Key Glock Reflects On Signing With Young Dolph

BYGabriel Bras Nevares3.2K Views
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The Memphis MC thanked his late friend and close collaborator for not making him jump through any hoops to get his career off the ground.

Key Glock recently reflected on signing with Young Dolph and how his fallen friend set him up for success. Moreover, he spoke on Dolph's generosity and emphasis on independence in a recent interview with Esquire. While the Memphis rapper bears the torch of Paper Route EMPIRE and arguably leads its charge, he still remembers how the label boss set the foundation. Furthermore, it was family and belief that brought their two paths together. Overall, Glock spoke earnestly about how small considerations made way to a successful rap career.

“It really just happened out of the blue,” the 25-year-old elaborated. “It wasn’t even a plan. I got into some trouble. I got incarcerated. And then close to the time for me to come home, my auntie was married to Young Dolph’s uncle. She told him, ‘You know, Key doing his thing… He just reached out to me and it went from there.” Of course, the Dolph protegé's success is well-documented and recognized in the game. In fact, he just released his latest album Glockoma 2, which is among the impactful trap and hip-hop albums that 2023's brought us so far.

Key Glock Honors Young Dolph

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 05: Young Dolph and Key Glock attend the BET Hip Hop Awards 2019 at Cobb Energy Center on October 05, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for BET)

“They always let me do me, let me be me,” Key remarked. Moreover, he said he values the independence and commitment to freedom that his late colleague lived by. “No matter what it was. Music or just everything in life. I go by my rules. You know, I don’t mean to disrespect anybody. It’s just how I move. Play by my own rules.” Early in the interview, Glock referred to a sense of confidence that likely led him to that individual hustler mentality. "From my first song, I just had so much confidence in myself," he explained. "I let everybody hear it, before I even put it on the Internet. I don't know if they were gassing me up or not, but to me, I was like, “Oh yeah, this song hard.”

Elsewhere in the interview, the "Russian Cream" MC spoke on his idea of success, which is dark but highly resonant. "Success is when you feel like you’re accomplishing things, but you still have this weight on you that you can't shake. You want to keep surpassing yourself. I knew I was succeeding when I got more hate than ever. When you’re working and grinding, they aren’t going to say too much. Being successful, there's pros and cons that comes with it." If you're interested, check out the full interview in the second link down below. Also, stick around on HNHH for the latest news and updates from Key Glock and to keep celebrating Young Dolph's impactful artistry.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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