Above the Clouds
Curren$y has spent over a decade skillfully managing his JetLife empire, whereas changing into considered one of hip-hop’s most prolific MCs. He’s achieved this whereas remaining linked to his hometown of New Orleans, the individuals and the hobbies he cherishes most.
Interview: C. Vernon Coleman II
Editor’s Word: This story seems within the Fall 2025 problem of XXL Journal, on newsstands now and accessible on the market on the XXL web site.

Regardless of being probably the most laid-back lyricists in rap, Curren$y has the necessity for pace. It’s how he’s been capable of amass a physique of labor that features round 100 initiatives, and the explanation he not too long ago carved an RC racing monitor into the yard of his gated-community mansion and retains his driveway suffering from every little thing from Ferraris to throwback Benzes. Previously 20 years, the New Orleans rapper’s drive has achieved nothing however repay.

With the excellence of getting been signed to 2 of hip-hop’s most storied indie imprints at completely different factors early on in his profession, Curren$y has a novel perspective on music and its enterprise. He spent the early 2000s below the No Restrict Information umbrella as a late addition to the 504 Boyz. He was later recruited to Lil Wayne’s Younger Cash Leisure, the place he spent three years earlier than parting methods in 2007. In 2009, Curren$y took his flight path into his personal arms and launched the label JetLife Recordings.

A staggering output of music has ensued, together with critically acclaimed releases like How Fly with Wiz Khalifa (2009), Pilot Discuss (2010), Covert Coup (2011), New Jet Metropolis (2013), Fetti with Freddie Gibbs (2018), Continuance (2022) and extra. Behind the music, he’s an avid automobile collector and RC and Sizzling Wheels racer, who, regardless of his movie star standing, can typically be seen cruising Canal Road in New Orleans in a low-low, pounding the pavement only for kicks.

Although the 44-year-old MC is a child at coronary heart, he’s a boss, increasing the JetLife model in 2011, with JetLife Attire and opening the thriving flagship retailer within the coronary heart of downtown N’awlins. Whereas juggling music, enterprise and costly hobbies, in addition to being a father to his 6-year-old son, Cruz, Spitta has by no means taken his foot off the fuel, musically. He releases a minimum of a handful of initiatives yearly to his cult fan base, together with March’s By no means Catch Us,  July’s 7/30, a revival of the long-running Andretti collection, and his most up-to-date, 10/15.

He’s sometimes a rapper faraway from drama, however this previous summer season, Curren$y discovered himself in headlines after being dissed by Freddie Gibbs on The Alchemist-produced music “Fuel Station Sushi.” Curren$y is treating the diss and subsequent pictures like smoke within the wind, however the scenario appears to have ramifications regarding Spitta’s relationship with Al and the standing of a extremely anticipated collab mission with Larry June that Al produced.

In August, XXL caught up with Spitta on a smokey tour bus in Portland, Ore. through Zoom earlier than his last present on Wiz Khalifa’s Good Vibes Solely Tour, the place he talked about studio guidelines, consistency, getting his flowers, the Freddie Gibbs drama and extra.

XXL: You’ve been touring lots this 12 months. What’s it been like getting on the highway?

Curren$y: It’s been good as a result of, actually, I had chilled out for a minute. I form of bought used to with the ability to choose up cash from the sofa after COVID occurred. I used to be like, Effectively, sh*t, if we nonetheless might make it with out transferring, we’d as properly simply sit tight. However after we did that sh*t for just a few years, I used to be like, Rattling, we most likely are lacking just a few baggage by not bodily exhibiting up.

You and producer Harry Fraud have had a run of dropping plenty of music collectively, together with 7/30 this 12 months. Why do you assume you and Harry work so properly collectively?

I believe with him, the truth that I’m achieved so quick. By the point he performed the beat two or thrice, I’m already able to go in there. I really feel like if I bought to look to the sky, consider an idea and all of that, I don’t even have to do it. With the beats he play, I see the film already. It’s just like the beat writing the raps for me.

Maryland rapper Premo Rice stated in an interview that you just deliberately preserve the studio uncomfortable to maximise getting work achieved.

