Larry June Interview on Being Yourself, Lifestyle Rap, Hustling

Recreation for SaleFor 15 years, Larry June has performed the slow-and-steady race to attain hip-hop success on his phrases. The West Coast rapper is a best-case state of affairs for the impartial rap hustle.Interview: Peter A. Berry Editor’s Be aware: This story seems within the Winter 2024 difficulty of XXL Journal, on newsstands now and obtainable on the market on the XXL web site.

Larry June isn’t a life coach, however he appears like one. For the final 15 years, the San Francisco native has provided sport from a participant’s perspective, turning informal observations into micro manuals for aspiring DIYers whereas wrapping them in flows which might be as laconic as they’re engrossing. All through that point, which started along with his 2010 debut album, Cali Grown, the rapper launched quite a lot of music. Like, quite a bit.

Regardless of being simply 34, June’s unloaded over 30 tasks relationship again to the mid-Weblog Period. Solo tasks like 2022’s Spaceships on the Blade helped make him a mouthpiece for growing hustlers and shades of vaguely accessible luxurious. Then there are his tapes with producers Cardo Acquired Wings (Mr. Midnight) and Harry Fraud (Preserve Going), in addition to fellow rappers like Jay Worthy (2 P’z in a Pod). With a stacked catalog, he’s remained impartial, launching his label, Freeminded Data and partnering with EMPIRE.

Larry just lately related with The Alchemist for 2023’s The Nice Escape and Life Is Lovely, an LP he, Alchemist and a couple of Chainz created this previous January. Layered in textured soul beats, understated dexterity and perspective, it’s certainly one of 2025’s strongest releases and proof of an off-the-cuff workman-like routine. Larry has gained an underground fan base and cult standing as a DIY folks hero. He’s extra fascinated with BMX and freshly delivered spring water than the trimmings of movie star—even when he’s ended up concerned in it anyway.

Whereas he’s not an A-lister—and Larry doesn’t aspire to be one—he’s performed an excessive amount of to be thought-about strictly underground. Practically two weeks earlier than this Zoom interview, he, 2 Chainz and ALC have been on The Tonight Present Starring Jimmy Fallon performing “Life Is Lovely,” the title minimize from their collab album. Their work as a trio earned them a 2025 BET Awards nomination for Greatest Group. That efficiency, heavy social media recognition and an expansive checklist of enterprise ventures like Midnight Natural—Larry’s life-style model for which he’s simply unloaded a camo assortment—show he’s in excessive demand. The variety of his hustle makes his profession itself a stunning view, one he’s additional illustrating right this moment. This week, he’ll launch Till Evening Comes, a brand new joint undertaking with Cardo.

Calling right into a Zoom interview on a brisk February afternoon, Larry June discusses life-style rap, attending to it in your phrases, witnessing 2 Chainz’s strategies for the primary time, wholesome habits and extra.

XXL: What makes life stunning proper now?

Larry June: Waking up and with the ability to do what I really like. And I believe for even a daily particular person, simply with the ability to get up and have an opportunity to be nice and be there for your loved ones and stuff like that. That’s how I used to be feeling on the time after I wrote that music [“Life Is Beautiful”] and got here with the concept and that title of the album.

You’ve labored with The Alchemist earlier than, however what did you study from working with 2 Chainz?

It was dope with the ability to work with Chainz. Simply seeing his technique, his patterns on how he wrote his songs and simply attempting new issues, leaping exterior of the field even on smoother beats. It was enjoyable. It was like training with a dope-a*s basketball participant if that makes any sense. It made me need to step it up and be extra comfy with this sh*t on totally different kind of beats and rap patterns and stuff like that.

Often, on each album or each music you heard, I just about began out all of the songs. [2 Chainz] began off just about a lot of the songs, so I used to be kinda going off of his vibe. I used to be in a position to go off of what he was doing as a substitute of me coming with the start of the music and. writing every thing.

Take heed to Larry June, 2 Chainz and The Alchemist’s Life Is Lovely Album

You’ve rapped for a very long time now, and also you’ve grow to be an icon of life-style rap. Is that one thing you got down to do from the start?

