Rapper Sleepy Loco Interview

Memphis rapper Sleepy Loco stops by the studio to talk new music, latest hits, industry business and more!

Host: @alexandriaikomoni

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
What's up, guys. It's agirl Alexandria Ikimoni in the studio with the
one and only Sleepy Loco. I'mhere. How you doing. How are
you doing? I'm doing well,By the way, how are you I'm
doing great? Yes, happy tohave you in town. Likewise, I'm
glad to be here. Yeah.Yeah, you're from you know, big
big me if Tennessee, I wasgonna just say Tennessee. I was gonna
let you take it over. Butyou're in the A right now. How

(00:23):
does it feel being in the A? By the way, I love the
eight It's like my second home.Really, favorite place in Atlanta. Tell
me my favorite place? Downtown?Okay, just downtown. Yeah, Like
I got a condo downtown where Icould just see the view with the lights
and it was just like, yeah, I feel in love. Yeah,
it's a good place. So muchgoing on. So we're happy to have

(00:43):
you in town. You happy tohave you in studio to talk music.
We have so much to talk about, so let's get started. First of
all, how did you really getinto the rap scene? Why did you
decide to pursue this career. Idecided to pursue a career because I'm good
at it. Okay. I didmy homework, research, I study,

(01:03):
I figured out the formulas, andI just felt like I had a chance.
I was basically raised in music.Like my uncle taught me my first
rep. I was like probably fouror five years old. He wrote it
for me, helped me recite it, and from there I just feel in
love. I love it like I'mpassionate about it, the music part and
the business. And you're really goodat what you do. For those who
haven't heard, they need to reallyhop on the train now. But for

(01:26):
those people who haven't heard yet,how would you describe your sound to them?
My sound? Yeah, your sound. I say you versatile because I
can fit in many pockets. Ifyou need me to be seductive, I
can be seductive. If you needme to be turned, I can turn
you well, you know, ifyou're trying to go to bed, I
can put you to sleep. Ilove it. I love it. We
love somebody who's gonna be versatile becausethen you are not put in one category,

(01:49):
one box, and you can reallyjust expand to different areas and have
a wide range fan base. Solet's talk about this newest single that you
have coming up. I'm excited.I heard it. It's good chocolate.
Okay, tell us more about it. It's a chocolate featuring me and Big
Bogie. You know what I'm saying. Uh, it's just a great song.
You represent you know, being darkskin and being beautiful. You know

(02:14):
what I'm saying. That's the that'sthe message, dark and you beautiful.
So everything outside of it is justto turn up, have fun, you
know, dark beautiful, Let's havefun. That's the that's the record.
Yeah, we love our chocolate brothers, by the way, gotta put that
too, Yes, we love them. We love them. But tell us
more about your favorite line or barfrom that song. If you can be
like, yeah, that represents me. That's the hardest. What would that

(02:36):
be? Man? I know it'shard. I grew up in a time
where being dark skin was ugly,natty. I can't say it on the
radio. It's a lot year.I gotta I gotta play the clean.
But just no, I grew upin a time where being dark skinning wasn't

(02:58):
necessarily the fashionable thing, and Ifeel like nowadays it is. It's trendy
now, but I remember when itwasn't. Yeah, tell me more about
your experiences growing up as a blackman, as a dark skinned black man
growing up, it wasn't hard ornothing, because I feel like you know,
everybody it was either dark, lightor white. But uh, it
definitely had its difficulties. Like Iremember the first girl I ever really really

(03:23):
liked. She liked light skinned boys, you know what I'm saying talking about
I was young, young, like, so I was like in puppy love,
Like I just knew she was theone. But the dude she had
eyes for he just was like fouror five shades lighter than me, you
know what I'm saying. So,like that was my first love let down
as just being who I am andnot having control of the situation, you

(03:43):
know what I'm saying. So butI mean, ay, everything that don't
care you and make you stronger.And it's the thing when you're dark skinned,
you almost gotta be strong. It'sthe thing, like you don't have
a chance or opportunity to be weak, because if you are, it's just
you know, you get stepped through. You gotta be tough. You're strong
when you dart. And I lovedit. I loved it. It did
it sharpened me, you know,it made me it's tough of it made

