Rap Radar Rewind: 6lack

We'll figure out talk about that album cover. When I first saw it, I was like wow, Like it's just it's powerful on so many different levels, Like how did you come up with that? Idea? To the cover? Was just like a random father's to day shoot, just walking around this house in l A. They were just taking pictures, so we weren't really shooting for the album. We were

just taking pictures. And when it came time to figure out the album cover and just kind of going through like options that we already had, and I was like, wait a minute, that's the one right there, Like nothing is going to be duper than that picture right there.

So that's really like you making breakfast making songs that is now more so of a depiction of like, since I've been gone, I barely get those moments with her, so like moments like those where I do get that second to like have her on me and like move around, make music, make breakfast, like whatever it may be. Like, that's what I wish I could do every single day.

You know, it's be like, well, it looked like a house that you know, yeah, you have to run about mom first, not about to say yeah, they do a ton of photo ships, so yeah, that's crazy now, But congrats on the album again. Man, Like I think you said somebody with sophomore albums, you know, you looked at it from an analytical sample. You said, sometimes people get

either too confident or a lot of confidence. Right, yeah, I think um, as long as you like avoid those two things, like you don't get your head too far ahead of you know, what's going on, because you might have had like a hit single or you know, you might be being championed by everybody else. Or as long as you don't feel the pressure of what do I have to do next to I have to change? Do I have to impress you know this person that person like I kind of stayed in the state of I

just want to make music. I want to make it feels natural. The show progression and like the rest is, you know, to figure yourself out. Well, was it important to like, you know, have these female female voices kind of narrate the album because I was listening you have Tierra whack on you know, let her go sorry, like sink Keysha, even your daughter's mom on seasons No, Now that was a mistake. Uh, I don't know how that got on the internet. But um that the last one

is actually Marie Ba. She's signed inter Scope to. Uh. The name used to be Mary and Marie Ba, but now it's just Marie Ba. But um, yeah, as far as it skitts go one, I didn't have any female features as you can see. So for me, the main thing was like figuring out how to keep that strong

female presence. And as I'm like navigating through like all these perspectives and like all these different um emotions that I'm running through, I wanted to make sure that I offered like an opposite, you know, side of it, or you know what the rebuttal might be. So I wanted to like kind of infiltrate that and like put that

in certain parts and just keep the storyline going. So would you start knowing into that concept that he was going to make the sort of album you said really tackles love and the complexity other the language of love. And because I saw, like, you know, ent of the year you would make saying you had a hundred songs, and you know, you obviously been working like when did it click that you sort of the shape take form

of what the concept was going to be. Um as soon as we finished the last project, I was probably thinking, well, we were trying to figure out what the theme was going to be for the next project, and I was telling them, like, bro, the last project was everything I went through up until that point. I'm going through so much, you know right now that I'm just like, there's nothing else that I can talk about. There's nothing else I

want to talk about. Like, in two years, my life went from one side of the spectrum all the way to the other side. So and with that, obviously, with success, fame, money like comes new problems, you know, new things you gotta figure out. Uh, And yeah, that was pretty much it. I was just trying to presently capture what I was going through then when I think too far trying to figure out anything, you know, to left field a creative or like it's like talk about what you're going through.

People want to hear it. They only ever got a loving songs from you, so that you know they aren't tired of you. Just extend a story. You talk about new problems. Man, I was listening to Load of Gun.

You talk about how more money, more problems, and like, you know, people coming up to you asking for things and things like have to ask increase since the last for sure, And for sure I think like the perception of of success is a thing for everybody back home, and you know, the people that you kind of grew up with and came up with, whether it be family, friends, like, they don't really understand that just because you know, I quote unquote made it that money isn't like forever, you know,

like it isn't endless. You know, I haven't made it to the point where I can like kick back and be like all right, you know you're taking care of you taking care of You're taking care of like now we're good. I'm still working, you know, to make sure that once I get to that point, then I could, you know, make sure mom is straight, and make sure you know that the team is straight, make sure everybody else is straight. So the request they increase cash cash

app is like my my worst enemy right now. It's so easy to give me money black back when it was Western Union and you know stuff like that. I could be like, you know, give me a couple of days or it's gonna take them in the cash apps like no, I need it like before five o'clock, or I'm getting big fans like cash after I thought to go, yeah, you see stuff like that is rare, Like they don't I'm going now they now that I did that, my d M is full of like can you send me

four hundred dollars footlah blah blah blah blah. So um yeah, that was some fans coming from Florida. They were trying to get to the drive through. It's like yeah, yeah, yeah to drive in. They were just like, yeah, we want to come up there. You don't have don't gas money. I just happen to see it. I was like, cool, just send me a cashop because it wasn't hard to say no though. Um to family and friends, Yeah yeah,

and I have business managers. So his biggest thing is like budgeting that and making sure like, Okay, you know, clearly you gotta take care of your people, but you know, don't ever get into a habit that you can't like keep up with or don't ever you know, do something that it's just gonna like not benefit you in the long run. So his job is to make sure I don't go broke, and my job is, you know, to make sure everybody's comfortable in some kind of way speaking

to your team. Feel like, as much as praise has been with the album, it's also been praised around the whole rollout of the album. Man, you know, the execution of it. Like you mentioned you debuted this driving in Atlanta, you know, talk about some of these ideas and how did this all take for him to just make sure this is presented the right way. Rollouts are a lost cause,

especially with like new artists. I think we kind of put our projects together, throw them out, you know, whatever happens happens or like surprise drops or the new rollout. So it's just like you know, they they kind of bank on impulse to to make the music splash. And for us, when I introduced myself to the world. It was like a photo shoot and it was a hairstyle, and it was a color theme and it was you know,

like the Bear. It was like all these things to where people like had to pay attention to something other than you know, the music. So with this rollout, we were like, how can we make it Atlanta, but make it you know for everybody. The drive in is a place that everybody in Atlanta has been to it if you were on my side of town, Like people got in the trunk to sneak into the drive you know.

