Florida native Big Baby Scumbag has had a huge culmination of success in his relatively short tenure. Whether it be his personable charm or catchy one liners, Big Baby has poised himself to be the premiere star out of Tampa Bay.
Beginning his musical journey in 2015, Big Baby released “Tha Trenchez” featuring Lil Xela. It was from here Baby began to formulate his own career inspired by artists such as Lil B and Three 6 Mafia.
Following his breakthrough, Big Baby released smash after smash in the troves of the underground rap scene. Hits such as “Texaco“, “Jameis Winston“, “Hammer Time” and, eventually, the fan loved “Dale Earnhardt” all succeeded the debut of Baby to monumental praise from around the music industry.
Underground Underdogs spoke with Big Baby about his past, as well as his current and future life as a paragon of hip-hop.
How did the rise of Big Baby Scumbag begin, and who were some key people that helped start the journey?
Things started in 2015 when I put out my first song with my homie Lil Xela. I’ve been making music since then. A lot of Florida homies started helping me get on more shows around Florida which lead me to eventually go on my first tour alongside Lamb$ & Black Kray in summer of 2015.
While rappers from Rick Ross to Denzel Curry have made a name for Florida as a prominent hip-hop influencer, how has growing up in Tampa Bay influenced your sound?
I remember listening to Rated R, Tampa Tony, Tom G, Khia, Rated R, and a few other people growing up. I vividly remember trying to “cityboy” in elementary school. Their music brings be back to a simpler time and gives me that happy nostalgic feeling. I wanna be able to evoke that emotion when I make music.
Was there any other career you looked towards while you were younger other than taking the path of an artist? Did you have any side jobs through high school?
I had no jobs at all in high school. I didn’t work my first job til I was 18. It was CVS. They fired me in about a month for some dumb shit. Just about every job I’ve worked, I’ve either quit or got fired. Literally no job was left on good terms. I had dreams of playing sports, being in the medical field, being a scientist, all types of shit until music fell in my lap.
As a kid did you have any favorite hobbies growing up?
I was a heavy gamer up until middle school. When 6th grade came around I decided I wanted to start playing football. That was a big part of my life for a couple years until I realized I hate being yelled at and told what to do. Once I got to high school, I picked up skateboarding. I quit skating a few years ago but I’m still pretty good at it.
Other than The Pack, Gucci Mane and Juicy J, is there any other groups or people that have influenced you that your fans may not know?
Rich Kids, they’re a group out of Atlanta. Killarmy, Gravediggaz, & Sunz of Man. They’re affiliated groups with Wu Tang Clan. Children of The Corn as well.
Where did you come up with your whole wardrobe and style?
I can’t attribute one thing to the reason I dress how I dress. I don’t know, I just feel good in it.
You’ve mentioned in the past how you want to branch out from music to maybe acting or fashion down the road; have you had any opportunities and are you still open to the idea?
No opportunities yet but I definitely wanna pursue that eventually. Maybe even a movie or two. Big Baby on the big screen. Imagine that.
What’s your approach to writing when it comes to huge songs such as “Dale Earnhardt” or “Bruce Wayne”?
I honestly just pick a subject and run with it. “Dale Earnhardt” was an idea that was in my head for the longest. I just felt like I didn’t have the right beat for it yet. Same thing with “Bruce Wayne.” I write my songs around the beat. As soon as my homie Chris sent me the “Dale Earnhardt” beat, I knew that was the one. Without a doubt.
You’ve teamed up with TM88 and Zaytoven in the past, but if you could team up with any producer today who would it be and why?
There’s so many but I’ll keep it short. Southside of 808 Mafia, he’s so legendary in the game and he’s produced so much of the stuff that I grew up listening to. Juicy J, for the exact same reason. Lastly would be Timabland. I have Missy’s Supa Dupa Fly and Da Real World on CD. I play them religiously. I love how Missy effortlessly glided on every Timbaland beat and I feel like I’d be able to do something like that over his production.
Do you have a favorite line that sticks out to you whether it be how great it is or when you recorded it?
