BigXthaPlug welcomed music/rb-hip-hop/bigxthaplug-interview-country-album-i-hope-youre-happy-1236048607/”>Billboard to Los Angeles with a cease at Max City BBQ, the place he dug into smoked hyperlinks whereas ribs had been introduced out as an additional deal with. Between bites, the Dallas rapper opened up about how a tough time in jail grew to become the start line of his profession.

At simply 20 years outdated, he was serving time after a probation violation when his son Amar celebrated his first birthday. “It took a toll on me,” BigX defined. “And made me very emotional. So they [jail officials] had to confine me by myself. And in that confinement, I felt like I was losing myself mentally.” Looking for methods to maintain his spirit intact, he requested different inmates how they coped. One thought was to attempt writing, which quickly was rap lyrics scribbled on medical sheets since notebooks weren’t allowed. “I wasn’t planning to be a rapper,” he admitted. His focus shifted after he made a vow to Amar that “you’ll never not be with me ever again,” pushing him to discover a strategy to assist his household whereas staying current in his kids’s lives.

That determination set the stage for a breakthrough. Today, BigX boasts hit singles like “Texas,” “Mmhmm” and “The Largest,” together with a gold-certified album Amar in 2023 and a platinum venture Take Care in 2024. His third launch, I Hope You’re Happy, arrives this week via UnitedMasters. The file blends his Texas roots with nation influences and contains options from Bailey Zimmerman, Jelly Roll, Shaboozey, Luke Combs, Ella Langley, and Ink.

Now elevating two kids, Amar and Leilani, BigX was just lately honored with the Innovator Award at Billboard’s Country Power Players. He says this new album displays heartbreak, fatherhood, and development, whereas he additionally takes time to take pleasure in being a dad and keeping track of the approaching soccer season.