So that was one of the places we did Magic City in l A. Man about to say they might have to step out for this, and I don't want to talk about this right now, l A. They've never seen anything like that ever. So yeah, Magic City was really dope. But back to the driving. You was having so much fun you ended up like jumping to people's cars and stuff. So they like listening to They listened to the album bobeing out. I'm like walking through um

the grass, like hopping in random cars. People turning around like who in my car? And then they look and they're like, oh ship. I'm like, you know, just keep listening. To keep listening. I'm in the back seat, vibe and

chilling um, kicking it in trunks. I'm like just walking around because at the end of the day, like what I wanted to to instill in Atlanta, especially since most of them saw my come up, was I'm still a regular person and I always want to be a regular person and anything I do, you know, anything I can do to make sure you guys know that, Like, That's what I'm gonna do. So I see that last time in social media, they'll be something like I went to

third grade with the freestyle and class. You know what I'm saying. I know you're from where elementary school. Man, I got like super just extensive ties in Atlanta, and I moved around so much and like it was in so many different neighborhoods and classes and schools. Like so when I did my Tabernacle show in Atlanta, when I was performing, it wasn't like, yeah, it wasn't like I

was looking at you know, fans. I was performing and I'm looking at fans here and there, but I'm also looking at third grade, elementary school, high school, college, neighborhood. Like everywhere I looked out saw face you know that was familiar to you and g I d come up together because I saw a tweet that he said that you guys performed at some university. Was like people, Yeah, man, man,

I was sleeping on their couch like before everything kicked off. Yeah, I was like couch from everywhere, But that was like one of the last couches that I got to before. You know, everybody ended up doing their things. So I'll be at jaz crib and he would have his mic set up with as I'm at we record record record. We probably made like to three mixtapes worth the music, and um, I ended up doing my thing, he ended up doing his thing. We both ended up at in

the scope. It's crazy I worked out right, It's crazy, I said even out of that. You met Mac Miller during that time, right, so like you expressed time much you was. You know, we all hurt by his loss, but you definitely got to spend some time with him in those early days. Yeah, Mac, I actually met for the first time just in person when I was at Coachella. This was the year before I performed, so I was just you know, and a as a as a fan.

I went show face promote all that but maybe two thousand and ten is when Mac first said something to me, And that was when I was like in my dorm trying to figure out, you know, what was next, like am I dropping out and my wasting my time? Like what am I doing here? And that's when he gave me, you know, some words of advice. Just like nothing that's ever said back. You know, everything you're going through, everything you're doing is just something you know, more to write about,

more to talk about later. So, speaking of Coachella, you mentioned that jay Z and Beyonce you set this year and he waited for I'm glad they saw the second weekend, first weekend. Everything that could have went wrong went wrong from the minute we pressed play like that they that counts me down to beat on beat didn't come on, so piano comes in, no drums, and I'm just like

where am I supposed to be right now? And I had to, like I ran through the whole entire set like that, So I'm like powering through like um one song. If you ever look at the footage, I actually was like cut because like second verse dropped in, I was a little bit off beat and I'm like, yeah, not about to make me look like this out here so cut that one went to the next song. But everything

that could have went wrong went wrong. The second weekend we came back, everything was perfect, got off stage, You're like, yo, J and B. Honest, by the time they said J and B, I was like already emotion. I was like running backstage. Um, they were chilling on the cart and yeah, that's pretty a chill. Yeah, I mean, you know, fan of the music, amazing show, and somebody one of my guys was actually like recording capturing the moment. And in that moment you see J like wave his hand like

no cameras. Yeah, it's important. We got the footage stuff. You got the footage. That was a great shot. Yeah, but you also pay me even having future, Like how trippy is it to like, you know, to have future beyond the title track of this record one of your biggest records, thinking like one of his mixtape records, and here you get to really collaborate with him. It was

I'm pretty sure surprising for the city. I was surprising for a lot of people because being in the internet era, Like once I flipped his song, you know it was it was a halfway between. I loved the new version and now it's a future song. So um, most people didn't even know what our relationship was. But I had seen him in passing maybe about twice before we did that song East Lina love Letter, and by the time I sent the idea, it was like excitement about just

being a part of it. You know. It wasn't it was no business talks to be had. It was no like figuring out anything. It was he loves it, he wants to do it, and it was done. Was it a strategic move this time? Around? A half features on the album, because like the first album was kind of mainly you had tea paint. What was the I did to have more features and more collaborations this summ around? Um, yeah,

the first one is me all by myself. And it wasn't because I didn't want to work with anybody, but just more so I just wanted to show I can stand on my own, do my own hooks, cut my own records. Uh, you're about to cry, It's all good, yeah, hold on, m hm six knows what time is there? You go give it a bank card already. But yeah, I just wanted to just like invite different fan bases

into my world. And through Cold, through Future, through Khali through Offset, like we got to put a template down for for them to do something, to say something they might not have done. He set on their songs or that album The Pretty Little Fits seems to be a big fan favor right now. Yeah for sure. Yep. Jick just kept saying like, yo, Cols, the fan wants to meet. And eventually I ended up pulling up to the studio. We sat down Cole's you know super chill asketball shorts

T shirt. I played him everything I had, all my rough drafts, and he was like, that's the one I want to work on. And this was like before me even saying like I want, you know, I want, can I get a feature type thing? And it was just like he was like, I like that one. Let me work on that. Send me that. We surprised how he tackled It's kind of like one of Doornes. It was. It was perfect, like I feel like I set it up and in a way where all he had to

do was just like finish it. I know when people get heavyweight features, the big question or the big debate is like all he killed or I'm like no, like I did exactly what I was supposed to do, and you know, Cole came through with like a thirty two. I don't even know all the but I mean, I can't speak for cold, but to me, that was a letter to his wife, you know, like I don't I don't know personally who he was writing too, but that's

what I took it as it. I'm like the fact that he had the space to to do something that he might not have done on his album. It's like perfect. But I'll take it away and go my favorite journal, the Scripture. I felt like you went out there, got your ship off on that particular record. Was that was?

