2021 HipHopDX Rising Star Foogiano was recently interviewed in jail for a new BBC documentary called Forbidden America: Rapās New Frontline. During his conversation with journalist Louis Theroux, the Georgia rapper ā signed to Gucci Maneās 1017 label ā revealed he still wears a permanent $100,000 grill in his mouth, despite being incarcerated in Greensboro, Georgia county jail and serving a five-year sentence.
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āThis is where I grew up,ā he said. āLike, these are all my people. These guards, Iāve been coming to this jail since I was a little boy. This the jail, this is where Iām from.ā
Foogiano went into detail about his arrest and revealed he wonāt go anywhere without protection due to how often rappers are getting killed.
āI was in the backseat,ā he explained. ā[The gun] was under the front seat. I moved to a richer community, in the other city that I stayed in, and they knew who we were. So the police, the first chance they get, theyāre gonna get me. āCause they know weāre gonna have a gun in the car ācause Iām a rapper. I aināt going nowhere without somebody protecting me, just all this jewelry, my diamonds, all my money on me.ā
He added, āTheyāre killing rappers, you know? [The streets] are killing rappers. I aināt going like that. Jealous people. Haters. People that donāt got as much money as we have.ā
Foogiano admits he didnāt care that he wasnāt keeping a low profile while on the run after cutting off his ankle monitor.
āShit was building up,ā he said. āEverything was going good, and then boom, that happened. Thatās a setback, ācause I couldnāt do shows. I did some [shows under my own name]. I aināt care. We smart. I play chess, not checkers. The crowd aināt going to let [the police get me]. I used to ask the crowd every time, āThe police come in, you gonna let them get me?ā As soon as I got on the stage, everybody would say, āNo.'ā
He then opened up about his life taking a turn from the age of 12 after finding out the person he thought was his father, was actually his stepfather.
āAltogether, Iāve done 10 years,ā he explained. ā[From the] age of 12. See, I found out my father wasnāt my father ācause I thought my stepdaddy was my daddy ātil I was 12. My uncle got out of prison when I was 12 and he told me that my stepdaddy wasnāt my daddy. [My mom] didnāt want me knowing my daddy ācause my dad aināt shit. [I went] straight to the hood. On the streets, Iām bucking.
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āI donāt listen to nothing none of yāall say. I do what I wanna do. Why yāall lie to me? You donāt get to pick my life for me. Now, Iām going to pick my own life. I aināt proud of everything I did in the past, but it made me who I am so I stand on it.ā
Foogiano's Slick Wordplay & Infectious Energy Makes Him A HipHopDX Rising Star 2021!
Foogiano spoke more about people being jealous of his success after his oldest friend, Savon, explained how people tried to use him after he got famous.
āA lot of my other partners used to be jealous about it,ā Foogiano said. āLike, āWhy donāt I get to hold the money?ā Jealousy, envy ā you know, it be that. People aināt gonna show it, but you can tell it. Itās petty jealousies.ā
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No stranger to expensive grills, Foogiano previously bought a pair to put on his Nike Air Force 1s.
