After signing to Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack imprint and dropping a well received first mixtape titled DEADSTAR (with features from the likes of Chief Keef and Yo Gotti, and production from Zaytoven, Harry Fraud and more), 20-year-old rapper Smokepurpp is having a pretty successful year. The South Florida rapper quickly started making a name for himself on the Miami rap scene after he dropped two videos, “Ski Mask” and “WOKHARDT” back to back, setting himself apart from his other up-and-coming rap peers, and he recently stopped by REVOLT TV to talk about his rise to success, love for the drill music scene, and the inspiration behind his creative tattoos.
Born in Chicago, but relocating to Miami with his family when he was four, he has always felt close to the city’s popular sound, saying, “Drill music is definitely an inspiration in my music. I fuck with Chief Keef. I fuck with the whole movement, all that. I fuck with everybody from Chicago, really. I fuck with drill music, period.”
Real Talk | Smokepurpp talks love for Chicago’s drill music and his transition from producer
Coming up on the Miami music scene, Purpp also witnessed others’ careers rise with his own. He would often have shows with other rappers on the bill including XXXtentation, Lil Pump, and Wifisfuneral.
“It’s cool cause it’s like you know everyone is from the same place doing what they want to do and everyone is noticing it,” said Purpp. “It just feels cool to know that everyone is doing it. Me, Pump, XXX, Ski, WiFi, everybody. It was just, like, one big ass movement type shit.”
From a baby bottle of lean tatted on his stomach to a tiny star on his face, Smokepurpp has a variety of interesting tattoos, all of which he revealed he gets “spontaneously.”
Real Talk | Smokepurpp details his “spontaneous” tattoos and expensive style
Smokepurpp’s new mixtape DEADSTAR is out everywhere now.