Was that the mission? Yeah? Scripture records like scripture nonchalant, uh old the gun, Like those are moments where I do get to like stick my chest out a little bit, because yeah, I say, most of the time is a super humble or super R and B or super like

just just passive. In those are moments where I get to like talk, you know, just tell my story, uh kind of like never know on the first album, Um, I think Scripture was like a two point oh and never now, So you really wrote that in the hotel the size of a closet and Montreal yeah, yeah, you gotta put that up on I g I didn't notice it, and I look back to your feet the day you did it, or so, I was in Montreal and they made a mistake and booked a bad hotel, like a

horrible like the bed was the bed was touching the desk, like the desk the back of the chair for the death was touching the bed. The night stand was right next to the bed. It was like literally a square that's like an apartment in Brooklyn. It was Yeah, they were like, yeah, yeah, we can like switch you out. We can get you another on Mike, just like set up the studio equipment. Me just figure this out, right man, For that one particular line you said, don't pay me

to know niggad, I'm better than it seems like. It's if you always get those chips off your shoulder. Yeah. I think when you're a new act, clap it up. When you're a new act, the first thing people do to to process who you are what you do is like, compared to you, compared you to somebody else. So it's like, yeah, I like him. He sounds like so and so makes with so and so and so and so, and it's just like maybe if you got to combine all those

people did not sound like myself. You know, it's just like so um yeah, coming up, you get comparisons, You get like, oh he sounds like this, or he reminds me of that. But at the end of the day, like I don't do what they do and they can't do what I do. Yeah, you hate that people try to lump you in with that and try to dark Everything's like, well it's dark and it's it's simp it's

a certain sound. But I mean, I just I just know what I do, Like I'm super confident on what I do and knowing that, like I'm not here to duplicate anybody else, and that nobody can duplicate you know, me and what I went through as far as battle rap, as far as rapping writing songs, like I have a particular style and my fans know my voice a minute they hear me. You talk about how meticulous you are

with your music. You said somebody you spent twelve hours on two bars, Like, man, you know what's something that album was that? Do you remember? Mmmm? I Mean sometimes it takes like it it can get really really vigorous, like when I'm in the studio. I'm in the studio by myself. I usually kick my engineering producer out and I'm like tracking by myself at the at the boards.

And sometimes it's quick, but other times I'll be in a studio for like the entire night and I won't like get to the next four bars until like six am, just because like I won't. I won't force it out, you know, like I'll I'll listen to it, I'll play it back, I'll try to like you know a few different things. I'll take a nap, you know again, and then I like get up and then maybe like five am,

I'm like, oh, I got it and all. Because it's just like when you don't have like that block schedule of the studio time where it's like I gotta be out of here by whatever clock. It's like, bro, just take your time, think, rest um, get on the internet, like do whatever you gotta do to make sure the next lines are perfect lines and not just like I can wrap, so let me just put some lines down

on paper. Like every line that I put out has to be like it has to be you know, better than the next or just you know, comparable to the next, right speaking of lines, like one of the most meaningful lines that I found on the albums we talked about an episode we had like a gun to your face at sixteen years old or Yeah. This was in my old neighborhood, Qui Ridge on South Harriston, and random night had nothing to do with me, Like I didn't know

who it was. I was just like walking down the street late at night, going to going to the crib. And usually in like neighborhoods like that, and during that time, like if somebody drives past you and they hit the break lights, then you already know like the night's about

to get ridiculous, you know. So I see the break lights like oh ship, and they hop out going to my face and I'm just like in my head like during that time, I'm literally thinking like I haven't even had a kid yet, bro Like, and to be that younger to think something that old is it's kind of it's kind of weird to think, but that's all I can think about in that moment. It's just like I'm not done, you know, Like I a lot of stuff to do, so uh yeah, smack the gun down, take

off running down the street. It's like so It's like it's a tall fence to my right, so I can't hop it, so I have to run straight. And then I look back and I see him with the gun again, holding it just like pointing out my back. I'm like, please, please, please, please please. As soon as I get to where the fence breaks, I just cut right from my house. Was like right across the street, going the house. Say what's uping to my mom? Lay on the couch, go to sleep.

I don't say nothing, and she had no idea what happened. You also talk about surviving cards too, right, yep. And I was never driving, never the driver, so I don't even know how to drive. Yeah, but yeah, the worst one was just coming from a Denzel curage on Florida. This is before everything. Yeah, I want to go see Curry somewhere in Florida. And on the way back, we were deciding like are we gonna drive back or stay tonight because we didn't have like a hotel, um, so

we decided to drive back. In the person at the wheel fell asleep. I wake up. We hit the meeting and then I see him like he hanked the wheel. And from there, you know, if you like Yanko Wills, Right, you're about to spend, You're about to flip. So just held on, spun flipped and did it and ditch everybody

miraculously was okay. Um, you know, we crawled up out of there, and to this day, like those are moments where you know it's a lot going on, but I still think about like just the bigger picture, which is it's just not over yet, right six is going in. You said your mom didn't know about that gun and sident. I mean, how was she she heard the album? What did she respond to it after? Um, I mean she

found out a lot of stuff after the fact. I just never wanted to bother her, like what whatever was going on in the street, Like you never want to bring myself to your crib, you know, as a young man, as a kid, just like I can handle it on my own, or I just don't want to stress you out.

