With a brand new album in stores, Swervo, G Herbo and Southside bring their lighter-fluid chemistry to The Breakfast Club. Together, the pair break down the album and reveal what it was like cutting it down from 60 songs to 14, as well as Herbo putting down the pad to freestyle the entire album. Herbo also discusses his successful journey as an independent artist who owns his masters. Watch the full interview below.
On Southside working together with G Herbo for Swervo:
He’s been my lil brother for a long time. I made “I’m Rollin’,”one of his first hits and he’s really my brother. He ain’t even got a rate, it’s a joint project… We got like Swervo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 [Laughs].
On difference from Humble Beast:
It’s different for a lot of reasons. For one, Humble Beast was just like a introduction to me and who I was to the world and people that didn’t know me, [along with] something for my fans to appreciate too. At heart I’m a humble dude, but Swervo this album means more because it’s me being able to really enjoy everything I worked hard for. Talking about what my fans would want me to talk about, like what car I’m driving, how much money I’m spending on jewelry, houses. It’s kind of like my alter-ego. And another reason why I think it’s different from Humble Beast, just being with Southside and the chemistry we got over the years I know I would become much of a better artist even since I dropped Humble Beast and it ain’t even been a full year. I could see the process and stages I went through, from me writing all my music to learning how to freestyle with him — like, really freestyle off the top in the studio without writing because I ain’t write not one song on this whole album.
On writing versus freestyling:
I’m able to reach my full potential [with freestyling]. I can write, don’t get me wrong. [But] I’m wasting hours in the studio just writing, when I could be recording. When it lands it’s gonna come in my head first before it go to the phone anyway. It feels more natural. Instead of writing it, whatever you thinking of you say it, you could hear yourself say it, and then if it don’t come out right, you could replace it and just keep on building. I learned how to do that with [Southside].
On strategizing his music career as an independent artist:
People just look at me as such an underground artist because the way the industry is set up now, there’s so many mainstream artists getting hits, going platinum. I ain’t even went gold yet. [But] I’ve just been going up on being on top of my business. Knowing what generates what and how I can be at a partnership with Epic Records, and I still own my masters. It’s because I’m strategic. There’s people rooting for me like, ‘Yeah you finally here.’ But there’s other people like, ‘How did he get here?’ He got no gold records, he ain’t on Billboard.
On Chance the Rapper being “Kanye on steroids:
Southside: Chance is Ye on steroids. He just is, music wise. He’s still himself.
G Herbo: He’s definitely Ye on steroids for sure. He’s doing everything that Kanye was supposed to [have] done on steroids. He donated a million dollars to Chicago Public School, he’s doing all this shit, he’s a politician, like for real. He’s showing everything that’s not getting recognition. There’s people everyday that’s donating to people to the homeless, to kids and really got organizations to make Chicago better, but that never make it on the news. Chance got organizations to make sure that that gets exposure, the shit that’s really getting done, so people on the outside can see it.