(04:06):
me have thicker skin and made youwho you are today, a rap superstar
in the making. So we areexcited about that. But like you said,
you have somebody featured on this song. Tell us more about the collaboration
between the two of you guys,the relationship, how that grew to what
it is today, and did youguys actually get into the studio together to
make the song. Okay, BigBoogie he is also from if he signed

(04:30):
with Yo Gotti CMG. Basically itwas it was simple. We both got
the same engineer. Shout out Marioand I asked Mario to connect the dots.
He connected it. He sent onthe song because I already had my
part doing. He sent them asong, he liked it, and we
just scheduled the day to meet.I pulled up to Elena and we made
magic. Somebody was dancing in liketen minutes. You know what I'm saying,

(04:54):
and shout out Big Boogi because hecame up with his verse in like
an hour. It didn't take himlong at all. His versus or like,
he really added to the song,which is rare most artists I do
music with. It's like people belike you ain't really have to put him
on the song, but I feellike book you definitely fit this one for
sure. We love it. Welove it. Give him hiss flowers as
well. He's fantastic. So let'stalk about you know what you learn from

(05:17):
being in the studio with somebody likehim? Did you learn anything as far
as like what you can incorporate intoyour own flow or routine or anything about
musically? I didn't learn too muchbecause you know, I'm not gonna lie.
I've been rapping so long since Iwas a kid that I feel like
I've not necessarily seen it at all. But I will say that handling the

(05:40):
business, I did learn a listenin that, which is when you get
an artist on a song, goahead and get an artist agreement while you're
in their face, have everything setin stone what you wanted to be that
it had him sign it in thatway, everything on point. You ain't
got to worry about, no mishapsand nothing like that. You know what
I'm saying. You protected, That'sthe That's the most important thing I learned.

(06:01):
But as far as musically, hea really dope artist in the It
was great seeing him in his elementseeing how he created, how he come
up with music on the spot.But I can't even lie to say I
learned that thing. If anything,maybe you know how to sharpen my own
sort a little bit better, orhow I can approach some with I can't
even think of one thing that Ireally just took from I just know that

(06:23):
I was. I was amazed likehe was. He was super dope.
Still work week and I work withhim again. Yeah, that's important,
especially the business side of things.People don't realize there's a whole business to
the industry that you have to makesure you're on top of industry ninety as
ten percent talent. You know,we know, oh for sure. So
let's talk about the fact of yes, you have the song with him,

(06:44):
but you also of course have yournewest record. But like you said,
he've been putting out music for along time. You have a lot of
great work. So for the peoplewho really been following and listening to you,
what do you feel like was thatbody of work or that single that
really put you on the map withthe majority of your fan base. Now,
so I'll say this, my risehas been gradual. I don't think

(07:05):
that I have one body of workyet that's gonna be or that has been
that one thing that just propelled me. I will say that my fans,
my cult following fan base, Ilove y'all. They've been with me every
step of away from when I hadshort hair. You know what I'm saying
to They've been a part of mywhole growth process. So I just get

(07:27):
better and better. And I studymy own music. Everything I put out,
I listen to it with a subjectiveear. I'm not gonna listen to
it and just feel like I'm thebiggest thing popping is just because I said
it, Like, nah, I'mgonna listen to it. See where I
could have been better at, Seewhat I could have did better, even
with delivery, with breathing, allof it. So I'm just always trying
to get better. I would saythat this next project I got coming out,

(07:49):
blame Sleepy It drop on May twentyeighth, I think that project in
particular is gonna be the project thatseparates me from a lot of people.
Okay, I have to know moreabout that project. What is that going
to be? Like? Are youhaving any other features? Like, let's
talk about it. Oh yeah,oh yeah, I got a lot of
features on there. Most of themare for Memphis Kendrick P. He's an

(08:11):
R and B singer. He's reallydope, like super super dope. Who
else I got on there? I'malways forgetting because I'm always making music.
Okay, so we're still picking.It sounds like the final finalized. It's
finalized. It's just that I finishedBlank Sleepy, and then I immediately started
working on the second project. Andthen I finished the second project and now

