FKi 1$t continues to bless his fans with banger after banger. Fresh off the heels of his previous release, a lo-fi album called Sleeping With Shoes On, the Atlanta native returns with his newest project titled Ja 1st Morant. The six-track EP is described as a “turn up” vibe for the summer, with features from Ralfy The Plug (Drakeo The Ruler’s brother) and Tony Shnoww.
While FKi 1$t played baseball, he relates directly to Ja Morant’s talents on the basketball court to his own talents in the music industry. The songs embody what it means to strive for excellence, relentlessly chasing one’s dreams no matter the circumstances. This is a project for the underdogs, or for anyone who’s ever doubted you along the way.
On the producing tip, FKi 1$T recently linked with Lil Uzi Vert in the studio, the first time they’ve collaborated since his critically-acclaimed debut album Luv Is Rage.
AllHipHop spoke with FKi 1$t about the new project, balancing producing and rapping, linking with Lil Uzi Vert, and more.
AllHipHop: What inspired Ja 1st Morant? What’s Ja Morant’s influence on you?
FKi 1st: One day, I just woke up feeling like Ja. Ja Morant. I feel like everybody only knows one quiet side of me, or whatever. Ja Morant is the crazy side. I had to go into my inner Ja Morant, and I let it out through music. But everybody got a wild side, even the laid back people like myself. I’m laidback and quiet, but when it’s time, I could turn up. I could dunk on people, it’s through the music.
AllHipHop: What is it about Ja Morant? I’m sure you like his talents on the basketball court as well.
FKi 1st: Of course. Man, bruh’s impact on the game now, the way he moves, the way he plays. On the court, he knows what he’s doing. His ball control, everything he does on the court. High impact, fast moving, fast paced. That’s how the music is on this project.
AllHipHop: Talk about the cover art, it’s a video game cover and you in Ja’s jersey?
FKi 1st: Yeah, it’s me. We fused together. We did a fusion with Ja Morant, just to get everything across even more. The project is fire. We got Ralfy The Plug on there, that’s Drakeo The Ruler’s brother. Tony Shnoww, a lot of people. The s###’s fast, high impact. I hope y’all like it.
AllHipHop: How’d you tap in with Ralfy The Plug?
FKi 1st: I met him when Drakeo came to my studio a week before he passed. Dro Fe linked us up. We recorded a whole project that night.
AllHipHop: What do you want fans to take away from this project?
FKi 1st: It’s a quick short EP. I woke up feeling like Ja one day, and I had to get that across through music. Really, I want everybody to have fun. Have fun listening to it. This was my mood, this was my summer mood. I don’t know, I might go back to lo-fi during the wintertime when it gets cold again. I woke up feeling like Ja and I had to get it out, any way I could. I can’t hoop.
AllHipHop: Why can’t you hoop?
I played baseball. I could hoop a little bit, always looked the best on the court. Ain’t gon’ lie, I always looked the best on the court. Fashion-wise, I always got some s### on. But I ain’t the greatest. [laughs]
So is this more turn up records?
FKi 1st: Yeah, definitely more turn-up records. My last project was Sleeping With Shoes On, so it was really laid back. Lo-fi. I made that during the week when it rained, but since it’s been hot outside, I’ve been back and forth in Atlanta. I had to get it out. It’s fast-paced, moving. Quick and easy, six songs. I hope y’all like it.
AllHipHop: You’re a producer and artist as well, is it hard balancing both?
FKi 1st: Man, it’s crazy balancing both being a rapper and producer. What’s crazy, I got to be in the studio with Kanye a couple years ago. It was me and Post in there, we were working on the “Fade” record. I meant to ask Kanye: bruh, how did you manage doing both? I didn’t get to ask him. I’m so sad to get to ask him that question. But s###, it’s depending on how I wake up. Some days I feel like hitting the MPC, making beats. Sometimes I feel like using my voice. Maybe sometimes I put both together, do them at the same time.
It really depends on the day for me. It literally depends on the day and what kind of inspiration I got. If I woke up and the first thing I heard was a hard Zaytoven beat, I’m probably going to want to make hard ass beats that day. If I woke up hearing the hardest Rio Da Young OG verse or Kendrick verse, I might want to wake up and get some words out. So it just depends.
Shoutout FKI the first … wow https://t.co/FdFyH9pXKV pic.twitter.com/zHcUh7MFlj
— 🦅#navinav (@DiorToast) August 8, 2023
AllHipHop: What about on the producing tip, anything you’re excited for?
FKi 1st: Well I just left the studio with Uzi yesterday. He posted it already. He posted him rapping it already. I don’t know if you can hear the song, but it’s a snippet out. I just got the studio with Uzi, we made about two songs. S###, Good Gas 4 after this. Good Gas 4 is featuring Jack Harlow, Veeze, Drake The Ruler, Ralfy The Plug, Peezy, a little bit everybody. That’s on the producing side.
AllHipHop: Did you take away anything from the Uzi session?
FKi 1st: Yo, Uzi is amazing how he records. Bruh is so cool, it’s so crazy how he f#### with everybody and the younger generation. The young kid in the studio, he was so hard too. The way he embraces everybody and he works so fast, it’s amazing. I f### with bro. You know, we haven’t really dropped anything since his first Luv Is Rage project.
AllHipHop: How’d y’all tap back in?
FKi 1st: We were both in Atlanta at the same time. My homie Bobby Kritical was at the stu, and he linked us back up.
AllHipHop: Anything else you’re excited for?
FKi 1st: Me and Tony Shnoww have a project coming out. He’s on my project, but we have a whole project coming out, produced by me. We both rapping on it. UnoTheActivist, we just finished the whole project.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to add?
FKi 1st: I call my projects, moods. This is the mood for the summer. I’ll probably have two more moods for the rest of the year.