was its own thing.” With this year’s fantasy lineup — including Staples, Kaytranada, Playboi Carti, André 3000, Erykah Badu, Denzel Curry, Faye Webster, Blood Orange and Syd — Tyler’s wish to at least somewhat correct this came true. “I’m happy that Flog Gnaw has folks from the city feeling like this is theirs,” he says a bit coyly. “At least that’s what it feels like every year.”
“I’m not who they were introduced to at 20. I’m not even who I was a year ago,” Tyler says, sounding a bit annoyed at the notion that he possibly could be. “When they’re like, ‘I want the old version,’ I know it’s because they’re still there. But I’m not. And I’m OK with it because my identity doesn’t rest in a version of myself.”
I first saw Tyler, The Creator perform in 2012 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan. His rap collective, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA), had become an online sensation over the last few years — not just for its transgressive music, but also for antics that felt like the Black evolution of Jackass — and there was a level of buzz around the show, both from the rap-fan concertgoers and the young music bloggers eager to see if the phenomenon would translate offline.
While some in the audience anticipated possible appearances by erstwhile members Earl Sweatshirt and Frank Ocean, it was Tyler, the gang’s de facto leader and chief provocateur, who defined the show. He’d mostly been known for his 2009 debut album, Bastard, and the Odd Future mixtape Radical that came the following year, both notable for their distinctive production and shocking lyrics. But Tyler’s true star turn came in 2011 on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, Odd Future’s first nationally televised appearance. Beforehand, Tyler tweeted, “I want to scare the f–k out of old white people that live in middle f–king America.”
He kept his word, as he and fellow Odd Future rapper Hodgy Beats performed “Sandwitches” from Tyler’s second album, 2011’s Goblin, backed by The Roots. They wore ski masks and raced around the stage like it was a hardcore show as the camera occasionally panned to scattered garden gnomes and this one creepy white girl floating around the band, her long dark hair covering her face like she was in The Ring. Tyler eventually left the stage, ran to Fallon’s desk and finished the episode on the host’s back. It was a cultural reset — an undeniable TV moment.
Like many at that 2012 Hammerstein show, I wanted to feel that Fallon energy in real life. And while Tyler did replicate it there, my own takeaway was very different: Yes, he was the leader, a true frontman, but even more so, he was head cheerleader for every Odd Future member. When Frank sat at the piano and sang “White,” Tyler went to the side, pulled out a Polaroid camera and started taking photos. As Earl, in his first performance in two years, pushed through his verse on “Oldie,” Tyler brought their entire crew onstage to back him — a wall of support, a visualization of a musical and cultural movement that deserved attention.
Luis Perez
Tyler, The Creator loves to love things. He’s a fan of the highest order, a quality that often gets lost during a climb to the top and a trait of his that hasn’t wavered to this day. When I arrived for our first of two conversations for this story, a couple of days before his Flog Gnaw performance, Tyler was standing with his longtime managers, Christian and Kelly Clancy, obsessing over something on his phone. Someone had sent Tyler a Pharrell Williams performance clip, one he’d been hunting for for the last decade, and his mood was a mix of Christmas morning, winning the lottery and discovering buried treasure. His enthusiasm was entrancing: a star whose inspirations still made him feel like a little kid.
“The ones who were the North Star for me, if you generalize it, they were always left of center,” Tyler says. So it’s no shock that he decided to musically and aesthetically follow suit. “If I’m 12 and folks at school are like, ‘That’s weird, that’s wack,’ I’m like, ‘But the n—as on my walls will think it’s cool. And y’all can’t compare to them. So f–k y’all.’ ”
That mentality is part of what makes him a singular artist. He isn’t shackled by the fear of failure, the driving force that stifles creativity. The other driving force comes from his mother, Bonita Smith. “I got hugs at home,” Tyler proudly says. “I’m very lucky and grateful to have grown up in a house full of love, with a cheerleader that was like, ‘Be yourself,’ ‘Do what you want,’ ‘F–k what they think,’ ‘I’m your friend.’ ” On Chromakopia’s first track, “St. Chroma,” she says, “Don’t you ever, in your motherf–king life, dim your light for nobody.” The combination of her influence, teenage rebellion and the blueprints left by his favorite artists gave him a confidence that became foundational. “I have no choice but to be opinionated and don’t care if I look dumb as f–k. Even if I change my mind the next day.”
Chromakopia, like most of Tyler’s discography, tells the story of his life in the present. “Everything is self-indulgent to me,” he says about making songs, because he’s not doing it to be relatable or appease an audience or some former version of his fandom. Few artists have as honest and combative of a relationship with listeners as Tyler. He’s constantly vacillating between inspiration and frustration. He loves watching people respond to his tweets about favorite lyrics and songs, what grew on them, what they hated at first. Because it’s not about whether you like his music or not — it’s that he craves true engagement. “Expound on that f–king thought, b–ch,” Tyler says of the opinions, the comments, the takes, the lack of articulation about why you like or dislike something. “If I was president, the first thing I would do is take podcast mics away from n—as.”