Hell yeah. There’s two chairs in the entire studio. One chair for the engineer. The opposite chair if some legs come by way of. Apart from that, no matter ni**a got here by way of that bi**h with essentially the most items for the studio. As a result of rap ni**as who pull up on me ain’t bought time to sit down down. There’s a pool exterior. It’s all types of sh*t on the market. They bought pumps and a bump proper exterior. If that’s what you got here to do, try this. Nevertheless it’s on the market. It ain’t proper right here as a result of we working.

With such a strict routine, is it nonetheless enjoyable for you or is it extra like work?

Effectively, what’s enjoyable for me is creating the film once I hear the music, writing quick. If legs is there, impressing stated legs with how briskly I’ve composed this verse. And I most likely One Take Jake’d it in entrance of those legs. That’s additionally good and enjoyable for me, too.

Two, three hours, we’d have did an EP. Now, consolation. Now, Rolls-Royce backseat. Let’s simply drink tea, smoke weed, go get donuts. We are able to do regardless of the f**okay we would like now as a result of we already put that work down. Now, I’m pumps and the bump. Now, I’m on the floaty exterior.

Do you continue to write your lyrics?

Yeah, I write like a muthaf**ka. Man, once I was with Younger Cash, Wayne was f**king making the sh*t proper in his head and was like, “Don’t write it, brother.” And I’m like, “Nah, ni**a, I need the sh*t to be legit, , you rapping, you rapping, rapping. I want to put in writing this down so I can do it.” He like, “Nah.” I’m like, “Yeah, that labored for Hov. I noticed the film too, bro. I don’t know. However on the power of you, let me see.”

So, every little thing that occurred whereas I used to be with Younger Cash, I didn’t write it down. So, as soon as I phased that out, I left that at that camp. And once I f**king constructed my very own sh*t, I’m like, Do what the f**okay you know the way to do. And I simply continued to put in writing. So, yeah, that’s my method.

As somebody who thrived within the weblog period, the mixtape period and the streaming period, how have you ever been capable of adapt to all of the modifications through the years?

Unknowingly. Making an attempt to adapt is the place individuals mess up. I seen that meme of the fan opening a Curren$y album and it’s the identical shirt for the final 12 years. It’s f**king humorous, nevertheless it’s true. There’s a testomony to only staying true to your sound and being your self regardless of how sh*t change. You adapt to the ways in which you promote your dope, however the dope nonetheless the identical. I’m nonetheless gonna prepare dinner it the identical method as a result of the fiends prefer it the identical method.

You continue to reside domestically. Why do you select to keep in New Orleans?

For the precise cause that muthaf**kas depart as a result of it’s harmful. It’s harmful anyplace, however I do know the hazards and I do know the dangerees, the dangerers. And unspokenly, I’m simply on the checklist. It’s like, you simply don’t f**okay with bro sh*t. You’ll be able to’t earn that in every single place. Plus, I’m the illustration of exhibiting that a number of that [is] tangible. So, I gotta keep there as a result of the sh*t that seem out of attain, I’m proper there with it.

Together with your son Cruz getting older, what’s it like balancing being a father, a rapper and a enterprise proprietor?

This the time I hoped for as a result of once I had him, I used to be like, Man, I won’t even be doing this sh*t when he know that it’s what I’m doing. However, lo and behold, he sufficiently old to the place if he’s up, he’s like, “Yo, I’m gonna keep awake. I wanna come to this. I wanna come out on stage.” One time in D.C., [he was] like, “No, I need the mic. I wish to rap.” I’m like, “Go for it.”

He can do regardless of the f**okay he need. If he wish to be an astronaut, go proper forward. I’m not telling him to rap, however he’s already pissed off that he’s solely 6 as a result of he’s like, “I wish to be a rapper already. I need my very own chains.” That’s what’s stressing him. The world is weighing in on him. At 6 years previous, he wish to carry his personal weight within the recreation. He wish to receives a commission from his personal raps. I can’t be mad.

In an trade the place all people appears to have a persona, you made success from simply being your self. Do you assume that’s performed to your benefit?

Yeah, that’s the persona. Should you gotta have one thing to face behind, why not stand behind being your self? I’d by no means step away from it as a result of it’s proper. And anyone who took that web page out of my e book, they’ll see the profit of their life.

