Tour Tales | Bfb Da Packman doesn’t rehearse before shows: “I only have one chance to impress you motherfuckers anyway”

In this installment of “Tour Tales,” the “Joe Exotic” artist explains his onstage chemistry with Sada Baby, what went into his first-ever Rolling Loud performance, and more. Read here!

Musicians are barely getting a slice of music industry revenue, largely eating off of live performances instead. For ‘Tour Tales,’ we dig into the rider requests, delayed shows, diligent preparation, and future of touring by talking with the multitude of people that move behind the scenes. Record executives, photographers, tour managers, artists, and more all break down what goes into touring and why it’s still so vital to the livelihood of your favorite artists. What happens on tour stays on ‘Tour Tales.’

Bfb Da Packman has only been performing live for 10 months, and within that time he’s put on some of the wildest sets at places like Rolling Loud. But, he’s not your usual rapper… “After the shows, I be going back home to my kids and shit. Or, I’ll go back to the hotel and get some sleep. I’m not really a rapper rapper for real,” he told REVOLT.

In this installment of “Tour Tales,” the “Joe Exotic” artist explains his onstage chemistry with Sada Baby, why he doesn’t rehearse before shows, and what went into his first-ever Rolling Loud performance. Read below!

What was the first live show you ever did?

It was in October in [Dayton], Ohio last year. It felt good as hell. It felt like I was made for this. I felt that way because of the way the fans reacted. I was fairly new and they knew the words. They welcomed me in to their city.

What songs got good reactions?

“Free Joe Exotic,” “Snack Time,” “Northside Ghetto Soldier,” and “To Go Plate.” My shows are disgustingly nasty, fun, and safe.

You first performed your Sada Baby collaboration “Free Joe Exotic” in Houston’s Club Space last year. How did that come about?

It was fucking phenomenal. My engineer threw the show because he throws shows, as well. He was like, “Bro, come through and perform.” I was like, “Bet.” Sada and I on stage are crazy, but we’re like that in real life too. The crowd reaction was crazy.

Did you two hang out after the show?

Nah. After the shows, I be going back home to my kids and shit. Or, I’ll go back to the hotel and get some sleep. I’m not really a rapper rapper for real.

How do you balance family life and live performances?

I don’t. I do a terrible job at it, trust me.

Are you missing birthdays?

Hell no. Fuck no! What?! I’m bad as far as communication with my baby mama and my mama. Other than that, I’m there if I need to be there.

Talk about your recent Sacramento show.

Man…that show (laughs). That Sacramento show was something different. The beautiful thing about the Bay Area is they love me to death. There were niggas in there with guns and everything. They were in the venue with guns, no cap. But, they weren’t trying to hurt me. They were in there protecting me. They pointing their beams and shit, real dangerous shit. But, it was all love. It wasn’t any fuckery.

Rolling Loud was unquestionably your biggest performance. How did you prepare?

I don’t rehearse. I just go out there and do that shit. Ain’t no time to prepare or do your Google searches. You came this far, let’s just keep it going. From that point on, I made that promise to myself since the beginning of my career when “Free Joe Exotic” took off: It doesn’t matter what I have to do, however I got to do it, it’s going to get done. I ain’t practicing. I’m just going to go in there and do that shit to the death because I only have one chance to impress you motherfuckers anyway.

Weren’t you dry humping someone on the Rolling Loud stage?

Yes, yes, yes. It was a heavy-set Black woman. You feel me? It was a real Black chocolate woman. It wasn’t no Instagram model, she looked like she was from out the middle of the projects. Those are the type of ones I like to show love and respect to because they’re the most realistic ones. I just pulled her out of the crowd. We didn’t plan anything.

Was there a moment at Rolling Loud that made you sit back in awe?

Yep, when they were slightly singing “Ocean Prime.” They were slightly singing it because they didn’t know the words all the way but they knew the words a little bit. It was a new song and they were still slightly singing it.

Rolling Loud is like a big ass convention for rappers to connect and I saw you linked with Ski Mask The Slump God backstage.

I’m going to let you in on something. Ski Mask was supposed to be on “Ocean Prime.” Yeah, he was supposed to be on that.

What happened?

Shit, I sent it over and I guess he didn’t have time. Vince Staples was supposed to be on “Frenchmen” with Benny the Butcher. I show love and I’m a lovable ass nigga, but a lot of times these niggas don’t be fucking with me. That’s what makes me not be a rapper rapper.

The DJ/artist relationship is crucial to a live show. How did you pick your DJ and build your chemistry?

That’s my guy. Real talk, my homeboy Chris was like, “Bro, I’m your DJ. Just let me be your DJ.” I was like, “You deejay?” I saw this video of this nigga at the club and had the club going crazy. I was like, “This nigga about to be my DJ.” So, I brought him out for this Rolling Loud shit and we’re going to go big.

What do you need backstage to have your best show?

I need cauliflower honey BBQ wings, water, and donuts. Also, you can’t forget the ranch with the cauliflower wings. Do not forget the ranch, please.

What do you have coming up for 2021?

I have about two festivals, Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash, Boosie Bash, and a couple of other shows. I’ll also be doing an actual tour run starting December into January. I want to do everything to death. I want to show love.