Zach Randolph & Marcus "Head" Howell Speak On Moneybagg Yo's Rise

BYGabriel Bras Nevares8.5K Views
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The NLess Entertainment co-founders spoke on how their first artist rose to fame, mentorship from Yo Gotti, and the city of Memphis.

Moneybagg Yo is one of the hottest Memphis rappers right now, something Zach Randolph and Marcus "Head" Howell stand by with pride. Moreover, they spoke in a recent interview with Business Insider about Yo being their first artist, and how he led to great success. Of course, city leaders like Yo Gotti also proved instrumental in his career, but Gotti's mentorship also impacted Randolph and Howell. From the moment they signed Moneybagg in 2016, the artist showed gratitude for their confidence in his vision, and worked hard to make them proud.

"Bagg work hard," Head expressed. "Actually, he probably in the studio now. We have to drag the man out the studio. Bagg's a guy, he like to work out, he like to take care of his kids, and he like to be in the studio all day. So, working hard, like Zach said, you know, like he be in the gym all day. That's what Bagg do all day. Being in the studio. And you gotta stay in the studio if you wanna get successful. 'Cause that make you good in your craft."

Zach Randolph & Marcus Howell Praise Moneybagg Yo

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - JANUARY 12: Moneybagg Yo attends Rap Snacks Disrupt 2023 Feed The Soul: A Conversation On Culture, Community, Family and Creating Wealth at W Fort Lauderdale on January 12, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Ivan Apfel/Getty Images)

Elsewhere in the interview, the two also spoke on the Memphis scene and how they define its musical hotbed. "It's a special city, man," former NBA star Randolph remarked. "It's a city where you gotta work for everything. You know, ain't nothing given to you, ain't nothing soft about the city. You gotta hard work, and it's a lot of real people and blue collar people. But the music, it's the hotbed right now. You see that all the labels is coming into Memphis and trying to sign all the artists up outta there."

While that hard work can be grueling, it also results in a deep connection to those working just as hard as you. For example, Z-Bo and Head reflected on how they're able to collaborate with so many like Yo Gotti and Bagg's own label when it comes to releasing his music. "'Cause we all family," Randolph stated. "We've been had relationships a long time, so it was easy. When we started the label, me and Marcus, it was easy to come to Yo Gotti, to talk to the guys around the city, 'cause we already had relationships with these guys for a long time." Check out the full interview in the link below and return to HNHH for the latest on Moneybagg Yo.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.
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