A Previously Unpublished Rich Homie Quan Interview, from 2014

I interviewed Rich Homie Quan in 2014. The recorder was fucking up or something, because the transcript—can’t remember if I did it myself, or someone else had done it—was not very clear in several places. I’m not sure why it was never published [edit: Naomi Zeichner has correctly pointed out it was a q&a used for background quotes for my Fader Gen F on Rich Homie Quan!] The transcript was finished in October 2014, likely the interview happened then as well. Ten years ago next month. This has been minimally edited.

---

What's been going on in your life since "Type of Way"?

Well, I had the "Walk Through" record which did pretty good, featuring Problem from LA. I think it reached No. 9 on the hip-hop charts. I dropped a mixtape with Thugger, Rich Gang. Which is doing pretty good. Went on my first tour with Wiz, Under the Influence of Music. Did music with Drake. Did music with Boosie. I've been working with some of everyone, man. Other than that, trying to make the movement bigger than life.

Are you working on a project right now?

As we speak right now, no. I'm working on my debut album, which is set to drop at the top of the year. I'm still working on Rich Gang's album as we speak also. To be honest, [the mixtape] is not even half of the work me and Thug have been doing. We just wanted to see how the people would accept it. Wanted to see if they're really accepting it. We have a whole lot more to come.

How did you guys link up? How did Rich Gang come together, and how did you guys realize you had so much chemistry?

It really came from the "Get the F Out My Face" song. After we did that song, I told Thug, I was like, really bro, I really feel as like we should [unclear] we could really learn from each other. Keep in mind me and Thug went to the same middle school. He was younger than me in middle school, so he was always like my dog. After we did the "Get the F Out My Face" song, we exchanged numbers and we was in the studio every day. When Bird came into town he wanted to meet me. Bird was like, man, I really want y'all to help me on my Rich Gang album. But me and Thugger had done so many songs, they was like, we gotta drop the mixtape to give the people something. They would love this collabo, this duo you all have. When I hear the music, it puts me in a whole different zone. I sometimes ask myself, man, how did I come up with that—how did we come up with that. I love working with Thug though, man, it brings a new inner me out of me.

What was your favorite songs you guys recording together on there?

Favorite song would have to be "Tell Em." "Flava." Trying to think of a song with both of us on there. "Beat It Up." Basically the whole tape just puts you in a different mind. There's a new sound with the production on there. Shout out to all the producers from London on the Track to Dun Deal to Goose on the Track. It was just pandemonium to me. And it's only the beginning. We'll put twenty songs on there. Me and Thug did over a hundred songs together.

Why do you think it is that you guys complement each other so well? You sound a little bit the same, but you definitely have a different approach.

I think the music sounds like that only because we're really with each other every day. I'm not going to let him take a good song without me saying "Oh I got to get on that" and vice versa. We're always in there helping each other, we're in the booth with each other. "Quan say it like this." "Naw Thug, say it like this." It's nothing like we're trying to compete. Of course we both want to be the best at what we do. But at the same time we still want to help each other at what we're doing. Two voices are always better than one. I think we've captivated more fans by doing a little duo. We will always do our solo thing, but us together I feel is very powerful.

Can you tell me about working on "Milk Marie"?

To be honest, that would have to be my favorite on the mixtape by myself. Only because [unclear]. We've already shot the video, the video should be dropping in two weeks. It's really like the first song—girls are gonna be [this part is completely unclear]. So I feel as if I'm pushing on a whole different genre. Shout out Weezy for making the beat. When I did the song, man, I was trying to see how can we compare women to a name that we love. So the whole song, that's all I'm really talking about is a woman. It's one of my favorite songs off the mixtape.

Who are your favorite producers to work with right now?

It would have to be Goose on the Track, London, Dun Deal. A lot of people who was on the mixtape. I feel as if that's really my sound right now. But I want to keep working with a lot of young artists. Everyone on the mixtape who produced the mixtape is from Atlanta. We want to keep that Atlanta sound going. Just want to stay in my lane, you know? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

You were in Jr. High with Young Thug. What was he like?

In school, Thug was quiet. We were so young at the time, I didn't even have a relationship with him. He knew more of my sister than he knew me. So once we linked back up, we was like, "Where I know you from?" We told each other, we were like "You know I went to Price [Middle School] too!" But I was two years older than him. Once we knew we went to the same middle school, that was almost like, man, we got to be brothers in the rap game. I don't have a lot of rapper friends. I try not to get a lot of rapper friends or whatnot. I try to stay to myself and get this money. But Thug is one of the people I really consider one of my friends. He's really my brother, man.

He's a flashy guy. Do you ever feel like you might be overshadowed.

Oh nah, man. Never that. At the end of the day I know what I'm gonna put in. Whatever I put in, I know that's what I know I'm gonna get. So I know if I put in 150%, and if I don't put 150% back, if I get a 100 I'm good. I don't feel as if Rich Homie Quan can be overlooked. Not as an artist. I'm always going to do something to make you remember me. Something to just stand out, to make me different from the other person.

Do you still hear the Future comparisons?

You still hear it but not as strongly as I did when I first came up. When I first came up, they were asking me about Future before they asked me my name! But now as I drop different mixtapes it's more like I've given them more of who Rich Homie Quan is and where he wants to go. I told you my story. And more so you can hear more of me. And like you said, I don't hear it as much. People still say it just to have something to say. But I don't think I sound like him.

That was your first tour with Wiz right? Where did you go?

We went some of everywhere man, New Mexico, Vegas, Colorado, Canada. I'm missing a lot of new spots I'd never gone to. But it was very fun, a different experience. And I learned something from everyone on tour. Not just Wiz, not just Jeezy. But I learned stuff from Drumma, Iamsu!, Ty Dolla $ign, Sage the Gemini, Mack Wilds. Everybody who was a part of it I learned something from. It was a great experience. It's something I fell in love with, man. I would love to tour again with Wiz.

