LUV4CLIP INTERVIEW

As many do, I was sifting through SoundCloud one day for new music until “LMK” by luv4clip came across my playlist. I know everybody has a couple songs that just give you goosebumps every time you hear it. That’s exactly what I was feeling. The rage beat was shaking my headphones, the lyrics were getting me hype, and I wanted to turn up in the middle of LAX. For my sake, I didn’t. But, I quickly went down a rabbit hole of Clippa’s music and it led me here. Born and raised in North Carolina, luv4clip discovered his love for music like many others do, freestyling with friends and imitating their favorite artists. After making the move to Atlanta at the age of 14, he quickly found his place in the competitive music scene. In 2021, Clippa made it clear that he could make music that would last with, "MP5/Gone." Not long ago, Clippa released his latest album “Colors,” making him one of the most consistent artist in the underground, and he has no plans on stopping. In this exclusive interview, we dive deep into his creative process, musical influences, and what sets him apart from the rest.

Let’s get into the origin of luv4clip. Explain the name and when did you start taking rap seriously?

I was watching a no jumper vlog in 2016. I saw Lil Pump say he was inspired by the pump of a shotgun. I thought about the clip of a gun. Like Lil Clip, but the ”Luv” came from my first girlfriend. The 4 is because I’m from the south, and we call that the 4. I got connected with Lil Tecca in 2019, he did some production for me and that’s really when I was like okay, I gotta keep going. He told me “being young and rapping is just cool so don’t stop. Stay grinding and hit the studio.”

At what point did you record a song and think, “Oh shit, I’m hard… I can hear it. I gotta keep going.”

When I made Capone. That was back in 2018-2019. It was one of the first songs on my Apple Music. I made that song in a hotel room. All my friends were asleep at that point, but I had my headphones plugged into my phone on garage band. I was flowing on it. When you’re walking on the beat, it’s just different. It feels natural. So the fact that I could really enjoy the song like i enjoy the other people’s music, I was like oh yeah, this song is it. Because before, I would cringe at my music whenever I’d go back and listen to myself. But this one was different. I could listen to it over and over.

What was it like to balance high school and the traction you were garnering in the underground music scene?

A lot of people just started following me and what I was doing. Even the people who were making fun of me in the beginning, they acted like they’d been rocking with me the whole time. I didn’t really pay any attention. I just kept doing me.

What do you actively do to expand your lyricism and improve?

I watch a lot of old DVD’s about Mobb Deep, G-Unit, and Stormzy honestly. He’s a U.K rapper. The way they rap is crazy, they really go crazy on the mic. I study real M’Cees. I get excited to learn about those kinds of artists.

So if you’re doing deep dives on YouTube, b-roll cuts etc. What does your search history look like?

I’ll type in Lil Wayne or Drake in studio. Just to see they’re work ethic and the BTS. Ever since Juice’s passing, they’ve been releasing a lot of audio only studio sessions on YouTube. I’ve been listening to all of those. The work ethic is what really draws my attention. Wayne, Youngboy, all those guys can drop 50 mixtapes a year if they wanted to. It’s crazy making that many songs. 

What are you biggest strength and weakness?

My biggest strength is coming up with a melody or something catchy, My biggest weakness is probably just running off on songs. I catch myself rapping two minutes into a song with no hook or anything.

I think it’s easy for artists to get caught up doing what they do and forget about how people digest your art. Whether it be creative writing, producing, or whatever it may be. How do you create the boundaries for yourself and draw the lines between freestyling on a beat and creating an actual song?

Really it happens whenever I listen back to the song is when I can figure it out. It’s like, is this an anthem? When I make music, I picture four kids in the car on a friday night. Would they listen to this? Would they put this on aux or would they tell em’, “yo turn this off.” 

You mentioned anthem. Let’s talk about LMK! Absolutely an anthem, and very replayable. Is that the first song where you realized, this one is a game changer?

I’m not gonna lie, that was one of the best days ever. That was one of the first times I smoked with my dad. I was moving to North Carolina, and he was moving too. So, it was like our final blunt. I got back home and it was an emotional time for me. I’m moving out the A, about to graduate high school. There was a lot going on. I figured I might as well make a final song. It’s crazy because there was nothing in the house. I was in the middle of my room with the mic in my hand, MacBook next to me, sitting on a mattress. Nothing else. That’s why is mixed like that. You can hear the echo in the back.  

It takes a strong creative mindset in order to channel your emotions into a song. Have there been any times where you find your emotions taking over a song, and not in a good way?

