About Lil One - Commentary
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Letra
Welcome from California to wherever the sound of my voice is reaching your eardrums. You are watching and/or listening to Indie Monday #23, an artist outreach program held up by contributors to Genius, the world's #1 lyrics program. Today, I am joined by Kid Rohan, our guest speaker, rapper, singer-songwriter, and motivational speaker. I am ToxiPlays, representing Indie Monday and the Genius community as a whole.
Would you like to make any comments before we begin?
I've never done this before. You said motivational speaker... dawg, I was a motivational speaker, and then I started being like, "I used to watch King Nabi when I was younger, bro." And I just started— I forgot that that was a thing, bro. I'm like an unmotivational speaker now, like the complete opposite.
I guess the first actual question I wrote down is; what came first for you, YouTube or music?
Ah, it's a hard one 'cause they both came at the same time. Pause, um...
Okay.
I think I was like ten years old making YouTube videos, I wasn't takin' it seriously I was just making shit on iMovie. But around the same time, I was ten years old, I was making poetry and starting to do like little joke raps similar to Epic Rap Battles of History. Those were happening at the same time, and then I took a huge, huge break from taking YouTube seriously. I'm talking like, damn near eight years. Of like— prolly not even eight years, prolly like twelve. Because I really started taking YouTube seriously again at like twenty-two years old.
So I been definitely into music way longer, seriously. But I technically started YouTube at the same time and I just took a huge break from YouTube. I still watched YouTubers but I just wouldn't create content. Whereas through this period of time from ten years old to twenty-three I was making music consistently. Eh, not consistently, I started really going taking out ham at like, I would say eighteen. But I was ramping up. I was slowly getting more consistently from ten to twenty-three.
You mentioned watching YouTubers, would you like to name any in specific that inspire you? YouTube-wise or even music-wise.
ImDontai, KSI, are huge ones. I would say, duplee is a commentary channel, one of my favorite YouTubers. Those are the main ones, oh, I used to watch King Nabi, I watched King Nabi but this is not good to say anymore. I would watch shofu, I'd watch Oddwin. Dontai and KSI are the people I watched the most. I'd literally go home and I'd watch an ImDontai video. That's what my routine was. I was supposed to be doing homework, y'know, like a good Indian boy, but I was watching ImDontai. Y'know, and that was my discovery. It's like drag queen, like ImDontai was the drag queen for YouTube, of me. Like he introduced me to— I don't know if that's the right analogy. But like, y'know what I mean? Like he, like he introduced me to the YouTube scene.
Knowing that you consider yourself a motivational speaker, at least, up until now, what's one piece of advice you would offer to a younger version of yourself to help them in this journey?
I still do consider myself to have motivational aspects but I just think it's just funny how it's like not the traditional motivational at all and it's complete like, very unserious deliverly. But I still consider myself caring about motivational topics.
Make the best thing possible is my advice. Stop tryna take shortcuts, make the best blank ever. Think, "Best, best, best" instead of, "How can I put in the least amount of effort to get the most result?" And like sometimes when I try to hop on trends or this or that like sometimes I'm like, "Oh, everyone's talking about Squid Game. Let's make a song on Squid Game, and maybe I'll be able to put this in and get a trend", don't think that way 'cause it's never worked for me at least.
You can make some great stuff, like, I'm proud of what I made there, but just don't try to take shortcuts. Make the best thing. Because that's the one rule that actually got me out of the situation I was in for so many years.
That's a good piece of advice. You've been pushing
UNBRKBLE
, your brand, for a couple years now. I wanna know a little bit about what it was like in the beginning stages. What motivated you going forward with it despite any setbacks, deadlines, obstacles? How did it all begin, basically?
So, UNBRKBLE is our Discord server, and it's a brand I push by because I feel like it's the one word that I can say I am. I've never been seen as the guy with the best discography, or the guy who's the most serious to a lot of people, but the one thing that people can uniquely identify me as is somebody who consistently shows up and does things, and keeps their promises. Which is why I chose the name UNBRKBLE.
Kind of why UNBRKBLE is what it is, this community and this Discord server is, when I was growing up, I was the least popular artist in my high school. I tried to be taken serious by people so many times, and I feel like I couldn't win the approval of anyone within my college or high school. And it was just this moment of, "Fuck it, dude. If nobody thinks I'm the one, then I'm going to create a community that has those values, and values what I think should be valued." And UNBRKBLE became that, it's all these people who are such good artists, and hard-working people, but for some reason the traditional landscape doesn't acknowledge them and give them the opportunities, until we just create the opportunities for ourselves. So if we're all just creating those opportunities then it's like, we can finally get motion by just helping each other out, that's exactly what happened.