(08:33):
working on Therapy. Okay. Sothat's why it's hard for me to remember
my features because I might say aname that's on the second project, right,
but but uh, we got eA g Nick on there. My
best friend Ocean Tomado of her firstsong Mound views with me on there.
She did the opening monologue. Yeah, I got some I got some names

(08:54):
on there. I got some nameson there. Y'all gonna have to check
it out. May twenty eight,Plain Sleepy, I love his pain coming
soon to pain, definitely coming love. It tells me more about that.
What is that sounding like? Andwhat's the bite for that? One?
Got you so? I would sayfor Blink Sleeper, I love his pain
for both, Okay, I gotyou so love is Pain is more personal,

(09:16):
it's more vulnerable, it's more Allof my music is one big story.
It's all a big story, butI just give it in chapters.
So blame Sleepy is more so thechapter where everybody feels like they got a
blind sleepy, where everybody's problems aren'ttheir problems is my problem. They put
it on my shoulders and I gotstrong shoulders. Love is pain is the

(09:39):
pain of being the person that loveseverybody, that wants to give so much
but never receives. That's what loveis Pain is about. So each each
project has its own tone. Iwould say Blind Sleepy a little more angry,
but it's still smooth. At thesame time, Love is Pain is
a little bit more smooth, butit's still got some anger in there.
And it's that's the time an artist. I am like, I don't really

(10:01):
make up things or try to rapabout super extraordinary stuff unless I did it.
If I'm living their life. IfI'm on the yacht, I'm ana
rerap about the yacht, you knowwhat I'm saying. If I'm on the
spaceship, I'm a rep about theirspaceship. So if I went through some
pain, y'all gonna get some pain. Yeah, it's real. It's authentic
one hundred percent and completely and versatilefrom the type of music you can create

(10:22):
that people can all really resonate tofix and I can make relatable, you
know, the the trendy music orwhatever. I'm able to do that,
and I try to, you know, at least put one song per project,
at least one that's like, youknow, this could be the TikTok
song or the radio song or whatever. But for the most part, I
just create and let the people chooseunless it's undeniable, like chocolate, that's

(10:43):
undeniable. Yeah, we knew wehad to come to y'all with chocolate before
it dropped. Yes, we loveit and we're excited about that expite about
all the bodies of work and projectsyou have coming up. So let's first
or next, I should say,talk about some of your dream collib orations.
If you can pick maybe I wantto say three and make it tough.

(11:05):
Who would you really want to workwith in the future. Can I
put producers in there too? Yeah? I would love to work with the
Alchemists. I really like the Alchemists. Yeah, Like I just love his
sound. As a producer. Adream collab would have to be Bruno Mars.

(11:30):
That's a good one, Bruno,for sure. I really love Bruno
Mars. His sounds just the oldschool but still fresh, you know what
I'm saying. I love it,third third, third more mm hmm.
Man, It's tough. I guessI have to go with Ludacris, okay,

(11:54):
because he was my favorite rapper asa child, like from my probably
from when I was ten to aboutfifteen. He was my favorite rapper for
like good fire Year Room and evenafter that he still was like in my
top whatever. But I kind oflike as a kid, you know,
going from ten to fifteen, it'sa whole different mindset. Once you're fifteen,

(12:15):
think you know everything. Yeah,I started listening to j Z and
Gucci, you know what I'm saying. So that's that's that's the You could
already tell what my direction was going, right, But I love the a's
over here, so we'll take it. Yeah. No, I love Atlanta
music though for show, so Ihad to throw Ludacris in there. I
love to do a song with alittle that'll be like a bucket list song
for me for show. I loveit. I love it, Okay.

