Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with BILLYRACXX

Bringing together edgy Hip-Hop tracks with visually impressive videos rapper Billyracxx’s star is on the rise. After a successful project, Religion, Billyracxx has a new album that he’s written and acted as creative director on: Butterflies Pt. 1. The first single from it, “Kill Me,” shows his unique creative vision.

We chatted with Billyracxx about “Kill Me,” his music, and where he sees his career going.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Billyracxx: It was very situational. I was in college doing nothing related to music. I’m not one of those kids who grew up doing music their entire life or had a family member that was involved in the industry. I was just in college kicking it with one of my homies. I would go over there and some weed after school every day. They were making music on the laptop and I spent a week just watching them do that. Then one night, I decided to write a verse. I wrote the verse, put a beat on it, and I was like, “Yeah, that’s creative. It sounded good.” Something sparked. The inspiration in that moment, I was like, “Damn. Well, I can do this.” I kept running with it.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Billyracxx: Really me; just myself. I’m in my head a lot. I think about those geniuses or those artists that have got some type of deep vision; they tend to be in their head a lot and got a lot of inside stuff that they’re battling. And I’ve always been like that. I always make drastic moves and decisions to kind of appease my mind and make sure my head’s in the right space. So that’s where I’m at. That’s how every moment in this music has been influenced.

Creatively, there’s a ton of creative influence on me. Foreign movies to Little Wayne to rock videos…I’m one of those kids who don’t know the rock bands, but I know the videos. I can be up in the morning and get a bunch of rock videos playing. I love the rock videos. I never been in love with the music too much, but hearing the music with the videos is crazy. Creatively it influences me.

PC: Nice. So what inspired your new single, “Kill Me”?
Billyracxx: If you look at Religion, my last project, and the videos from that and you look at “Kill Me,” the evolution makes sense. So really it’s like the message that inspired me to do that song. And, the presentation [visually] I did that way because I just felt, like, in the music I’m either going to make it or I’m going to die trying. It can be like a literal sense of dying or not but it’s going to kill me. I can say that because I know it’s not. So I know that I’m going to make it. I know that this story is going to end how I want it to end. I just feel like I’m on a one-track train, and there ain’t no way off. Ain’t no other way around it.

PC: Since it’s the first single off your new album, Butterflies, what can fans expect from that album release?
Billyracxx: Right now, I feel like I have somewhat of a cult following. My goal is to optimize it right now and get it to the masses. I have to optimize that and got to give that chance to literally the whole world. Butterflies…The music on this project was about…I know I have a cult following so I want them to be satisfied, and I want them to be overwhelmed with joy about this project. At the same time, I made this music a little bit more digestible so that way, I suppose, the world can get me because I’m a very complex artist.

If you got somebody who’s [into] complex and different, they’re going to fall in love with you. If you got somebody who loves music [and] loves creativity, but they’re used to the norm, then they’re going to see me. They’re going to be intrigued, but they may not immediately fall in love with me. So the goal is to get people to immediately fall in love with me.

PC: If you had to choose one song off Butterflies that best encompasses you as an artist, what song would that be and why?
Billyracxx: I mean “Kill Me” is one of them. One that hasn’t dropped yet that’s on the project that I feel like really tells my story or really tells…where my mind is at right now. It’s called “Renegade.” The song talks about, like, how I know I’m a renegade; I chose this route. It’s going to work. Everything I’m doing is intentional, [but] at the same time I understand the vision it put me in. So, it just motivates me to believe in this individual that I created. It’s something that people see in me. So I have to fight. I got to do it. So that’s what “Renegade” is; it’s like I’m a renegade.

PC: What is your process for writing each track like?
Billyracxx: It varies. Sometimes I write; sometimes I listen to the beat over and over and then I write. I started doing it a lot like that in the beginning of my career. I like to dabble on the side and do it because I feel like when you put pen to the paper, some different type of vibes come out–different types of word play. But I’m a big vibe person. My music is vibes. My challenge is the other stuff so I got to make sure the feel is there and a lot of times that come with just being in the studio, hearing the beat, and being in the moment.

Sometimes I like to get on the mic the first time I hear the beat. Literally if the producer plays a beat and I’m like, “Oh, I like that,” I come and stop him. Don’t play it again until he got the session up. That way, the second time I’m hearing it is me actually recording and the rhythms down. So it goes both ways.

PC: You’re also the creative director on all of your projects. Do you ever find that challenging to wear different hats?
Billyracxx: No, not really. It may feel consuming sometimes but a lot of times it motivates me. Because whenever I get overwhelmed, I look back at everything I done and I’m like, “Yo, I did this by myself.” I’m a creative person. If I stay calm, and I stay enjoying it–having fun–it all comes natural. If I overthink it, I smoke some weed and chill. It’s easier, sometimes, because who knows your vision more than you? Like when I’m making a song I already know what it need to look like.

I know I’m going to be working with bigger directors on set as I get bigger and that’s going to be part of an adjustment for me because I’m so on top of my vision. So it’ll be hard for me… I’m looking forward to it because, at that point, I’ll probably be working with some huge names in directors and producers. But, as of right now, it’s easy. I actually love doing it.

PC: So then as you’re looking ahead to the rest of this year, what does 2020 hold for you?
Billyracxx: 2020, I’m turning that corner. People need to know that I’ve done the work all real organically. I’ve accumulated a fan base that I created myself so right now it’s just optimizing that and turning the corner. I’m turning the corner this year. You’ll see me on major tours. You’ll see some of my songs get that recognition or at least break through to that level where my sound and what I’m doing is  like another one of those main artists you’re talking about. I’m thinking 2020 will bring me that moment where I really hold that influence in my hand.

Connect with Billyracxx by following him on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
Check out Butterflies Pt 1 here.