It can be risky for artists to abandon the sound or subject matter that gave them initial fame, a decision that some fans treat as a betrayal. But this album, much like 2017’s Flower Boy, 2019’s IGOR and 2021’s Call Me If You Get Lost, is a time capsule, a front-row seat to the life and mind and current creative headspace of Tyler Okonma. On Chromakopia, he explores themes ranging from monogamy (“Darling, I”) to unplanned pregnancies and fatherhood (“Hey Jane”) to the trappings of fame that run throughout the album. “It’s people saying that they can’t relate to the song,” Tyler says of “Noid,” the first single. “Of course you can’t. That’s why I made the song, because you don’t know what it’s like not to go outside and not own yourself, people stealing from you, voice-recording you, following n—as home, people trying to trap you — nobody trying to trap y’all n—as. I’m a catch.”
The album is deeply personal. “I’m a super extrovert, but I’m a very private person with my life,” Tyler says, “so putting some of this stuff on wax was a lot for me.” The day after Chromakopia’s release at a show in Atlanta, he went further: “It’s so honest that I think I had to wear a mask on my own face to get that s–t out.” He faces those fears on the album’s aptly titled emotional high point, “Take Your Mask Off,” and when he performed it at Flog Gnaw, by the song’s conclusion, his mask was gone.
Tyler does have a level of maturity that can come from growing up in public, which, as he points out, he did: “I’ve been famous and financially stable since I was 19, on my own since 16.” And now, at 33, he’s a veteran, making music about getting older and what it feels like. “I told my homie, ‘This is the 30s album,’ ” Tyler says. “This album is probably s–t that folks go through at 24, but I’ve lived a different life. N—as around me are having kids and families and really being adults and I’m over here like, ‘I think I’m going to paint my car pink.’ That feels crazy, but it’s all I know.”
Tyler, The Creator photographed November 20, 2024 at Quixote Studios in Los Angeles.
Luis Perez
And the reception to Chromakopia makes it clear that plenty of Tyler’s listeners do share his worries, anxieties, dilemmas. “People are connecting with the words in a way that feels bigger than me,” he says. “I’ve never hit people at this level.”
When I ask him about the album’s closer, “I Hope You Find Your Way Home,” he lights up. “I think the way you end an album is so important!” he exclaims. From Kevin Kendricks’ neck-tingling synthesizer to Tyler’s own background vocals alongside Daniel Caesar and Solange Knowles to his grand finale of a rap verse, it’s a reflection and a resolution, one filled with hope for our respective journeys ahead. “I knew that’s how I wanted to end it, with the synth, just letting n—as sit there and think about whatever the f–k just happened,” he says, clearly thrilled with the way he landed the plane.
But for Tyler, uncertainty about the future is also a source of joy. He’s currently dipping his toe back into acting, with his first feature film, the Josh Safdie-directed, Timothée Chalamet-starring Marty Supreme, on the horizon. “This is where I am at 33; who knows what I’ll be making at 36,” he says. “My 30s have been so much iller than my 20s. I’m excited for us to be 43 years old and see where we’ve taken it. I don’t know what the f–k I’m doing at that point, maybe bald — with one braid and a dangling earring, making gospel, telling everyone about the zucchinis.”
Whatever it is, he’s excited, as always, by the unknown. “I’ve never not stuck to my guns. Any version y’all see me in is the most honest version at that time,” Tyler says. He’s brash and bold and uncompromising about his art, but it’s also clear how grateful he feels. “I’m so blessed and fortunate. Thirteen years in and my latest s–t is my biggest. Sometimes it’s like, ‘What the f–k, this can’t be real.’ But then it’s also like, ‘I told y’all.’ It’s beautiful.”
This story appears in the Dec. 14, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Quavo has been honored as the ‘Humanitarian of the Year’ at the eighth annual Variety Hitmakers Brunch, held on Dec. 7 at Nya Studios in Hollywood.
The accolade recognized the GRAMMY-nominated rapper and philanthropist’s transformative advocacy against gun violence, a mission he embraced following the tragic 2022 loss of his nephew and fellow Migos member, Takeoff.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The award was presented by Greg Jackson, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, who praised Quavo’s tireless efforts to combat the epidemic through his Rocket Foundation. Launched in November 2022 in Takeoff’s honor, the foundation supports community-based programs addressing gun violence and has grown into a powerful movement for change in just two years.
