Moneybagg Yo Tells Us About His New Album’s Theme and His Love for Designer Drip

Memphis has always been a fertile city for breeding some of hip-hop’s biggest stars. Names like Juicy J, Project Pat, Yo Gotti, Young Dolph and BlocBoy JB come to mind. In the past few years, one of the most memorable Memphis upstarts has got to be Moneybagg Yo, a brash, immensely skilled rapper with unmistakable slang and ferocious mic energy. 

Moneybagg Yo burst on the scene in 2016 as Yo Gotti’s protege with the well-received collab album, 2 Federal. He followed that up with his impressive solo project, Heartless, and from that point on, his place in rap’s landscape has been firmly entrenched. Recent highlights of his career include scoring a cameo feature from J. Cole on the 2018 track “Say Na,” and making mainstream noise earlier this year with the club banger “All Dat” with Megan Thee Stallion. 

On a recent NYC run to prep his next album, he stopped by ONE37pm to share info on his upcoming music, a newfound respect for timing and his passion for rocking fly gear.

ONE37pm: Tell us about this new album—is it part of your Heartless series? 

Moneybagg Yo: Actually it’s part of the Federal series, but I’m not calling it that. I’m calling it Time Served because this album [release date TBD] is all about perfect timing. It’s me telling you that timing is everything. It’s about 15 tracks on there, and ten of those tracks are what you’d expect from me, but I’ve got some different vibes too. 

What kind of different vibes are you serving up? 

Moneybagg Yo: I’ve got some laid-back West Coast vibes, fun vibes, songs that are really easy on the ear.

Who are the producers you’re working with on this album? 

Moneybagg Yo: I’ve got my in-house producers like YC, somebody that I just signed to my label. And I got Wheezy and Tay Keith on there too. Actually, I think the first single is the Tay Keith joint with me and Lil Baby. 

What’s the rollout looking like for this project? 

Moneybagg Yo: I’m shooting videos for the whole album. Every single song is going to have a video, and then I’m going on tour in March, so we’re stretching it all the way. And after I get off tour, I might drop an EP too. The whole key is keeping consistent.

ONE37pm is all about maintaining a grind mentality and not procrastinating. How would you describe your own grind mentality? 

Moneybagg Yo: The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is pray before I get the day going. Next, I set my goals for the day and then get to it. I always have the mindset that we’re going to keep going and nothing’s slowing us up. 

Did you always have this go-getter mindset? 

Moneybagg Yo: No, that’s what this album is explaining. Timing is everything. I had to mature and grow into this state of mind. I feel that there’s no better time than now, because when I first got the money, I just blew it. 

What about the days when you’re not feeling the positive energy, and you need an extra spark—is there anyone you go to for inspiration or motivation? 

Moneybagg Yo: I talk to Kevin Gates a lot. If my day is going terrible, I definitely talk to him. He’s older than me and he’s been in the game longer, so he guides me and teaches me about a lot of stuff. And I talk to Yo Gotti a lot too. I also have a lot of Day 1s around me who keep me grounded. 

Let’s talk about your drip game because you’re one of the rappers that’s always fresh to death.

Moneybagg Yo: When it comes to drip, I always say this, “It has to be in you, not on you.” It’s got to be a part of you like washing your face or brushing your teeth, so I take it seriously. And also in this industry, appearance and image is everything. 

What are some of your favorite fashion brands and how often do you shop?

Moneybagg Yo: I like Louis Vuitton, I like Off-White, I like Gucci, Supreme, VLone, Fear of God. I like mixing it up.