So I went through a lot of stuff, and you know, it was in a lot of different situations that she didn't know anything about until later where people are just like, oh, yeah, you ain't know when blah blah blah happened, or he was over there with blah blah blah, and that happened like until one of the homies got killed in the neighborhood. Like she had no idea that anything like that was

even going on. And that was because like that night, it was just a night where everybody came out the house, like police were there, everybody's mom was outside, and that was that was when she was like, okay, cool, like we gotta move, we gotta get out of here, somewhere between humble and hell no, why are you? Why are

you that way? Like I thought that was a pretty poignant line on nonchalant um, just because I do like to I'm just big on leading by example, which is, you know, with my fans, with my friends, like what everybody is like, I want to always give them the idea that you know, I do feel like I'm talented, but I don't feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. And every day I wake up, I'm working to get better.

So staying in a humble space, standing in the grounded space, you know, makes it keeps me like, you know, certain of what I need to be working on versus feeling like I already figured it out. And then you know, sometimes you have flashes where it's like you need to patch yourself on the back, Like you need to to look at everything that you've done and realize that it's not something that everybody can do. Also, the biggest thing

about you is that you've made it very clear. You know, you've had bad experiences this industry to put it mildly, and like you know, you wanted to do it and succeed on your own terms, and you've done it that way. Um. Yeah, I had to go through like a couple of bad deals. I had to go through. Uh. I mean a lot of it has been you know, become more public lately. But um, in that story and in all of those stories, like it was never you know, told to to ask for sympathy or to to like share some kind of

sob story. It was to let people know other artists coming up. You know, like you need to look at the paperwork, you know, before you sign it, and you need to get a lawyer. And if you do end up in a bad situation, you don't need to be discouraged because it's bad, Like you can figure it out. You can figure a way out. If I know somebody to tell you, like you look out for him, I'm gonna tell you like look out for them, like don't

go over there. So that's my job. So I thought it was interesting you tweeted that it took you like eight years to make real money in this game, and you would do it all over again. Yeah. I remember like going out to eat and people being like you hunger.

I'm like no, I'm good, stomach growling, and just like or like ordering the advertising and then waiting for somebody else to pick up the check, just like I have so many weird moments like that, to the point where I was like, bro, it's better be worth it, like everything that you're going through, like, better be worth the embarrassment, better be worth like all these pride shots that you're taking, because you know, it's just like a weird space to be in, especially like once I left and I got

signed for the first time and everybody back home thought like he made it. So then you have to go back home and like not pretend, but it's just like still keep them inspired. It's like, you know, I don't want you all to know what I'm going through, so I'm just gonna tell you the good side. And yeah, whatever she said, she got to call it up. What's it like now having to manage money and having money and being successful in terms of finances and stuff like that.

What have you learned in that process? Business managers are the keys to life. Uh. They make sure I don't

go broke. And yeah, it's just cool to have like people who know exactly what they're doing and what they're talking about and any question I could possibly ever want to know money related, music, business related, like I asked, no matter how stupid it may sound, like I have to know because at the end of the day, I want to know the business side of it too, Like I want to know where all my money is going, who I'm you know, breaking it down with how much

I gotta pay for taxes, how much I'm getting back, Like I need to know all of this stuff. So my business managers are my best friends. But you say, you know you're not where you want to be. Where do you want to be? It seems like you've made it already, man, Yeah, Grammy nominated, when that Grammy that's about to be about to get yeah nominated as part one. But I honestly just want to make as much music

as I can make. I want to take it as far as I can take it, so I know that that comes with a lot more work, a lot more uh consideration of of what the Sonics need to be for it to break, you know, like a new crowd, a new uh, just like just to bring more people in. And then honestly, I want to be able to like after all that has done, Like I want to be able to tour with like loyal fans and not really worry about a release date or a deadline or anything

like that. I just want to get to a point where I can feel like I've placed my you know, my feet in the ground, and my fans are here to stay or like some of them go, It doesn't really matter. I just want to be comfortable. I want to make what I want to make, and I want to make sure she is good. And once that's like all said, I'm good. Roost. The five nine called you a gift to the culture. That's how about to say, that's ca and that's that's amazing coming from him, That's amazing,

and yeah, amazing that. Yeah you're not gonna battle him, you got a boss, no, never that, but you're going on the world toward two and a couple of next month, right, I'll start next really Like next week I go to South Africa and I start there, then Australia and then Europe and then the States break down the artist you shows because it's kind of yeah, it's kind of us the group select dates for select places, but um, we have they in Australia, boogie in Australia, and then I

have Tierra Whack on like select days mainly like the LID dates in the States, and then I have Summer Walker supporting the whole way through. And then I'm thinking about bringing one more person on just like for the States, just as a surprise. Why Tierra Whack is on the toy and when she's also on the album, Like what is it about her that you like so much? Um?