Lately, you had this Freddie Gibbs scenario. He was calling you out for not selling Fetti, the joint mixtape you two launched in 2018, which was produced by Alchemist.

What it’s rooted in, I can’t do nothing about as a result of it’s previous. I assumed it was mission. F**king individuals thought it was a basic. [I promoted] it on Instagram. I had simply had a child, so I’m like, F**okay. What can I do? I instructed [Alchemist], “I’m not gonna play ‘The Boy is Mine’ with you with this dude. Y’all bought it.”

Does one thing like that ever make you assume twice about doing collab initiatives?

Nah, as a result of rap is that. It’s not many settings that I’ve been in the place I don’t assume that we’re really doing this [presses fists together]. Besides, it’s simply by way of rap, so it ain’t sh*t. [But] I most likely gotta let the [project] me and Larry June bought go. I instructed [the project producer Alchemist] I wasn’t tripping… For the nice of music, and the sounds that me and Larry put down already, I most likely gotta let the individuals have this good sh*t.

Al stable. He impartial. He make the beats. So, it ain’t no G-code with bro. I ain’t tripping off that. However with that being stated, I can’t get within the automobile with you as a result of I do know for certain what I can’t count on.

Have you ever and Alchemist talked out the scenario?

Yeah, like a day or two proper after it. And I instructed him it’s good. However I instructed him, if it was me, and the muthaf**ka stated one thing about you, the music wouldn’t exist. I wasn’t tripping. I’m not tripping. However the identical method I do know, clearly, I’m guessing me and this man [Freddie Gibbs] gained’t do no music, y’all in the identical automobile.

What’s the remainder of the 12 months shaping up like, music-wise?

8/30 [came out] on August thirtieth. [I dropped] 9/28 [in September] as a result of that’s the Porsche that Scarface left the Babylon Membership in after they shot him up. For October, that’s once I need me and Harry Fraud to come back again with one other installment of our joint. Me and MadeinTYO bought a complete mission that he did all of the manufacturing on. I can’t wait until individuals hear that. Individuals by no means even actually recognized he bought this bag that he might get in.

Christmas, I’m gonna try to do one thing with the entire crew, like one other JetLife Presents. So, you’re gonna get music from us for the remainder of the 12 months, depend on that.

You’ve typically been known as probably the most prolific rappers ever. What do you assume while you hear that?

I’m honored {that a} muthaf**ka would staple that. Calling a muthaf**ka a G.O.A.T.? They bought porno G.O.A.T.s, they bought all types. I’m good. Don’t name me that. Prolific, that’s authentic.

How do you outline success at this level in your profession?

Getting something that I need for the those who I wish to have. C-Homicide was success to me as a result of anytime I bought in a jam that cash might repair it, he like, “How a lot is it to repair it?” Bam. I wish to be that to the those who I care about. That’s why I don’t by no means journey off serving to muthaf**kas if it’s legit.

Do you assume you get your flowers?

From the those who I worth, they assume extremely of me. The individuals who I don’t hear that from might be individuals I don’t care about. So, I actually solely be across the individuals I’m round, and so they all assume pretty excessive of me. I can’t see what flowers I don’t have for all of the flowers I bought. I’m straight. That sh*t be faux anyhow. The flowers be for everyone. Flowers for the streets.

Hearken to Curren$y’s 10/30 Album

The autumn 2025 problem of XXL journal that includes Curren$y’s interview is accessible to buy right here. The difficulty additionally consists of Joey Bada$$ and J.I.D’s cowl story interviews, conversations with Hit-Boy, Likelihood The Rapper, Rob49, KenTheMan, Bay Swag, Curren$y, Wallo267, Hurricane Knowledge, Hanumankind, Babyfxce E, Ghostface Killah, Conway The Machine, Pluto, TiaCorine, singer Isaiah Falls, comic Josh Joshson, Vice President of Music at SiriusXM and Pandora Joshua “J1” Raiford, a take a look at the change in album rollouts through the years highlighted by Clipse’s Let God Type Em Out album and extra.

See Pictures From Joey Bada$$ and J.I.D’s XXL Journal Fall 2025 Cowl Shoot