ILLLOGICK
Q: What inspired you to produce “Overtime” and how personal was the writing process for you?
H-L Beatz sent me a beat pack, so I cycled through them until I found one I resonated with. I chose from three verses I had written, and Overtime fit it the best. This was personal for me, because this was my first time committing to staying on “scheme” since I first started rapping. This was intended to be a general free-verse, so that I had something to release at a time where a studio wasn’t readily apparent. That was all this song was intended to be.
Q: You talk in the song about the seedy underbelly of the industry—do you have personal experiences that cautioned you away?
Yes, actually. I’ve been scammed by artists for features, designers for artwork, and I’ve even had a studio I recorded at charge me twice for an unfinished mix that was paid for from jump. They compensated me by giving me a beat, with no lease agreement. These situations and more, taught me to be a lot more cautious in regard to working with other artists.
Q: What does success look like to you beyond money or numbers?
Impacting other people’s lives for the better on a daily basis, and creating positive change in the industry. In fact, the ethos of mine, and Grim Logick’s record label is “Empowering the Unseen, Amplifying the Unheard. We are the echoes of the voices that refuse to be silenced.
Q: You speak of networking with everyone you encounter—how crucial has community been to your growth as an artist?
Community saved my fucking life, no exaggeration. Every opportunity I’ve ever had came through real connections with solid artists that I’ve met along the way. Such as OMG JAYCEE, WestSide Chopa, and Amber Jewelz When it comes to people I’ve performed with. When it comes to real growth from tight knit community I grew up listening to Grim Logick and Dylan Droll they shaped not only me but the others in my Parish. Grim brought me to my first real studio session, my first real show and also is the first person to tell me its okay to spend money on myself, Which is hard living off social security.
Q: What motivated you to collaborate on this song with Grim Logick?
We have collaborated in the past several times. It was just the first time in over 5 years, and this time, there was a message to send beyond just spitting bars. 5 years out of the game, a couple months back in, and all of a sudden… Here we are?
Q: The trade-off between your verse and Grim’s creates such a rich emotional dynamic—how did the two of you work together to construct the structure of the song?
Coincidentally enough, it was all by accident. I recorded Overtime as a free-verse release just to maintain consistency. When I asked Grim for his opinion in a BandLab revision invite, he replied by not only dubbing the intro vocals with his own, but completely extending the beat with no warning at all to do so.
Q: Grim’s verse is really intense and intimate—how did hearing his tale influence your own realization of the song?
When Grim sent his verse back, it changed how I viewed the whole track. His ability to be vulnerable without sounding weak is something I’ve always respected about his artistry. Hearing him dive deep into the personal toll of this journey made me realize we weren’t just making a song about grinding—we were documenting a fucking testimony about what this life costs us. His verse brought this emotional weight that balanced my more aggressive approach. That’s why our partnership under 3NIGMA BRED MUSIC works so well—we push each other to go deeper. He’ll come with that introspective shit that makes me want to peel back another layer in my own writing.
Q: You have a line in the song where you mention being only 25 with “the soul of a lion”—how do you see age and experience colliding in your life?
I’ve lived several lifetimes worth of shit in my years. Seen and experienced things that aged me beyond my years. But that young hunger still drives me. That contradiction is my fucking superpower—I’ve got the wisdom to navigate the game but I ain’t jaded enough to stop believing I can change it. Most young artists have ambition without perspective. Most older artists have perspective without fire. I’m blessed to have both.
Q: The record is a great deal about ambition, but it’s also about the pain that can come with it—how do you approach those emotions when you’re songwriting?
I don’t approach emotions—I surrender to them. When I’m writing about pain, I’m literally feeling that shit in real-time.I may not always record it in that moment, but during the writing process it’s all raw, and unequivocally me.
Q: What did you want people to take away from “Overtime”?
I wanted people grinding in silence to feel seen. Everyone celebrates success, few acknowledge the fucking war you go through to get there. I wanted people working overtime at jobs they hate while chasing dreams to know they ain’t alone. Wanted industry cats to hear the real human cost of their predatory practices. And specifically with this track being a 3NIGMA BRED collaboration between me and Grim, I wanted to showcase what our label stands for—real artists telling real stories without filter. Most importantly, I wanted to document this chapter of our journey—the hunger, the pain, the determination—so when things change, we never forget what it took.
Q: Are there parts of your life or your past that you still don’t feel at ease adding to your music?
Yeah, but it’s something I’m working on thanks to Grim, and his contributed creative vision, accenting what I suppressed and kept dormant. He convinced me to lay it all on the table and create shit that made me feel, not just vibe.
Q: What does honesty in your lyrics—even when it is difficult—mean to you?
It means letting the world see a side of you that you put in a box, somewhere in the closet. Now, I’ve learned that a light will always shine on the darkness. So, I’m here to air it all out.
Q: How does it feel for you to think that someone can hear your story and no longer feel so alone because of it?
It makes everything that I go through, from every day problems, to a rare muscle disorder that most people comprehend, worth it. To think that I can change someones day, or even life for the better through 3NIGMA BRED MUSIC, is the entire goal.
Q: What does 3NIGMA BRED MUSIC represent, and what can we expect from them moving forward?
As a trailblazing underground music network, 3NIGMA BRED MUSIC takes pride in showcasing unseen talents and uplifting unheard voices. Founded in December 2024 by Grim Logick, they are an independent force based in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. Their journey began as a brand concept, blossomed into a collective, transformed into a record label, and evolved into an ever-growing underground platform. With their motto, “Empowering the Unseen, Amplifying the Unheard,” 3NIGMA BRED MUSIC uses social media, especially Facebook and their active group page 3NIGMA BRED: Underground Music Network, to champion the connection of creators, contributors, and listeners on a common platform.
