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After that first taste of stardom, shit hit the fan.
The 30-year-old is in a better place.
Hes staying on his shit by way of spending more time with his family and friends.
What hasnt changed?He was, and still is, TDEs secret weapon.
How are you feeling?Right now Im feeling really good, energized.
I be in a pretty chill mode usually, Im just excited about this album coming out.
As it gets closer, Im starting to feel more like a kid on Christmas.
From pollution or whatever the fuck, if you want to go on a macro scale.
If you want to go micro: Your cribs fucked up.
[it’s possible for you to] still fix that, but you cant dwell on it.
And you cant take a stab at fix something thats on fire, but you could definitely start over.
Theres no shame in starting over.
Off top of the head, dont question them.
Just do it and build upon them jot down shit.
I think just about everything is.
HB2U, From the Garden is technically a freestyle.
Most of it is freestyle, I cant even think of which ones werent.
Do you prefer doing it that way?Hell no, I just had to try it.
I had to give it a shot.
Its fun, though.
Its a quicker process, but I wouldnt say I like it more.
Well, from what I heard, the freestyling seems to work.Thank you.
In yourFadercover story, you described having the quickest fall from grace.
Ive been just staying connected to my friends and my management more than I was before.
And just staying busy or at least staying busy with somebody, you know?
Keeping my shit together.
You also mentioned in that cover that you spent a lot of money on your friends during that time.
How much of that was you being nice versus people taking advantage of your generosity?
Have you had to cut off anybody?Fifty-fifty.
I aint really cut off nobody, just readjusted relationships.
We done went through rough patches and shit, but I aint cut off nobody.
How has your relationship with your older music, the stuff you recorded not sober, changed?
But the changes are just … Im older.
My family [matters] even more than it used to.
Im not really good at examining my own changes, Im gonna keep it a bean with you.
Im so in the present.
Sometimes I look back.
What are some of the major changes youve seen in the industry since five years ago?
You just adjust to it.
People like long songs if its a good tone.
People like anything thats good; it’s possible for you to watch a three-hour movie if its good.
Theyll watch or listen to whatever as long as its good.
I consider the length of a project, but not the length of a song.
Of course, the managements grown and we have new artists and people around.
Thats been really the only difference.
We seem closer this past year, too.
So the expectation is, like,Just ensure its good.
check that the outcome is high quality.
And I think we did that.
If I was doing it strictly for myself, the material would be different.
Im just hype to be here.
Do something thats going to do something better for your life.
We got too much time out here to self-destruct.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
