Beats, rhymes and life are three of the corners where hip hop intersects. Few other TV shows have been able to cover all of these angles in-depth and authentically quite like REVOLT TV’s “Drink Champs,” which thrives on its candid conversations with the biggest and most influential figures in the game. In honor of such a one-of-a-kind show, REVOLT will be recapping each weekly “Drink Champs” episode, so you can always catch the gems that are dropped in each lit interview.
Last night, the latest episode of “Drink Champs” aired on REVOLT TV with rising star O.T. Genasis stopping by the set to chop it up with Noreaga and DJ EFN over some champagne — and with an additional shot of Tiger Bone thrown in the mix for tradition’s sake. Rap fans may be familiar with O.T. Genasis’ voice due to hit records like “CoCo,” “Cut It,” “Push It,” and “Everybody Mad.” However, there remains a large segment of the community that have yet to put a face or personality to the voice, making this particular interview one of the more entertaining ones in recent memory. During his visit on “Drink Champs,” O.T. Genasis gives insight into his background, as well as his beginnings as an aspiring rapper. Other topics include his brief tenure on G-Unit Records, linking up with Busta Rhymes to sign to his Conglomerate Records label, and his journey from the gang-infested streets of Long Beach, California to the top of the charts. From receiving cosigns from Beyoncé, to touring with the likes of Chris Brown and Wiz Khalifa, its clear that O.T. Genasis has quieted any whispers about him being a one-hit-wonder and arrived as one of the consistent hitmakers in rap today.
To help give fans a recap of the conversation, REVOLT compiled a list of nine things we learned from the O.T. Genasis episode of “Drink Champs.” Take a look at them below.
1. He’s of Belizean Descent
One tidbit about O.T. Genasis that was revealed during his visit on “Drink Champs” was the rapper’s ethnic background. “My mother and father, they’re both Belizean. So, they came here to make shit better for me,” the Long Beach, California native explains, also adding that one of his goals is to perform in his parents’ native country. “I’m supposed to do a show in Belize soon,” he says. “I know Shyne hit me up or whatever. But, I know on my own, I’m just trying to plan something real real real dope. Some major major major shit. Like, I ain’t even trying to do, like, no regular shit.”
2. He Got His Start In Music Rapping At Talent Shows
O.T. Genasis may have appeared to be an overnight sensation when he emerged on the scene with his 2014 smash hit “CoCo.” But, the rising star has been on the musical grind dating back to his days in grade school. “I started off this shit in high school and shit like that. Trying to be, like, a fly nigga. So, a nigga started off doing little talent shows and little shit like that or whatever. But, I always was the nigga who liked the attention. Like, you know that thirsty ass nigga? You see a bitch riding by and you gotta turn the music up, you gotta figure what song you finna play before you pull up on her. I’m like one of them niggas. I always liked attention and shit like that. So, I’d do shows and shit and be performing and I’d be out-performing everybody and they’d be like, ‘Who the fuck is this nigga?’ You know what I’m saying? But, it was just me. So, I started off with that and like, selling little tickets for like $10 and niggas wasn’t coming to my shows. So, I had to come grab my little bread or whatever, put my own bread up, shit like that. Then, I was like, ‘Fuck it, I think I got it. I’ma pop off, but I just don’t know when.’”
3. His First Major Record Deal Was With G-Unit Records
Prior to linking up with Busta Rhymes and the rap legend’s imprint, Conglomerate Records, O.T. Genasis’ music wound up in the hands of 50 Cent, a moment the rapper remembers vividly. “I did a deal with Fif and he signed me to a single deal. So, I shot a little viral video on YouTube or whatever and I guess somebody brought it to his attention. But, it was a song that I had that was popping in L.A. It was called “Jackie Chan” at the time. And it was a nigga from New York, I can’t even remember the nigga name. But, I guess he let Fif know at the time. So, when he let — who was my manager at the time, Dino — he let him know and then Fif let him hear it. And then Fif was like, ‘Okay, let me see.’ So, he pulled it up on YouTube and just seen a bunch of niggas in the background, obviously he like that grimy shit. So, then my phone died this day. And as my phone died this day, I’m helping my homeboy move and shit. So, I was helping him move and shit like that and they blew up his phone. So, I answered his phone and it was some fast talking nigga, ‘Yo, somebody wanna talk to you, man, blahzay blahzay, about your record man and that person is 50 Cent. Hold on one second. I’m like, ‘What?’ And then, some lady got on the phone, ’50 will be on the line right now,’ it sound like some Men in Black shit was going on. So, I was like, ‘What the fuck is this?’ So then, he get on the phone, like, ‘What up, nigga.’ I’m like, ‘I’m on my homie phone,’ you know what I’m saying? He like, ‘I know you think it ain’t me, dadadada.’ So, we just chopping it up and he was telling me how he fuck with it. He was like, ‘You ’bout to go around your hood telling everybody you gotta a deal and you rich, huh?’ And we was laughing about it and shit like that. So, then I met up with him, we ran around did this Mountain Dew Tour, just fucked around and it was dope. But, I didn’t realize at the time that it was a single deal.”