Trending on Billboard
Quavo’s work has impacted communities at both local and federal levels. In March, the Rocket Foundation introduced Sparks Grants, distributing $10,000 each to 10 Atlanta organizations dedicated to creating safer neighborhoods. Over the summer, Quavo partnered with the Offender Alumni Association to host a music education workshop for at-risk youth as part of the Rocket Camp initiative.
On the national stage, Quavo’s advocacy contributed to the establishment of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
He met with Vice President Kamala Harris during the Congressional Black Caucus legislative conference in September 2023 and hosted the inaugural Rocket Foundation Summit on Gun Violence Prevention in Atlanta earlier this year. Quavo also joined Harris at a rally to promote the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, one of the most comprehensive federal gun control laws in U.S. history.
The Rocket Foundation partners with organizations like the Offender Alumni Association, H.O.P.E. Hustlers, Community Justice Action Fund, and LIVE FREE to address gun violence through community-driven solutions.
Beyond his advocacy, Quavo remains a prominent figure in music and entertainment. As a key member of Migos, he achieved multiple No. 1 hits on the Billboard charts and collaborated with top-tier artists like Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, and Post Malone.
His recent solo ventures include tracks with Lana Del Rey, Peso Pluma, and Lenny Kravitz, showcasing his ability to blend genres while staying true to his Atlanta roots. Quavo’s versatility also extends to acting, with appearances in Atlanta, Black-ish, and films like Praise This.
Smino released his fourth studio album Maybe in Nirvana on Friday (Dec. 6) via his independent label Zero Fatigue. “I actually just said ‘maybe in nirvana’ in one of the songs — but honestly, it was an album I was being indecisive about putting out. And I was just like … when I’m in a […]
The Compton MC has created one of the best catalogs in rap history.
After contemplating for four years, Smino is ready for the world to hear his debaucherous side. The St. Louis, MO native stopped by Billboard‘s NYC office for an episode of Billboard Gaming, just before the release of his Maybe in Nirvana album arrival on Friday (Dec. 6).
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Maybe in Nirvana is a reflective and experimental album that explores themes of love, loss and self-discovery, while maintaining Smino’s signature innovative style. The project is anticipated to expand his artistic limits, fusing profound lyricism with immersive soundscapes that showcase his evolution as a musician.
We faced off with the rapper in several rounds of Mario Kart while discussing the inspiration behind his album, being an independent artist, and more. “Passenger Princess” has been getting a lot of love. Can you tell us about the creative process for that track and how it was working with Aminé on it?
Trending on Billboard
It’s cool because one of my favorite ways to end up working with people is just by being their homie. Aminé is a cool dude, so he just texted me and was like, “Hey, Smee bro, I got this song I want you to get on.” I ain’t even respond to him — I just sent it back the same day. That’s how it happened. And he was like, “Oh my God, we got to do a video.”
So it was that simple? Let the track speak for itself and just sent it on over?
Yeah. It was hard. I try to send s–t back as soon as possible. I love doing that s–t. Show people how you focus.
The lyrics of “Passenger Princess” feel personal and laid-back. Was there a specific experience or inspiration behind the song?
I mean, it’s no secret that, you know, I’m a lover boy, so. You feel me? Yeah. I’m just really talking about shorty, you know. Shorty I dealt with, what I learned. For real.
Your upcoming album, Maybe in Nirvana, is set to drop on December 6. How did you decide on this title, and what does it represent for you at this point in your career?
I actually just said “maybe in nirvana” in one of the songs — but honestly, it was an album I was being indecisive about putting out. And I was just like, s–t, well, maybe, you know, when I’m in a place where I’m at peace with my mind, you know, I’d be able to put this album out.
You feel me? ‘Cause I had made this album before I made Luv 4 Rent, the last album I put out.
Oh, so it’s like a bunch of old tracks?
Yeah. Yeah. It’s from 2020. And it’s mixed by Ali. And the pandemic happened, and I just started feeling like, d–n, I need to be like — I don’t know.
I wanted to just talk about peaceful things. I wanted to talk about things that were kind of a little more, I don’t know, thought-provoking. And on this album, it’s a lot more debaucherous. I’m talking about a lot more like — it’s just my young ass mind at work, just saying s–t, not really understanding my emotions and s–t like that. So, I felt like at the time it was just bad timing for it. But then when I went back and listened to it, I’m like, “This s–t is amazing.” Like, it still works.
Since these tracks were mostly from 2020, do you feel like you’ve grown since then, or do you still feel like the same person?
Nah, I definitely grew way much more since then. I was just telling the homie the other day, I feel like — I used to be a lot more ignorant just about s–t, just ’cause I could be. I was kinda like privileged as an artist who had some success, you know, to not have to worry about a lot of stuff in my own personal life. Like, my business ran itself when, truly, there were people running my business, and everything around me just kind of worked out for me.
