Smokepurpp Talks Creating with Murda, Fave Songs on Bless Yo Trap and Promises New Album

On April 19, Smokepurpp made the first stop on his tour in Orlando, FL. He so graciously sat down with me before the show to discuss a few things, including a possible album. During the show, the crowds level of electric energy was one I had never experienced before. When I had arrived (hours before the doors were set to open), there were already people waiting outside of the venue. If there’s anything I learned about Smokepurpp, it’s that he’s a genuine person- and his fans appreciate that. Check out the interview below.

How did you start rapping?

I kinda just started rapping. I was producing first, and then I couldn’t get people on my beats when I was producing- I didn’t know how to, so I just started rapping on them myself.

How did you get the name “Smokepurpp”?

It was my Twitter handle, I just never changed it. Then people started recognizing me as ‘Smokepurpp’ and I just left it like that.

I heard that you wanted to change your name to “Lil Water”.

I mean, not change it- but just like a nickname.

Why?

I don’t know. I’m mad random, I’m gonna come clean. Like, everything I do is like impulsively and just random. But mostly just cause I like the name.

So you do a lot of stuff with Murda Beatz. How did y’all first get meet?

We actually met around this time a year ago. I think it was in LA- we were in the same studio and he just came over and dropped off some beats and then I went back to the studio the next day- he was in the same studio – and I cut to like three of the beats he dropped off and then he was like ‘yo this shit is hard’ and then we just got really cool. We became close friends and shit, like just started doing mad shit together and now we’re just mad cool.

When you and Murda get into the studio, what’s the recording process like? Do you already go in with your stuff written or do you come up with the stuff together?

We usually just go in the studio, he’ll usually just start cooking up beats and then I’ll just be there- I’ll just be smoking. We’ll just be in there creating the vibe just waiting for shit to happen.

How long does it take for y’all to come up with a song?

It was different. Some of the songs are from when we first started recording together like around a year ago and some songs are really recent- some songs are like a month ago or three weeks ago or some shit like that.

What’s your favorite song on Bless Yo Trap and why?

On Bless Yo Trap it would have to be either Do Not Disturb or For The Gang just cause not only are those songs fire- cause all the songs on there are fire, but I just like those.

Do you normally get nervous before shows and what do you do to calm yourself down if you do?

Yeah, I get nervous for anything. I never really got a lot of time to get used to everything cause everything happened so fast, so I think that’s the reason why.

How do you calm your nerves before you go onstage?

I don’t. I just wait. I just wait it out and go out there.

Is there a song that you’ve written that you hate listening to?

There’s songs that I make and then after hearing them a lot I be like ‘damn I don’t fuck with this shit’. Those are usually the songs that people fuck with the most for some reason- I don’t know why. But I definitely feel like that a lot cause I take back a lot. That’s why I don’t have a lot of music out. I only have like 30 songs out total. Like if you really count them it’s only like 30 of them. But yeah like, usually I’ll drop some shit and I’ll be like ugh I don’t really fuck with it and I’ll take it down and my label will have to put it back up.

Is there anything else that you want people to know about you or that you want to add?

My first album coming this year so stay tuned for that.

What’s it called?

I don’t know yet.

Do you have the songs already lined up?

Nah, I don’t even have the first song yet.

So it’s just an idea in your head- you’re gonna have an album.

Nah it’s gonna come out- it has to come out this year. I just dropped Bless Yo Trap so. Originally a lot of the songs from there were supposed to be on my first album but we just put them on there.