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S1 E18 | Bankroll Freddie
01:06:17
DJ Scream and Big Bank share nothing but “Big Facts” in their podcast, as they chop it up with today’s popular figures in the entertainment industry.
Big Bank and DJ Scream are back with another hot episode of the “Big Facts” podcast with rising star rapper Bankroll Freddie. The Arkansas native stopped by to chop it up about his childhood, rapper feuds, and some of his first purchases as an artist.
The burgeoning star kicked off the discussion by detailing his upbringing in the small town of Helena, Arkansas; and how he got interested in the art of rapping, telling the co-hosts that he’s always been a lover of music.
“My mom wakes up in the morning playing music… blues music, R&B, all that soul music, all that,” he said. “But I really started doing music in 2017. I was just playing around with it, got in a little trouble, caught charge trying to do something and make it look good.”
Freddie admitted that he didn’t initially take his craft seriously, but alluded to getting into some trouble that left him with no choice but to make rapping his main priority. “When you get them white folks in your business, you gotta straighten it all the way up,” the 26-year-old explained. “I had really started selling cars and shit. My manager had a car lot. I got on with him with the car auction business. I started cars and shit. Then, I started rapping. I was playing with it… I dropped like two songs. I ain’t really have too much. The city was going crazy with it cause, you know, I’m the man in the city. It got started popping for me.”
After releasing a freestyle for City Girls’ “Act Up,” Freddie quickly caught the attention of Quality Control Music’s Pierre “Pee” Thomas. “One day, me and my partna, we riding. I pull up to a little chick, they bumping… pull up to a store… it’s just bumping. I’m like, damn, this shit going crazy ‘Act Up’ going crazy. I’m like, man Ima do a freestyle to this,” he continued.
“I post it on my page, and that nigga Pee hit that bitch instantly. He shared it, like, ‘This nigga hard…’ Then everybody went to calling my phone like ‘Pee post yo shit.’ So, then he hit me up the next day, like, ‘Call me, send me your info.’ Boom! I get on the phone with him, and he’s like nigga I’m finna fly you to L.A.” I’m like, shit! Bet! Nigga flew me to L.A., and really the rest been history.”
Before signing to a major label, the “Drip Like This” rapper had seemingly already earned a significant stream of income along with a pesky gambling habit. The rapper revealed that, in the past, he’s undoubtedly lost up to $40,000 in a week alone. But, a brief stop at one of his lowest financial points in life made the young star quit.
“When I got down to my last $10,000; I was like, ‘What the fuck?! How I got from $150,000 to $10,000?’ I was sick,” he expressed. “I stopped cold turkey. I stopped gambling. I stopped shopping. I stopped everything. Ninety days no nothing.”
Scream then questioned Freddie on his thoughts about what may be the reason behind the feud between older emcees and young rappers on the come-up. The “Rich Off Grass” rapper believes younger artists will have a more challenging time paying the respect some think they should. “A lot of young niggas, they really just ain’t gone respect the OGs because they feel like they ain’t did nothing for them or nothing like that,” he said.
Meanwhile, he offered an interesting theory behind older rappers’ inability to embarrass the newer crop of creatives. “Some OG niggas, they don’t want to see a young nigga come up over them. They don’t want to see them rise above them. So, they ain’t never gonna give them [younger rappers] the game or teach them the game to where they can elevate.” Freddie added, “You suppose to try and show these young niggas the way, and a lot of niggas don’t do that.”
Further elaborating on disputes among peers, the artist said he believed that the root of most quarrels amongst men is a woman. The young star later recounted a story about his cousin. “Niggas was fucking another nigga’s female. He stole on him, and it started a whole war,” he revealed. Freddie says at the end of the day, he places the blame on the men involved.
Elsewhere, the “Back End” rapper talked a bit about his love for cars and some of his most notable purchases. “Where I’m from, Arkansas, a Vette is a nigga Lambo in the hood. If you got a vet or an escalade — where I’m from — you balling. That’s the first car I went and bought. I had to get that,” he explained. “Then I sold that Vette, and went and got the 2020 Vette. Now I see that big 21 escalades. I gotta go get that.”
As always, if you liked what you heard, stay tuned every week for another episode of “Big Facts.” Also, don’t forget to watch the latest show above!