Tadoe on Growth of Drill Music, Remaining Fearless & Chief Keef Being the GOAT
Today, Glo Gang signee, Tadoe comes through for an exclusive interview where he gets into Chicago drill music, his new release, “Chief Keef Presents: No Guts No Glory”, and keeping it all the way real.
Beginning his rap career in the early 2010's as a member of Chief Keef's Glory Boyz Entertainment (GBE), it was after releasing his debut single, "Turn Up" featuring Soulja Boy and Fredo Santana, that Tadoe cemented his status as one of the pioneers of Chicago's drill scene.
His debut project Molly Water was released in 2013 and shortly after, his sophomore effort, Da Shooter. In December of 2014, Tadoe released his album Thotties, Thoinks, & Joints, followed by Rise of The Glo Gang Empire in 2015, a joint project with Ballout.
Tadoe's most recent album The Gloden One was released in 2018 and bumped him over 100 million streams on Soundcloud. The Chicago native has been featured on a plethora of Chief Keef singles and has previously collaborated with Trippie Redd on "I Kill People" (100M+ views).
His new album, No Guts No Glory represents the courage and strength Tadoe has summoned in pursuit of growth, both in his personal life and artistically. Executive produced Chief Keef, No Guts No Glory showcases Tadoe's refined voice and composed demeanor.
The album boasts hard hitting features from No Plug, Boss Moo, and Lil Yachty, who makes an appearance on the braggadocios "Get it Bussin" (2 Million+ views). Of course, no Tadoe project is complete without contributions from his fellow Glo Gang label mates Ballout and Chief Keef, who appear on "Nick JR" and "Lamb Truck," respectively.
Get into it, as well as the interview below. Right now and only on Hype Off Life 👊🏾
Thanks for coming through! So, you just released a new mixtape, “NO GUTS NO GLORY”. What does that title mean to you?
To me it’s this: “No Guts No Glory” if you’re scared, go to Church. You don’t eat if you don’t grind, a scared man’s a dead man.
What type of sound were you going for when you made it?
I was just messing with a whole lot of sounds for NGNG. I practically freestyled that whole tape, just going crazy on the beats as I got them. It took me a week to put that project together too.
Which track stretched you as an artist the most?
All of them to be honest, but if I was to pick some, “Lamb Truck” (with Chief Keef), and “Get It Bussin” (with Lil Yachty). I tried something different for the people with this tape, like doing autotune which I never did, and tackling different topics. In return, the people loved it, and supported it heavy.
You’ve released a couple visuals from the album that are all high energy, like CPR, Get It Bussin and Nick Jr. How do you usually come up with video ideas?
We just go with the vibe that we get from the tracks really, and bring the cameraman out.
The album was also executively produced by your cousin, Chief Keef. What do you respect about his artistry the most?
He’s the GOAT! I don’t know how he does it sometimes, but he’s super creative. Some of the songs he makes, the ideas and concepts are crazy, and I’m amazed by that every time. He’s the greatest.
As one of the pioneers of Chicago’s drill scene, what differences have you noticed in the scene since you first started in the early 2010’s?
The difference now is that the Chicago drill movement has spread to the UK, New York, and Italy. They’re all doing what we started, but we’re not tripping off that. It’s a lot of different sounds, lyrics, and accents doing drill. We salute them though, and they’re doing their thing.
How would you say you’ve grown as an artist and person since that time?
A lot of stuff that people are gravitating to now, are played out to me. The younger artists are doing stuff that we used to do, moving how we moved, but we’ve grown past all that. Some things they’re doing now, we did when we were in our teens. We’ve lost a lot of people along the way, so it’s about growth and maturity, and being smarter with our actions now.
What do you attribute to your success?
It’s really just me being me. Not being cocky, but I didn’t follow anyone else or tried what the next man was doing, I just do me, reach out to who I want to reach out to, treat people how they’re supposed to be treated, be respectful, and make smart moves. It paid off in the end, and I get a lot of love.
What do you love the most about being a musician?
The lifestyle and everything that comes with it. I can’t be all generic like others, but the lifestyle of being a rapper is nice. I get love from fans, I get to make music, and I get the benefits from all that and more. It’s all love.
What can fans expect from you in 2021?
More music! We’re coming with a lot of new tracks for the year. The Coronavirus slowed things down last year, but we’re coming back better than ever. When the pandemic dies down and everything is opened, we’re back ten toes down in the streets, and we finna turn up!
Any message for your fans?
We coming! Remember “No Guts No Glory”, don’t be scared to do anything. If you don’t grind, you don’t eat! We’re all being affected by the pandemic, but you got to keep grinding regardless. Keep going, and don’t stop!
