Thousands across the world have stood in solidarity against the murder of the Black community at the hands of police officers, with protests currently ongoing throughout the United States. And while the vast majority have been peaceful in nature, several businesses have been targeted by opportunistic looters and those aiming to serve their own gains. As a result, many stores have been hit in the process, including several high fashion companies like Louis Vuitton and Gucci.

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While many have rightfully pointed out that the looting should not take away from the significance of the cause, detractors have eagerly used it against those who would stand in George Floyd’s name and honor. And with the looting running the risk of overshadowing the movement’s narrative, some have opted to take an unapologetic stance on the topic — including Atlanta rapper Young Nudy. 

Taking to Instagram Live, Young Nudy issued a statement of sorts, addressing some of the destruction that has befallen businesses. “Burn that shit down,” says Nudy. “Fuck them crackers. Burn all that shit down, the Louis Store, the Gucci Store. Anything that isn’t black-owned, shit, burn that shit down. They ain’t giving us shit any muthafuckin’ way. For real, for real, so I don’t give a fuck. I’m down with the movement. They don’t give us no muthafuckin’ peace.”

Check out his take below.

Smokepurpp is fresh off the release of his new music video for “It’s Whatever,” his latest single produced by Ronny J. The Florida native has been promoting his upcoming album Florida Jit for the last week and fans have been wondering when the full project was set to drop after Purpp previously gave a mid-June timeline. We were lucky enough to speak with the rapper over the phone and he blessed us with some exclusive information, announcing the official release date.

You heard it here first– Smokepurpp’s new album Florida Jit will be out on June 5. 

When asked about the upcoming body of work, Purpp had a lot to say.

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“I wanted to make the project good,” he said, claiming that he did not rush things. “It took me about two, three months to do the project and the rest has been mixing and clearing. You know I got to get [Young] Nudy on there too, Jack Harlow on there, Pump is on there.”

Perhaps the most exciting feature marks a mash-up of generations as Rick Ross joins the fray, re-connecting with Purpp.

“He been giving me the stamp in my city, and the key to the city is next, watch,” he said.

Stay tuned for Smokepurpp’s new album, out on June 5.

Smokepurpp‘s reputation precedes him. One of Florida’s most prominent new-school rappers, the 23-year-old has been referred to as one of the leaders of his generation. He is emblematic of the SoundCloud rap wave that took over the Sunshine State so fervently several years ago. Alongside XXXTentacion, Denzel Curry, his best friend Lil Pump, and others, Smokepurpp took charge as a chaotic rapper that loved to get the hype train rolling.

You’ve likely read all the headlines about his antics with his close buddy Pump on social media. The two love to get the world talking, often getting into situations that mimic those of a frat house. While he loves to party, Smokepurpp is more than just a party-boy.

With Florida Jit, it’s time for Purpp to earn back your respect. While it will take more than my words to entice you, he plans on shutting up the critics with the arrival of his new album.

This week, I hopped on a call with Purpp to speak about his upcoming project, his relationship with Lil Pump and Ronny J, his upcoming reality show, what we can expect from him moving forward, and much more.

Read our exclusive interview below, edited for clarity and length.

HNHH: Hey Purpp, how’s it going?

Smokepurpp: Sup fam! Everything’s good, everything’s good, what about you?

Everything is good, I’m happy to talk to you. I was just listening to the album, actually. I got an advance copy. I wanted to start off by congratulating you on that.

What do you think about it?

I don’t want to say it sounded like the old Purpp but it sounded like the SoundCloud material, if you know what I mean.

That’s exactly what it is, that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be.

That’s amazing. Aside from a return to that sound, what did you want to communicate with the album? Is this kind of like your gift to the people who have been asking for the old Purpp?

Yeah, so I’m a Florida kid, so basically me being a Florida kid, it’s just going back to the basics, it’s going back to being a Florida kid. So basically I’m just being on my day one, you know what I’m saying?

I appreciate that. It’s a little chaotic too, in a good way. What made you want to release a Florida-themed album?

I grew up in Florida, and like Florida is really what made me, what made my character. Florida pretty much made me, so it’s only right I do this for my city and I do more and more for my city. This isn’t enough but this is a start. I want to do a lot of stuff for the city. I want to donate money, I want to donate to charity, and this is just the start of that.

That’s amazing, man. I found you were experimenting a lot with new melodies and different kinds of voices. Did you go into the album wanting to try new things?

I wanted it to still be chaotic, still that hard-hitting shit, but I kind of threw melodies in there, which is something I haven’t done before. I’m like you know, like that hard-hitting type.