After the pandemic, s–t — I don’t know if you did or anybody else did, but it forced you to do a lot of reflecting. And like, I was just like, “D–n, I’m low-key out here wilding. And I don’t know a lot of s–t. I don’t know what’s going on here.” I wasn’t hip financially with what I had going on. I knew I had money, but you know, all type of s–t I wasn’t paying attention to.
With Maybe in Nirvana, I was in a place where I’m just full-on rock star — like, fresh off tour, you feel me? Like, f–k it, bro, you know, I ain’t have to worry about s–t. But I think now I just naturally pay way more attention ’cause I’m a little older… You know, the pandemic made everybody age 10 years and s–t.
What can fans expect from Maybe in Nirvana? Are there any particular themes or messages you’re excited to share?
I was just being very honest and very blatant about my emotions. It was like single-era Smee, you know? So, I was having my little roster, talking about, you know, just being — basically, I was just wilding. The music still sounds grown though… a kid in a grown man body, that’s what it sounds like.
So, you mentioned having a roster. Do you still have a roster now, or have you calmed down since then?
Nah, nah, man. I’m chill as hell. I have zero roster. No way. No roster. I don’t need it. There’s only one on the roster.
Okay, so are you dating someone right now?
Oh, yeah. It ain’t no secret. Everybody know that.
What would you say is your favorite song from this new project?
It depends on the day. I’ll probably say the intro. It’s called “Dear Fren.” It’s like the most personal one. I wrote a letter to my grandma and to my little cousin, who both aren’t here anymore. They passed away. So, I’d probably say that song is my favorite personally, but I think everybody’s favorite song is “Taquan.” Because it’s Tequila and Wine, and that’s “Taquan.” Yeah, it sounds like a night in Kingston.
Kingston Jamaica? Why Jamaica?
I don’t know, bro. It’s like, it’s like reggae vibes on the beat and s–t like that. And I’m talking about getting lit. The whole song, I’m talking about getting lit, and I’m also just talking about like, somebody about to leave out of my life. So, I’m just outside, trying to, mask them emotions and s–t.
How’s your relationship with J. Cole?That’s my boy. Good people. Changed my life for sure. Definitely raised my price. Shout out to Jermaine. That’s a good dude.
I was watching one of your interviews earlier, where you mentioned giving Cole a track and then taking it back. Does that happen often?
Never happens. That actually never happens. I ain’t gonna stunt. I was almost scared to ask for it back, because I’m like, “I might blow this.” Blow the whole feature. But it was real cool, and [he] did the video, you know. Invited me to the crib, to his house, his actual home to finish it. He’s a solid dude. He had told me a long time ago that he originally wanted to sign me. And that’s some crazy s–t.
But you know, I’m glad I went my route that I went, you know. I got my own s–t, Zero Fatigue records.
How was it going independent and starting your own label?
It’s a lot more to do, it’s a lot more challenging, but it’s also, it feels good to know that I own my s–t.
It feels good to know I always own my masters. I never gave no masters up, it’s always licensing, but it feels good to own s–t. You just gotta pay a lot more attention to, like, spending money and all that, but it’s cool. It’s my first release independent like this though — this one that’s coming out.
So hopefully you guys support it.
What inspired you to own your own masters?
Ray Charles, no cap. Ray Charles ran up one of the best deals in American history.
So, you knew from the jump that you always wanted to own your own music?
It’s hella funny — this is a random story, my boy Chris Classic can attest. We was on the airplane, my first time ever coming to L.A. This guy, he randomly said –I must’ve looked like an artist to him. But I swear this dude just looked at me on the plane, and he was like, “Bro, never sign your publishing away.” I’m like, “What? What made you say that?” He was like, “Just never sign it.”
I swear it was like a sign or something, because I was literally going out there to talk to, what was it, Post Recordings or something like that? And it’s a publishing company. I’m like, “What the hell?” So, I don’t know, from that day I was just like, “I want to own all my stuff.” Like, I always have been scared.
I heard horror stories. I got family that was in the music industry and s–t like that, that went through a whole lot of s–t, never got paid. I don’t want to be that guy, bro. I’m trying to be around.
You said earlier this is your first album released independently. What challenges have you faced so far?
None. I record myself. I think the only challenge is having to budget — like, that’s some growing-up s–t. So I’ve been having to make sure I pay attention to budgeting myself.
Usually, the label would distribute the funds and all that s–t, give you what you need. But, yeah, I’ve been having to just pay a lot more attention to just little things like that.
Do you feel any pressure when it comes to budgeting?