In a approach, nevertheless it was simply extra of me simply tapping into who I used to be as an individual and with the ability to categorical it via the music. So, it’s like I will be actually studying one thing perhaps per week earlier than that or a pair months earlier than that, and I’m speaking about it and expressing it via my music. It looks as if I’m coming off [like] I’m attempting to show all people, however I’m sort of expressing what I’ve discovered and my experiences, and I really feel like lots of people can relate to it.

It’s achievable and for me, it’s simply discuss my life. I really feel like lots of people can relate to it as a result of the issues that I discuss is real-life stuff. I’m simply telling you my perspective on it.

Why do you suppose individuals can connect with you a lot on this degree?

I believe them with the ability to see sh*t firsthand. So, I by no means deleted an image off Instagram. I by no means deleted an outdated music video or outdated songs I did, even after I was nonetheless looking for myself. So, I really feel like individuals have been in a position to observe again. Individuals can observe again and see my entire profession. From me saying in the future “I’m going to get a Grand Nationwide,” or “I’m going to do that,” they monitoring the expansion they usually seeing like, Rattling, he truly doing it. It’s proper there. He simply scrolled all the way down to the underside. You’ll see [I] manifested every thing I did all through the lyrics and the songs via the content material I put out. And you’ll see the expansion.

It’s sort of like a bible to how one can grow to be profitable independently, you recognize what I imply? Within the ups and downs, and it’s like I’m residing proof of this sh*t. I won’t bought loopy platinum information, however I’m making a residing off of these items. I’m in a position to put lots of people in place to achieve success. I’m offering for my household, and that’s all individuals need out this sport.

Watch Larry June, 2 Chainz and The Alchemist’s “Unhealthy Decisions” Video

Who’re some all-time nice life-style rappers?

Speaking to the brand new technology, I believe [Curren$y] introduced that to the forefront. However you may return to artists like Jay-Z. You go to his outdated Affordable Doubt album he was actually supplying you with tales and supplying you with sport approach again then up till now. There’s so lots of them, I don’t need to go away no person out.

[But] I really feel like these two stored their foot on the gasoline and stored going it doesn’t matter what. Even when it’s on the underground degree to the mainstream degree, they stayed on it they usually by no means modified.

That’s actual. On a associated notice, the entire Life is Lovely album is stand on enterprise, however in a chill approach. On “Munyon Canyon,” you mentioned you by no means had a job and by no means had a GED. Is that lyric true, and if that’s the case, is there a job that you simply all the time needed to attempt, and also you by no means may?

So, I signed up for a job at Six Flags in ninth grade, however I simply by no means went to the job. However I positively was authorised. That’s the one factor I ever did job-wise. I hustled. It was niggas coming via the tasks and provides a job like, “Hey, you need to go do that little development job?” I am going do some sh*t off paper, knock down a wall. However I by no means had a job on paper, I used to be a product of my surroundings.

I’m in highschool, I’m seeing older niggas getting cash and pulling up in whips, and that’s who I’m with daily. So, you sort of lean in the direction of getting some fast cash, particularly after I don’t have any aspirations of being a health care provider or lawyer. It was by no means a dream for me. I used to be all the time a hustler from a child. I used to rake leaves after I was in ATL, washing automobiles and promoting sweet. I all the time was a hand-to-hand particular person; you give me the product, I’m going to promote it.

So, I wasn’t glamorizing not having a job or a GED. I’m simply saying that it ain’t no guidelines to this sh*t. It’s about being particular person and having the fervour and sticking to it, it doesn’t matter what.

Increasing off the impartial hustler spirit, what is a few recommendation you’ve got for individuals attempting to generate passive earnings?

With regards to passive earnings, I believe my tackle it and [what] was profitable for me was specializing in one factor first. Grasp that one factor and use that as leverage to do one thing else. It’s all about leveraging this sh*t. So, as an illustration, I do music. Lots of people know me, they know me as businessman in music. I can go open up X, Y and Z companies as a result of individuals consider in me as an organization already.