Definitely. You worked a lot with Ronny J this time around. I know y’all have a good relationship.

That’s my boy. We both got our first platinum plaque together, so we go way back. Even before that he was pulling up to me and Pump’s house recording us. Then he was living in Florida, so even before we grew up we were already friends, so me and Ronny have a good relationship, you know what I’m saying. The project is basically me and Ronny.

I feel like Ronny kind of represents the current sound of Florida as much as you do, so it’s nice to see you guys working together again on this.

Right.

You recently fought back claims from people saying you had fallen off. What would you say to them?

Look out (laughs).

I respect that. After listening to Florida Jit, I feel like this is like a whole different kind of avenue for you. I think once people listen to it, they’ll understand you more.

Right. They usually say [I’ve fallen off] when I go like a month or two without dropping a song, and then I drop a song and it goes crazy. I’m in the news the first day like “he’s back!” and it’s like, well, I was never gone.

Photo credit: James Pereria

That’s always how it is. You announced the album just last week. Did you complete it quickly, or have you been sitting on some of the songs for a long time?

I didn’t rush it or nothing, I wanted to make the project good. It took me about two or three months to do the project and then the rest has been mixing and clearing. You know I got to get [Young] Nudy on there too, Jack Harlow on there, [Lil] Pump on there. The producers, shout out all the producers on there besides Ronny. So, the past two months have really been clearances and stuff like that, shooting videos. We just now getting ready for the fire.

Speaking about Nudy, Denzel Curry, Jack Harlow, and a few others being on the album, do you have any cool stories about working with anyone in particular?

Rick Ross. I met Rick Ross– Pump had a song on his album, the self-titled one. That was me, him, and Rick Ross. “Pinky Ring.” We made that song and we shot the video and the video had never even came out. I never talked to him since then, and being able to link back up with him, that’s cool because we’re from the same city. I’m saying no more than ten blocks away. He been giving me the stamp in my city, and the key to the city is next, watch.

How did you re-connect with Rozay? That man is a whole legend in Florida.

I sent him the song to see what he thought about it and he ain’t even told me he liked it. He just sent it right back with the verse on it, so I knew he loved it.

That’s when you know! For Deadstar 2 you said that you wrote about 800 songs. What was the process this time around?

I really recorded Deadstar 2 like six times. All the leaks were fucking it up. So we wasted a lot of money having to go back to the studio and record new songs, and shoot new videos because we already wasted the budget on videos the first time it got leaked, so it’s a lot of wasted money because of these fucking leaks. So Deadstar 2 was a hard process. At a point, it was just like, you know what, with the leaks or not I’m just gonna put it out there ’cause I don’t even care no more.

Yeah, I feel that.

It was just too many leaks so I decided I’m just gonna put this out. Like, I can’t just keep remaking the album when I’m wasting hundreds of thousands on videos for people to leak it, you know what I’m saying?

It’s nice because I feel like this time around, you didn’t have to deal with any of that shit. It wasn’t as many leaks and things were more under wraps.

They tried, but this time we had Universal on deck blocking everything the second it got leaked.

The first single from Florida Jit is with Lil Pump. You guys just dropped the video for it. How’s everything with him doing?

Amazing. That’s my best friend, my brother. We grew up together, you know what I’m saying. We came from Florida together and that’s my brother for life. We’re never on bad terms, that’s my brother. We talk every single day.

That’s amazing. Are you guys working on more music? I feel like you always have something going on.

Of course. We have like three projects done, and we have a Gucci Gang project. That’s me, him, and Gucci Mane. That hasn’t come out yet. It’s all about timing you know.

That’s true! What ended up happening with that? Y’all did that around Coachella, right?

Yeah, so the original plan was to drop the album before Coachella and then perform the album there, but, you know, clearances and shit. It couldn’t happen on time, and then after that, we all three dropped an album and right now we’re all thinking about dropping an album again. It’s just hard finding the right time.

It’s nice to hear about that though because a lot of people want that shit.

No yeah, it’s coming. It’ll come.

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I wanted to ask another question about Pump. He tweeted a few weeks ago some scary shit about wanting to die. Did you talk to him about that? What’s going on? 

I mean, shit when I tweeted at him that specific day, he didn’t call me, but I hit him the next day and he was straight, so I really don’t know what that shit was about. To be honest, I can’t really answer that question, you know what I’m saying. That’s more personal stuff that I didn’t know, he didn’t tell me anything about that. I tried calling him that day but he didn’t answer. I talked to him the next day though and he was cool.

That’s nice to hear. You see that stuff and it just hurts.