Nah, man, my manager definitely does a good job of making sure I still feel like I’m just an artist. But being a businessman? It’s fire. I think it’s some fly s–t. It’s something I think I can do. I like challenging myself. Y I’ve been, like, a fire-ass, underground legend for years… at this point, it’s [just] stepping up my business and my business mind and all of that stuff. Like, that’s naturally the progression. I want to be like Hov and s–t like that.
You mentioned being underground — do you think you’re underrated at all?
Hell nah. Man, when people say that, I be like, “D–n, that’s crazy,” because I be getting so much love. You know what I’m saying? But I understand the sentiment and where they’re coming from, you know? The way I feel love, even just being out and about, when I move around, get free drinks where I go and s–t like that. But I get a lot of love, bro.
A lot of love for SminoEarth. I never feel like that.
What’s your goal five years from now? What do you see your experiences being? Where do you see your company going?
Five years? I want to have a new artist out on my own, you know, somebody that I helped break.
I’m working on an art school in St. Louis, starting an actual art school. I want to have some kids. I want my own weed brand. My clothing line, Bjorn, I’m working on that too.
And I still want to be able to perform this music, bruh. Like, I want to do a residency somewhere. A long-ass residency. I want to have, 40 nights in Vegas or some s–t like that. For real. 40 days and 40 nights. That’s what I’m going to call it. I mean, I’m going to perform on Noah’s Ark. On the gang, that’s hard.
A lot of people say that your lyrics are creative and playful. Do you agree?
Yeah, they have been. I’m pretty witty. I hear a word and hear a sentence; like, words sound like a sentence to me. That’s why my wordplay is what it is. The syllables of a word will make a phrase for me. But, I mean, as of late, like all my newer stuff, I don’t know.
I think it’s me growing up, but, like, I’ve been speaking a lot more linear. Like, it’s been a lot more trying to throw out versus, like, wordplay. I don’t know.
You were just on tour with J.I.D. How was that experience?
That was a good tour, bro. That s–t was crazy. Really crazy, actually. We did like a hundred thousand tickets, every night sold out. Yeah, a whole lot of debauchery and moshing going on.
What’s your touring experience like? When you’re finished with a show, what do you do afterward? Do you go out and party, or do you relax after rapping and singing all day?
Yeah, I go chill, bro. There’s no party better than my show — unless it’s an after party, unless somebody wants to give me a hundred bands for what I walk through, some s–t like that.
But I’m not the one that be like in the streets like that. I really be ducking back. Plus, my voice be hurting.
Looking at you now, you have like a fresh, unique style. How does your fashion inspire your music or vice versa?
The main s–t that inspires me is stuff I’ve never seen before. Or even if I have seen it, just not used in that way, you know? So, like, musically, I always try to — let’s say I got a melody going on — I’m like, “I’m gonna stack that s–t the same way I like to layer my clothes.” You feel me?
I like everything to have layers to it, not just be bland and basic and s–t like that. I think it’s all just personality s–t.
Do you feel like your clothes are a version of you? Like they express who you are without using any words?
Yeah, though, for sure. Like, getting fresh — like, the first time I’m creative in the daytime — that’s the first thing that inspires me, is my outfit. And after that, everything else comes.
A few months ago, I was talking to Dennis Smith Jr., and he said the connection between music and sports is that all the rappers wanna play ball and all the ball players wanna rap. Do you agree?
Hell yeah. Them n—as be tryna rap all the time.
Growing up, did you ever want to play ball?
Football? Yeah, I love football. I love football. I’m a Chiefs fan —go Chiefs! 8-0. The f—k are we talking about?
If you could create an Olympic team for football, but only use music artists, who would you have on your roster?
We’re going to be coached by Missy Elliott. My quarterback will probably be Kendrick Lamar.
Nah, he the running back, K Dot, because he’s short. And then my quarterback will probably be Monte Booker, the producer.
Two wide receivers: Young Thug and me are the wide receivers. We doing wide out. Me and Thug, you know what I’m saying? We wild. And then I have all gospel artists on the line because we need God to protect us.
That’s probably my team, my offensive team. I don’t know what positions I forgot.
J. Cole is celebrating the 10th anniversary of 2014 Forest Hills Drive with a special one-night-only concert at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Dec. 16. The 39-year-old rap star made the announcement on Friday (Nov. 29), marking a decade since the release of his third studio album. Presales for the Live Nation-produced event […]
Tyler, The Creator took a well-deserved victory lap and brought festival-goers along for a joyful ride down memory lane on Saturday (Nov. 16) when he headlined the first night of Camp Flog Gnaw at his Los Angeles hometown’s Dodger Stadium.