Now, UNBRKBLE— I feel like it has more presence than a lot of Discord server communities bigger than it. And a lot of the artists are getting connections, even though they've always been good. But it's just 'cause they're in a community, including me, who are just in a community with each other. So it's just this anti-pretentious community of, let's all help each other grow and actually get to live off this eventually, and, if nobody's going to say we're the ones, then we're going to be supportive to each other. That's the deeper motivation behind it, bro. I was kinda mad, bro, I was mad at everyone just not giving me the time of day.
That's kind of inspiring, though.
I appreciate it, yeah.
I saw Kid Wcked, dude, Kid Wcked would be posting all the time. Even before I talked to Kid Wcked for the first time, I was like, "Why does this guy not have so, so, so much more audience for the amount of work he's putting in?"
Same with you. I was like, she's grinding— y'all are just grinding, but you're not in the conversation of this weird YouTube scene or whatever, I'm like, I'm not in the conversation either. Y'all are grinding harder than anyone else, what are we doing? Same with brae, these are all people who didn't have— including me— we didn't have a brand backing us or a creator backing us or an artist backing us, but we were genuinely the hardest-working people, y'know. And it's, let's show up and show people what they missed out on. And now I feel like, arguably, all of us are in the best positions we've ever been with our music careers. In terms of people knowing who we are, wanting to collaborate with us, streams that we're pulling.
And I feel like it's only gonna get better, and all those idiots who passed us, like, "Oh, how did he do it? How did Wcked get here? How did Toxi get here?" And it's like, y'all weren't here since 2024, or 2022, we were grinding. So it's like, that's also a message of it, I'm kind of mad at people, and I'm just going to turn my pettiness into action, y'know.
It's the greatest motivator, honestly. Getting back at people by success, that's beautiful. I'd say, anyway. You mentioned how UNBRKBLE has helped elevate artists, and that leads to my next question. What would you say is the coolest or most awesome opportunity that you've received because of your work in UNBRKBLE?
I just think it's the people. I could tell you the coolest thing I've done, but I feel like the coolest thing I've ever received as an artist is just, this sounds so corny, but genuinely, people like you, and Wcked. If you look at these calls we've been able to have, the camaraderie, I feel like my lifeblood is being a creator. And being able to have the privilege to talk to creators like you and Wcked, and genuinely become friends. I feel like y'all understand me on a level most people don't. I just think the coolest part of UNBRKBLE is genuinely the friends we made along the way. Wcked, and you, and all these amazing people in the server.
So, within the context of the interview, I'd definitely say you, Wcked, everyone else in the Discord. The people, the friends— genuinely the friendships, J.B.S., RO-B. Z., the friendships that I've made with these people is genuinely the coolest thing. Y'all make me feel so understood and appreciated. I think that's the coolest part that I've specifically gotten for it.
Amazing. I love that, I love that. Is there anything current that you're working on now that you would like to tease with the platform that I'm providing right now?
Yes, I just got in a four-hour call with one of my friends, and he's like, bro, you need to promote your music in your YouTube videos. He's like, nobody even knows you do music. I have an album coming out this year called Unapologetic. And there's some singles from it out, like "BATMAN *", "LIKE ME *", but this project, I can confidently say I've never made a more focused project in my life. And I feel like, in terms of focus, this is my best one, and I'm really, really, really excited to present it. It'll be coming out later this year, I'm just gearing it up. And I'll be coming back to YouTube very soon with a lot of videos, so... Unapologetic is the main thing I want to announce, I've not really announced it apart from a stream yesterday. So, fresh news.
For prosperity purposes, that stream yesterday was your unboxing of your plaque?
Yes. I then privated the stream to gatekeep. So now, technically, you're the first released thing with it.
Okay. So that was my official questions, but I did also ask members of UNBRKBLE and Genius to make their own questions. And I'm going to run through some of them right now.
Yes.
Sam-with a bunch of m's-249
asked: "Kid Rohan, what will your child be called if they go into music?"
Um. Uh. ToxiPlays.
Hahaha, okay. Phenomenal answer.
autumns
, a Genius Editor, asks, "What possessed you to put a ToxiPlays feature on your new album? Could you please reconsider?" It has two :fire: reactions and two :retweet:s.