Yeah, man.

Moving back to music, I’ve got to ask. Is there a third Deadstar tape coming at some point?

I don’t know yet, I don’t know if I want to do a 3 yet.

For Florida Jit, have you set an exact release date yet?

June 5th, you heard it right here.

Let’s go!

Hot New Hip Hop, you heard it right here. June 5th!

Shit, let’s go! How do you plan on promoting the album? With the coronavirus and shit, touring isn’t really an option. I’ve seen some stuff about virtual touring, do you have any creative ideas with that?

With the coronavirus, it just comes down to entrepreneurship, you know what I’m saying. You got to have multiple sources of income. At this point, you already should have had multiple sources of income because, you know, you never know when something like this is gonna happen. I already have multiple sources of income. I had signed artists, I have producers I signed. I do real estate. I own a couple of properties. So I’m not gonna say it didn’t affect me that much because it affected the whole world, but you know I had things to back me up.

You’re absolutely right on that. Anything can happen, so it’s nice to hear that you got shit lined up.

Yeah, exactly. I’ve always been the type of person to think like that so I’m always prepared for whatever. Before the coronavirus came– I’m not saying I was thankful about it, but I was definitely thankful that I was already getting multiple sources of income. I’m just doing what I can do like rent out properties, make merch, stuff like that. Talent shows, just stuff that I can do that my fans like too besides real estate shit. An artist should always have that set up, you know what I’m saying?

Once the pandemic is over, what’s the first Smokepurpp performance going to look like?

It’s going to be insane. I was supposed to be on an arena tour right now and that was gonna be my first time headlining an arena tour by myself, but it’s nothing. When shit comes around, it ain’t nothing. I’ll probably have another project out by that time. It’s gonna be lit.

That’s it. I feel like at most, this shit’s probably gonna last like another year. You’re not going anywhere, so that’s not an issue.

Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. I already have three projects finished and dropping this year besides this one.

Dropping this year? Three projects?

Dropping this year. I’m going Future, Beast Mode.

Shit, that’s crazy, bro I’m excited to hear all that. At the end of 2019, you quit drinking lean. On “24s”, you say you drank some lean. Are you still off it or what’s happening with that?

Yeah, so I recorded “24s” in 2017. I actually quit drinking lean in December 2018.

That’s amazing. Congratulations, man.

Yeah, I haven’t drunk lean since then type shit. I smoke weed, you know what I’m saying. I’ll turn up, I’ll do some shit. But lean, shit, that’s out the window.

You hear so many horror stories about it so I wanted to definitely ask you about that.

Yeah, man and not only that, but I used to rap about it because I was doing it. But I don’t want other people to do it because I’m doing it. That’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m just telling my story, you get what I’m saying?

Exactly.

Some people don’t take it as that. Some people take it as ‘yo, I gotta do this shit too if I’m gonna be cool.’ That plus my health, it just made me want to quit the lean, like that shit’s out the window. You do lean, that shit’s lame. I’m making that a new thing. Lean is lame.

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I love that. There’s also been some shit on The Shade Room about some girl who has a tattoo of yours… What’s going on with her, can you just clear that shit up?

To be honest, I don’t know what’s wrong with her bro, I don’t know that girl. I never even fucked that girl, nothing like that. I don’t know what that shit’s about. I would’ve understood if I knew her like that and I dicked the bitch down and gave her some good dick and she was traumatized, but none of that went down. I don’t know her like that (laughs) you know what I’m saying, like.

I mean, at least she’s listening to the music, so that’s nice (laughs).

And it’s no disrespect there either by what I’m saying, but it’s just the truth like I don’t know you.

Aside from the three projects that you have lined up, what else do you have planned for the rest of the year?

A lot of music videos, a lot of merch. I’m actually dropping merch this week. I’m gonna be dropping merch all year. I have a line that I’m working on which is a clothing brand that we launched, so that’s gonna be coming this year too. I actually have a reality TV show about to come out too. We’re shooting the first season right now.

Shit for real? A reality TV show?

Yeah, man. That’s what I’m saying about different sources of income, that’s what I’m talking about. My shit is funny, cause my cameraman records what I don’t want him to record.

Yeah, that’s incredible, man. I’m excited about all of that. Is there anything else you wanted to add for the readers? 

Be on the look out. Shout out all the fans. Merch dropping. Florida Jit.

That’s amazing Purpp. I had a pleasure speaking with you, thank you so much for me giving me the time.

Ah, yeah thank you. I have a lot of love for you guys.

I appreciate you man, thank you very much.