The ambient sounds of a shipping dock — deep-toned ship horns, squawking seagulls and crashing waves — play before Tyler marches onto the stage and incites “Chromakooooooopia” chants from the crowd. A single green light highlights the masked and military uniform-donning headliner standing atop a “Chromakopia” shipping container. Tyler introduced the album’s aesthetic exactly one month ago on Oct. 16, when he released the “St. Chroma” video. And already, he’s created another definitive character in the Tyler Cinematic Universe, where commitment to world-building is paramount for every one of his projects.
He forges ahead to the next three songs off CHROMAKOPIA’s track list. “The biggest out the city after Kenny, that’s a fact now,” he reaffirms on the subsequent track “Rah Tah Tah.” Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem, who were billed as The Hillbillies, headlined the first night of Camp Flog Gnaw just last year. Tyler isn’t typically one to do the honors given the fact that it’s his festival (and he already rewards himself with the most performance time out of any other artist on the lineup). Giving other luminaries the primetime slot is a courtesy, but this year’s different because Tyler gradually ascends into a higher echelon of stardom with each album.
Trending on Billboard
He’s reached cult icon status without having a definitive “hit,” and now he’s earned his first three Billboard Hot 100 top 10s with an album that was released on an off-cycle Monday but has become Tyler’s biggest album to date. His star continues to burn even brighter, but the overexposure proves it can sometimes be destructive. “Noid” feels particularly poignant given his recent heated encounter with paparazzi as he was leaving the GQ Men of the Year party on Thursday night.
“No cameras out, please, I wanna eat in peace/ Don’t wanna take pictures with you n—as or bi—es,” he spits on the second verse with an extra splatter of vitriol.
But Tyler doesn’t marinate in the sour feeling. Over the instrumental outro of “Darling I,” he pauses to prematurely celebrate his album’s three-week No. 1 streak on the Billboard 200. “Thank all you motherf–kers for supporting me, man, for real. To do that, at my 10th carnival in my f—ing city, what’re we talking about?! I don’t even have no heartfelt message. I’m really filled with so much love and joy,” Tyler beams. “We did the new sh–, y’all clearly know it and like it. So if you don’t mind, I’mma go through my old sh– real fast.”
Tyler takes it back to last year with “WUSYANAME,” “LUMBERJACK” and “DOGTOOTH” from his Grammy-winning album Call Me If You Get Lost before rewinding all the way back to 2011 with “She” and “Yonkers” from his Goblin LP and splicing in cuts from 2013’s Wolf, 2017’s Flower Boy and 2019’s IGOR. He asks the audience to take over Playboi Carti‘s verse on “EARFQUAKE” because “this n—a in Vegas” headlining ComplexCon, but he’s slated to close out the second and final night of Camp Flog Gnaw on Sunday (Nov. 17).
“I wanted to build a place where n—as could just come and just be, and it’s beautiful to see that y’all have been rocking with me for real. All this s–t really be starting from my notebook. It’s f—ing crazy, bruh! N—as is really three weeks No. 1, and I’m like, ‘What the f— going on? This is crazy!’” he says. “This is a test run ’cause all the songs are so new. The first four went great, could I continue to do some new s—?”
He shushes the festival-goers’ affirmative response so they can pick up the introductory whistle of his Hot 100 top 10 hit “Sticky,” where B-roll of step teams and marching bands complement the song’s cheerful energy. But Sexyy Red‘s surprise appearance cranks it up a thousandfold. Tyler gasses her up while she twerks for the crowd, and he even throws it back and earns a satisfactory smack from her.
They match each other’s freak as well as the same IDGAF energy of their viral booty-popping, middle-finger-flinging photo. “I love you, girl. She’s so sweet,” Tyler sings her praises as she heads off the stage and repeats the “It’s gettin’ sticky!” hook. But the raunchy rapper can’t deliver more fitting final words than “He was sucking up on my coochie, y’all.”
Tyler invites more CHROMAKOPIA guests like ScHoolboy Q for “Thought I Was Dead” and the “motherf–king swamp princess” Doechii and “my motherf—ing brother” Daniel Caesar for “Balloon.” “This n—a helped me with this album, I get emotional when I see this n—a ’cause he came through for me for CHROMAKOPIA,” Tyler says of Caesar, who performed on the main stage just right before him and is featured on “St. Chroma” and “Take Your Mask Off.” It took a village to make his latest masterpiece, but he built an even bigger one right before his eyes.