“Woke bitch asked what’s my sign, I said dollar sign.” I didn’t know how great that line was until I put out “Hammer Time.” Everybody started tweeting that damn line and making memes of it. I thought of that punchline a while ago but never bothered to put it in a song until “Hammer Time.” It’s always the punchlines you least expect to get attention that be the ones that everybody loves.
Other than receiving the praise of Dale Earnhardt Jr have you ever been star struck with anyone in particular that you’ve met or has told you they listen to your music?
Definitely, Waka Flocka DM’ing me was pretty crazy. I met Yung Lean for the first time at a VFiles event in NYC earlier this year and he knew who I was. Thanks to Bladee & producer Cady Cutthroat.
Do you have any newfound thoughts about the music industry ever since stepping in?
I’ve learned that there’s much more to stuff than the surface. My family and some of my friends that aren’t involved in music don’t see the process that goes into it making videos or recording/writing music. They just see the finished product. A lot of artists make it look easy.
What’s your best skateboard trick?
Nollie laser flip. There’s a vid out there of me from like 2010 doing one.
As a connoisseur of beer, what’s your preferred brand?
If I’m being cheap, Bud Light. If I want flavor, Shock Top. I like the orange tang it has.
How do you woo the older women?
I honestly don’t know! It must be the gold teeth or something. Most often, it’s always older white women that gravitate towards me. I think they probably want to live out some jungle fever fantasy they’ve always wanted to peruse. I don’t know, I’m not complaining though. I love the milfs.
If you were stuck with nothing to eat other than ramen noodle, what flavor would you choose?
I think chicken is the safest flavor you could go with. You can dress it up, or just eat it plain. Chicken is the gateway ramen flavor. Beef tastes too hearty and shrimp fishy to eat sometimes.
How was your performance at Rolling Loud Festival and was there anyone you were particularly excited to see or maybe even meet?
There was a few people I wanted to see perform. Unfortunately, I only went to Day 2 for my performance. I was in Atlanta on Day 1 and ended up shooting “Windows Down” with Oliver Francis on Day 3. I stayed in my trailer for the most part getting drunk and talking to friends. The only performance I actually seen was Chief Keef. All around, it was fun regardless. I brung Oliver out to perform with me. Plus we had a real leprechaun on stage. I won a free Xbox while I was there too. Shout out to Austin!
Oliver Francis is an artist that has only done one other collaboration to date, besides the two you’ve both done together. How’d you meet him and how was the experience touring together as well as making records?
Me and Oliver met over Twitter. A couple months before we followed each other, a friend of mines showed me his SoundCloud. Funny thing is I thought he was black until I seen a music video of his. He just has so much swag and confidence. He’s dope as hell. I only did four dates from his tour. DC, Brooklyn, Dallas & Houston. I wanted to the do California dates but I had a show in London around the same time so unfortunately couldn’t make it. Oliver and I are back on the road this fall. It’s gonna be fun as hell.
From interviews and fan interactions on Twitter, you seem to be a very humble person and down to Earth. What has kept you from falling into having an ego?
I think what keeps that from happening is I’ve come across a lot of artists that I thought were really cool, until I met them and found out they have trash personalities. I never want to give that vibe off to my fans. I definitely consider myself to be one of more relatable artists out there. I be on some regular shit just like my fans. I just make music.
Are there any plans to put together and release a mixtape or album soon?
I’m always thinking about it. I’m comfortable with my sound enough to drop one soon. I think there’s a lot of pressure behind everyone’s debut project. It’s like your first child. You want it to fully embody you in every way. I’ve been dipping my feet in a lot of different sounds lately. When it does drop, it’s gonna be something special for sure.
What are your thoughts of signing to a label currently? Has there been any negotiations you can talk about?
Working with a label is cool. Being independent is cool. It just depends on what you want out of your career at the end of the day, I guess. I can’t really lean towards one more than the other. Artists nowadays are so against major labels but it’s not totally out of the question for me personally.
What are your last words to your fans or upcoming future plans for Big Baby Scumbag?
Look forward to seeing Big Baby in a city near you! A whole lot of videos on the way, special guest features, merch, all that on the way! Shout out my camera man Pablo, producer friends, my management, all my fans, everybody behind me on my journey. Love you!