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Generating a respectable buzz following the release of his 2016 breakout single “My Shit”, 22-year-old A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie has continued adding a slew of notable hits to his catalogue.
Teaming up with a growing list of superstars like Chris Brown, Yo Gotti, 21 Savage, Quavo and Kodak Black, the fast-rising rapper has toured the world, amassed an expansive social following and elevated his profile as one of the most promising artists in Hip Hop.
Building on the momentum that followed the success of multiple mixtapes, the Bronx native was cited as one of Forbes' Five Breakout Hip Hop Artists To Watch. Catching the attention of multi-platinum megastars Drake and Future, the young rapper was recruited to open up on select dates of their record-breaking Summer Sixteen tour. Aside from sharing stages with many of rap's biggest names, he's also made the coveted XXL Freshman Cover, was featured in the XXL Freshman Cypher, and sat alongside label mate Don Q to deliver one of the most-watched installments of the Funk Flex Freestyles on New York's Hot 97 radio station.
More than managing his own career, the aspiring mogul serves as co-owner of Highbridge The Label, striking a deal with Atlantic Records to launch his own independent imprint ran by A Boogie and his tight-knit circle of friends turned business partners. Featuring a slate of standout singles including "Drowning, “Undefeated” and "Say A”, his 2017 full-length debut The Bigger Artist (TBA) reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart, selling over 67,000 units in its first week.
Tapping into this spirit of independence, Luc Belaire launched the Self-Made Tastes Better campaign to celebrate artists and entertainers that have boldly paved their own path to success. In the latest installment, Luc Belaire CEO Brett Berish sits down with A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie to discuss his path to stardom, guiding principles and the importance of building a brand beyond the music.
When you think about your journey and all of the work you’ve put in to this point — What does the concept of being self-made mean to you?
A Boogie: To me, being self-made means a lot of things. Being self-made means putting yourself in position to help others put themselves in position to be successful. That’s one way I look at being self-made. It also means taking ownership of my career and be willing to do what it takes to reach the goals I set out for myself. I have a team around me that looks out for me, but I have to set the tone and work harder than everybody. I have to make sure that we all reach the level we’re capable of getting to. That’s being self-made — leading by example and putting your destiny in your own hands.
You’ve always been very invested in your team and the people around you — How has building a strong team helped propel you throughout this process?
A Boogie: It starts with everybody finding what they want to do, and knowing what they’re really good at. Everybody plays a specific role. Not everyone will be a rapper, or want to be a rapper, so it’s important for everyone around you to play their position and have it structured right. If not, it’s very easy for everything you work for to fall apart. With my team, we’re like family and we all support each other. We want each other to win. That’s important, too — really having a passion to see each person be successful so that you all can appreciate the success together.
What was the turning point or moment when you realized that the dream you once had was now a reality and what you do for a living?
A Boogie: Honestly, it was always a vision in my head. Even when I first started rapping, this was always a vision I believed in and was following. Before ever being in the booth, I envisioned being in the booth, and I pictured everything before I did it. It wasn’t an overnight process for me. I put in a lot of work and kept believing in myself until things worked out. I just had to keep going and put the work in, and there’s still so much more I see for myself that I’m working toward now. Every time I step on stage an see all of the lights or hear fans singing the words to my songs it’s a surreal moment for me. When I see thousands of people showing love, it’s a moment that reminds me of how hard I worked to be here and it makes me want to go harder.
Who were some of the people who inspired you or kept you motivated the most?
A Boogie: When it comes to the industry, it was people like 50 Cent and Jay-Z. I always looked up to people who did more than just rap or focus on music. I’m inspired by the people who put their different talents to use and turned it into something bigger. They became more than artists. These people inspire me, because they showed me it’s about creating other opportunities and expanding your brand. Jay-Z went from music to making real business moves. 50 went from music to investing in products and producing shows. They both made moves early in their careers that set them up to be on top now, and that’s the same approach I want to take with my career.
Now that you’ve started to really establish yourself with the music — What moves are you taking now to build your brand beyond the music?
A Boogie: I have my hands in a lot of different things outside of my music. I have a few investments I’ve made already. I’m also taking acting lessons and studying other areas of the entertainment industry. Hopefully, when I start going to auditions, they look at me and take me seriously.
What have been some of the notable challenges you’ve faced while growing as an artists and building your career?
A Boogie: During the come up, the pressure I felt was different. I wanted people to like me so bad, and I focused so much on getting people to notice me. I would do almost anything to get the right people’s attention and get my music out there. Getting people to like my music was challenging at first. It’s hard to get people to like your music. There isn’t a simple formula that automatically makes people like you. It takes trying things out, finding yourself, and knowing how your music connects with people. Even being from High Bridge in the Bronx was hard, because you had to deal with jokes if you didn’t have bars. Right now, the challenges are different. Now, the challenges are figuring out how I can have a regular life and a superstar life. I want to be a real person and do regular things, but that’s getting harder the more people know me and my brand gets bigger.
How has your definition of success evolved from when you first got into the game to where you are now?
A Boogie: My definition of success is very different now then when I started. I used to look at a half-a-million or a million dollars as the most money I would ever see. I used to think that meant I was filthy rich and my life would change forever. So, when I started, success was making a million dollars or getting as much money as I possibly could. I just wanted to be rich and have everything. Now, I look at a million dollars like it can’t necessarily change your life forever. Don’t get me wrong, It can get you a lot of things. But, it’s really not that much money when you think about out and you can blow it fast trying to keep up with a certain lifestyle. It’s easy to feel like you have to keep buying expensive outfits and chains or cars. Right now, I have bigger goals in life than making money. I’ve learned that getting money is a blessing, but maintaining it is one of the most important things you can do. You have to keep your momentum going and never fall off.