Check out the full set list for Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw headlining set below:
1. “St. Chroma”
2. “Rah Tah Tah”
3. “Noid”
4. “Darling, I”
5. “WUSYANAME”
6. “LUMBERJACK”
7. “DOGTOOTH”
8. “She”
9. “Yonkers”
10. “Tamale”
11. Boredom
12. “Who Dat Boy”
13. “I THINK”
14. “EARFQUAKE”
15. “Sticky” (with Sexyy Red)
16. “Take Your Mask Off”
17. “Thought I Was Dead” (with ScHoolboy Q)
18. “Like Him”
19. “Balloon” (with Doechii and Daniel Caesar)
20. “NEW MAGIC WAND”
21. “See You Again”
With ten years in the rap game, Kash Doll is finally ready to change her name. The Detroit-based rapper stopped by Billboard‘s NYC office for an episode of Billboard Gaming, just in time for the release of her The Last Doll album arrival on Friday (Nov. 15).The Last Doll marks a deeply personal chapter in her life, showcasing her growth as a woman, a mother of two, and an artist evolving beyond the persona that first brought her into the spotlight. The arrival of her daughter Klarity has been a transformative experience, shaping not only her maturity but also her perspective on life. As she balances motherhood with her thriving career, Kash Doll reflects on her journey, using this album as a powerful expression of her personal and artistic evolution.We faced off with the rapper in several rounds of Mario Kart while discussing the inspiration behind her album, touring, her love for her children, and more.Congratulations on The Last Doll! What inspired the title?It’s just growth. It’s where I’m at in life, you know what I’m saying? So, I’m just tired of the doll. I got two kids. I don’t want to be called a doll no more. I’m just over that.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
You’re dropping “Doll,” so your new name is just Kash?
Trending on Billboard
I don’t know yet.
Do you have any ideas on your new name?
I don’t know yet. I don’t know if I just want to be Keisha, because that’s my name, or if I want to be Kash, or Big Kash, or KD, or something like that.
When your fans listen to your new album, The Last Doll how do you want them to feel? What message are you trying to express?
You know, I don’t feel like it’d be a body of work no more. It’s so much just singles all in one project, you know what I’m saying?
Mine is just a body of work, and I want them to see growth, evolution. Like, I’ve been in the game for 10 years, so I just want my fans that have been growing with me to just understand who I am and where I’m at now, you know what I’m saying?
Congrats on 10 years. So, the theme of this album is just growth?
It’s growth. It’s lit, though. The album is crazy. I’mma just be 100 percent for real — like, it’s crazy. I got all types of songs on there. It’s got songs about my kids, you know, I’m singing on there. I got different vibes on there, you know what I’m saying? It ain’t just rap; it’s different genres. I got house music on there. I got songs about mental health and loving yourself — stuff like that. So, it’s just a different me.
What’s your favorite song on the album?
My favorite song? I don’t have one. It’s hard to have a favorite song when all of it is fire. It’s hard.
You have an incredible lineup of features on this album.
Oh yeah, they are. The artists are incredible.
How did you go about choosing the artists?
Once I make the song, I can hear certain people, you know what I’m saying? And I reach out and try to get it done. With “Comfy,” I wanted to remake that from Lil Wayne and Babyface, and so I reached out to Tink, and I wanted her on that.
And we did it. So that’s how that one happened. But most of all my other features — oh, yeah, and “NWA” with Yung Bleu — you know, me and Tracy, we decided we wanted him on a hook. And then we went out there, and we got the hook, and then we did our verses and magic.
You mentioned you have your kids on this album, so I’m assuming this album is deeply personal to you. How did motherhood play a role in your album?My kids, they just motivated me to make music that I don’t mind them hearing.
Because I make music that I like to hear when I go out and stuff like that. Music I like to hear when I’m riding or when I’m on vacation, you know? Like, it’s a different type of music you want to hear when my kids are in the house, and I don’t have to put a sensor on everything, you know what I’m saying?
So, they motivated me to make a different type of music, even though I’m still her.
Have you played the album for your kids yet?
Nah. Well, Kashton knows his song.
Has it been difficult juggling motherhood and being a music artist?
It’s difficult leaving them. You know what I mean? It’s difficult. It’s hard leaving my kids.
So, do you ever find yourself rushing back home after a day of traveling?
Hell yeah. Hell yeah. I miss them, they’re my babies, man.
You’ve been getting into your acting bag. You’ve been on BMF and Diarra From Detroit. How has acting been for you?
Acting is fun. Acting is just like a little more stable when you’re acting. You know what I mean? Like, you don’t have to travel as much and lose stuff all the damn time when you’re traveling. And, you know, be away from my kids, I can kind of just be in one, at least in one state for like a month or two or three or four, you know? So, I kind of enjoy it. It’s longer hours, though, for sure.
Do you ever see yourself creating a soundtrack for a show or for a movie?
Hell yeah. But mine, I’m gonna do movies. I’m about to do that because I’m about to do my baby shit. I’m gonna do music, and I don’t want to move around and do so many shows and stuff like that, you know? I want to be able to sit down, be with my kids. And I’m not missing Kashton’s games when he starts. So everybody got until he starts school. I’m gonna have my fun, go on tour, and do all that, but when my baby starts school, it’s over.
You’re going on tour soon! What can fans expect from your set?
