Cincinnati’s Alpha Hugo Talks New Releases and Proudest Achievements
Born in Hyde Park, Cincinnati, Alpha Hugo knew as young as 10 years old that music was his destiny. It’s not often within the entertainment business that you find an artist who has truly taken the journey, the grind, the sacrifice, and also the determination necessary to succeed and grow within this business. If you ask him, he will tell you music saved his life. Growing up near Atlanta, home of a roaring hip-hop scene, and raised in a musical family, his mom would listen to country and pop while his father listened to rap and reggae. Today, Alpha listens to a wide range of industry legends, including Drake, Future, Roddy Ricch, Adele, Luke Combs, Lewis Capaldi, and more. At this early stage of his own rise to stardom, Alpha Hugo already sees indispensable value in his fans. He has demonstrated openness and sincerity in each release and genuine interactions beyond the music. Ultimately, Alpha Hugo’s ability to make people feel real emotions through his music makes fostering this bond and garnering support and appreciation for his creative work come naturally.
Hanging poolside in Atlanta, Alpha Hugo is surrounded by hot women swimming and lounging in their bikinis. The verses in “Go Crazy” are loaded with details about Alpha Hugo’s extravagant life as a first-rate rapper making a steady rise to fame. To flex it in this visual, he has got the shiny watch, all the diamond chains, and the money from his successes to date. In each round of the chorus, Alpha Hugo’s attention gets turned onto the ladies’ voluptuous bodies going crazy in the summer sun, coercing him to want to get crazy with them. Behind his fire bars is a dynamic instrumental with heavily drum-driven beats that make it almost impossible to sit still while listening.
In “Cancer Symptoms,” Alpha Hugo shares a more personal, visceral side of himself. Not too long ago, Alpha Hugo found out he would be fighting the battle of his life with stage III Hodgkin lymphoma. At just 21 years old, not knowing what his future held, he grew up mentally and realized he had so much more to live for. He said, “I made a decision that day. I was like, ‘Look, if I’m going to die, I want the odds to be that I die in front of a microphone.'” So, he recorded an entire project which included “Cancer Symptoms,” showing the world what he went through trying to stay positive and triumph through his sickness. In both singles and their music videos, it is clear that Alpha Hugo is doing what he loves.
We got Alpha Hugo to weigh in on a few things!
What do you feel is the best part of the music writing and production process, and why?
My favorite part about my music creation process is meeting so many talented new people who share the same love for something I care so much about. I’ve met inspiring artists, engineers, and producers while creating my music. Such as Derez Deshon, Skooly, 147 Calboy, Lil Keed (Rip), super producer/ engineer Juice God, my lil bro Prod. By Baby with the Tastemakers production team and many more. But these are just a few that I loved interacting with.
How do you hope fans feel about life after listening to “Go Crazy” and “Cancer Symptoms”? When creating the tracks, did you think about how they’d be perceived by fans, or did you go into both creations just considering your own experiences?
I hope my fans see what “Go Crazy” and “Cancer Symptoms” represents. They are a small sum of who I am. With “Go Crazy” for me it represents having fun and being careless when it’s appropriate. It was a super simple concept to create. While “Cancer Symptoms” was a much more serious approach. Being that I had cancer while creating this song it was a much more expressive and very immersive experience about a real problem I was facing in my life. The two songs are polar opposite’s and I did this on purpose. It’s poetic, and while sharing my own experiences it allows me to take my audience into consideration for everything I do with my music and to remind my fans I am a human like anyone else.
Why is a song like “Cancer Symptoms” important to create and share with the world? It has a unique concept, so did you ever feel uncertain about revealing such a vulnerable side to yourself?
It was important to share because behind all of the “I can do this” attitude, to be frank I thought I was going to die. I was never uncertain about creating Cancer Symptoms because this song along with others were a reminder to myself that I can fight and beat cancer, while also doubling as a farewell if the worst does happen to me. Cancer Symptoms in my eyes were my last words of awareness to anyone who cared to listen before I pass away.
How do you tend to generate the concept for the music video? Do you visualize what you want it to look like beforehand?
Yes, I am a very creative and hands on artist. I like to come up with the craziest best possible ideas and turn what I see in my head into my videos.
However there are sometimes I just like to have fun and go with a more run and gun style video, the “Go Crazy” video being a perfect example.
What are some of your proudest achievements in your music career so far?
People around my town that I don’t know asking me if I am “the rapper they seen online” is always a super rewarding experience. But to take that a step further, I love meeting the fans whose live have been impacted by me.
It’s one of my biggest motivations when I get Dms saying they are inspired by me and by my stories of life I share with them.
Can you explain the significance of the visual art for “Go Crazy” (you in a straitjacket with the devil and angel versions of you on either side)?
It represents being human, a constant battle between good and evil, positive and negative, light and dark. To be successful at anything you must find your personal balance in this world, other wise you will “Go Crazy” trying to be. So I found the cover art very fulling to the message I was trying to get across.
Being this is my first single back doing music on a large scale, I used this cover art to express me as myself more so than just the song alone.
Do you have favorite lyrics or moments from both “Go Crazy” and “Cancer Symptoms” that are particularly special to you?
For “Go Crazy” my favorite line is
“Ian got to speak on what I know I’m trynna lay low.” meaning not everything you do has to be talking about no need to brag, no need to gossip, no need to complain just less talking more doing.
For “Cancer Symptoms” my favorite line would have to be “I keep a pole so I can’t let you draw down on me, but what you do when your own body turn around on you.” This line gives me chills, because no matter how big and bad you are, no matter how strong you think you are, you must find everything within your self in order to over come cancer. Because a “pole” or a gun can help you stay safe and defeat your enemies but what good can that do when your own body is the enemy.
About the Author
Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
