Hailing from Lake Worth, Florida, rapper $NOT has taken the underground by surprise with how fast he has managed to grow. The numbers on his videos run up to the millions, matched by his listens on streaming platforms, and he continues to build his social media fan base as well. From slower, more emotional tracks like “Stamina” to his biggest hit thus far “GOSHA,” $not has proven his ability to craft good music while showcasing his versatility.
Despite his quick and sudden prominence, little is known about $NOT. We recently spoke with the young artist to learn more about who he is, his music, and his plans for the future.
Could you quickly introduce yourself?
Alright, [laughs]. Well, I’m from Lake Worth, Florida. I like making music but I really love playing basketball. My favorite food is Chic Fil A.
How did you get into rap, and when did you decide that you actually wanted to become a musician?
In high school I always knew I was gonna make music. I used to listen to a lot of older rap growing up like Outkast, Lil Wayne, Pimp C, and when I was a freshman in high school I started to listen to Yung Lean and then I got into Raider Klan and they really inspired me to make music. I had bought a USB mic and one of my friends Wet Back Manny had bought a nicer mic and that’s when everything started to take off.
How did you settle on $NOT for your name?
I had the username @snot on Instagram and I just kept it. I could have named myself ‘Lil Hoodie’ or something but I just kept the name $NOT.
Continuing on with a basic introduction, how would you personally describe your style of music, what makes you stand out from everyone else?
My style of music is chill, dark, vibey, wavey, but all together. I stand out because I do what the fuck I want – I don’t know. I feel like everyone is doing the same thing and I’m not really following any sort of trends. I just do what I want to do.
What type of production do you specifically look for in your music?
I like slower beats. Chill, but not soft and the 808’s need to be booming. I been really fucking with this producer named YZ, his shit is super fire. He made the beat for “GOSHA” and some new music I have coming up.
Also how would you describe your evolution musically since you first started?
I used to rap fast, but now its just like – who cares? I have my own flow at this point and it’s been working. I think my newer music is a little more laid back, versus some of my older music. One of the biggest evolutions has been the quality, going from recording on a USB mic, to a nicer mic, to now recording in real studios has been making a difference.
Who are your biggest influences currently?
Russ. [Laughs] Wait, yo, delete that. Night Lovell, XXXtentacion, Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller. I really fuck with Xavier Wulf and Shawty Pimp.
“GOSHA” is one of your biggest tracks, and it seems to be very organic and effortless. What was the inspiration behind it, both sonically and visually?
I was just in my room and made the song. There was really no vision going into it other than like, I wanted to make a fire song. I was just sitting in my room at like 4AM in the morning working on the song. I was sick at the time, so it was taking me a while to make the song and I fell asleep when I was recording it. When I woke up I posted a snippet of it on my Instagram and my fans were freaking out, so I finished the song and dropped it on my SoundCloud the next day.
I noticed one of your Tweets was about still being independent. Are you just waiting for the right offer or a specific record label, or are you planning on remaining independent?
As of right now I’m cool with being independent because things are working. A bunch of labels have been hitting me up and all that. If I get offered the right deal then I wouldn’t be opposed to it, but I’m not about to sign for 25 racks cause I can make that on my own.
What are your plans for the future, musically? Any big collaborations or projects that fans could expect?
I’ve been working on a bunch of new music. We shot a video for Motorola when I was out in LA that is gonna be crazy. All my fans keep asking me about a collab with Wulf but I’m really just focused on making the best I can right now.
Is the next step to drop a full project? Or to continue with the singles, or something else?
Right now I’m gonna continue with singles. There might be a tape in the next year but I’m just working on music and going with the flow right now.
Listen to $NOT’s most recent single, “My Nightmare” down below.