4. He Almost Got Dropped From Atlantic Records
For many artists, inking a recording contract with a major label is viewed as reaching the mountaintop. But, it’s only half the battle, which O.T. Genasis discovered when he was nearly dropped from his deal with Atlantic Records. “So, we do the deal at Atlantic. I maybe signed to Atlantic for almost a year. I never put out not one song. So, my A&R call me like late-September, he was just talking some weird shit, I’m like, ‘What you saying?’ So, then my manager was like, ‘He basically saying the label, they gonna drop you in more than likely December. Whatever, January, they gonna drop you. I’m like, ‘Damn’ and they like, ‘Yeah, you haven’t put out no music, you haven’t did dadadadada.’ I’m saying in my head, ‘What the fuck?’ So, I’m over here sitting, blaming everybody. Bus, I’m blaming everybody. What the fuck? I need some music out. Like, fuck it, let’s just put some music out. So, I shoot a video. I shoot a video to a song that’s not ‘CoCo.’ I shoot the video, I’m like, ‘Damn, this shit hard.’ It had a ice cream truck. I’m like, ‘This my first big video, this shit lit.’ I shoot the video. The video didn’t come out the way I wanted it to come out. I’m like, ‘What the fuck? But, the editing wasn’t there. The editor was trash and that’s when I really started noticing [that] an editor really makes a video a video. So now, I see the video I’m like, the video didn’t come out how I wanted it to come out. I did ‘CoCo’ like two weeks before, before the video I didn’t want to come out. So, the video came out wack, I was mad. Busta was like, ‘You sure you don’t wanna put the video out, I’m like, ‘Nah, I don’t wanna put that video out, I wanna shoot this. I wanna shoot this shit right here.’ No budget left, no nothing, like ‘fuck it, let’s shoot it.’ Aight, come one. Shoot that. Boom. My life changed, nigga. Haven’t been the same nigga ever since.”
5. O.T. Genasis Once Performed For The Mexican Mafia
O.T. Genasis’ breakout single “CoCo” was one of the massive rap hits of its time, peaking at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and earning the rapper his first platinum plaque. According to O.T., the cocaine-inspired anthem gained him fans among actual participants in the drug trade, including the Mexican Mafia, which the rapper claims to have performed for at their request. “Do you know how much plugs I met the whole way?” O.T. brags to Noreaga and DJ EFN. “I was doing — I’m not gonna say what city ’cause I’m not supposed to say. But, I was doing private shit for Mexican Mafias on some different shit, different times. Doing shit for them and they people, you get what I’m saying? I would tell you right now, [there was] probably like 20 cities I hit where different niggas [was] like, ‘Here’s our number, this what I got. Come look at my shit.’”
6. DJ Drama is responsible for “Cut It” and “Push It” Being Made
Avoiding the tag of being a one-hit wonder is no easy task for any artist. But, it was the situation O.T. Genasis found himself in while attempting to build on the success he found with his first hit single, “CoCo.” However, it would take a conversation with DJ Drama to help reinvigorate the rapper’s creativity, resulting in the creation of two additional hits, “Cut It” and “Push It,” from O.T.’s 2015 project, Rhythm & Bricks. “This is what happened. I had a mixtape coming out and I had DJ Drama host my mixtape,” O.T. explains. “So, I was recording the shit. It was a whole lot of melodic shit and then, it was a whole lot of street shit, just showing what I can do. So, I named the tape Rhythm & Bricks, you get what I’m saying? R&B, but Rhythm and Bricks. So, I sent it to Drama and Drama, he like, ‘O.T., this hard. But, it’s too much rhythm, not enough bricks, you know what I mean? Like, I know you.’ And he was like, ‘Man, put at least, like, two more songs in there’ and that’s when I got into not giving a fuck. And most of the songs, I was overthinking anyway. I recorded “Cut It” and “Push It” right then and there. Back to back.”
