Check out our new interview with Calboy
Chicago rapper Calboy released his debut EP Chosen One in 2017 and soon thereafter quickly rose to prominence. In 2018 Calboy released his viral hit “Envy Me” which was an instant sensation and remixed more times than you can count. Today Calboy sits on over 1.65 billion total streams worldwide and is gearing up to release his debut album. Calboy joins us today to discuss his new single “Miseducation” featuring Lil Wayne, the impact Lauryn Hill had on him growing up, and what we can expect from his upcoming album. Calboy also shares how much his life has changed over the past 2 years and everything that’s happened in that time. He discusses working with LilTJay and Polo G and what it was like meeting Yo Gotti. Additionally, he opens up to us about what really inspired his latest single, “Miseducation.” Check out our full interview with Calboy below.
The Knockturnal: What have been the three biggest highlights of your career so far?
Calboy: Going platinum the first time was a big highlight. XXL freshman list and the song with Wayne would be the third.
The Knockturnal: How has your life changed over the past 2-3 years?
Calboy: My life changed a lot in the past 2 years. Better living of course. I’m getting better with my craft, with my art. I’m maturing faster. I become a business man I the past 2 years.
The Knockturnal: Out of all your collaborators who’s been your favorite to work with?
Calboy: I would say LilTjay or Polo G. I think they’re just more relatable to me. They understand me the most. We close to the same age. We just vibe right. With the older guys it’s different the energy ain’t as bright, it’s more focused on and professional, but with Tjay and Polo G we can still kick it.
The Knockturnal: Whose cosign were you surprised by?
Calboy: I was like that when I first met Gotti. I grew up watching Yo Gotti, I watched him elevate and develop the whole CMG movement. That’s an inspiration to me. I was doing a show and got off the stage and Gotti kept looking at me tryna see if he knew me and after I got off the stage he said, ‘man I know I know you from somewhere, my kids is superfans of you which made me a fan of you.” He was like, “whatever you need I got you, advice, features, connections to anyone on my label.” That was the first time one of the OGs hit me with some love like that. He kept his word, I called him the next day, and then I kept hitting him, kept texting him and he’s taught me some thins and gave me some advice for sure.
The Knockturnal: What’s the best advice Yo Gotti’s given you?
Calboy: How to deal with corporate situations and how to keep the personal and business separate.
The Knockturnal: Can you talk about your new single “Miseducation?”
Calboy: “Miseducation” was a record that I created when I was going through some tough times, I just lost a homie and had another homie get locked up for a long time and it was. One day I was sitting back talking to my homie D-Love and he was vining to Lauryn Hill and we started talking about the miseducation of young black males.
The Knockturnal: What’s the story behind the video, I know you’ve lost a lot of friends close to you can you talk more about what in your personal life influenced you to create this song?
Calboy: It was my cousin Jay. My cousin Jay had taken an ecstasy pill and had a heart attack at home with his 3-year-old baby and the mother. That was tough because at that time we were talking about getting these millions. If only he knew a different way to cope a different way with depression. If only he was taught or given the advice to do something different besides take ecstasy when he down he wouldn’t have went through what he went through, that’s miseducation. If only my brother turned the other cheek and turned the other way he wouldn’t be in jail for life right now. It’s just situations like that and those two situations were the last two situation that happened before I recorded the song. That’s why I made Miseducation.
The Knockturnal: Shoutout Lauryn Hill, I love her, and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, can you elaborate on how this song pays tribute to her and the role that she plays?
Calboy: I was growing up off the Lauryn Hill. My mom would be in the house cleaning and Lauryn Hill would be blasting and it would just be a vibe. That’s when I first got introduced to Lauryn Hill through my mom’s. Then my brother got into it. I was just always influenced by it so this record right here – I don’t know why gave me that vibe to go back to what I learned from Lauryn Hill and reference that in the song. Lauryn Hill influenced me since I was young.
The Knockturnal: Did you also grow up listening to Lil Wayne?
Calboy: Of course, definitely. Wayne was another big inspiration for me. Just seeing him start off so young and stay relevant for so long and stay good for so long. That’s goat status, regardless of how anyone looks at him now, his artistry been well and been getting better.
The Knockturnal: What was it like working with Lil Wayne?
Calboy: We sent the record back and forth and we got more than one record, we didn’t work in the studio together but we chop it up through the phone all the time. During the video we chopped it up and got the energy in person.
The Knockturnal: How does it feel to have over 1.65 billion streams worldwide?
Calboy: It’s lit man, I definitely feel accomplished, I feel like I could take over the world now and that’s exactly what I’m doing and I’m doing it in my way.
The Knockturnal: What are you currently workin on and what do you have on the way?
Calboy: I’m working on my debut album right now, It’s really wrapped up, 98% done and it’s going to be my best body of work so far. I put so much energy into it, I put so much time into it, and this time in my life I been going through a lot of tough situations and a lot of success. It’s moving parallel side by side and that makes the best combination for Calboy. I feed off the pain, I don’t cry about it I just convert it into something else and that’s great music. I been working on it for about a year.