Whereas some individuals mature with age and the added experiences that include life, Joyner Lucas believes he’s rising in reverse.
Lucas spells out precisely that on the self-titled Not Now I’m Busy outro, which incorporates a harrowing voice message admitting to killing his older self and calling out those that stabbed him within the again because the 35-year-old rapper, is shifting on with out the individuals who took his kindness for weak point.
“On the album, it’s just about — you realize when individuals attempt to shed their outdated pores and skin and grow to be a greater individual? Properly that is me shedding my outdated pores and skin as individual and turning into a worse individual,” he says with spite in a go to to Billboard earlier in March.
“It’s like rising in a foul means,” he continues. “It’s doing the other. You may solely get f—-d over so many instances. You face so many trials and tribulations of those that have completed you soiled. Now it’s f—ok you.”
A lot has modified for the hardened “Ramen & OJ” rapper since his final go to to Billboard in 2017. These days, the icy chains are means greater, grills are shinier and he’s traded out an Air Jordan t-shirt for a Gucci windbreaker. Again then, he was nonetheless an rising act, hungry to make a reputation for himself and take a chew out of rap’s mainstream whereas signed to Atlantic Data.
Not lengthy after, Joyner ditched the key label system to navigate the unbiased route, the place he’s carved out a lane for himself as a premier storyteller and cinematic video director — which even earned him a Grammy nomination (for “I’m Not Racist” in 2019).
Joyner’s authenticity and shrewd wordplay concerning matters with substance in a means that pierce listeners’ souls has endeared him to tens of millions throughout the globe. Lots of his idols have grow to be mentors alongside his turbulent journey, with Will Smith, Eminem and Mark Wahlberg all now collaborators who’re only one name away.
With Not Now I’m Busy, Joyner’s first mission since 2020, the rapper turns his angst and frustration into fervid artwork, whereas enlisting an array of collaborators throughout 17 tracks — starting from YoungBoy By no means Broke Once more to the late rap legend DMX and present crossover nation star Jelly Roll.
“A whole lot of good relationships turned dangerous as a consequence of entitlement, a whole lot of f—ked up s–t. I feel that a whole lot of that is because of me being this nice individual… this forgiving individual,” he provides. “Individuals took benefit of that.”
Beneath, Joyner Lucas delves deeper into his friendship with DMX, flipping Mac Miller’s “Donald Trump,” placing the brand new technology of rappers on blast and rather more.
The place has Joyner Lucas been the previous few years?
I simply took that point to spend with my youngsters. I dropped singles and s–t. I’ve been experimenting with various things. I’ve been sort of having fun with a part of life the place you don’t bought to emphasize out and benefit from the fruits of your labor a bit of bit.
When did this album begin to take kind?
Most likely like two years in the past. I used to be feeling overwhelmed and underneath stress. Feeling such as you’re unfold skinny. You’re attempting to handle a bunch of various issues directly. You actually really feel too busy for something even the essential issues. To me, it began with me feeling overwhelmed — however then additionally I encountered a whole lot of conditions the place I let some those that had been in my life [go].
That appears like Kanye West’s latest publish the place he was giving “f–ok you”s to everybody.
He’s explaining the precise issues I’m speaking about on this album. The factor Kanye’s going via, you could possibly inform the best way he carries himself, he’s simply over all that. F–ok everyone. They tried to do a whole lot of s–t. So is he gonna have this enormous constructive outlook and grow to be this constructive individual? Completely not.
I used to be feeling these two issues on the identical time. You’re experiencing being too busy, however then you definitely’re additionally feeling such as you’re too busy to face the reality. And the reality is that folks ain’t s–t. Lots of people develop in a constructive means. Like Will Smith, he’ll develop from his errors and discover a constructive means to take a look at issues. I’m simply not that. I really feel like I used to be that. Rising up in a adverse means. It’s simply f—ok you now. That’s the place I’m at with it. It’s a whole lot of experiences till I bought up to now and I’m like, “F–ok you.” That’s what this album is about.
Stroll me via how the document got here along with DMX and Symba. It’s my understanding you recorded that when he was nonetheless right here with us.
Yeah, I spent a while with X. I bought an opportunity to get to know him and ask him a whole lot of questions on his life. Earlier than he handed, in all probability a yr. Whenever you hear that document, it sort of appears like he’s nonetheless alive, proper? I’m blissful that folks get to listen to that verse.
How did your relationship with Jelly Roll come about? You guys had been talking on some severe matters there, so far as substance abuse and all that, on “Greatest for Me.”
Jelly Roll, he’s a fantastic man. My mother loves him. He’s a extremely large fan of mine. There’s a whole lot of data within the pipeline that we’re in the course of creating as nicely. I’m excited to work with him [more]. I simply love his aura and all the pieces he stands for. He’s been via a whole lot of issues, however he’s somebody that overcame that and now he’s this actually constructive individual.
I want I used to be like that. I’m rising backward. Some individuals develop ahead, however I develop backward. He talks lots in regards to the opioid disaster and I bought some members of the family that had some issues and this was a private document to each of us. I feel lots of people can profit from it.
What made you wish to pattern Mac Miller’s “Donald Trump” for “Seventeen?”
I at all times liked that beat and I at all times liked that document. I at all times liked Mac Miller. I believed he was fireplace. He’s one other one which handed away because of the identical factor we talked about on “Greatest for Me.” I bought the chance to pattern that document and do what I needed to do it and shout him out.
You’re speaking some s–t on there saying “the brand new technology of rappers are f—king illiterate.”
You understand among the music is f—–g r—-ded. A few of it’s fireplace. It’s melodies and no matter, however a few of these n—-s aren’t saying s–t. There’s actually no substance in any respect. It’s bizarre lots of people take into consideration that like NBA YoungBoy however I feel YoungBoy is fireplace. A whole lot of artists attempt to group him in there however I don’t put him in that class. I simply suppose that the brand new technology of rappers are f—king illiterate. It’s self-explanatory I assume.
You bought Logic on the album once more. It wasn’t all love there between you guys at one level. What dialog occurred there to maneuver ahead?
Yeah, we had a dialog. I didn’t actually know Logic earlier than. After I kinda bought to know Logic I spotted that I had a revelation as a result of a whole lot of the issues I accused him of or a whole lot of the issues he was doing, these are the issues individuals assume of me. I associated to that. I’m like, “Rattling bro, persons are accusing me and s–t on a regular basis.” Joyner put out this video however I had the identical thought, Joyner stole my thought for this. I used to be going via the s–t I used to be accusing him of doing.
After I had talked to him I used to be like, “Yo bro, I owe you an apology, as a result of I’m going via some s–t.” It was an actual apology and we turned cool after that. I performed him “Isis,” which I initially despatched to Marshall [Eminem], however he had a lot occurring that I ended up letting Logic do his factor.
You had a tweet asking upcoming artists about giving themselves a sure cut-off age to “make it” in music earlier than quitting. Why was it 28 for you?
The extra older you get, the extra obligations that you’ve got. You begin having youngsters and transfer out of your dad and mom’ home. You bought a job to pay your lease. I do know that the primary 5 – 6 years of attempting to interrupt into the business, you may’t have a job, due to the best way you need to transfer round and do the issues it is advisable do to get the place you wish to go. It’s not possible to have a job. You may’t fly out to this producer since you bought to go to work. You may’t be all in if you happen to bought actual life s–t. When you don’t have an investor, until you’re attempting to promote some medicine, you don’t have monetary backing. You’re compelled to discover a job and attempting to stability that with breaking into the sport, which is extremerly troublesome.
Realizing that, I gave myself till 29. The place I might not less than make a dwelling, or seeing that it’s working, then I’m completed pursuing this dream. 29 [for me]. That’s why the label is Twenty 9 Music Group.
Would you say you will have the identical starvation for music in comparison with 2016 or 2017?
At the moment, it was survival. A survival starvation is you going exterior and also you sitting there rubbing sticks collectively determining to make a fireplace since you’re within the woods and f—-d. Some individuals determine it out, some individuals don’t.