An experience. It’s my first tour. You know, now I get to do my own stage, setting the light. You know, I get to play all my different music. This is my first time. I’m really excited. Ten years, and this is my first tour. And I’m really mad. I shouldn’t have waited this long, but it’s going to be an experience. You’re going to see a doll at work.
Why did you wait 10 years to tour?
I didn’t. I went on tour before in 2019, but I never did my own tour, and I had finally got another tour in 2020, but then COVID happened. Yeah, canceled the whole tour, and then boom, now we’re here. So it’s cool though. I’m gonna build my touring business. I’m gonna build it. It’s cool. I like to start. It’s a grind. It’s a grind for me.
What’s your favorite place to perform?
Damn. That’s hard. ‘Cause the Bay is a time. Milwaukee is a time. Houston is a time.
You’re also known for your fashion, how has fashion influenced your music?
I don’t know. I don’t know how it will influence it, but I just be being myself. I just be myself. I don’t know how my fashion — I don’t know. Am I fashionable? I just put on clothes.
So, you don’t think you’re a fashionable individual?
People say that but I just say where. I go to the mall every other day. This is like my little alone time and I go to the mall looking bummy. I go in the mall with a hoodie on and a scarf. And I be looking crazy. And I be buying up stuff. And then I have it in my closet for when I’m ready to throw on stuff. You know? But I do like fashion. I love all this stuff. I’m just, I don’t know if I’m good at it. But no, it don’t, it don’t influence my music.I’m just me. I don’t know what the hell influence me, people trying to talk s—t. I’ll be like, okay, I got something for you. My kids.
What advice do you have for the upcoming female rappers out there?
First of all, I say, be yourself. You know, everyone else is taken. Be yourself. Um, have morals and dignity in the game. You know what I’m saying? Don’t just do anything. Don’t be so thirsty that you’ll drink poison. Because some people be wanting it so bad, you know, that they’ll sign papers. And it’s me. I’m people.
You’ll sign papers, you know what I’m saying? Without having a lawyer, not knowing what’s going on and all these things. Just know, if it’s for you, it’s going to happen regardless. Do not just be desperate for this s—t. And be yourself. That’s what I’ll say, because I wish you might have said that to me earlier, but I don’t know if I would have listened, because experience teaches you things way different from someone telling you, you know what I mean?
Yeah. That’s interesting. I interviewed Ja Rule like two weeks ago. He said the exact same thing: “Be yourself.” Do you feel like some people in the industry now are lacking authenticity?
Yeah. Because they want to do what they think is popping right now, or, you know, what they see that everybody is gravitating to.
But at the same time, it’s like, be yourself, your time will come. Just be yourself. And that’s me. That’s why I stay in my lane, and I just do me, because my time’s going to come. If God wants me to have a time, you know what I’m saying? I’m living in my—maybe this is it. But, however, I’m being myself, and it feels good.
I’m having a good time instead of just doing whatever I think needs to be done to be her, you know, put the work in, of course, but be yourself.
U.K. rapper Central Cee has announced the release date for his long-awaited debut album, Can’t Rush Greatness. The LP is slated for release on January 24, 2025 via Columbia Records and will be the first full body of work since his 2023 mixtape 23.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The 26-year-old shared the news on his social media feeds alongside the artwork, which you can see below. Pre-orders are now open on Cench’s website.
No tracklist has been released for the album so far, but it has been confirmed that his new song “One By One,” which was recorded in a Colors session, would not feature on the record.
Trending on Billboard
A press release also confirmed that the album was recorded in multiple locations over the last year, and it will feature guest producers as well as an appearance from fellow U.K. rapper Dave. The pair collaborated on the single “Sprinter” in 2023, which topped the U.K.’s Official Singles Charts for nine weeks and landed at No.10 on the Billboard Global 200.
2024 has seen a number of singles from the west London artist. In May, he teamed up with Lil Baby for “BAND4BAND” which landed at No.18 on the Billboard Hot 100, and at No.3 on the Official Singles Chart in the U.K. The song was the highest-charting U.K. rap single on the charts in Hot 100 history.
Elsewhere there was an appearance on Ice Spice’s debut Y2K, a team-up with Afrobeats star Asake on single “Wave” and most recently with RAYE on the single “Moi” in September.
Speaking to Dazed, Central Cee elaborated on the process of the making of Can’t Rush Greatness. “With the mixtapes, I was living in [the same] house I grew up in,” he said. “Now we’ve elevated, we’re actually musicians. There were times it was hard to say man’s a musician. I was just a guy that [went into the] studio [sometimes]. Now, I’m an artist.”
Last week, Central Cee was named as an additional headliner for Spain’s Primavera Sound Festival in June 2025, topping the bill alongside Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan.