Big Moochie Grape is the latest artist to sign to Young Dolph’s Paper Route Empire, which means he’s fasho getting that money. The East Memphis native arrives with vibrant energy and a contagious smile, along with another level of litness you can hear in his music.
Don’t get it twisted, Moochie has the juice. With undeniable bars and punchlines over hard-hitting production from PRE’s own Bandplay, Moochie gifts fans with his debut EP titled “Eat Or Get Ate.”
The title in itself is a testament to putting in the work and getting to the money regardless of your circumstances.
Given Dolph’s success as an artist killing it independently, it’s safe to say Moochie is in good hands. Labelmate Key Glock has shown his support for Moochie’s new tape via social media as well.
AllHipHop caught up with Moochie who was quarantined in Houston, rocking a one-of-one Baguette Rolex on his wrist. Moochie states, “We’re going to keep getting money. That’s something we’re going to forever do.”
AllHipHop: “Uh Huh Uh Huh Uh Huh” is a banger.
Big Moochie Grape: Thank you. I love it. I put hard work into this s##t. Hard work.
AllHipHop: Was money as big for you before you joined Paper Route?
Big Moochie Grape: Well it was big to me, but I wasn’t having money like that. But s##t changed.
AllHipHop: Were you in the streets?
Big Moochie Grape: Yeah, fasho. The streets know what’s up with me.
AllHipHop: What was the household like growing up in East Memphis?
Big Moochie Grape: It was straight. We had fun days. We had good days and bad days, but we did what we had to do. Did things.
AllHipHop: You got your shirt off. You living.
Big Moochie Grape: Yep, I do that. I’m comfortable. I do what I do, I’m comfortable with it. It’s hot out here. It’s real humid out here.
AllHipHop: Being from Memphis, were you bumping Juicy J and Three 6 growing up?
Big Moochie Grape: Of course I bumped them, they’re legends. 8Ball & MJG, n##gas like them, they’re legends. I had to bump n##gas like that. Them n##gas right there, you can’t compare them nobody at all. They’re legendary.
AllHipHop: Did you aspire to be this big artist like them?
Big Moochie Grape: No. Not going to really lie, I didn’t know rapping was going to be my thing. I thought I was going to be somewhere robbing, trapping, doing what I was doing. S##t, rap worked out for me.
AllHipHop: When did you realize the music could be a career?
Big Moochie Grape: When I started getting in the studio and making these hard ass songs.
That’s when I said, “f##k it, got to take it serious.” When I knew I was hotter than any other rap n##ga. My first song I recorded, I was probably 15.
AllHipHop: When did Dolph come and swoop you?
Big Moochie Grape: I’ve been around for a few years, but last year. I was making hot ass music, bro gave me a chance. I took it and ran with it. We reached out to each other, let’s put it like that. We’re family. Blood wouldn’t make us no closer, we’re a family. We’re tied in. We’re not letting any outsiders inside. We’re going to stay like that.
AllHipHop: What’s your relationship with Dolph like?
Big Moochie Grape: It’s the big homie. Bro changed my life. Even before he did my deal, before all that, he’s been doing 100 ass s##t. Making sure I was doing s##t, making sure I was straight. If I needed something to help my folks out, he’d come through for me. You can’t do nothing but be loyal to a n##ga like that. I’m big on loyalty, I ain’t with all that other f##k s##t.
AllHipHop: You and Glock are just hard in general. What did it mean to join Paper Route?
Big Moochie Grape: It’s great. We really got it made. We’re one of the best labels in the game and we’re independent. This is wonderful. Magnificent.
AllHipHop: What have you learned from Dolph?
Big Moochie Grape: I just follow big brother’s lead. Big bro’s always telling me to listen. If you listen to me, s##t’s going to get better. So all I do is listen.
AllHipHop: What was the lifestyle before Paper Route?