I figured it out. Now I constructed me a pleasant little tent. I managed to acquire a car on this island. I made me a pleasant little joint. Now it’s the household and village. Chains bought greater, grills are in. Now it’s, how can we preserve bringing the meals provides into the village? I understand how to catch the meals, however how do I catch the meals at a bigger amount to feed extra individuals? It’s not simply feeding your current fan base however rising the viewers that you’ve got now and tapping into completely different realms whereas staying true to you.
What’s some recommendation you’ve taken whereas speaking to Will Smith?
One factor Will [Smith] says to me is, “Don’t be afraid to fail.” I’ve at all times been afraid to fail. I’ve to put on the face. The individuals will have a look at me and say, “You failed.” It’s on me. They don’t have a look at [my manager] Drew, they have a look at Joyner and say, “You f—ked up.” As a result of I’ve to put on the face, the stress is on me.
Will’s failed lots. We don’t find out about it, however these fails to him I wouldn’t have a look at as a failure. Wild Wild West, he doesn’t like that film. The rationale he doesn’t is perhaps due to the way it carried out. Whenever you put that subsequent to Males In Black, and Wild Wild West didn’t carry out the identical. Possibly he didn’t like the best way it got here out. That to him was a giant fail. He had The Matrix and stated that he had [the choice to play] Neo and selected Wild Wild West. That’s a giant misstep. These are large errors to him. He’s nonetheless within the film — he’s nonetheless Will and he seems at it in another way.
I drop a document with Future and the document comes out. Thoughts you, earlier than it comes out I’m like, “I don’t find out about it.” It is a completely different sound for Joyner. I’m speaking about s–t I did earlier than I bought on. I’m not in that place anymore however I went again to that place. When the document got here out and it didn’t do what I needed it to do, I felt like I f—ked up. My followers didn’t like that s–t. I understood why. That document wasn’t for them. That was to attempt to get a complete new viewers. I take pleasure in Future’s music and he got here off on that document. I needed to decide if I might go rickety-rap on that s–t, however why would I try this on a tune with him? I needed to dumb it all the way down to the purpose it virtually didn’t sound like Joyner.
At that time, I felt like I wasn’t being true to myself. The document doesn’t do what I needed. That is my don’t be afraid to fail second. The suggestions I bought was, “What the f–ok is that this?” I attempted to step out of my realm to attempt to seize one other viewers however I didn’t do what made sense. I didn’t do it with style. It ought to’ve been a document that made extra sense. I went too left-field. I like that document, however on the identical time, I hate it. I truly like Future’s music, however I don’t know if I wish to hear myself on that.
How did you find yourself starring in Household Plan with Mark Wahlberg — and what’s your position in Dangerous Boys 4?
Mark Wahlberg reached out to me once I dropped the “Will” document. He stated, “Man, we from Boston and also you’re gonna make a tune about Will.” He invited me to his home in L.A., we performed pool and kicked it and constructed a relationship. He actually cares about me as an individual. Any means that he can [he wants to help]. After I was having some points with an company, he stepped in and went to bat for me. “Yo, we gotta begin performing some s–t for Joyner.”
I’d at all times bug him in regards to the films, and I put him within the video for “Zim Zimma.” He plugged me in and gave me a cool position. Acquired paid a pleasant little quantity. I bought a pair traces, however I used to be in a whole lot of the film. I had a pleasant little half with him and bought a knife put in my eye. It was a cool expertise.
Simply placing the bug in Will’s ear, “I have to be in that Dangerous Boys 4.” They was in manufacturing and I used to be in his ear like, “Yo, give me that position.” He’s like, “I bought you.” We work on a ton of music collectively. He ended up hitting me up saying, “I’m sending you the script.” Will has been somebody I’ve at all times regarded as much as. I made a complete tune idolizing him after which being subsequent to this man taking pictures a film. Holy s–t. One factor, if Michael Jackson was alive, I really feel like I might’ve created one thing that [we’d collaborate on]. I’d’ve went via his entire life.
Is there anybody else you wish to work with left on that record?
There’s lots of people. Jay-Z for positive, Rihanna, Taylor Swift. I desire a Taylor Swift document. I like Taylor Swift. [I’d] put Taylor on a fire-ass hook.