The song “Stars Aligned” for sure. I’m not gonna lie, I was really sad. But, I was just flowing on it. Every song I make is about someone or something. There would be songs I drop on a Friday, and a girl will text me the next day. “I know that song was about me.” I’ll say something that only she would know. That’s why I have characters in my tapes and projects. My first EP was called “Two Faced.” I was half skeleton, half person. It symbolized the good days and the bad days. Mistaken was with a ninja mask, Goblin on Earth, I was like an alienated person doing my own thing. Going back to Mistaken, I was talking about fake friends, Goblin on Earth was all about getting money.

A friend of mine interviewed Lukrative the producer awhile back (S/O Chandy and UVW). He asked him who he’d like to work with in the future. His answer was Lil Uzi and Future. A year or so later he produced a few songs on the Baby Pluto album. With that being said, I fully believe in manifestation. Who would you like to work with and why?

I’d have to say Lil Uzi, Youngboy, Pharrell, Young Thug and Chris Brown for sure. They’ve influenced me and my own sound for sure.

Being consistent, and dropping regularly can be a big challenge for an artist. Whether it’s writing slumps or not knowing which direction to go with a project. Is that something you encounter? If so, how do you counteract it?

I’m not gonna lie, I just got over one. It usually happens every time I drop a tape. It’s like I just used all my thinking skills. It takes about a week for me to take some time after I drop and go hard again. You just have to find that inspiration. It takes time.

I’ve seen you seamlessly switch from rapping to singing, so I can see the Chris Brown influence. Especially in your song, Rebound. That’s the perfect song to showcase the influence. Have you been experimenting with your sound?

I’ve been mixing and trying different beats. I feel comfortable with my sound, but I want to keep expanding as an artist. I want to learn how to produce as well. That’s where that Pharrell influence comes from.

Whenever I came across your music, I listened to your entire discography at once. Truthfully, there’s not one bad song. It’s unusual to find that much consistency in a young artist. How does it feel to hear that from someone else’s perspective?

I feel like I haven’t even put in the work I really can. What I’m doing now is nothing compared to what I can. It’s super fire hearing that from someone else though.

You’re coming from the 2018-2019 SoundCloud era. It’s no secret that it takes time to gain traction, some get lucky. But at some point, people get their names called to bigger stages, some don’t. Where do you see yourself in a year or two?

I’d like to grow my social media brand to around 100-200 thousand followers and my streams to be in the millions for sure. I need more music videos as well.

What has been your biggest success and toughest learning experience?

I’ve had people tell me my shit was trash to my face. I’ve had the same people telling me everything was fire in my comments. I think proving people wrong has been my biggest success. My biggest lesson learned I’ve learned is that not everyone is my friend. Even when they claim to be. There’s a lot of super weird activity. I just gotta focus on myself.

I’ve seen a few of your songs used as sounds to highly viewed TikTok videos. What’s your view on the parallel relationship between the music industry and TikTok?

I love what it does for the artists. I love watching people grow. You see everyone interacting and dancing to your music, it’s cool to see.

You’re from Atlanta but you currently live in North Carolina. Can you tell me how the Atlanta rap scene differs from other cities based on your own experience?

You’ll find a lot of wanna-be Lil Baby rappers, but when you really go into the SoundCloud scene of ATL artists, you’ll find a lot of different sounds. Everybody knows everybody too.

What are some advantages and disadvantages of using SoundCloud as a platform?

An advantage is the listeners. When people find you, it’s a cool community. A disadvantage is some people will look at you negatively, like “oh he’s just a SoundCloud rapper.” Yes, you are a SoundCloud rapper, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Carti was, so was Uzi. A lot of the mainstream rappers were SoundCloud rappers at one point.

I’ve seen some wild merch from artists, for better or worse. Is this something you plan on diving into?

Yeah it’s something I want to do for sure. I want people to feel comfortable wearing it though, whether it be kids or adults.

As an artist who continues to grow and have new opportunities presented to yourself, what are some values you hold true to yourself and what are some goals of yours?

Really, I was inspired by X. One of my big goals is to donate and be a hero to kids. I know I have a lot of people who count on me. I can’t let them down or myself down. I’m like a hero to some people, not going to lie.

Do you have anything dropping anytime soon?

Oh yeah, I’m biker boy stage right now. I love the outsiders, so I’m definitely in my Greaser stage. I’ve had something called Outsiders Only since 2019. I’m really trying to get it established with about five close friends in Atlanta. Everyone is just on some cool, magical music shit. 

Listen to his latest album, Colors.

Colt Walker x Luv4Clip x No Apathy

Styled by Dakota Griffin