With all of the states relaxing quarantine guidelines, it’s a little less controversial for something like this to be taking place. Still, we hope that everybody involved will be wearing a mask to protect themselves and others, also practicing social distancing to the best of their abilities.

Holding a public event right now is definitely risky. However, after two months in lockdown, people are getting tired of staying home. While professionals are suggesting that everybody remain home if they can and wear masks if they need to leave the crib, 21 Savage and Gucci Mane are about to get a whole lot of people into the same area for a quarantine-breaking event.

“Who brave enough to pull up to bouldercrest May 29?” asked Gucci Mane on Instagram. His post included all the details, explaining that the Sun Valley Boyz would be taking on Young Nudy and PDE in a basketball game in Atlanta. 

The event will have free food, and Guwop, Young Nudy, and 21 Savage are all confirmed to be attending.

As of right now, it’s unclear whether this will be a major block party for the fans or if it’s a limited attendance event, capping the number of people allowed.

Would you brave the pandemic to watch 21 Savage, Gucci Mane, and Young Nudy ball out on the court?

Though the world remains at a standstill, that hasn’t stopped Deante Hitchcock from announcing his official debut album Better. Arriving  ByStorm Entertainment and RCA Records, the album is set to land on May 13th, boasting appearances from J.I.D, Young Nudy, 6LACK, Miguel, and more. 

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We’ve already seen a few choice singles from the upcoming project, including the features from Spillage Village’s own J.I.D. and 6LACK. The former came through to bless Deante’s most recent single “I Got Money Now,” a lively banger produced by Brandon Philips Taylor — you can check that out here. As for 6LACK, he made sure to bless the project’s lead single “How TF,” which dropped all the way back in November — that one is available right here. 

With production laced entirely by Philips Taylor, the eleven-track project is likely to go a long way in putting Hitchcock on an abundance of radars. Check out the full tracklist below, and sound off — are you excited to see this one arrive? If so, be sure to check back here on May 13th, when Better officially lands in full. 

“I Remember”
“I Got Money Now” ft. J.I.D.
“Altitude” ft. Young Nudy
“How TF” ft. 6LACK
“Flashbacks” ft. Miguel & St. Beauty
“Gimme Your Money”
“Circles”
“Shadowman’s Interlude”
“Growing Up/Mother God”
“Angels”
“My B*tch”

Anyways isn’t one of those projects that leaves the featured artists unlisted in order to preserve an element of surprise. Young Nudy flies solo for 16 tracks – for 58 minutes. He is a self-sustaining ecosystem. If you peruse his discography, you will see that Nudy often opts to take matters into his own hands. An internal furnace supplies him with enough steam to send him bouncing off the walls until the beat stops playing. He can play this game for the duration of a full LP without tiring and we can observe without losing any interest. 

The lead single for Anyways, “No Go,” showed Nudy spinning himself into a frenzy. It’s almost a disorienting experience. The sense that he’s outpacing his listeners, or his opponents, doesn’t just stem from his sputtering delivery. His masterful use of ad-libs generates the illusion that he’s attacking from all angles. He forms a one-man choir – repeating words, offering responses, erupting with cartoonish noises. These sorts of echoes are by no means unique to Nudy. We know they’re pervasive in the Atlanta trap scene, but Nudy’s aren’t neatly placed. On “Deeper Than Rap,” his raps and his ad-libs border on discordant. They clash awkwardly, but in Nudy’s case, that’s where the magic lies. When he interrupts himself and creates these explosive layers of sound, the intoxicating mania of his music is heightened. “Deeper Than Rap” is Nudy unfastening himself from the beat and fleeing anything that tries to contain him.  

While these conversations with himself are what make it seem like he’s endlessly feeding off his own energy, the moments when he derives inspiration from external sources shouldn’t be overlooked. Nudy’s exhilarating when unhinged, but his eccentric beat selection tends to pull him into new territory. 20Rocket – who has production credits on six of Anyways’ tracks – furnishes Nudy with the tinny tip-toeing of “No Comprende.” It impels Nudy to tackle it with a more restrained and choppy flow, which offers a welcome reprieve from the breathless vortexes that consume much of the project. He also remains tethered to the instrumental on “I Won’t Flex,” where he wheezes his bars to mimic the flashes of a synth. 