I mean, she's just innovative, Like I like, I like that she does what comes natural and I can like see that and I can hear like when I first heard her project, like with every minute that passed, with every song that came on, like you didn't know, yeah, you didn't know where it was going next, but you were excited, you know, to hear it and to see it,

Like Tierra's amazing. Everywhere I've been, I've been saying, like when they asked me what I listened to him like Tierra Wax, Tierra Wax to the point where I was somewhere and somebody like pulled me to the side and they're like, yo, uh did the label tell you to talk about it? I'm like, no, I just I just love to hear I see you guys. It's direct on social so you guys have a good, good report. Yeah, they thought it was like a label thing where it's

just like make sure you plug. Yeah, she signed to a production company. Yeah, just rock with her. That's all another female artists that you rocked with Last year's Dreasy on the spa verse, man, that was that. That was a crazy verse for her too. Like I did my thing. I said it up. But obviously she like she shined on that and that was that was a perfect you know, yeah, she killed she can. I mean she can. But you know, in my defense, that's all wouldn't even exist if it

wasn't for the boys. Okay, that was my producer. That was my producer, you know. That was that was my situation. And yeah, like I said, it was just like it was it was more fit for her to take the stage on Showcase. What she could do. You know Trump didn't and those people at you today you know him rest with it. She said, let ago was the last song without the last song you did for album. Yeah. They told me like, no more records, don't no more records.

And I was like, I'm itching because I'm like something's missing, bro, like special intricate, especially with the sequencing. Did you know that that's what you were missing? Or just before a fact, because like we know this is like a slower paced, you know album, So I'm like, something upbeat is missing, bro. So I'm not like gonna stop recording records until we figure out what that last one is. And business boys

sent me that be last minute. We were like mixing and I was like, I'm making a new song and I don't care what they say. And I made that song and it was immediately like throwing on the list of songs to go an album. I was kind of upset that that Far didn't make the album. I know you put it as a lucy last year, but that was like my go to record, like for the at

a part of Yeah, That Far and Cutting Ties. Honestly, those are like two songs that could have made the album, especially still it's a good song, like he dropped cutting Tis on Valentine's Day. That's savagery, man. But if you have like a troll on Twitter or like social media, all them you, I recommend everyone to go listen to that far in that Far. Yeah, that's what that far was. It was like a random tweet. This guy was like, yeah,

black is cool. He's just a little one track minded, and I was like, you got some nerves from your mom. And I didn't even feel that kind of way when I read it. I was just like, I'm literally recording right now, so I'm just gonna throw this in the hook and we're gonna keep it rocking. But it seems like as if you respond good to the negativity, like because I see it all, So I take what I hear and I see, and I decide with stays like

I can see anything. It doesn't matter if it's good negative, Like I see it all because I like to see it all. First of all, I'm only seeing it because I want to see what my fans are saying. So if I happened to run into somebody else, it's just like I don't take it with a grain of sal keeping moving make a hit song and toward Australia, because if I didn't make that song, I probably wouldn't have

toward Australia that quick. Like that far was my second biggest song in Australia after Problems and Man, so shout out to him. So it's important that you stay connected to follow these social things, Like it doesn't drive you crazy, like some artists can't handle all that. Yeah, I mean negative and the positive comes with it, right six But yeah yeah, and I know, like I can definitely understand

why it is so our candle. Like imagine seeing like that many opinions and that many like you know, critiques and the real time Yeah yeah, yeah, Like it can literally drive you crazy. And I think people forget that we are human. So, um, I can handle it. I see it. You know, I've seen everything from the best things to the worst things. At the end of the day, like I know what I'm supposed to be doing, I know what my purpose is. I know I'm making her proud.

So it's kind of hard to have that tough skin. But um, I didn't get it from the Internet. I got it from the neighborhood. So it's like you see, say what you want you know, do what you want. But at the watch, what's up with you? Are you sleepy? But for people that don't know, can you break down the whole thing of the black and the six and the six lack? We have fun with that, like can you break down for people who don't know the situation?

The name came from just the areas on six. The color was just the color I was decked out in when I was a kid. I got the name when I was in middle school and I just rocked with it for the rest of the return six. And that was representative of this baby that that won't stop moving and you don't know what she want to do or you want the card, want the plastic people on so far, just hold on to it. But then sometimes people friends you still call they call you six as a nickname,

and you're okay with that. Yeah, I mean that's because they actually know. So it was like, clearly, you can call me six if you know. Uh, I mean, at this point, I'm over like all the I don't. I never really cared about the mispronunciation, especially since my merch. It's created great merch, it does exceptionally well. Have you seed your name yet? No? No, but they swing jack them. Man. But at least it ended up in urban um and then I might end up making merch for the people

who just really don't want to say it right. It's like cool, if you don't want to say it right, bro, I got a shirt for you, you go buy it. We have a divided but united fan base. Like you know, the check still the same, right, as long as they spell the name right on the check, that's all that really matters. Why do you think it's so like it seems like we first interviewed you had long hair, we

couldn't film you on camera. You know. Now it's like almost the complete opposite, Like why do you feel more comfortable put yourself out there and sharing more? Um? I just had to hit reset, honestly, Like, I had a point where I noticed I was performing six at a point where I was performing and I just noticed like I was performing with my head down, I was meeting people with my head down. I was like, I just I feel like I became pret black and that was

like a thing I was trying to move past. So I just had to hear reset, start over from scratch, and I feel way better. Was it cutting your hair? Like what was that process like for six? You put it in the video on the switch video. Yeah, you had a little clips of it. I didn't go anywhere for a week after. I come on, really trauma tiz. How long you were growing it for? Like maybe like

a little over two years? Okay, man, So you have something like a barba come through and do it or you did it though, and oh yeah I had first I started to because she's about to get in trouble on the podcast. On the podcast six, she is our youngest guest. She might be record there you go, sleepy? Could you keep dropping the same? It's all good? Yeah, rap rightous for the kids episode like this, and we were like child guests before, so okay, okay, I forgot.

