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S2 E7 | Kodak Black
00:41:42
This week’s episode of the “Big Facts” podcast with Big Bank, Baby Jade and DJ Scream featured one of their most popular guests yet. Regarded as one of the top artists to come out of Florida, rapper Kodak Black stopped by — virtually — for discussion surrounding his fourth studio album, being pardoned by Former President Donald Trump, going to prison and more.
Although the time following his early 2021 release from lockup was filled with negative headlines, the Pompano Beach-based rapper is delivering a strong message with his latest musical effort, declaring he is Back for Everything.
While discussing the inspiration and creative process behind the project, Kodak opened up about deciding on the album’s title and tracklist.
“I never come up with the album until I figure out what message I want to put out there. Last year, it was just about waiting for that right time and that right moment. I was like, ‘It’s gon’ hit me,’” the “Super Gremlin” rapper said, referring to his 2021 album Haitian Boy Kodak. He added, “One night I was in the studio and I was like, ‘Back for Everything.’ That shit just came to me and I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s the album title.’ I worked the tracklist around the album title and shit like that — like, this sounds like Back for Everything type shit.”
Kodak continued, “And then I made a song called ‘Back for Everything’ that same night — just about how everybody was counting me out all of a sudden. Last year I was like, ‘Damn, what the fuck?’ Every time I come home, I just get my throne back. What’s the difference this year from last year? You know what I’m saying. Trump freed a real gangsta. Everybody supposed to salute that — why niggas trying to act like something wrong with that?”
Kodak admitted to feeling underappreciated as an artist, noting he used his frustrations as motivation to pour into his album. “I know I was gonna catch fire,” the rapper boasted. “I just ain’t know what song it was gon’ be.”
The discussion later circled back to the 45th president. The “Tunnel Vision” artist shared his reaction after learning of a possible pardon from the controversial political figure. During his final days in office, then-President Trump offered pardons and clemency to many celebrities and political allies, including Lil Wayne. Both Weezy and Kodak received backlash from critics on social media.
“Trump just fuck with me, and I fuck with Trump,” Kodak stated. “I’m that boy, but he still gotta see if he like a nigga and read through my shit. I was in prison for some bullshit, and they sent a nigga to the worst penitentiary. If you’ve been to federal prison, you know Big Sandy the worst maximum prison.”
Kodak was upset, noting other rappers were sent to lower security level facilities while he received maximum punishment over what he described as a “petty ass pistol charge.” “It’s like they over-sentenced me homie — shit crazy. So, you had to free me. Trump had to come through and do that … I was saluting that boy before he freed me, so now it’s like a double salute.”
Throughout his career, Kodak has been applauded by some of the biggest names in the music business. When asked what he brings to the music game, Kodak humbly said, “I’m not going to say I’m the only one with some versatility, but I’m very versatile. That ability to really come back from everything, every time I fell … I got back up. I got right back to it, and a lot of dudes can’t do that. We seen that time and time again.” The emcee stated that having gotten his start in the rap industry at an early age, “Y’all ain’t got no choice … but to be a witness to it.”
The rapper also addressed the praise he and Rod Wave received from Bobby Fishscale in an earlier “Big Facts” episode. Kodak declared, “Rod Wave is straight, but I’m that boy. Rod Wave cool though, but it’s like — hands down — I’m doing this shit. I’m running this … I’m really out here wide open, all day.”
He continued, “Everything about me screams Florida … everything about me. I hold this shit down, and I’m still here in Broward — ain’t ever went nowhere. So, it’s like, you gotta give me that. Ain’t no comparison to nobody.”
Kodak also shared his reaction to the success of his Sniper Gang collaboration “Super Gremlin.” “I just ain’t know which one of them it was gon’ be. If it was gon’ be ‘Killing The Rats’ … or ‘Z Look Jamaican.’ I was due for it anyhow. I’m like, ‘Yeah, let me get my shit back. It’s just going to be all gas.’” As for his current trajectory, Kodak said, “I like where I’m at right now. ”
The Florida native also discussed the religious transformation he says he went through in prison. In 2017, Kodak announced that he identified as a Hebrew Israelite after studying biblical texts during a three-month jail sentence. At the time, he released an album titled Bill Israel while incarcerated on gun charges.
Kodak also seemingly downplayed the February shooting that left him and several others injured after a fight broke out during Super Bowl Weekend.
Like always, if you liked what you heard, be sure to stay tuned every week for new episodes of “Big Facts.” Also, don’t forget to watch the latest show above.