Anything funny happen on the road you weren't expecting?

I fell in love with the girls on the road. I fell in love with the tour bus on the road. I fell in love with me and Ty Dolla $ign recording on the bus on the road. It was just like the whole tour lifestyle. It was just different, something I never experienced. It was like the first day of school every day.

[unclear—]Health Issues?

You know how TMZ, they always blow stuff out of proportion. No I never had a seizure. I was tired at the "Walk Through" video shoot. I ended up falling out and I hit my eye. I had to get stitches in my eye. At that time, I wasn't eating properly or getting the proper rest. Saying yes to every show. That was when I had to learn that health is more important than wealth. I mean wealth is more important—No, health is more important than wealth. Once I realized that and learned how to take every day one day at a time, it smoothed. It smoothed now, it's smooth.

What's the biggest challenge you're facing now in your career? What's the next hill you have to overcome?

The next hardest part is still adjusting. Everyday, still knowing that I can't go to the store by myself, I can't go to the mall to get a t-shirt without someone knowing who I am. It's just moreso about knowing how big you're getting everyday. Every day I feel as if I get bigger, not smaller. Morseo like—you have to have the right personell around you. Just looking at yourself as a mogul now. But never looking at yourself too high, or you get away from the people. I still want to talk about things that people can relate to. I don't want to get too far up high where people can't relate to what I talk to any more. I'm just trying to stay humble, man. That's the biggest part, just staying humble.

Artistically, where are you drawing inspiration now? What keeps your creativity going?

Reading. Reading has been my new hobby since I came home from jail. That's why a lot of my rhymes be descriptions, a lot of my verses are descriptions. I like to read. Favorite author, James Patterson. I read all his books. I just love to read. Reading's more powerful than a movie. I'd rather read a book before I watch a movie. That's what keeps me going, though, man, reading. It gives me new ways to approach with my delivery. Gives me new vocabulary words. 

What was the last book you read?

The Art of Seduction is what I'm reading right now, by Robert D. Green. But it's not a book you can just read. It's more like something you read a certain part every day. Like the 48 Laws of Power. Same person who wrote that book wrote the Art of Seduction. He has the Art of War also out. I'm going to read that after I read the Art of Seduction.

What did you learn working with Ty Dolla?

Man, I learned a lot from Ty Dolla $ign. I didn't even know he was making half his beats. I didn't know he wrote music. I didn't know how talented or creative he really was until we started recording on his studio bus. It just gave me a whole nother level of respect for him. He was telling me, Quan, you don't have to rap. The way you record songs is the way I record songs. He would just tell me, Quan, a lot of these songs, the ones that you think might not be it. You just send them out to different artists, they put their voice on it, you'll be amused how your song will sound to a whole nother beat in a different voice. Trash is always treasure. That's what I learned really with him. Throw nothing away. Use everything to your advantage.

Aren't you doing a tour with Rich Gang? 

Right now me and Thug will be starting a tour in November. In November to January if I"m not mistaken. I think it's going to captivate a whole new world, a whole new fanbase. The Wiz tour gave me a whole new fanbase I had never experienced. I had never seen that many people at one time. Every night, consecutively. Consistently. If you can get them people to come out every night, obviously you're doing something right. Obviously you have these people's attention. 

Rich Gang album?

I believe the Rich Gang album is dropping December. I don't think they have an official date on it. I think it's just dropping in December. It's coming out on Birdman's label.

What's your label situation?

I'm still independent, as we speak. I'm only signed to TIG records at the moment. I'm still open for grabs, and I'm still a free agent.

Someone had said you were signed to Def Jam through the TIG / Trinidad deal.

No see—it was only Trinidad was signed to Def Jam. It wasn't TIG. It was just Trinidad. I've never signed to Def Jam. I've been to their offices and whatnot, met everyone there. I've just never signed. Because I want my deal to be to be longevity. I don't want to be here this year and next year nowhere to be found.

Your album is coming out at the beginning of next year.

Top of the year I'll be dropping my debut album. Which is untitled. I'm about 70% done. I've only dropped nothing but mixtapes. So on my debut album, I will continue to tell my story. Of course Thug, Wayne, Drake. Boosie. Bobby V. And that's just some at the moment. I want you to hear more of me. At the end of the day it's my story and I'm the only one who can tell my story.

Tell me about working with Boosie.

Oh yeah man, that was great. I had really seen him at a show—we were doing a show together, and he was coming off stage as I was going on. He was like, "Quan, I really got this song man. Just for you." And Boosie just started singing the song in the club for me! I was like, man, you got to [unclear]. I did the song with him in the next two days and sent it right back. He called like, man this gon' be it right here Quan, this gonna be it. I was excited only because I looked up to Boosie. I gained a whole lot of respect for him. Been had respect for him, one of my biggest idols, influences. I was very excited about that.

Is there anything you think people should know about you?

2014, I just want to let the world know that I will be pushing for bigger and better. You can look forward to the clothing line dropping a new spring release at the top of the year. I'll be starting a girl's lingerie line soon. Me and Jeezy collaborated with 2 Chainz. And the whole time we're taking the pictures and all that I'm posted, I see a lot of girls saying I gotta come out with a girls line. "It will be very nice. I do have a big lady following. I thought it would be a different approach. You don't see a lot of guys coming out with lingerie lines for women. I thought it would be a marketable strategic move."

What are you listening to?

I'm listening to Trinidad, of course I'm listening to my brother Thugger. It's a lot of—what's the people that got "No Flex Zone," I like them. It's a couple new artists, though, man. And I'm always down to listen to new music anyway, just to see what's going on, so I won't get too far away from the people.