Southside
The 808 Mafia chief shares his ardour for uplifting new artists and why he produced the beats for the 2024 XXL Freshman Class cyphers.
As Instructed To: Georgette Cline
Editor’s Word: This story seems within the Summer season 2024 concern of XXL Journal, on stands now.
I like the entire idea of Freshman, ’trigger I really feel like everyone who come from the Freshman find yourself being—at the least half of ’em—find yourself being international superstars. It’s like after y’all do this, it’s like their costs simply go loopy after that. It’s for the tradition. I truly needed to do it. I began actually watching the Freshman the 12 months [that] had 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, like all them that 12 months. G Herbo was on there, too. 2016 [Freshman], all of them is international superstars proper now. I used to be working with most of that class. I made “No Coronary heart” for 21 Savage. I made they hits then. Inspiring.
I like the youth. I at all times been in a position to work with like, the Futures and all the massive names and stuff. As a producer now, ’trigger I completed a lot, it’s extra enjoyable to me now to work with the brand new children coming in. I wanna attempt to make one among their largest hits. It’s like a brand new accomplishment for me. Like some Dr. Dre sh*t. Take one among them, go up with them and attempt to construct with them by their complete profession.
That’s how me and Skilla Child is. Skilla Child come to the studio with me in all probability three or 4 occasions a month. He’s just like the coldest one outta all of [them], to me. He don’t do medication. He don’t drink liquor. He don’t get excessive. He’s fully sober. And he goes in there and simply raps by stuff. I ain’t by no means seen nothing like that earlier than. That’s why I really feel like he’s simply dope and his work ethic.
I like BigXthaPlug. I had by no means met BigX earlier than that. I seen him on stage when he got here out with the pink on, doing his dancing sh*t on the sh*t that went viral. He was so like South, you recognize, we actual like, southern hospitality. Actual loving. Even after I seen him within the membership final night time, he was like, “Man, y’all gonna are available in my part.” I’m like, “We good, bro. It’s cool.” That made me f**ok with him a complete lot how he was.
I like Maiya The Don. Me assembly her simply made me love Maiya. I had by no means heard none of Maiya music or nothing, however after I heard her rap yesterday, I’m like, Rattling, she actually going loopy. I began wanting up [her music], going by sh*t. I like her. I like her character.
BossMan Dlow, hearth. I instructed him, I stated, “Bro, you have been my theme tune the entire Tremendous Bowl. Your album was the theme album the entire Tremendous Bowl for me.” That’s what I used to be enjoying, Dlow in Vegas the entire time. 4batz, hearth. Silly hearth. I used to be truly watching 4batz for a minute, earlier than he simply began going tremendous, tremendous loopy. I like how he did the “Act I,” “Act II.”
Hunxho, that’s like my actual household. Certainly one of my greatest mates is Hunxho massive brother. I knew them rising up, you recognize what I’m sayin’? So, I knew Hunxho earlier than this sh*t, earlier than he blew up. I used to be one of many first individuals to deliver Hunxho round and inform Hunxho like, “Hey, bro, you gonna be a star. You gotta speak in confidence to individuals.” You already know, ’trigger he’s so road, and been by a lot stuff. I actually know Hunxho. That’s my actual little brother.
Lay Bankz, she from Philly. I be in tune. I be having to name Skilla typically. Like, I’ll come throughout one thing on the web and ship them, be like, “Who’s it?” They like, “She laborious. Go take heed to this, this, this and this.”
Wealthy Amiri laborious. I f**ok with him. It’s at all times distinctive sh*t when individuals ship me stuff for him. It’s simply totally different, you’re feeling me? ScarLip. That’s like DMX daughter to me. That’s how I really feel. I f**ok along with her. She signed to Epic Information, too, the identical label I’m signed to. Money Cobain, hearth. I simply did a tune with Money. You already know, I rap. I did a tune with Money Cobain in Atlanta like two weeks in the past. He simply walked within the studio. I used to be in there recording and sh*t. He simply began rapping. He’s like, “I can get on it?” I f**ok with Money. That Mexican OT. I f**ok with him. He received a tune known as “Twisting Fingers.” It’s the South. I like the South. That’s my factor.
For the cyphers, I feel I despatched like six beats or one thing at first. Then we despatched possibly about 15 and I received one other 15. With beats, that sh*t take me like 5 minutes. Now to the subsequent individual, it might take them like three months, you recognize, to make a beat. I’ll sit in sooner or later and make 60 beats.
I personal 808 Mafia [producer collective]. It’s quite a lot of us, however I received one child from New York named Smatt that’s like me. He’s Southside another time, how I used to be rising up. I make rattling close to the whole lot with him proper now. He actually give me my drive proper now. He made “Daylight” with Drake with me. He been making quite a lot of sh*t with me. The 2 beats for the freestyle, he did ’em with me. He signed to me.
Subsequent up for me is my album. My first compilation album. I received Future on it, Burna Boy, A$AP Rocky. All people on it. Travis Scott. Hunxho on it. Skilla Child. G Herbo, Rob49. Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely, I simply dropped a single with them additionally. I simply blended all of the worlds up. I put individuals on songs with individuals that you simply wouldn’t usually hear. I’m engaged on Mixtape Pluto with Future proper now. I’ve been working rather a lot with Roddy Ricch, too. It’s a brand new sound, like a complete new vibe.
I’m able to get these albums out, get this music out, begin doing reveals. I’m gonna drop my rap undertaking, Free Agent 4, after my [compilation] album. I’m about to step into just like the present aspect of it. DJing and rapping and a few of your favourite artists popping out. I’m truly doing the primary 12 months of the 808 Fest on August 8. We doing the primary 12 months of it in Los Angeles.
See Southside open up about producing the beats for the Freshman cyphers within the video under.
The Freshman concern is on newsstands in all places. Along with interviews with the 2024 Freshman Class and producer Southside, there are additionally conversations with Sexyy Purple, Ski Masks The Hunch God, Mustard, Rubi Rose, Ken Carson, Ghostface Killah, Lola Brooke and extra, plus, a glance again at what the 2023 XXL Freshman Class has been doing. Additionally, there are tales on the continuing scamming and fraud plaguing hip-hop, and the way podcasters and streamers are enjoying a significant position in rap beef. The difficulty is on sale right here, together with some unique Freshmen merch.
Watch Southside Communicate on Making Beats for the 2024 XXL Freshman Class Cyphers
Southside 2024 xxl freshman producer photograph