BigXthaPlug: “Real People Recognize Real Things”

Let’s hop right into this single, “Primetime”— Tell me about this particular track; how did it come to fruition?

BigXthaPlug: Okay, so “Primetime” I actually made that song like two years ago. All my other stuff around the time, I had just dropped “Big Stepper,” “Mr.Trouble” and with me being sports related, the producer I was working with at the time, I guess, he heard a little bit of my background and that inspired him. I just felt at the time I was untouchable as far as upcoming artists. I felt I had solidified myself as an upcoming artist, and if I didn’t that’s how I was going to do it so that’s the mentality I went into the studio with when we made that song.

Of course “Primetime” comes courtesy of your latest solo LP, AMAR — Conceptually, what does this title represent both to and for you?

BigXthaPlug: Amar, other than being my son’s middle name, to me, means…it’s like solidifying, not only am I doing this for my child, I’m doing it for my name. I’m trying to feed my family forever. When I’m gone, when he’s [BigX’s son] gone, when his kids’ kids are gone – everybody is being taken care of because of what I’m doing right now.

AMAR is a UnitedMasters release — What particular string of events actually led to your current label signing?

BigXthaPlug: I mean, really it was just the relationship[s]. At the time there were a lot of labels hitting me up, a lot of labels reaching out, a lot of offers, but nobody kind of like just took that extra step or did the leg work. An A&R from UnitedMasters took that extra step, got on the plane – came out, I had a kind of hectic weekend. I had birthday parties, and little kid’s birthday parties. He went to them and eventually we made sure we had a studio, we made some good music and that was a relationship between me and him, it sort of solidified that deal between me and UnitedMasters.

As a lyricist, when you sit down to pen your rhymes where do you draw your inspiration from?

BigXthaPlug: My life [the] facts – stuff I endured or been around, kind of (an) everyday living thing for me.

Reflecting, tell me your whole inception into music — When did you first become interested in it? And, how did it all begin for BigXthaPlug?

BigXthaPlug: I really became interested in it when I realized I could make money from it. When I first started rapping, I didn’t grow up wanting to be a rapper, I wanted to play football, so it wasn’t until like two years ago when I really was just like, “Okay, yeah, this is something I can do…I can be the best at it and I could feed my family off of it,” so probably a year ago is when I really got interested.

Now you’re a native of Dallas, TX, correct? So growing up in the ‘Big D,’ who all did / do you consider to be your strongest musical influences?

BigXthaPlug: Growing up, there hasn’t really been many honestly.

In having said that, how do you classify your overall sound and / or style?

BigXthaPlug: I classify my overall sound as refreshing, new, different and real.

Where does your moniker originally derive from?

BigXthaPlug: So I’m a big fella, my name originally starts with an ‘X’, and now it’s like I’m the plug of everything – I sell raps, I sell myself as promo. I’m just the plug of a lot of stuff.

photo credit: Jarrod Anderson

Switching gears here…

What do you feel has and will continue to be the key to your longevity?

BigXthaPlug: I’ll say my son; my child really because I know at the end of the day, I want him and the family to be straight. He could be 38 years old and I’m still gonna want to have him taken care of. Actually, I’m capping, once he turns 25 he’s kind of on his own. If he hasn’t came up or did something for himself then, at that time I’m focused on my grandkids now. I’ll be making sure that all the kids got a chance ‘cause a lot of times they don’t get that.

What do you want people to get from your music?

BigXthaPlug: I really just tell the story of a person that went through stuff, not saying it was just horrible stuff. I’m not crying about it, I’m speaking on it, letting everyone know I would still stand on that same business and a lot of people relate to that because real people recognize real things.

To date, what has been your greatest career moment(s), at least thus far anyway?

BigXthaPlug: I’m gonna have to say performing at Erykah Badu’s birthday bash.

What’s an average day like for you?

BigXthaPlug: I’ll probably get up around 8 or 9 o’clock…I’m probably writing…nah, I’m capping, I’m not writing yet. I’ll probably be smoking, getting myself together – brushing my teeth, washing my face – until like 12. After that, if I’m in town, I’m in the studio until the morning.

What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?

BigXthaPlug: My favorite part is being able to travel – see new things, see new stuff, new people, meet new people. And the worst is just the fakeness – a lot of people are really not in the industry, so you just gotta stay in your own lane and do what you do.

What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

BigXthaPlug: If you’re gonna step in these shoes and follow these steps, you gotta be ready for a lot – you gotta be able to endure a lot, you gotta be able to hold your own a lot, and you gotta be able to risk a lot. If you do all of that, then you’ll be great.

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Tags: BigXthaPlug, Erykah Badu, UnitedMasters