In this new episode, I sit down with XV—blog era legend, the only rapper from Wichita to sign with a major label, and one of the most influential voices in hip-hop’s digital renaissance. We dive into his come-up, from collaborations with Kid Cudi, Big Sean, J. Cole, Nipsey Hussle, and Kendrick Lamar, to building his own production brand making him $8K a month selling beats online. He opens up about the real reason he left Warner Bros. Records, and even personal struggles behind his hiatus. Every question you’ve ever had about XV gets answered and some stories you’ve never heard. This is one of his most honest and revealing interviews ever. Check it out, like and share.
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0:00 – Coming Up! 3:06 – Show Starts!
Chapter 1: Early Career & Collaborations 4:38 – XV on Working with Celebrity Artists & His Passion for Rap 5:37 – Unreleased Song with Jack Harlow?? 6:45 – Working with Kid Cudi, G.O.O.D Music, & Beef with Charles Hamilton 9:17 – How XV Got Beats from The Neptunes 10:38 – Making $8K/Month Selling Beats on Kingsman Productions 14:32 – The Early Days of Passing Out CDs 16:05 – Performing with J. Cole & Becoming the First Signed Wichita Rapper
Chapter 2: Recognition, Reflection & Growth 17:50 – Jack Harlow Grew Up on XV’s Music & Lifelong Fans 19:12 – What J. Cole Told Him After the Show & Going to a Wichita Club 21:50 – Why XV Stayed Inside & Traveled to Push His Music 25:33 – Downloading Every Hip Hop Album?? 26:38 – Struggles with Comparison in the Industry 28:48 – The Real Reason He Took a Break & Got Dropped from His Label 33:37 – Trap Music’s Rise & His Talk with Joie Manda
Chapter 3: Legends, Loss & Real Life 38:19 – Nipsey Hussle Wanted to Sign XV & Buying Him Weed 43:12 – Recording Everybody’s Nobody on a Dynamic Mic 44:14 – Meeting Big Sean 47:48 – Fatherhood Changed Everything 49:31 – Astrology & How it All Connects 54:41 – The Kid with the Green Backpack & Why That Album Never Dropped 57:32 – "You’re Going to Be the Next Kid Cudi"
Chapter 4: Signing Deals & Music Industry Secrets 1:00:04 – Getting Signed in a Hotel Room with Big Sean 1:03:00 – XV Breaks Down His Beef with XXL Magazine 1:08:15 – Battling Insecurities & Wanting to Quit Music 1:13:25 – Is the Illuminati Real?? 1:14:42 – Why He Didn’t Blow Up: Lack of Faith & Mental Fatigue 1:17:21 – Meeting Kendrick Lamar 1:21:13 – How XV Got a Kendrick Verse 1:22:47 – How XV Got a Big Sean Verse 1:23:53 – Drake Only Wanted $500 for a Verse! 1:25:16 – Comparing Himself to Kanye’s Last Call 1:27:29 – "If I Knew Myself Better, I Would’ve Made It"
Chapter 5: Breakdowns, Miscarriages & Loss 1:29:12 – Why XV & Seven Split 1:30:33 – Why Nipsey & Mac Miller Kept in Touch 1:32:24 – 9 Miscarriages & Losing His House After Losing His Deal 1:34:11 – His Record Label Advance & Getting Robbed 1:35:34 – Breaking Down "Giving Up" & the 2013 Break 1:37:46 – 40 Days, 40 Nights Mixtape & Pop Culture Talk 1:39:59 – Why Big Sean Doesn’t Have a Core Sound 1:41:00 – What Makes an Artist Great: Jay-Z & Staying in Your Pocket
Chapter 6: The Nerd, The Hacker The Don 1:44:13 – New XV Album?? 1:44:53 – Has He Met Kanye? + Kanye-Produced Track 1:46:00 – Mixtape Era Reflections & Oversaturated Listeners 1:49:06 – Hacking Studio Servers for Industry Beats 1:54:36 – What He’d Do Differently Now: More Patience & Perspective 1:56:30 – “Don Hoffa” & Why XV Never Texts Back
Chapter 7: Behind-the-Scenes & Final Gems 2:00:46 – The Secret J. Cole Told Him & Why He Didn’t Get a Verse 2:04:00 – Why the Jack Harlow Collab Was Never Released 2:05:11 – "Why I Wanted to Come on Your Podcast" 2:10:10 – Do You Still Play Video Games??
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