We were at about what are we talking about? Babies will do that? Bro ther hair? Yeah, I tried to like save um. So I never had anybody touched my dress at all. So it was free form, like without even like starting a certain kind of way. So once the loctician is like I looked at my head, she was like, all of this gotta go, well, most of it has to go. So when I saw what was left, I was like, I'm not keeping no man button on my head. I'm not We're like, we're not about to

silence any kind of way. It gotta it, just all gotta go. I cut it. My guy out in l A cut it, and it just took me a lot except what was going on. So I was in a crib like I ain't going nowhere, I ain't talking to nobody, and I need to like figure out how to how to be comfortable with this. It's like where I was Astar Game with all these guys. He came up the locker room and it was like, oh man, you cut the braids. You remember when you first went out, Like

what was that experience like for you? Yeah, people were looking at me to try to figure out who I was again. People would see me and they would be like, damn, I think that's black, but it can't be black. And it was cool for me to be able to like have that space again to where it took people a minute to recognize my face. Did the affect your recording

process a little bit? Maybe not so much on the recording then, maybe not so much on the recording and just performance, especially like the minute I came out on stage in l A. That was the first time back on stage. Yeah, I came out on stage in l A and like I was just moving differently, like I was running on stage, and before then I was never running on stage. I wanted to. I just felt like I was held back. Right, that's still I saw that cool stage moment. Was it last year when he got

the gold plaque and your mom was there, Cruiser? Yeah, that was in I got what's your goal? Like? We double platinum with Problems, right, we're platinum with ex calling in. The album's platinum too, Yeah, double platinum Problems, Uh album is probably almost platinum, and X callings platinum and Free is Free is gold? Yeah? Man, you come a long way. I remember you tweeted you said he used to tell you take five Okay, okay, cool, he said things you

tell you how to make it hit every day. And now you know all you had to did was engineered by yourself in the kitchen and drop dope stuff on your SoundCloud. So that's a recipe for success. Yeah, recipe for success is also trying to keep this one happy. You're all right, don't this is what you're gonna sleepy? She died, rap rate our kids. You gotta have a a baby your podcast, So you tackle her head on about you know what has this process been like fatherhood

for you, like and sharing some of it with us. Yeah, I mean I really don't get to see her like that much at all. So with touring, with recording um and then with like trying to figure out like the relationship between me and her mom has just been like it's been like a process, you know, so nothing nothing, and it has been like seamless. But oh it's just like I get to work, I get to do what

I love. And it's never been like solely about making sure she's good financially, but it's been more so about like leaving their legacy and like leaving something behind for her to figure out like what her purpose is one day. And I mean it's almost like that's it's like you always talk about a lot of being the music outside of her loss of relationships that it's hard for you to put anything less than your work before that, Right, it's a common thing that you tackle. It's going back

to the main theme of the record. You talk about like opening up a conversation about love, like what And you've empowered a lot of your fans to ship their thoughts about a lot of things, like what's that process been like like putting it out there and giving all this feedback back and MNNA think what people don't really know?

It's while I'm telling these stories. While I'm writing these stories, like in addition to coaching other people through it, I'm trying to coach myself through it, like in real time.

So a problem that I developed, you know, within my relationships and the people I know is like I would write about it before I would talk about it, and I would think because I wrote about it, that I didn't have to talk about it, And the next thing you know, you're in a room with somebody and they hear something in your song and they're like, so, you know, it was a habit I had developed, and I had to figure out, you know, how to break it and

how to actually communicate. More So, this album was about communication, not only for you know, other people to open up discussion, but just like a reminder in my everyday life is like bro, like you have to talk about things like you have to not beat around the bush, you have to like not leave you know, things to people's imagination, Like you have to say exactly what you mean because one day your daughter is gonna have questions and you're gonna have to answer and not be like you know,

I don't know or so it's just a different thing of like having a few more voices just shows that sometimes men and women communicate differently. Yeah, yeah, yeah for sure. And like I said, it was just like about having that different perspective, you know, on the album in general, like with the skits, and I wish that I could have had like, uh that that that strong female feature or reverse you know, that that was the only thing

that I felt like was missing from the album. But um, through the skits and through you know other things, background vocals, we got to like just implement that because I don't think I can ever make a project without some kind of female you know, like presence on it. But towards the end of the album, we had this tear jerker stand like what was the throat process behind that? You just wanted to make a wedding record? Yeah, I heard the production. It was a completely different song. At first,

Um it went like super left. But I was just like take everything off, like let me let me figure out the song, let me figure out the vocals or words all of that, and line for line, it was just like a stream of what I thought like love was supposed to feel, like, what it was supposed to sound like, things I wanted to say to the person I love and you know, hopefully a song that people can get like married to one day or like whatever.

So Stand was definitely more on the soft side on the side of things, and for it to be at the end of the album was kind of letting people know, like at the end of all these conversations, at the end of these ups and downs and like these disagreements and disconnects, like this is what we should all be trying to get to, you know, is to feel like this, you know, to be in a state where this song is is your favorite song with this song is the

one that represents like the conclusion of it all. So Stan was placed at the end to just kind of show like where I'm headed towards, and you know where I want everybody else to head towards. Is that is that one of your favorites on the album? Like what do you have a favorite? Yeah, I think all of them are my favorite, because if it wasn't my favorite, it didn't make the album, that's for sure. Like we had a ton of songs, and every time I narrowed down the list, like I had to keep narrowing down

the list. So we narrowed it down to like forty, and then we narrowed down to like and then we narrowed down to like twenty, And once I got to twenty, I was like, we cannot have any more than twenties. So if I make a new song, who's the taken out? Yeah? I'm just like, yeah, if I make a new song, something has to be replaced, like if something else is