Uh, that project was just put out because the songs were great but I just couldn't find a place for them. As far as actual ToxiPlays features, if you don't like them, I have bad news for you. I have three more, no four, four more collaborations with Toxi that are in the process of happening. Three are recorded. Bad news, Toxi and I are going to be working on a lot of stuff. I think in the future too. We have a project, UNBRKBLE SOUND, I shouldn't be leaking this but I'm going to. That'll be later on, but Toxi's on that as well. And there's another project, but that's— yeah that's just, I wanted to get it out 'cause Toxi put effort in it and I think the song is great. I dropped it on that mixtape for that reason.
Kyeler
is actually one of our other interviewers here at Indie Monday and he has a question here that says, "What's your favorite color?"
Orange.
Alekazam
, of Genius, asks; "When are you going to say 'momma'"?
These are all just troll questions, I'm guessing. This is interesting, they got the chance to ask… "When are you gonna say, 'momma'?" I don't even know what that means.
SayDada
, I guess.
I have new SayDada music coming soon, I think. Maybe, I don't know if it's coming soon. There's music out there that hasn't released. That's all I can say.
I have a couple from UNBRKBLE, CrookedBDawg asks, "Where do you see yourself in ten years from now?"
Okay, this is a good one. I like this. I would like to be on the level of, y'know, KSI or something, in terms of YouTube. Or maybe a lil' less, I don't know if I wanna be that big. Maybe I will. But I wanna be even with music. I want my YouTube and music to be even. I'm talking like ten mil' each subs or something like that. I don't know, something like that where it's like, I feel like I wanna make it even presence. KSI has a huge YouTube presence, but the YouTube is much bigger. I'd rather have like less YouTube more music. He's prolly got like twenty million YouTube and like five million music. I'm thinking like ten-ten. So kinda like the average. I wanna be known in both areas.
I don't know how big I'd like to be. I'd like to just make the best stuff. I'd like to get pretty big though. Honestly, that diamond playbutton, like I'd like to push this shit to the farthest. Especially in ten years, I think I can do it in ten years. And I would like UNBRKBLE to be a much, much, much bigger community.
Crooked also asks, "Are you mentally healthy?"
Ooh, that's a good one. I don't think so. I think, no. Uh, I feel like my life mentally has only gotten better since highschool. Highschool was like lowest. 'Cause like colleges, you're not getting into the colleges you want, Indian shit, y'know. And then, you go to college, and I was lonely 'cause post-Covid you don't know anybody and your school, you go to a different state, I went to Indiana. It still got better. Now, it's the best it's been.
But I also have to deal with— everytime you get like a 100k subs, or somethin' like that, there's a bunch of bullshit that comes with it. And the bullshit only gets bigger the more the success gets. And it's like the loss principal of one hate comment hurts as much as ten love comments help. Negativity will stick out more than positivitity in terms of how we perceive things. So, I'm dealing with more negativity than I've ever dealt with because I'm dealing with more positivity than I've ever dealt with before. When it comes to like, cancel of plans, or random grapevine people talking shit, you just deal with a lot of mini problems. And I think currently I'm getting bogged down by a lot of it. I feel like the pressure does like not fall off, which scares me. But, overall, it's getting better. But, to be honest it's never been great. I don't think I'd be making as much music as I, as I would if I was happy. Y'know? I don't know, but I'm fulfilled. I'm pretty fulfilled.
There's like moments, y'know? Like, this is a moment. Talkin' with ToxiPlays brightens my day, y'know? I'm gonna glaze ToxiPlays, 'cause I mean it. Like, talking with my friends and having people, those moments feel good. But when it comes to that, like, algorithm bullshit, like, it's easy to get trapped in that, y'know? You're not face-to-face with people.
Resource
from UNBRKBLE asks, "Do you like Cheetos?"
Um, Flaming Hot Cheeto Puffs. Yes, love 'em. I have an arsenal of the exact foods I like and that's one of them.
Do you wanna name any others since you have an arsenal?
Okay, peach rings, uh, Flaming Hot Cheeto Puffs, Baskins Robbins cotton candy, plus chocolate, ice cream, one scoop of each. And then, uh, I actually write— I have a chocolate, I have a sweet one, and then I have an ice cream, and then I have a chip one. I don't know, I think that's savory? I don't know what it's called. But my chip one is Flaming Hot Cheetos. My ice cream is one scoop chocolate, one scoop cotton candy. My fruity snack is peach rings. And my chocolate snack actually right now is Feastables Milk Crunch. So everytime I treat myself, I get one of each. That's like heaven to me. And then if I were to pick a soda, Coca-Cola Orange Cream. If I were to pick a caffeine drink it'd be PRIME orange, or Dream Pop PRIME. That's my whole arsenal.
