HD4President on Moving Past The Pain, Finding His Own Way & Celebrating Life (Interview)
From being the hottest rapper in his city to doing numbers with arguably the hottest viral song since Erica Banks' “Buss It”, with Touch Down 2 Cause Hell (Bow Bow Bow)”, HD4President has always been on his campaign. Coming from being overlooked and underrated, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana artist didn’t let the naysayers get to him, keeping his vision in tact, while blocking out the noise and paving his own path to success.
Although he had many reasons to dive into past pain and trauma, HD4President decided to take the positive route, which you can find in the sound of his music... which sounds a lot like celebration, fun, and success ... which Hype Off Life is all about!
So, it was only right to sit down with HD4President for an exclusive interview. Get to know HD4President below, where we chopped it up about everything - from growing up on “400 Degreez” and having stars like Monica and Gabrielle Union make videos to “Touch Down” to being the underdog, moving past pain and finding his own way. Right now and only on Hype Off Life 👊🏾
Your sounds brings back early 2000s, Cash Money nostalgia with a twist. I know 400 Degreez was very influential to you. Which track off the album inspired you the most?
Most definitely 2000s Cash Money is where my sound comes from because that's my favorite group of all time and the reason why I started rappin'. 400 Degreez is a big part of my life; my favorite track would have to be "Juvenile On Fire" and "Gone Ride With Me" off that album. They anthems in Louisiana, so we all grew up to it.
Growing up, what did it mean for you to see Baton Rouge artists like Kevin Gates and Boosie Badazz make a name for themself and put on for your city?
Seeing Boosie and Kevin make a name for they self always let me know I could make it. Years ago, when they each were on 106 & Park, I posted it on Instagram and was like that's motivation to somebody like me because I know those guys personally, not just through the music. They motivated me a lot coming up.
One song can change your whole vibe, so I wanted to put out good energy and good vibes to the world
“Touch Down 2 Cause Hell (Bow Bow Bow)” goes up at the parties out here in LA. Describe the feeling when you started seeing it take off online?
When it started to take off online, I was trippin' because I didn't have a TikTok account at the time and everybody was telling me to go check TikTok. I started checking it and I was seeing 3,000-5,000 videos being made every 5 minutes. Every time I refreshed my phone there was 5,000 more videos. After waking up and seeing that Lizzo and Gabrielle Union made videos, I felt blessed because I knew my time had finally come.
What was your life like before the song blew up?
Before the song blew up, I was already the hottest rapper in my city. The beginning of "Touch Down 2 Cause Hell" comes from my original song "Can't Stop Jiggin" that I dropped in 2020, which took over the whole southern region. By the time I got to "Touch Down," I had 5 songs doing millions and I was doing a lot of shows.
What has surprised you the most about going viral?
Seeing Gabrielle Union, Coi Leray and Monica make videos to “Touch Down 2 Cause Hell." I'm a big Coi Leray fan, so seeing her make a video twice surprised me. Monica is just an icon and legend, and I've been watching Gabrielle Union's work since way back. It was just a great feeling to see people who I always looked up to tappin' in.
Unlike a lot of music coming out these days that focuses on pain, trauma and heartbreak, you decided to swerve and celebrate life. What role has choosing positivity played in your success?
I used to make a lot of pain music, but I felt like it was time to celebrate life because I had been through so much and I wasn't tryin' to dwell on it. I wanted to bring something different to the game. Everybody was doin' the pain route, and I wanted to make people turn up and have fun. Even on your worst day you can hear a song that makes you feel better when you're goin' through somethin'. One song can change your whole vibe, so I wanted to put out good energy and good vibes to the world.
No one would embrace me, so I had to find my own way
Why do you feel it’s important to move past pain and trauma?
Pain and trauma will literally tear you down, deteriorate you, make you feel like you can never get over that hump. I was just tellin' a friend how I was holdin' onto some things from 2015 and I never could let it go and it had been hindering me since. I finally just had to let it go and move forward. You can't change what already happened, so there's no need to dwell on it. It's a new day, a new beginning. That's how I live my life.
You grew up in a family full of musicians, and it shows. When did you know you wanted to become one yourself?
Whole family full of musicians. My mother used to sing and play the piano for the church. My uncle also plays piano and sings, and my brother sings and plays the guitar and piano. One of my cousins is a producer as well. From day one, I knew that I loved music. When I was 6 or 7 years old, I would record on tapes. It didn't have no quality, but I was recording. That's how it started, and I always knew this was what I was gonna do.
So, you just dropped a new album “Find My Way”. What does that title mean to you?
The title "Find My Way" means everything because I was always the one that got overlooked, the one they doubted. Nobody ever really took me serious as a rapper... No one would embrace me, so I had to find my own way. I couldn't sit and dwell on people not supportin' what I was doin'. I had to figure it out along the way. I didn't go with what worked for everybody else because that wasn't my route. I don't worry about what's trending or what's poppin' because people said I could never make it big having a Baton Rouge sound like that and I proved them all wrong.
What type of vibes were you going for?
I wanted to give people a little bit of everything and show them my lyrical side. If you listen to the whole body of work you gonna' get turn up songs, songs the women can dance to, real lyrical songs with "Real Rap" and "For the Record," and you're gonna feel my pain on "Pray For Me." There's even a Pop song on the album called "We Don't Care." I want you to lay back and ride for a minute, turn up for a few seconds, get in your feelings for a minute, then get back out your feelings.
Success is when you can finally kick your feet up and say you made it where you was tryin' to get to
Which track stretched your creativity the most?
I would have to say it's "We Don't Care." The song won't get the traction it's supposed to get because I'm not in the Pop lane just yet, but years from now when people look back on that record, I'mma guarantee they'll think I was ahead of my time with what I was doin'. The track is a personal favorite.
Every couple of years, a new generation ushers in a new sound. Where do you see this new generation of artists taking the industry?
I think it's dope what's goin' on right now. You have the drill music that's picking up real big and the Florida sound with Kodak, SpotemGottem and 9lokkNine. It's so creative today that we ain't really boxin' ourselves in, we doin' whatever. The creativity is at an all-time high.
What’s your definition of success?
Success is when you can finally kick your feet up and say you made it where you was tryin' to get to. When you're finally livin' out your dreams... That's success to me. But once you find success, you can't stop, you gotta' figure out how to get to the next level.
Who do you do it for?
I do it for my family. I do it for the streets, my hood, my block. I do it for the whole North Baton Rouge because where I come from, we don't make it out. I know my hood proud of me. They stand behind me. I can't let my people down.
Anything else we should know?
You should know that I'm here to stay. Whether it's dropping music, writing or producing, you're gonna' hear me for the next few decades around the globe. I'm just gettin' started.
Stay connected: @hd4president
