Blueface Interview – Upcoming Album, Good & Bad of Going Viral

Lookin’ at Me
Rapping off beat, social media antics and beef apart, Blueface has managed to construct an actual hip-hop profession for himself. Hate him or love him, he’s bought extra in retailer.
Interview: Aleia Woods
Editor’s Be aware: This story initially appeared within the Fall 2021 subject of XXL Journal, on stands now.

Social media appears to have a chokehold on the plenty’ notion of rappers, however that doesn’t faze Blueface. His viral moments are seldomly random. Nevertheless, the artist the general public sees on-line isn’t who he’s at his core regardless of the 24-year-old rapper leaning into social networking antics at instances.

Tonight, Blueface, born Jonathan Porter, is targeted on what’s happening offline. On a brisk night in August, the Los Angeles native chills at 100 Studios in North Hollywood, Calif., taking part in cuts from his new tasks, an upcoming third album and a collabo tape with DDG. That was prompted by the robust response the 2 acquired from their collabo document “Moonwalking in Calabasas.”

Recognized for rapping off beat, Blueface launched his debut LP, Discover the Beat, final yr after the success of his document “Thotiana.” Now, he finds himself switching route along with his latest effort. This previous Might, after dropping the video to the tune “Exterior (Higher Days)” with OG Bobby Billions, Blueface grew to become an immediate trending subject for deviating from his typical circulation and delivering extra severe subject material.

He’s in a distinct place, now not a beginner and extra assured in taking part in round along with his expertise. However the place Blueface goes, viral appears to comply with. His social channels are identified for his or her wild content material. A few of it stems from his OnlyFans internet collection, Blue Women Membership, which has provided its share of outlandish clips. In July, the rapper bought within the ring for a Naked Knuckle Preventing Championship match in opposition to TikTok character Kane Trujillo. Though Blueface received, the occasion ended bizarrely with a man jumping into the ring to try and fight the hip-hop star.

Right here, Blueface, 24, discusses the general public’s notion of him, his progress in music, how a stolen automobile led to his newest funding, if he’ll hit the ring to battle 6ix9ine and extra.

XXL: You had your Naked Knuckle Preventing match this previous summer time, which you received. So, what’s been happening with you these previous couple of days?

Blueface: Yeah, I had my battle. I had Rolling Loud [Miami] the subsequent day. Bought dwelling. I’ve been doing neighborhood service, really. I bought this little case, so I gotta do neighborhood service. Watering grass and bullshit. Cleansing up the lavatory.

You have been the victor, however the match bought slightly hectic. A man jumped within the ring after the match and tried to battle you? What really occurred?

Yeah. I used to be boxing, clearly. You recognize, I did my factor. We knew that already, however as I’m taking my victory, a man jumps within the ring and runs as much as me along with his digicam telephone and he’s like, “Combat me, pussy. Combat me.” I appeared into it. So, the backstory is, I suppose he’s a boxer or fighter and whatnot, and he feels that superstar boxing is fucking up the game. I suppose ’trigger they’ve been coaching their entire lives, which I get. I get it. However you mad at me. The fuck? So yeah, that’s how that went.

Will there ever be a boxing match with you and 6ix9ine?

I certain do hope so. I’d love that.

Earlier than rapping and every thing you went to Fayetteville State College and also you performed soccer. You left to pursue rap?

Nah, I left ’trigger I didn’t actually go there for college and soccer had sort of went left for me. So, as soon as soccer stopped being what I anticipated of it, that’s why I left. I didn’t begin rapping till perhaps a pair years after that.

In between that point interval, what have been you doing with your self?

Gangbanging. Nothing actually. I regretted leaving for slightly bit due to the street I used to be taking place, however I’m completely satisfied now. It labored out.

Earlier than “Thotiana” got here out and you bought signed, you bought seen and also you began buzzing. “Useless Locs” got here out and “Thotiana” after, then a bunch of various remixes to it. What was that like so that you can should make this directional change from school and taking part in soccer, to coming again dwelling to getting seen, musically?

It was really my final shot at life. I used to be working bullshit jobs. Promoting weed and shit. Bullshit, simply hustles. I sort of fell out of affection with all of these issues and as soon as I bought used to it, that’s sort of not good. As soon as I discovered music, I had some targets. With soccer, I had targets to make it right here or make it there. So, as soon as I left [college], I needed to remake my targets. So, that was the toughest half, actually.

What was the largest objective that you just wished to perform for your self and have you ever completed it but?

Oh, yeah. I needed to make new targets just lately as a result of I did all these. So, hell yeah. Nah, so far as entry-level rap, after I first began, my targets have been in all probability to get a home. I used to be by no means like, musically impressed my entire life, so I used to be by no means like, I wanna go prime 10 [on the charts]. That wasn’t my objective. My objective was simply to make it.

You obtain a restaurant this yr: Blue’s Fish & Soul.

Yeah, that was my first funding really. However I simply made that funding this yr. It’s been some time. It took me a minute. You recognize what’s humorous? I used to be really trying like, what ought to I put money into? ’Trigger you realize everyone says, “Oh, it’s best to do that. It’s best to try this.” However all of that takes credentials, it takes effort. I really feel like, I couldn’t discover something that I used to be captivated with on the time aside from music to be like, Oh, let me… So, that’s what took me so lengthy.

