- The inspiration for me choosin' the name
'Die 4 Respect' is really just me wanting to be
respected in the music industry.
Bein' respected just means the most to me.
My music is up to par with everybody else,
it's just about people tappin' in and really
respecting my art.
You know what I mean?
After I released 'Valedictorian,'
I feel like I was still learning
and I was still, like, becoming the artist
and learning my sound.
I feel like with 'Die 4 Respect,' I know what my sound is,
I found my lane, you know,
and I found the type of music I want to make.
You know, I'm puttin' my all into it.
I've been working on it for a long time.
So, you know, I'm expecting it to go crazy.
I had way more features than what's on the tape,
but I sat down and I picked and choose,
and I wanted to make this, like,
a real body of work where everything ties together.
It's about what makes sense to me.
When it comes to picking features,
it's really about somebody that, you know,
I might have a relationship with
or somebody that I'm like a fan of.
What's good MTV News? I'm DDG
and you're checkin' out Featured.
So, one of the songs on 'Die 4 Respect'
it's called "Hakuna Matata,"
and it's featuring my homie, Tyla Yaweh.
So, I'm gonna see if he can tap into this interview.
- What's good, bro?
I got "Hakuna Matata" on 'Die 4 Respect'
featurin' my dog, Tyla Yaweh. What's good, bro?
- What's good my brother, how you doin'?
- I just wanted to come on here and just, you know,
speak to people and give 'em some insight.
How was it working in a studio with me? Keep it 100.
- It's always a vibe, bro. It's always on go.
You make music really quick.
We both freestyle on music really quick,
and it's just always on the go, on the go,
and it's always good energy.
- OK. OK. We really vibin'.
- I remember the first time we did a song,
you pulled up on me.
It was just off the rip, I'm like,
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like, everybody was sleeping,
and I knew what was goin' on, you feel?
- Genuine vibes only, man. "Hakuna Matata" goin' up.
- We 'bout to give them good vibes, that's it.
- "Hakuna Matata" means no worries, like, no worries,
there's nothin' to worry about.
Like, you hear in the hook, I'm basically sayin',
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You know what I mean? I done made it out the hood.
I got money -
I'm sayin' "Hakuna Matata."
But Tyla, I wanted to ask you, like,
what do you go about when you writin' a verse
or you featurin' with another artist?
Like, what's your process?
- I like to put myself in that artist's shoes
and seein' what they goin' through,
like feeling they emotions and stuff, so.
I wanna stay on the story, the exact story
of what you're saying.
I wanna legit talk about exactly what you're sayin'.
Like, what I went through. I went through the same thing,
so it was mutual feelings.
That's why we on the song together in the first place.
So, I just like to stay in the narrative with you, like,
tell the story with you,
what we went through, paint the picture.
- Fo' sho', fo' sho'.
- When you was making this process, like,
what was the emotions you went through?
Like, what did you have to, like, put in your head
to make all the songs that you made on your project?
I was trying to really just tap into like memories.
You know what I mean?
Like, I ain't wanna just ramble on this project.
I wanted to talk about some stuff that actually happened,
and stuff that you can actually, like, search up about me.
You know, I'm speakin' on it,
but just in a deeper, I'm goin' deeper wit' it.
So, I really wanted to just sit down and, like,
I don't know, tap into some old memories, some old thoughts,
whether it's, you know, some stuff that happened back home
or when I was in Michigan,
or like relationship-wise or anything -
'Cause I know everybody go through the same thing
at the end of the day.
So, you know, when you talk about stuff like that,
I feel like a lot of people can relate to it.
- That's real. That's real, for sure.
I'm excited. I'm really excited to hear this project
and I'm actually proud of you.
I watched you from the beginning, you know,
and your YouTube, everything.
- Appreciate it, man. Appreciate it.
All right, bro.
Appreciate you hoppin' on, tappin' into the interview.
'Die 4 Respect,' no cap, man.
All right y'all, I got another song on 'Die 4 Respect'
called "Get What You Want," featurin' PnB Rock.
And it's one of my favorites. It's a smash hit. So,
I'm gonna have him tap into the interview right now.
- Yur.
- What's good, PnB?
- My guy, what's up brudda?
I had to get a new one, you know.
- Ice, ice, no cap.
What you on? I see you floatin' in that thing.
- Yeah, man. I'm just on here with MTV News
talking about, you know, a few of the tracks
that's on my tape comin' out, 'Die 4 Respect.'
And we got that joint, "Get What You Want."
- Yeah. I can't wait till we come out with that one, man,
you know, visuals got to be brazy.
- It's more so, like, for the women, you know what I mean?
It's like, upliftin' a girl and lettin' her know, you know,
you can get what she want, you know
when you with a fly dude like me or PnB,
you know what I mean?
How did you feel when you heard the song, PnB?
- When I first, first heard it, man,
when it was finally complete,
I felt like it was definitely, like, a motivational song
for the girls that -
All the girls gon' be,
it's like a caption-ready song,
you know what I'm sayin'? Like,
everything that we say in there
is gon' be a caption. You feel me?
They gon' vibe to it, they gon' love it.
You know, it's gon' live for a long time.
I love the song. It was one of them ones.
- I feel like it's one of those timeless records.
- No kizzy.
- Best we gon' hit that radio.
- Well, that's a for sure one, locked in.
It was a no-brainer. You feel me?
Like, that was just a PnB vibe. You feel me?
Like, that was one of them.
It was easy for me to create to that song.
Like, probably came up with the verse in probably, what?
15 to 20 minutes, tops.
Yeah man, I been followin' DDG for a little while now.
I ain't gon' say I was one of the
first people that was up on him,
but when I came up on him, he wasn't, like,
fully rappin' yet.
He was just hintin' at it and tellin' people like,
"I'm gon' be one of these -
"Like, I'm one of the ones that can transition
"from this YouTube to the rappin',
"and I'ma show y'all, like." And I respect it, bro.
I seen it. I watched it come to fruition. You feel me?
Like, he said it, he did it, he meant it.
And he here now, you know,
with one of the G.O.A.T.s, one of the greatest.
And it's like, everybody that's on his tape
is well respected in the music industry,
and so that'll let you know right there like,
(beep) wit' DDG.
- Man, appreciate it man. (beep) mean a lot.
- No kizzy.
- All right bro, appreciate you tappin' in.
'Die 4 Respect' comin' out.
So y'all stay tuned.
Make sure y'all tap in and listen to "Get What You Want"
featurin' PnB Rock. It goin' up, no cap.
I know you busy man, I'ma let you go.
- Oh yeah, aye man, can't wait till that thing ring out.
We gon' go brazy this whole year,
2021 up until, no kizzy.
- All right y'all, I brought a few of my friends over,
you know, we got to speak about the tape, the album,
but that's all that I can give you right now.
But, if you want to hear them, also more features,
tap in to my project, 'Die 4 Respect,' right now.