When he isn’t tailoring his delivery to the beat, his vocals can reflect his intended message. “A Nudy Story” is when the rapper sheds all the boasts and the threats to finally provide some background on what hardened him. Amidst divulging of family drama and other trauma, he croons on the hook in a cadence that evokes both resignation and hope. “Burnin’ demon in a Demon, I ain’t say that I was perfect / God done blessed me with this money, I guess He feel like I was worth it.” “A Nudy Story” is the only digression from his usual themes. Even on the closing track “Do It With The…”, whose wistful atmosphere sounds conducive to an introspective journey, Nudy resorts to discussing money and murder. 

Considering how long Nudy has been a respected figure in Atlanta’s underground, every new release from him begs the question of whether he is on the verge of a breakout. Slim’erre, the collaborative project he put out with Pi’erre Bourne last year definitely brought more attention his way, boosted by high-profile guests and Pi’erre’s affiliation with Playboi Carti. However, there’s no need for us to speculate about potential hits on Anyways when that doesn’t even seem to be Nudy’s main concern. He’s still entrenched in the streets. If there’s any overarching takeaway from Anyways, it’s that Nudy’s bullshit detector is infallible. As he bellows on “No Comprende,” “I could smell it from a mile away, you work with them cops.” If Young Nudy continues to keep it real and keep the right people around him, he’ll be just fine. 

Young Nudy’s Anyways album is only a few hours old, but many have already picked up on a sneaky Gunna diss. The line arrives on the project’s third song “Blue Cheese Salad,” hidden in the middle of a dexterous rhyme scheme. “N***a wanna kill bout a bitch, Nah n***a I don’t want her, yeah,” he raps, around the 1:45 minute mark. “And I’m real ’bout this shit, n***a, nah n***a, I ain’t Gunna, yeah.” 

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It’s unclear as to what provoked Nudy to fire unprovoked shots at Gunna, but it stands to reason that a recently surfaced “Crime Stoppers” video might have been one of the primary catalysts. In case you missed it, the clip arrived in December and found a young Sergio “Gunna” Kitchens speaking about the perception of a snitch — more specifically how the unwillingness to break the street code led to his cousin being wrongfully charged. Suffice it to say, the clip was not exactly met with open arms by the hip-hop community.

That’s not to say Nudy’s quick shot is a direct response to Gunna’s “exposure,” but given his own dedication to adhering to street codes, it wouldn’t be a surprise. Affable though he may be, it’s important to remember that Young Nudy is not known for playing around. One has to wonder if his cousin 21 Savage will have to mediate this one, lest it begin to escalate. Check out the song below, and go support Young Nudy’s Anyways right here. 

Known for his breezy approach to off-the-dome street bars and ear for whimsical beat selection, Young Nudy has developed a loyal cult following. The Atlanta rapper is gearing up to drop off his first album of the year in Anyways, set to be released on Monday, February 24th. Unconventional to be sure, but such has always been Nudy’s way. In anticipation of the big drop, Nudy took to Instagram to share a peek at the album cover, abstract and the perfect hint of ominous.

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“#I #Make #The #Bad #Sound #So #Good #Y’all #READY,” writes Nudy, an unofficial caption of sorts. Though we have yet to receive a tracklist or information surrounding Pi’erre Bourne’s involvement in the effort, we have heard Anyways lead single “No Go,” a promising glimpse into the futuristic Atlanta trap music that awaits us.

With four more days before release, all signs point to Anyways being another strong chapter in Nudy’s growing catalog. Last year, we saw plenty of growth from the mischevious rapper, who might sooner crack a smile than crack a jaw — though he will make an exception if provoked. Between Sli’merre and Faded In The Booth, some might say that Nudy had one of the most impressive campaigns of 2019. Can he continue the pace? 

Not only is Young Nudy one of Atlanta’s best up-and-coming rappers, but he’s also one of the funniest. As jol as he is effortless on wax, Nudy has endeared himself to scores of listeners with tapes like the sinister Nudy Land, the whimsical Sli’merre, and the inebriated Faded In The Booth. Now, he’s gearing up to continue the pattern with his brand new solo album Anyways, taking to social media to cryptically reveal the imminent release date. 

“224L2020 My release date,” writes Nudy, referencing the 4L gang he claims alongside his cousin 21 Savage. Followed by a “ya’ll ready,” phrased as a statement rather than a question. While the announcement itself isn’t entirely clear, it does appear as if Nudy is communicating a February 24th arrival date. A Monday, though Nudy has never been one for tradition.

Either way, it’s coming and coming soon at that. Great news for those expecting big things from Nudy, one of the more consistent rappers for a minute now. Other than the actual release date, further details surrounding the project have yet to be revealed. Perhaps we’ll see “No Go” pop up in an official capacity. Look for more answers to all Nudy centric mysteries in the coming weeks when Anyways arrives in full glory.