Hotboii overcame great adversity to be where he is today, one of the hottest upcoming rappers in the game.
Orlando, Florida is home to rapper Hotboii, and his 17 brothers and sisters. Growing up wasn’t always easy for Hot as he made some difficult choices trying to survive and provide for his family. At the age of 16 Hotboii entered a juvenile detention center where he soon realized he needed to pursue music seriously. After being released at 18, Hotboii has spent the last 2 years making music. In 2020 he signed with 100k Management and several months later signed with a major label. Hotboii hasn’t even dropped his debut album yet and already he’s been labeled “Florida’s Next Big Thing” by XXL, with over 23 million streams and counting. Without having fully reached mainstream success, most of Hotboii’s content has gone viral with millions of plays and views. Currently, Hotboii is gearing up for his debut album ’00 Baby after releasing his first studio single “Left Lonely.” Hotboii also spoke on fatherhood as a rapper and how his music-making process has changed over the years. Find out more below!
The Knockturnal: You’ve got a large family with 17 brothers and sisters, did any of your siblings or parents influence you musically?
Hotboii: When I was younger, my brother used to sing and I used to rap, but we used to only do it with each other around the house.
The Knockturnal: What were your influences outside of your family?
Hotboii: My friends we used to rap like after school or at school. We would just rap our songs to each other.
The Knockturnal: When did you first start experimenting with music?
Hotboii: At 13, in the neighborhood, outside. I started writing first, I used to steal other people’s raps and remix them, artists on the radio. I started uploading music when I was 15 to SoundCloud and YouTube.
The Knockturnal: Has your process of making music changed?
Hotboii: I freestyle now. I get to the studio I vibe first and then I look for a beat. I don’t get on a beat unless it catches my attention. Then after that, I go in the booth and just freestyle.
The Knockturnal: When did everything change? When did this from something you do for fun to a career path?
Hotboii: It sound crazy, but when I was in the program, in jail. At first, I was just doing it for fun, but when I got to jail. When I’m in there people are like, ‘ you’re hotboii!,” so I knew I gotta start taking this serious.
The Knockturnal: What are the three biggest milestones in your career so far?
Hotboii: Having a son because that really made me tighten up. Then I’d say my management 100K, having my mom, keeping my friends around me, and signing with a major label.
The Knockturnal: Would you say 100k management is what helped propel you to sign in such a short period of time?
Hotboii: Yeah it’s like a family and I’ve got the right resources.
The Knockturnal: What’s it like being a dad and a rapper?
Hotboii: It’s kinda good, but it’s hard though because I can’t always have my son, but it feel good though, my son be watching my videos.
The Knockturnal: How would you feel if he grew up to be a rapper as well?
Hotboii: I’d like it. I want him to want to be a rapper.
The Knockturnal: What’s the best perk of signing with a major label?
Hotboii: I wanna say being on the radio and the DJs. I didn’t realize how important that stuff is, but now I see though.
The Knockturnal: Can you talk about what you have coming down the pipeline?
Hotboii: I’m finna drop my ‘00 Baby project, before 2021. This project is basically me explaining my life. from my last project to this project, what’’s been going on before that.