Baby Money bubbled through Detroit's underground before joining the Quality Control roster alongside Lil Baby, City Girls, and more. The hustler energy that seeps through his music is why QC’s VP of A&R Wayno Clarke described Baby Money as a resemblance “of Jeezy in a space of motivation.”
The Detroit atmosphere that bred hustlers and rappers alike shaped Baby Money in his formidable years. He witnessed his older brother’s efforts as a member of the local group which taught him the fundamentals of verse structure.
Then, he began rapping at 12 years old before gaining a strong grip on the city in his teenage years. Slowly, he became a defining face of the current generation of Detroit’s street rap. He’s an embodiment of the D-Boy (Detroit Boy), integrating influences from the past and present. He cites Biggie and Jay-Z as his musical inspirations along with homebred talent like Babyface Ray, Blade Icewood, and Doughboyz Cashout, who were pivotal in his leap into music as a child.
“My hometown influences my music,” he tells HNHH of Detroit’s impact on his creative approach on the latest episode of On The Come Up. “Everybody knows when you come to Detroit, it’s about money. Back in the day, it was minks, ya feel what I’m saying? Nowadays the young n****s in the 550s, too. So ain't nothing changed so it motivated me a lot.”
Like any hustler, he understood that results take time. His early videos would score 10,000 views through an organic buzz. Those numbers would increase with each subsequent video until finally he finally hit 1,000,000. “I feel like I was doing something right, you feel what I’m saying?” he says.
From songs like “Moncler Bubble,” which currently sits at 2.5 million views on YouTube, and a string of potent mixtapes, like Young N***a Old Soul and September’s New Money, Baby Money is bringing his own take on Detroit’s swagger to the rap game with each release. He sat down with HNHH on the latest episode of On The Come Up to discuss his beginnings, his dream collaboration, and the Detroit hustle.
HNHH: So tell me, how did you get into music? It don’t have to be the music industry. What got you making music in the first place?
Baby Money: I got into music, playing around, for real, but my brothers and them used to do music, too. They used to call themselves Dizzy. Like that’s some kid back in the day shit, you feel what I’m saying? So I got into it just going in there playing and I found out how you put the bar together -- do 4 bars and try to switch it up again. I end up liking. I just kept going.
Who were some of your musical inspirations?
Some of my musical inspirations right now? Or period.
Period.
Period? Oh, I listen to Biggie. I'm like an old soul brother so I listen to older people. Biggie, Jay-Z still. Really from my city, it’s Blade Icewood, Street Lord Juan, Babyface Ray, Doughboyz Cashout team. I was a kid when they started so I was listening in to them and that was kinda something that made me do it.
“Moncler Bubble” is for the times we ain’t had shit.
What was the turning point that helped you realize you were on your way to becoming successful? What was that moment of D*mn, I might do doing something right?
When I finally -- see back in the day is when we used to get 10,000 views, [you] used to be the man. When I finally touched my first million, I felt like I was doing something right, you feel what I’m saying? So I’d probably say my first million. To get a million times for somebody to listen to something that you did is like a goal anyway.
If a music fan were to discover you today, first time. What song should they listen to first?
I’d tell them to go listen to my “Moncler Bubble”.
Why that one?
‘Cause that's the song that gets you hyped up. It’s for the girls. It’s for the n****s, too. The n****s who get money, for the bad b****s. It's for everybody, you feel me? And it’s for the people who ain’t had nothing that finally got to where they want to be, you feel what I’m saying? That’s why I say “Moncler Bubble” is for the times we ain’t had shit.
Tell me about a valuable lesson you’ve learned during your come-up.
A valuable lesson that I’ve learned on my come-up is don't let nobody tell you you can't do something. Do whatever the f**k you please.
Summarize a debut single, song, mixtape, and what inspired you to make it.
What’d you say?
Summarize-- it could be a single of yours, it could be a mixtape, but summarize that project… that process and what inspired you to make it.
What led me to go into the booth on my first song?
What inspired you to go record that sh*t…
Oh, I ain’t gonna lie, to record my first song ever, because I kept doing features. Like, I get on a lot of people songs, killed they song, you feel what I’m saying. Then it got to a point where everybody was like, “Alright, we know you gonna do good on they songs. Where your own song at so we can catch your vibe to see what you really on.” So probably my first song was -- I called it “The Intro.” I ain't even had no tape at the time. I called it “The Intro.” I don’t even know what the intro was, ya hear? So it was basically my introduction of me, I say that, ya feel what I’m saying? So I say ”Intro” and, just like-- once everybody kept telling me I was sweet, it was just like “Man I’m ‘bout to keep going”. It was impressing people – I was impressed with myself at the same time so it's like I made it a goal to keep going.
Back in the day it was minks, ya feel what I’m saying? Nowadays the young n****s in the 550s, too, so ain't nothing changed so it motivated me a lot.
Dedication and a little patience.
Yeah, a little patience led to acceleration.
Tell me about your hometown and how it influences your music.
My hometown influence my music. My hometown is Detroit. Yeah, get wicked. The strong survive. It influenced heavy because this what it’s about. Everybody wants to be a D-Boy -- a Detroit boy, thats how I take it. I don’t take it as no dope boy, feel what I’m saying? And it's like some big money sh*t. Everybody know when you come to Detroit, it’s about money. Back in the day it was minks, ya feel what I’m saying? Nowadays the young n****s in the 550s, too, so ain't nothing changed so it motivated me a lot.
Where do you hope your music career takes you?
To the top. I hope my [laughs] To the top. To the bank. To the billions.
If you could create your dream song what would it sound like and who would you feature on it? Dream song, unlimited budget, this is, like, past tense artist, current day artist. You got your pick of the litter. Who you featuring on the song and what does it sound like?
D*mn, my dream song? My dream song would probably sound like ghetto, for one. Just to get my point across, let alone that's where we come from. Now, who I have on it is the biggest question to me, though. That's crazy. I don't know. That's crazy.
Open up the trunk, say yo, whoever you want. Biggie, Wayne…
I probably go Biggie if I can just go and do that. I'll probably go Biggie, Jay-Z, or one of them. ‘Cause just for me being a young n***a they wouldn’t even expect me on a song with one of them. So probably Biggie or Jay-Z.
Just personally I wanna know who you’re picking. Jay-Z or Biggie?
[Laughs] Probably Biggie. More likely Biggie.
If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring musician on the come-up, what would it be?
Probably keep going. Keep going ‘cause – don't stop because you don't know if tomorrow that day that you about to get signed, you feel what I'm saying? That's like driving a hundred miles somewhere, you get 99 and turn around. So, don't stop keep going.