getting added to the list, and what's gonna go. So we were like alternating around Tony and then once we've figured out like the strongest of those who were like, Okay, now we can figure out the project and it together. It's such a craftsman of words. Is there any particular lyrics they're really saying out to you that you're very

proud of? Mm hmm all of the lyrics on Nonchalant? Uh, just from a skill point, you know, just like being able to weave and then out of like a beat that's looping and it doesn't really like change, but to to just show different flows, different metaphors. Every line on Nonchalant is my favorite, and sorry might be like one of the more personal ones, and every line in that

means something like it just means something super potent to me. Um, sorry and disconnect really but uh sorry, just being like that song where I know in my life like sometimes sorry just isn't enough. So um, and I'll talk about like writing my wrongs and like all these things. So yeah, just like me telling myself again, like, bro, you can't right yourself out of these situations. You know you have

to you have to figure it out in person. It seems like you said that like a little bit on Unfair on the beginning track, like you feel like your mistakes make you less than the man, but lately I feel like them really, Kay, Like what made you come to that conclusion? Um, just like just like that that feeling of of knowing that you can't do everything right now, that you're not always going to do everything right, and I guess excepting that it's okay to not be right sometimes.

It's just like, of course I'm apologetic for for my wrongs and for the things that I didn't have figured out when I needed to figure them out. But I'm also human, you know, And I'm also like trying to figure it out. And anybody who can look at you and tell you like they got to figure it out, is like, because we're all just kind of in this ship, just you know, kind of just figuring it out day

by day. It's like sometimes you're on course, sometimes you get off course, sometimes you focus, sometimes something distracts you, like, but I just have to accept that, like being him and you know, it doesn't mean I'm a bad person, and knowing that I want to get better is like the first step in all of it. All Right, you

definitely have this maturity on this album. Like even on that record I think it was I forget what trick it was, but you said, you even have this attitude of a veteran, like even though you're like a rookie. Un Yeah, I mean because like my my, my introduction to the world was after maybe ten years of rapping, and even though I was a kid, it was literally like ten years of sharpening on swore, ten years of practicing, teen years of writing so um by the time everybody else.

So I mean, I felt like in my own sense and in my own way, I'm like I'm not I'm new to the game, but I'm not new to this, right, I know you showed up love to dug on on the album You might be on his next album? Yeah, definitely on the next album. Definitely, definitely on his next album.

We got like a few together dope to work with U. He kind of runs like like if you ever see him in the studios, like a point guard, and he'll like start the idea, lay the melody, lay a first first, and then like point out somebody and be like you go right here, and then you you guys go back and forth and like you try this. Like he's literally in their calling place and just like breeding, just like the best out of everybody. So because he joints too small,

he don't want to. Yeah, pretty good. He was like when I got finished playing, he was like that's it. I was like, yeah. If he walked out and somebody was saying that he um he wanted me to send it and he's like, man, it's too short. I needed to send me that. But at that point I'm like, no,

I gotta wrap this album. We mentioned the idea, but you seem still very I'm should the phone gets rang a lout, but you're really selected before you work with everyone, can't get a black feature Like no, no, I mean it's never been about you know, like the check or anything else. For me, it's like I meet you if if if it, if it works out as far as like how we interact, then maybe we work. But even before then, like coming up as an artist, I was never on the side of like how much for a feature?

Let me at the future, Like you have to connect with people first. You have to build a relationship and if you know things match up, then you work. You know you don't you don't kind of put that out there first. You don't really know like who somebody is, you know if you want to work with him, if you don't know who they are. I thought you and every cup I do were going to get in the studio after you did the cover phone and on. I hope so so. I love Erica, I love Erica. Everybody

loves Erica. But yeah, hopefully one of one of these days. Yeah, it's like another you know, a goal, another goal. I I saw you cross one of them. More with the weekend. You guys went on tour last year? What was that experience? Like I learned everything I needed to learn from my own tour, Like I went on the arena tour, and going from like two a cap to arena is a crazy change. So I remember not because you remember your first New York City show. It was at the Mercury Lounge.

It was like a closet, and now you're And that's why I say, like going from like being thrown into that, it's like you immediately have to figure out how to be the best showman. It's either that or people you're saying, I saw Black and he wasn't that good life, And it's not even because like for any artist, it's not even because you're not that good live. You just might not be good in the arena because the arena is not easy. So I went out there every night and

I figured it out. You know, I was I was watching him, I was watching the crowd. I was just figuring out. I'm like, Okay, what can I add to my game from stage presence to crowd control to uh call and response, like all these things that I didn't

know before, Like when I was that Mercury Lounge. I learned on that tour because you would come out and the crowd is not there for you, so they're looking like, yeah, they're looking like who is this, and you have to prove to them like I'm supposed to be here in a way. So I would go out there every night, I would look at them and I would just be like, I'm supposed to be here, and that's you know, how

I would carry myself the whole time I'm performing. It's like when I say hands up, hands go up, and if you don't put your hands up, then you look silly because everybody else. So that that was that was like the challenges when you are performing on a big arena stage like that, because you know, as a fan, it just looks like, Okay, you're going stage, do your thing,

and you will get chewed up and spit up. And I think, I think I think that's where like a lot of new artists like kind of get that rapping and beginning for not being good performers. I mean, some people aren't good performers, but you know, being in an

arena is just a different ballgame. Like I said, it's just like you have to you have to know and learn and like do certain things in order to get the crowd on your side because otherwise they're going to have this perception of just like he's just not good and everything from the audio is different, like just stepping out there and like actually doing what you do vocally is more challenging because of the sound in the arena.