7. Why O.T. Genasis Collaborated With Young Dolph On “Cut It”
O.T. Genasis has proven his ability to create hit records without relying on costars. His 2015 single “Cut It” saw the rapper teaming up with Young Dolph, whom O.T. says he was a fan of way before the collaboration. “I was listening to Dolph for a minute,” he reveals during his sit-down with Noreaga and DJ EFN. “Then, Dolph put out a record at the time (“Bosses & Shooters”). I was doing ‘CoCo’ at the time. But, the song hit my soul. After ‘CoCo’ was dying down, he did that. I’m like, ‘This shit hard.’ So, while I’m running around on ‘CoCo,’ I’m like cool, I got Dolph number. I think I’ll hit him on Twitter. I’m like, ‘Nigga, you got the hardest song right now.’ And I’m playing it. But, I was listening to Dolph because niggas had put me on to Dolph way before. So, I already was listening to Dolph, I knew he was a street nigga. I knew he was putting out music and whatever, blazay blazay, that’s cool. So, I’m doing “Cut It.” I got so tired of it being repetitive. So, I said, you know what I’ma do? I gotta put someone one there. Who the fuck I’ma put on there? Nah, I ain’t no hype-beast. So, I ain’t just gonna put any nigga or just put the hottest nigga on the song. I ain’t gonna do that. What I’ma do? Put another street nigga on it. Who number I got out this [bitch]? Dolph. ‘Hey, Dolph, get on this. He like, ‘Oh nigga, come on. Send it to me, I’ma do it.’ I’m like, ‘Cool.’ So, I send it to Dolph. And then, I woke up in the morning. I went to 24 Hour Fitness ’cause I be going to the gym ’cause I be drinking so much. So, I went to the gym in the morning. I go work out, I get in the steam-room, I get out. I’m like, ‘Damn, nigga ain’t send me the verse?’ Dolph don’t know this — for five minutes — I started feeling some kind of way. I’m like, ‘Nigga ain’t send me my verse?’ Ah, this what type of nigga this is?’ So, I’m like, let me see what it is. So, I called him. I’m like, “What’s up, cuz, you ain’t send me my verse?’ And he like, ‘Ah, nigga, I forgot. I’m bout to send it to you right now.’ Nigga sent it in like 30 seconds. I’m like, ‘Ah, this a real one, cuz.’”
8. O.T. Genasis Is A Movie Buff
One surprising fact about O.T. Genasis that was uncovered during his interview on “Drink Champs” was his affinity for film. The movie buff raved about a few must-see movies he’d recommend to Noreaga, DJ EFN, and company. Calling up his girlfriend mid-interview to get the name of a movie he had recently watched (Indecent Proposal), O.T. admits that his taste in cinema is limited (“I like watching Boyz N Da Hood, Friday, Friday After Next. All the hood shit.”). But, he added that he’s a big fan of horror movies, even going as far as explaining the differences between a horror flick that’s rated PG-13 and one that’s Rated R. “I’ma tell you something, the dopest movies are the horror movies that’s Rated R,” O.T. reveals. “Read the horror movies, it’s crazy horror movies that’s PG-13, meaning that there’s certain shit they can’t show. They can’t show you getting cut, they can’t show you bleeding, they can’t show certain shit like that when it’s PG-13. Now, when it’s a horror movie and it’s rated R, they showing all that. Your fucking guts come out, a nigga cutting you. If it’s PG-13, you’ll scream, ‘Ahh!’ and the screen turns black and it’ll go on to some other shit. But, you just happen to be dead.”
9. Beyoncé Helped Turn “Everybody Mad” Into A Hit Record
Having the honor of receiving a cosign from Beyoncé is about as big as it gets, which O.T. Genasis experienced in 2016 when the Queen danced to “Cut It” during her ‘Formation World Tour.’ However, he also credits the icon’s usage of his single “Everybody Mad” during her 2018 performance at Coachella with helping the record grow legs and become accepted by his record label and the DJs. “Beyonce used my song twice and that’s why I even feel crazier,” O.T. responds when asked about his reaction to hearing the news. “Because when she used ‘Cut It,’ I had to do the show in Dallas. I really wanted to do the show in Houston because she’s from Houston, but [she] used ‘Cut It’ all tour, I think last year. So, when she used ‘Everybody Mad’ and I put out ‘Everybody Mad,’ I was like, this is a dope record. This need to be out, this shit dope as fuck. You know what every DJ said? Let me tell you what every DJ said. They said, ‘Damn, this is dope O.T. But, this ain’t the O.T. that we know. This ain’t the this, the ‘Cut It.’” I said, ‘Bro, y’all break records right? This is y’all job, to break records right? If I’m telling you it’s a dope record and you believe it’s a dope record, which you probably don’t believe because y’all didn’t do it. Aight, cool, whatever. It takes somebody like Beyoncé to go to Coachella first day, bong, and perform my shit and I’m sitting here like, ‘My nigga, I was trying to tell y’all this the whole time.’ I’m saying it to Atlantic, I’m saying it to DJs, I’m saying this is me, personally. I think it’s a dope record. I don’t know what it is. But, I think it’s a dope record. So, get behind the song. Everybody just lollygagging the whole time. I shot a dope video, video lit. Now Beyoncé do it, now every DJ got it in their set.”
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