The majority of the artists that have made a career for themselves in the past decade owe the Internet some credit. Hip-hop music came from humble beginnings, where rappers had to prove themselves in cyphers, and DJs had to win over crowds, but in the past few years, the approval of the Internet has become a vital part of any artist’s success in the music industry. Soundcloud is a big part of this too, having not only birthed careers but whole subgenres within hip-hop. UnoTheActivist came up off of the streaming platform before the "Soundcloud rap" movement really made headlines. He flooded the platform with music which eventually led to major blogs and publications picking up on him. On the latest episode of "On The Come Up," Uno The Activist talks Soundcloud, his recording process, influences and more.
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Atlanta's Uno The Activist, 22-years-old, has used Soundcloud to his advantage since he was in 10th grade -- years before "Soundcloud rap" became a thing.
"Tenth grade, [I] was dropping shit on Soundcloud. N***as ain't know what the fuck -- how I was doing that shit, you know what I'm sayin'? I don't even remember how I was doing that shit or why I turned to Soundcloud," Uno The Activist told HNHH about using Soundcloud before it gained popularity. "Now, n***as tryna claim the wave, like, 'I started this, I started that. I started this, I started the Soundcloud wave.' When really, Soundcloud's always been a thing."
Along with Thouxanbanfauni and Playboi Carti, Uno The Activist quietly built the template to thrive off of the streaming platform. However, Uno doesn't feel they get their rightful credit.
"I'm not even trying to be on some bragging shit, but like, ever since we hopped on that bitch, it started getting lit," he said. "Ever since me, Carti and Fauni hopped on that shit, it started getting lit... It started getting lit for everybody."
The same year that Uno The Activist got onto Soundcloud, he was introduced to Migos -- his biggest influence (clearly showing his age). His fellow Atlanta natives introduced a whole new flow to the game when they emerged in the early 2010's. Despite their influence, Uno said that the ATL trio should receive more praise for their contributions to hip-hop.
"I'mma be honest, the Migos don't get enough credit. The Migos influenced me, heavily," he said. "When they first came out, I think I was in the 10th grade. The way they was rapping was different and shit, and unique and I fell in love with it early. And I just been kind of rapping like that ever since."
The Migos flow is something that's dominated the rap game over the past five years at least. Uno admits that the Migos flow was the base that he used to build his own.
"I put more soul into my shit," he said. "I mix all the styles up and made Uno The Activist."
Peep the latest episode of "On The Come Up" with Uno The Activist and subscribe to HNHH TV for a new episode, every Wednesday.
