It’s a foggy night time inside and outdoors of EMPIRE’s Occasions Sq. studios. After a tiring day of press operating across the Huge Apple and a multi-course dinner celebrating the forthcoming launch of his Glockoma 2 album, a tipsy Key Glock already has his sights set on his subsequent mission.
“You’re going to listen to one thing new each different month,” Glock mentioned in his interview on the Billboard workplace hours earlier. “Simply know you’re gonna hear extra Glizzock.”
However don’t anticipate a 3rd installment within the Glockoma collection — as he shuts down the thought of a threequel there, and can be tight-lipped concerning the whereabouts of the finished Dum and Dummer 3 along with his late mentor Younger Dolph.
The 25-year-old nods alongside to what he appears like 100 beats from his frequent collaborator Bandplay and jokes about how he’s already rapped over each risk within the producer’s beat intensive folder — two of which have been laced with catchy, nostalgic samples like Earth, Wind and Fireplace’s “September” and Willie Hutch’s “I Select You” (of UGK fame).
Glock attributes his meticulous ear for manufacturing to his grandmother, who listened to a mixture of blues and hip-hop whereas elevating him in South Memphis. He remembers her enjoying an array of 2Pac, Three 6 Mafia and UGK, along with soul singers Johnny Taylor and Tyrone Davis.
“The soul music, that’s extra of the true life stuff, the place hip-hop is extra of the leisure and street-life stuff,” he provides. “They each simply had a toll on me developing.”
Draped in Air Jordan “Mocha” 3’s, a plaid Amiri sweater and an identical beige Seattle Mariners cap to finish his match, Key Glock finds a thumping lure beat from Bandplay’s folder to his liking and hits the sales space with now lower than 24 hours till Glockoma 2’s arrival.
It’s after midnight on the East Coast, and members of Glock’s crew have left. Paper Route CEO Daddy-O dozes out and in of sleepy consciousness behind his Cartier shades, whereas the Cutthroat rapper’s entourage retains the celebration going, after three bottles of Don Julio 1942 Tequila arrive by way of DoorDash and Backwoods are being rolled up like an meeting line.
Glizzock’s girlfriend, magnificence influencer Karin Jinsui, can be current, however conserving to herself for a lot of the night time — scrolling on her cellphone and comforting Glock when he steps out of the sales space.
It’s been over 4 years because the authentic Glockoma landed, however the second installment is lastly right here. Bandplay reveals that a lot of the album was recorded on the European leg of Glock’s tour final summer season.
“We match our sound completely,” he says. “Lots of this mission we recorded in Europe. Just about 75 % of the mission acquired recorded abroad whereas we have been on tour. The entire ambiance of being abroad is everywhere in the mission. Their audio system [just] ain’t hitting like ours.”
Glizzock notched his first solo prime 10 debut on the Billboard 200 with 2021’s Yellow Tape 2, and he’s in competition to earn one other prime 10 with Glockoma 2 subsequent week – and that’s all with none options, which he boasts about on album nearer “F–okay a Characteristic.”
“I attempted to remain in the identical lane and identical model,” he states. “It’s simply current Glock, is the one distinction. Some songs are on there from two years in the past and a few are from two weeks in the past.”
A testomony to his consistency whereas build up his fan base, Key Glock refuses to interact in quite a lot of the social media antics his friends may lean into all of whereas remaining unbiased (He’s signed to EMPIRE for distribution). “You possibly can’t fear concerning the subsequent particular person and take a look at their success and their progress and surprise why you not doing the identical,” Glock says. “All people get their time to shine, but it surely simply is dependent upon what you do when your time comes. Benefit from that.”
He continues to do the heavy lifting for Paper Route Empire, with the Memphis label’s legacy now on his again following the lack of PRE patriarch Younger Dolph. “Relaxation in peace Dolph, yeah he gave me the torch,” Glock raps on Glockoma 2 standout “Randy Orton.”
Dolph’s chilling Nov. 2021 homicide in his hometown despatched shockwaves all through hip-hop, and Glock didn’t take a lot time away from the grind. He final spoke to Billboard in his first interview following the tragedy (March 2022) the place he referred to his Dum and Dummer collaborator as his “motivation,” and appeared to be zapped of any artistic inspiration.
“We the identical particular person, we simply completely different ages,” he says now, reflecting on Dolph. “We acquired the identical mindset and we expect alike and transfer the identical manner. Even manner earlier than we clicked and bonded collectively, we was already like twins. [He inspires me to] maintain standing on enterprise with the music, as a result of I do know he wouldn’t need me to cease.”
Glock is animated, bopping across the sales space along with his arms shifting, whereas punching in bar after bar. Bandplay explains that it’s a uncommon event for the “Russian Cream” rapper to be recording following a couple of cocktails, but it surely’s been a particular celebratory affair.
Paper Route Empire hosted about 50 music trade professionals for dinner on the swanky Midtown Japanese restaurant Zuma earlier within the night time, the place the label stunned Glizzock with one other platinum plaque so as to add to his rising assortment, for the flute-tinged “Ambition for Money.”
Staff wheel in a uncommon bottle of Louis XIII – some of the costly cognac’s made sporting a four-figure price ticket – and photographs are extracted and poured utilizing an outsized syringe, for a toast to Glock’s latest success.
Momma Glock receives a FaceTime name shortly after, exhibiting her she’d have one other plaque on the best way so as to add to her trophy room — the place she proudly shows all of her son’s accolades. Key Glock has beforehand in contrast his tight-knit bond along with his mom to that of Kanye West and the late Donda West.
The clock strikes 2:00 a.m. ET and Glizzock emerges from the sales space, prepared for his crew to listen to the uncooked completed model of his newest work. With a extra blunted but regular move, Glock glides over the menacing lure manufacturing, using shrewd wordplay incorporating Drake and Migos within the midst of his braggadocious rhymes.
“Music’s laborious as f–okay,” says considered one of Glock’s pals, who goes by “Drip,” lending his stamp of approval. KG agrees and has the file despatched to his flooded e-mail.
Everybody will get again to cracking jokes — a theme of the night time — earlier than Glock wins another battle along with his publicist, pushing his first obligations for the following day again a pair hours till after midday, placing the star comfy to take pleasure in what’s left of one other late night time.