You guys couldn't expect a Kid Rohan interview without Feastables being bought up at least once.
Bro, I'm trying to give the bro a chance, and the milk crunch is pretty good. I think it's pretty good. And I heard they're healthier than the Hershey's one, so I don't know.
Daffy wants to know: "What's your dream collab feature-wise, and dream collab producing-wise?"
Wow! Uh, dream collab feature-wise: Drake, Young Thug, Eminem. Dream collab producing-wise? I mean, I don't wanna just produce for someone. I don't wanna be in the cuck chair. Let me participate, y'know?
[
Laughs
]
But, if I were to say producing, I guess Eminem, y'know? I'd wanna produce for him too, but I wanna be on the track. So I think Eminem, Drake, Young Thug are my dream features. There's some people I wanna meet, but I don't know if we'd sonically make a banger, like Big Sean, 'cause we're too similar, I think. Maybe not though, I love Big Sean. But I feel like Eminem, Drake, and Young Thug would bring something out of me.
I'm just imagining the Rohan-Young Thug track. That would be...
I think that'd be so good. It would not be like the one where he says the slurs and stuff, like it'd be a different track. I would not want that.
No. It would be an interesting intersectionality of two different music styles, for sure.
I think it would genuinely be great. You know how I did the Wayne thing? The Wayne feature?
Yeah.
I actually have one with Young Thug and Pharrell, but I don't know if I can put it out. So technically, I already can accomplish this. And I have one with Eminem. And I have one with Drake actually! Wait a second, wait a second... I already accomplished this!
[
Laughs
]
I don't think the label will clear the Eminem one. I don't think they'll clear the Young Thug one. I have one with Young Thug and Pharrell. And I have the Drake one that technically released and unreleased. So, like, I've already accomplished my goal. I'm pretty goated, without even doing—
Living your dreams, bruh.
Living my dream, bro, just look at me, man. I'm DJ Khaled without the weight, bro. Let's go.
Speaking of "living the dream", can we expect more gaming content in general? And that's specifically because of your
Tomodachi Life
streams that you've been doing recently.
Yes. I really wanna create a storyline with what I'm doing, and I saw the Tomodachi thing as a way to create that, and that's why I did it. I'm down to do gaming content, but I like to structure it around a story.
Tomodachi, Living the Dream, my whole thing with that will continue. I've just been taking some time off from it 'cause I'm going to be going on a trip soon...
Right.
...which I won't elaborate on for reasons of safety, but content will be filmed. So Tomodachi will be coming soon. I think I'll have more gaming streams as we go.
That's all the questions I have for you. Do you have any general comments you wanna make before we close off?
Uh, genuinely, Toxi is a genius. I'm not even talking about that platform. If you would like to support Toxi, please support ToxiPlays. I mean that, I'm not even just self-promoting or anything.
Man, this interview is supposed to promote
you
. What are we doing here?
Listen, you're my dawg. I wanna let people know that you're not just some random interviewer. If people think that, I don't know if people do. I mean, you're kinda famous in the Genius community.
Make sure to follow ToxiPlays. Make sure to check out what ToxiPlays is doing. ToxiPlays is such a hard-working person, creative person, nice, kind person, funny person. She lights up every room she's in, so make sure to follow her on the platforms.
Also, Unapologetic—my project—will come out later, but don't really worry about that right now. You'll know when it comes out. That's what I got to say.
Shoutout to ToxiPlays, genuinely. Adding such a bright light to our community, such a bright light to all the Discord communities she is in.
Well, thank you all for listening, thank you all for watching, and—
Why are you so corporate?!
[
Laughs
] I don't know, I just... [
stammering
]
You're one of the people who can't take compliments. Every time you get complimented, you turn into 144p, bro.
Okay, it does mean a lot to me that you'd use your general-comment prompt to shout me out specifically. I didn't expect that, but I do really appreciate that, on a real note.
Of course. I mean it. I genuinely mean it. Like, if you're a fan of mine, they've known me before you've probably even known who the hell I am. Since like 2020, 2021, they've known who I am. And I've seen them work in the sidelines, just like Kid Wcked. Both of them just work, work, work. Get so much stuff out, build and develop their sounds. These are people who don't talk shit, they do shit. So, whenever I see someone like that—it's really hard to find someone like that. Yeah, ToxiPlays? Definitely check out ToxiPlays. I genuinely mean it. I wanna use that comment to say that.
Alright, awesome. Thanks everybody for listening, thanks everybody for watching, and we'll see you next Monday!
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