Deal with one factor, grasp that, leverage that to do that and that, after which no matter you like to do, you can also make cash off of it. I really like the hand-to-hand gross sales; I really like promoting the product. So, the very first thing I bumped into was merchandise. I began off promoting merchandise out of the trunk, and I used that to get cool with warehouses and be capable to collab with greater manufacturers and constructing a crew. So, I believe simply pondering of 1 factor and mastering that.

What’s crucial factor you suppose younger artists ought to perceive earlier than leaping into pursuing music full time?

I believe first it is advisable see in the event you actually need to do it. And never simply need the notion of an artist or the life-style or fame. Do you actually love making music, genuinely? I believe that’s the very first thing, since you need to put your time into one thing that you simply love. And in the event you don’t like it, when it’s a time the place you’re discouraged, you going to surrender since you don’t like it anyway.

It’s like a chick coping with you that sort of such as you a bit bit, however when sh*t get tough, I ain’t actually feeling that. Onto the following. So, I really feel such as you need to have the ability to love what you doing, so like it. Put your greatest into it and be your self.

You’re often called a wholesome man. What are some issues that you simply’re doing to work out and keep match proper now?

For proper now, I haven’t been biking as a lot. I believe proper now, I’ve simply been sort of focusing extra on a weight loss plan. Food plan and recording. So, after I’m not on tremendous, I’m impressed proper now. I’m within the studio quite a bit, you recognize what I imply? Proper now, I get up within the morning, I quick till round one o’clock. I drink my spring water, I quick, however I do fruit and veggies, perhaps some aw spinach [in] a inexperienced juice.

I’ll take walks whereas listening to music or drive to a random little seaside, take a stroll round there as a result of I’m [in] impressed mode. I’m in my mode the place I’m impressed to make music, however after I’m not, I’m biking, I’m jogging, I’m doing exterior exercises quite a bit.

I do quite a lot of sh*t with my son, too. So, I gotta find time for that as effectively. Proper now, the final couple months, I’ve been specializing in weight loss plan and simply music and it’s loopy. The weight loss plan is essential. Off my weight loss plan alone, I misplaced 20 kilos simply by consuming totally different.

You talked about your son. How outdated is he, and do you see any of your self in him?

13. He’s his personal self, however he’s positively a younger man. Very accountable. He is aware of precisely how he need his stuff to look and he’s assured. He’s particular person, well-mannered. I see quite a lot of me in him from the best way he speaks to individuals, the best way he carries himself. We’re a product of our children, man. So, we all the time gon’ see these traits, man. Particularly if you’re guardian.

I’m completely happy he ain’t out right here attempting to go rob no person or act like he’s anyone he’s not. He stands behind what he likes. And that’s what I really like about him, man. He’s himself; he’s not attempting to be like Lil Larry June.

You’ve performed quite a bit up to now, however what do you suppose your legacy is in hip-hop to this point?

I don’t know. I gotta wait and see, ’trigger I’m simply being me. The individuals will speak afterward. So, it’s one thing I gotta simply see. I can say what I might need my legacy to be. I might need individuals to look again at me and be like, “Man, he impressed me to vary my life and eat wholesome and make investments and be a proud guardian.”

I might love for the positivity to be spoken on my title regardless of every thing I went via previously or something like that. I might love for that to be my legacy. I might love if individuals could be like, “Man, he the primary person who made me need to go purchase a motorbike.” That’s sort of what I would like as a result of that’s simply me. I hope I can lead that for the following technology and anyone else who need to come within the sport and really feel like they may not actually be accepted as a result of they totally different. That’s kinda what I would really like my legacy to be.

Watch Larry June and Cardo Acquired Wings’ “On The Unda” Video

The summer season 2025 difficulty of XXL journal that includes Larry June’s interview is out there to buy right here. The difficulty additionally consists of interviews with the 2025 Freshman Class and producer Cardo Acquired Wings, in addition to conversations with Aminé, Key Glock, Monaleo, Tech N9ne, Nardo Wick, and extra. There’s a look again at what the 2024 XXL Freshman Class has been doing and deep dive into who’s the largest and greatest XXL Freshman ever.