How did that work? Life gave it to you, however there’s a backstory.

So, let me inform you precisely how life gave it to me. I used to be in Miami for per week. I drove to the airport, valeted my automobile. After I bought again from Miami, they advised me my automobile was stolen out of valet.

Proper, appears like a film.

Properly, really, they didn’t inform me my automobile was stolen. They acted like I by no means parked there. Then, the airport police got here in there and clarified that it was stolen. So, it was like, Rattling, I used to be having a nasty day. I simply bought that automobile, so I went and acquired one other automobile.

What sort of automobile was it?

It was a Corvette. So, I bought it again. They bought pulled over and it bought impounded. So fortunately, I bought it again on the impound. So, I went and acquired a brand new automobile. I went to this Mercedes[-Benz] dealership proper down the road from the restaurant and within the midst of shopping for the automobile…you realize being a automobile at a seller, it takes at the very least half-hour to an hour. I bought hungry, I went in there and increase. They have been susceptible and I had the means to, you realize…and now I personal it. That’s how that occurred. I wasn’t even trying.

There’s an web notion that individuals have about you. What would you want for individuals to find out about you that they wouldn’t actually know?

Shit, in all probability simply that I’m a pleasant man. Actually, I’m a pleasant man, however to the web I’m a nasty man. I’ma get a tattoo and depart, or fuck them or depart [them] or like, you realize? I bought that notion. So, that’s all I need [them] to know. I actually joke rather a lot, so you know the way the web takes jokes. The web don’t take jokes effectively. They take it to be severe or it’s gotta like, false impression on a regular basis. So, after I’m joking, I’m taken severe. I let it work for me, you realize? I simply take what they offer me and simply mirror it.

Do you care in any respect about what individuals’s notion is of you?

Nah, probably not. I really feel like I’m extra true to myself than them. So, generally I’m too sincere or generally I’m too myself, and that dictates the notion half the time. So, nah. It doesn’t hassle me. If something, I play into it extra.

The idea of Blue Women Membership, it got here from Unhealthy Women Membership, clearly, however how did this occur? Come collectively?

I had this video shoot at my home when all of the strippers have been preventing. So, it was impressed by that. I used to be like, Wow! That was so viral that I ought to… The preventing half was viral, however that wasn’t the point of interest as a result of I had a number of enjoyable earlier than that occurred. You recognize, that was really the worst a part of the video shoot, however the surroundings was lit. OnlyFans was a factor on the time, so it was identical to, a brand new hustle. It wasn’t one thing I’ve been serious about my entire life to do. It was simply an concept and I normally go together with all of my concepts.

Who advises you on these concepts? Or is there nobody who can discuss you off the ledge with sure issues?

No person can discuss me off the ledge as soon as I bought an concept. After I get an concept, I look into it earlier than I even train the concept. I Google it. YouTube it. As soon as my shit’s loaded, there’s no de-cocking it. Yeah, nah. [My manager] Wack [100], he at all times advises me to not do my concepts till he realizes that I’m simply gonna do it anyway. After which he advises me the best way to do it legally at the very least. So, that’s how that works. However yeah, all my concepts, he’s normally in opposition to all of them.

“Exterior (Higher Days)” was a viral second for you this yr as a result of individuals have been shocked you have been rapping on beat, however you have been additionally speaking about issues that mattered to you. Was {that a} approach of you making an attempt to pivot away from the notion individuals had of you from the beginning?

After I heard the tune, I fell in love with it and that’s simply the place it took me. After I write music, I do know it appears like I’m going in there and simply say shit, however I don’t go in there and simply say shit. It gotta be some shit that I did immediately or occurred. So, that’s simply the place it took me. It’s the temper it put me in.

Once you don’t essentially rap on beat, is that intentional?

Nah, it’s not intentional. I simply go to the rhythm that I hear. However, generally I may need it written earlier than I heard the beat so I’m actually becoming the beat into what I wrote as an alternative of becoming what I wrote to the beat. Currently, I’ve simply been going within the sales space and really simply going with no matter [the beat] takes me to. [My verse on DDG’s] “Moonwalking in Calabasas” shit, I didn’t write it. I simply went in there and let the beat take me.

What’s the method in your new album?

Yeah, it’s simply extra polished. It’s simply extra, you realize, clearly I’m getting higher at it if I’m doing it longer, however it’s a number of experimenting. A whole lot of tracks I experimented with on there. A whole lot of the outdated stuff, however higher outdated stuff. Nonetheless that outdated Blue, however higher. That’s all I actually been making an attempt to do is simply be higher.

Take a look at extra from XXL journal’s Fall 2021 subject when it hits newsstands in October 2021, together with our cowl story with Tyler, The Creator, Lil Nas X’s battle for respect in hip-hop, Wale talks about his new album, Folarin 2, discover out extra about Maxo Kream in Doin’ Lines, Bia reflects on how far she’s come in her career after “Entire Lotta Cash” success, BMF actor Da’Vinchi talks rap music in Hip-Hop Junkie, Isaiah Rashad keeps it real about his faith, SoFaygo discusses signing to Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack label, CupcakKe’s fresh outlook on life with new album on the best way, OhGeesy’s new solo career and goals and extra.

See Unique Images From Tyler, The Creator’s Fall 2021 XXL Journal Cowl Story Shoot