4batz’s meteoric rise to fame is something you don’t see often. Having only three official songs out at the time, the Dallas crooner received major cosigns from music legends like Drake, SZA, and Ye. Inevitably, it didn’t take long for people to start calling him an industry plant secretly funded by a record label.
Today (April 29), 4batz addressed the public’s skepticism in an interview published by GQ. The publication specifically cited an instance where Joe Budden accused him of being artificial intelligence. “Who the f**k is this kid?” the podcaster questioned in a clip from March. “That n**ga’s name sounds AI-ish.”
“I think it’s kind of cool,” 4batz responded. “It’s like I’m the boogeyman. [Then] people are going to meet me and be like, ‘Oh, this is a regular hood n**ga.’”
The conversation then shifted to 4batz’s aesthetic. The “act iii: on god? (she like)” singer has regularly sported a mask, which most people typically associate with rappers — notably Pooh Shiesty and, more recently, Ye. Although categorically, the mysterious artist’s tracks have leaned more into R&B.
“We’ve been wearing ski masks since we was kids. It’s not no costume, bro. It’s just how I ride,” 4batz shared with GQ. “Ain’t nothing calculated. I did it because this is my type of s**t. I’m bringing people to my world, and if they like it, they like it. If they don’t, I don’t give a f**k. It’s like a door: If you want to get in, ‘Hey, come on; we’re partying in here.’ But if you don’t, ‘Hey, stay your little dumb a** outside, then. We’re chilling.’”
4batz also revealed the advice he got from Ye, who’s expected to appear on his debut EP: “He was telling me, ‘Get used to it because you here now. People are going to look at you like a walking ATM, but you’re going to see through that. You know what I’m saying? Because you a star.’”
In March, Drake hopped on the remix of “act ii: date @ 8.” The collaboration received mixed reactions but fared pretty well on DSPs, with Spotify recording over 69 million streams to date.