And like you think you can take it in ears out when you're on a small on a small stage, you take it inners out in arena, You're not gonna hear ship. It's gonna be echoing everywhere. Yeah, like confusing problem is no way that you can no way. So um, yeah, you're go on an arena tour and you'll definitely learn all the tricks you need to learn and take back

on your own. And you're excited with this. You're coming up in terms of a lot of new material now and you said you want the fans st Yeah, I can't wait to like mix the shows because I've been going off for Free Black for two years, So I just can't wait to like put in some of these new songs and like figure out the balance, figure out, you know, how the story is going to be on stage, figure out a new way to present it, you know on stage, because you know, as much as we care

about rollouts is as much as we care about you know, the tour and the show. So for the people who have seen the Free Black Show maybe like twice or three times, you know in certain cities. It's just like what can I do differently? And you know, what can I do so that they leave in there like it was equally as amazing as you know the first time I saw or better? How do you how do you settle these debates between you know, Easterly a love Letter and Free Black? It seems like we get into me.

I don't know, Yeah, I mean, it's it's dope to even like see the conversation of people trying to figure it out because it could have been it ain't Free Black, and that's just it is what it is. Like, I still love the first album. It could have been that. So people you know, flocking to this album and like defending Free Black, like that's a great conference asan to have. God,

I wouldn't have it any other way. I think that this new album is an extension of the album and that they're related in some kind of way, so comparing them is it makes sense? Think Buddy Joe Button said that he wouldn't like the second albums like it had to be that type of it had to be, you know, it had to they had to connect and this one

had to be the next one. So I don't know what's next, but I think that these two albums were like chapters that belong together, and what's next is completely different. So what's gonna happen to those records that you know, you record it? Putt put out a mixtape without EP. We could ship them off, you know, get some writing credits. Um, none of them are ever really dead. I'm always kind of just like moving songs around, trying to figure out if people need something, you know, maybe I can help um.

But other than that, Yeah, like I make a ton of songs. None of them are just like lost causes, Like we we revisit stuff all the time. Like the second verse from Switch came from a song I made in like twenty maybe, like or like, yeah, I like the approach that you have for the Switch video, Like you're laying on the ground and people just instead of helping you, just taking pictures and things like that. You

disabled my phone for four minutes. But yeah, that was just kind of Switch was about perspective, Like Switch was about not feeling like you have the answers of the solutions to what somebody else is going through. And just being mindful of that. You know, like you might be going through something, but somebody else is going through something, and don't ever think you know that. You can just be like, well, you could have just did this, or you could have just handled it that way, like and switch.

I'm trying my best to to understand the other side of the story and tell my side, you know, without being biased, without being selfish. Right, sacrifices are real. You lose money, friends, moments, and you put your body in its health, Tomits That's what I'm doing right now, right. I was out of it for two weeks, like a vocal rest. I couldn't talk, cords were like inflamed, all kinds of damn from touring so much. And then on the flight back from New York, something happened. I got

like an infection. I woke up from a nap feeling like somebody had like cough right on me, and like, I just it wasn't mine because I want to sleep a certain kind of way, and I woke up different. So I'm like, yeah, what happened while I was sleep just felt like glass. I'm like, um, but yeah, I was on vocals. I had like a new diet. I couldn't eat, drink, do anything that I normally do. Um, So trying to fix that and get ready for tour now right, No new vices, nothing like that. Never Nope. Good,

I'm so good. Yeah, I got I kind a pretty good gauge on what the game is. Um. I smoked when I want to smoke. I drink when I want to drink. I'm not a small cord drink. I never learned how to roll, and I never will learned how to roll because like I just don't. I don't want to have Yeah, I don't want to have that luxury like yeah, I enjoy, you know, smoking here and there, but I don't want to be like where do we you know? So yeah, I don't know how to roll.

Never gonna learn. Um. I drink whenever I want to drink, which is on occasion, and that was coming o it's time to go. Other than that, No, nothing new. But you did get the new whip last year? Yeah, just xix that truck. I can't be out here getting uh buying all that other stuff you gotta have, like a back seat so I could put a car seat in it, even though I didn't put the car seat and I. But now it's crazy. It's like two like you said

two summers ago, you didn't have no money for the bus. Now, yeah, that's what I mean by like one side of the spectrum to the other. And that's why, like when I do go back to that line, I'm still like in the neighborhood and still moving around because I'm like, you guys saw me at the bus stop, like y'all saw me, you know, walking sweating like down the street, you know, so I still try to keep my feet in working. So it's like the neighbor was really rallying behind you,

the routing for you, and being back there yesterday. What I got to see after the album drop is just like y'all are actually proud, you know. And that makes me, you know, feel really good because it's not just like here's a musician that we love. It's just like here's somebody that we're proud of. And it just kept saying like we're proud and you know, you inspire us. That's awesome. Congratsman on the album, Man six were out of here,

thankfully for you. Thanks six album. The yeah you ready you want to be that people are saying, that's what it needs to be speech ready. If I could try, if I could not try and end up at the Grammys. I need to be at the Grammys this year. I must speaking of the Grammys before we get out of here. I must admit that blazer that you have was very fine. The blazer that you wore the Grammars. Yeah, it was so high. I was trying to google it. I forgot

what exactly it was. You know, I had to know for that day because everybody's like, what are you wearing? What are you wearing? But I forgot that. But you're prepared, Yeah you got the Grammy speech ready. But yeah, hopefully I ain't got to bring her own stage so she could be trying like this is alright, alright, sex Well, thank you Black, appreciate your brother, Thanks, appreciate you Grass on that album. Absolutely, yeah, wrap right up podcast. Yeah yeah, yeah,