(12:35):
So you know, we know thatLudacris is a fan or you're a fan
of his work. But who wouldyou say would be some of your biggest
instorrations in the music industry past present? Definitely Michael Jackson for show. I
can't I can't leave out Mike.I just love Mike's music and his story,

(12:56):
even though it's kind of sad,I feel like it's still since they
could be learning through it. Youknow. Influences Project pat Og from Memphis.
You know, I grew up listeningto him. He definitely still had
songs that I listen to to thisday. Dolph. Dolph was a huge

(13:16):
influence Yo Gotti as well, ButI say that Dolph was a bigger influence
to me only because he went theindependent route. And that's the route that
I chose versus the corporate route,which is what YO gotta chose. And
I respect both routes, you know, whichever one works for you, but
the independent route. I feel likeDolph, he made it like he left

(13:37):
the blueprint, almost like how JayZ left the blue print, like Dolf
also left the blueprint, or howyou can blow up independently. The first
thing you gotta do is go getthat money. You know what I'm saying,
So for him to be always preachingget the money, get the wealth,
investing your team, build companies,go get laying, Go get a
real estate. Like this, ittrans it goes past the music. Yes,

(14:01):
you know, it's a lifestyle.And I super duper was influenced by
Dolf coming up. I watched himgo from nobody to somebody real quick like
that, and I've seen the grindSo yeah, yep, I say them
them for sure. That was agood list. Definitely good list and also
of course rest Doff. Yes,yes, yes, So you were talking

(14:22):
about how you are independent artists.Do you have any plans at all to
change that? Or you are goingto be comfortable and probably stick with the
rout that you are taking. Now. I'm an opportunist if the opportunity is
right, okay, So if agood deal comes across, I would not
turn it down if it makes sense. I'm a hustler by nature, like

(14:45):
I'm always gonna make some money.I'm always gonna make something happen and make
my situation better. Whatever opportunity Iget, I'm gonna make more out of
it. So, for instance,If a label decide that they want to
see put some money behind me,cool, You ain't even gotta make their
money back off me in music,I'm gonna go flip that money. The
money gonna make more money. Andif I got to buy myself out the

(15:05):
contract, make sure y'all get paidy'all percentage, interest, whatever, I'm
gonna do that in good faith becauseyou didn't have to invest in me,
you know so labels taking chances onpeople. If you're gonna take a chance
on me, I'm gonna make itworth your while. But I'm comfortable in
the independent route as long as Ihave a cult following, which I do.

(15:26):
That's how they matter. I'm buildingit a day at a time,
just grabbing more people, grabbing morepeople. My biggest thing is, are
y'all gonna buy my shirts? Girls? Are y'all gonna buy my booty shorts?
And they buying them? So Ilove it. I'm winning. I
can't even lie like I'm comfortable whereI'm at, but I definitely change it
up if it made sense. Iget it. I completely get it.
So we're rooting for you on whateverpath you decide to take. We're always

(15:50):
gonna support you, So any otherprojects. I know you mentioned you have
a few things in the works rightnow, but any other projects in the
industry or in other industries that youare pursuing or doing this year or what's
the time we talked about some shorts. I mean, what else do we
have selling and going on right now? I am trying to open up my
own clothing store, but I'm beingpatient about it. Okay. I'm very

(16:11):
very much an entrepreneur and rapping.I'm really good at it, but I'm
even better at business. I loveit. So I'm y'all just just watch
y'all see, just stay stay incontact, just just keep peeping it and
they gonna see it for sure.Be patient. Yeah, I got a
lot coming over, Okay. II don't want to just be like I'm
finna do this. I'm gonna dothat. I'm finna do this. I'm
I like showing people well nor Yeah, one hundred percent. I'll be back

(16:36):
like, Hey, we got thisgoing, y'all need to come check this
out. Let's do it. Let'sdo it. Any lovest words you want
to leave with the people, bythe way, y'all can follow me at
og Sleepy Loco on all platforms.If you're looking for my music lead a
og out, just look up SleepyLoco. Digital Dads just dropped the other
day on all platforms. Going crazychocolate about the drop. So y'all need
to get in tone. I loveit. I love it, Sleepy Loco.

(16:59):
Thank you so much. Are cominginto the studio, Yeah, no
problem. Thank you for having meonce again. Alexandra Kaimoni with iHeartRadio. Let's Go