Rowdy Rebel's Christmas came early, as the rapper was released from prison on December 15th, last week. He quickly hit the ground running, dropping off a freestyle with Funk Flex in tried and true "First Day Out" fashion, and copping a brand new iced-out chain.
The rapper has just conducted his first interview with XXL post-prison release, where he talks about what it was like in Riker's Island, as well as the drill movement that popped up in his and Bobby Shmurda's absence. While the GS9 laid low, Pop Smoke, Fivio Foreign, and many other took up the mantle for NYC rap and created one of the biggest movements out of the city yet (apart from hip-hop's actual inception, of course).
As far as the drill movement goes though, while Rowdy acknowledges it, he also states that he'll be doing his own thing, sound-wise.
"Fivio [Foreign] can still get on drill beats and have his own style, his own wave, his own flow, his own sauce. I like Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow. The beats they be selecting, they got they own style, they own wave," Rowdy says of his latest colleagues in the rap game. "I come home, I got my own style, my own wave. You won't hear me on some of these drill beats. You won't hear me on a lot of those because I feel like that's not my style. I feel like that was Pop wave. I feel like that's Fivio's wave. I feel like that's the bro's wave, and they mastered it."
Of course, you can't talk about this movement without mentioning Pop Smoke. Rowdy admits he did not know Pop Smoke, but praises his passion.
"I didn’t even know bro, good," Rowdy said of Pop's death. "Shit was hurtful. Again, another fall to the city. Again, another young bro, just...for what? It was a sad moment. It still be sad moments to the point where we be sitting in the stu’ right now and the beat come on and the bros like, "Damn, if Pop was here with you and Rowdy, bro." Or, "If you, Rowdy, Pop, Bobby.” It feel weird. I wanted to meet young bro. He was putting on in a major way, definitely. And he ain’t forget who he was. While he was putting on, he was still showing love, answering every call."
Rowdy Rebel also reveals who among his rapper friends was supporting him and contacting him while he was in prison, as well as post-release-- among those putting money on his commissary, Rowdy mentioned both Quavo and Yo Gotti.
Rowdy is surely gearing up for a new project now that he's a free man, so stay tuned for updates on his career.