Soon enough, you’ll come to know the name Young Nudy. You may already recall the ominous landscapes of his hellish theme park Nudy Land; boasting appearances from Pi’erre Bourne, Offset, Lil Yachty and more, the 2017 project played a pivotal role in carving Nudy’s name in the pantheon of emerging ATLiens. Standing against a sinister, horror-film canvas with Chucky Doll in tow, it’s easy to associate Nudy with the dark aesthetic his art portrays.
Yet that would be doing a disservice to the mind behind it all. He previously spoke about his music being falsely interpreted as “evil,” presenting an interesting interpretation on his instrumentals. “I call 'em “life beats.” Energy beats. Beats that give you life and energy,” Nudy once explained to us. “I’m havin’ fun in my world, but my world is dangerous, you see what I’m sayin'?” As a young rapper coming up out of East Atlanta, Nudy is no stranger to the perils of a trapper’s lifestyle.
When describing his hometown, specifically Zone 6 (known to hip-hop scholars as the hometown of Gucci Mane and Future), Nudy wastes little time in painting a brutal picture. “The area I’m from, where I be at, the Paradise East Apartments, sheeeit, ain’t nothin' but a whole buncha gang shit goin on 'round that motherfucker,” Nudy says. “I ain’t gon’ say too much, you feel me. N*ggas just be on the real bullshit.” If it weren’t for music, he knows exactly where he would be too. Especially given the frequent police presence in and around Zone 6.
Luckily, a rising profile comes with a few added benefits. "Police don't be fucking with me all the time no more," explains Nudy. When asked whether or not his day to day lifestyle has changed, he reflects. "I don't know, I still go to the neighborhood, still kick it, chill, smoke my weed. Do whatever, whatever I need to do, but I don't know still same old shit I just don't be involved in illegal activities no more."
Luckily, he realized there was future in rap, largely due to the rise of his cousin, 21 Savage. Together, the blood relatives teamed up for “Air It Out,” which currently boasts over forty one million views on YouTube. It’s no wonder that the song’s success prompted Nudy to dive deeper into the rap game, realizing it might be time to get serious. While he’d never truly leave the streets behind, around December of last year, Nudy decided to commit himself to hip-hop. Still, his deadpan flow over the haunting production from KidHazel on the latest cousin-cousin release, "Since When" offers an honest, if not harrowing, look at Nudy's previous lifestyle:
"Toe tag, catch a body at a young age / AKs, SKs, .38 throwaway / Glock-9 longway / Young n*gga down wit' plays / Shit was crazy back in the day / Y'all cannot last a day / Shit was crazy in my 'partment / You can ask my n*gga Tre / Young n*gga spraying them thang' / Young n*gga havin' them K / Robbin' shit everyday."
Since Nudy Land, the rapper has remained relatively quiet, although the silence has been justifiable. "I'm a secretive person," he admits. "I don't like everybody in my business, I don't try to be out in the open." He does, however, have some love for another young up-and-comer. "Not many artists in Atlanta I fuck wit," he reveals. "I fucks with Carti. We been kickin shit, that my boy."
He’s currently preparing his upcoming Slime Ball 3 mixtape, his first since truly buckling down on his hip-hop aspirations. For those uninitiated in the vernacular, Nudy has provided a breakdown for your assistance: "some shit I be doing, or what I used to be doing." Yet he hasn't forgotten where he came from, and keeps the same values he always has. "Just getting my money," says Nudy. "Look out for who I need to look out for. Pay my tithes to big God. Thank him everyday. Physically changed my life."
In truth, the bar is high for Nudy; the man has, after all, established himself as a dominant voice in East Atlanta. With an impressive repertoire already on deck and an ambitious, workaholic’s mindset, except nothing less than unrelenting realness from Young Nudy.