Big Moochie Grape: S##t, it was the Eat or Get Ate lifestyle. That’s why I mixtape’s called that. Everything I had to do, this s##t real life. No movie s##t. S##t’s really going down, for sure going down. Growing up in the hood where I’m from, it wasn’t nothing but gangbanging, violence, shootings, killings, robbing. All this s##t was going on so me and my mama, my brothers and sisters, my other siblings, we ain’t got it. So I jumped in the streets at a young age. My first time getting incarcerated, I was 8 years old.
AllHipHop: 8 years old? Are you serious?
Big Moochie Grape: Yes, we were throwing rocks at cars. Me and my big cousin would go throw rocks at cars. The police came and chased us, we got caught and went to jail. After that first arrest, from 8 all the way up to 25, to my age now. It’s nothing to brag on, it’s s##t I asked for. I wish I could have made smarter decisions but hey, charge it to the game.
AllHipHop: Once you got a little bit of money, did you have to move differently?
Big Moochie Grape: I moved differently but money doesn’t change me. I’m still the same n##ga. I’m in my hood every day. My hood respects me. I’ve been had the power and the respect, I just needed the money. Now I got the money. I’m filled up now, it’s me.
AllHipHop: What’d you do when you got your advance?
Big Moochie Grape: Gave my mama some money, took care of my folks. My other folks who’s incarcerated, I gave them some money. I bought my auntie a car. I didn’t spend anything for myself like that. Go shopping, regular stuff I like to do. I know I’m good. I’m straight. I have to make sure my folks are straight. I’m big on blessings. I believe in blessing other people and my blessings will come back triple.
AllHipHop: Let’s talk about Eat or Get Ate. How’s it feel to have it out?
Big Moochie Grape: I’ve been working on Eat or Get Ate for a year. I was just recording like “s##t, this hard. This hard. This hard.” This is nothing but a teaser.
AllHipHop: Your song “3 Months,” that means you’ve only been on PRE for 3 months?
Big Moochie Grape: Probably going on 5 now. It’s wonderful. When you’re around people just like you, they’re big on loyalty like you, we’re the perfect match. That’s how I am. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.
AllHipHop: How has music saved your life?
Big Moochie Grape: Music saved my life because you start seeing you were doing good. I was addicted to making hits. I made it one of my main priorities. Keep rapping, keep rapping, keep rapping. It’s a job.
AllHipHop: Have you had a job before?
Big Moochie Grape: Never had a job, never punched in the clock. I got rich without a college education. [chuckles]
AllHipHop: Where do you want to be in 10 years?
Big Moochie Grape: I want to be in Dolph’s shoes or better. I want to start my own label, have my own artists. Keep it going.
AllHipHop: Do you freestyle everything?
Big Moochie Grape: I freestyle everything, I don’t write. If I try to work, I’d be overworking myself. I do better freestyling, it be hard.
AllHipHop: Did Bandplay produce your entire project?
Big Moochie Grape: Yeah basically, Bandplay did 99% of my project. One song, my Intro, was by Southside 808. Bandplay catches my tempo. Moochie and Bandplay is like Gucci and Zaytoven.
AllHipHop: What’s your relationship with Glock?
Big Moochie Grape: Glock is my brother, we’re all close. We talk to each other a few times out the week. Everybody in the gang hard, everybody.
AllHipHop: How’d you get your name?
Big Moochie Grape: My grandmama gave me the name Moochie when I was born. I’m Grape Street, so Big Moochie Grape. I was a little n##ga, now I’m a big n##ga. I got to eating good. [chuckles]
AllHipHop: What do you like to do for fun besides music?
Big Moochie Grape: Chill, kick it. I’m laidback, not doing too much. I don’t have to be with all the shenanigans. If it’s business, then it’s business. If it’s personal, then it’s just me.
AllHipHop: What are some goals for yourself at this point of your career? Big Moochie Grape: Top 5, Top 10 on every platform. I just really want to win. When I win, everybody around me is going to win. It’s a win-win situation.
