BigxThaPlug, A Texas Native Who Just Put Out A Country-Inspired Album, Says He Doesn’t Know George Strait OR Willie Nelson

This has to be a joke.

I cannot imagine growing up anywhere in America and not at least knowing the names of two iconic American artists in Willie Nelson and George Strait. But to be FROM Texas, and involved in music, and not know? It doesn’t seem possible…

Yesterday, rapper BigXthaPlug released his country-inspired album I Hope You’re Happy, which features many country artists like Ella Langley, Jelly Roll, Shaboozey, Bailey Zimmerman and Luke Combs. BigX has already had some success with the pre-released singles, as the song with Bailey Zimmerman on “All The Way” topped the country airplay charts, and cracked the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it a crossover hit there.

As a Dallas native, X says he grew up hearing country music being in Texas, and it was actually being imprisoned in solitary confinement during a jail stint that led him to becoming a rapper. He had violated a probation, and at 20-years-old, was in jail on his son’s 1st birthday. He said in an interview with Billboard that took a toll on him, obviously, and he used writing and poetry at first to help him cope.

Eventually, that turned into a music career:

“It took a toll on me, and made me very emotional. So they [jail officials] had to confine me by myself. And in that confinement, I felt like I was losing myself mentally.”

In terms of his motivations for doing an entire country-inspired album with so many country artists involved, BigX previously explained that he believes that a true “artist” doesn’t want to be boxed into one genre… adding that “they can’t hate it if it sounds good.” At its core, it’s still a rap album, it just features guest vocals from country singers.

“I mean, it’s the difference between somebody that doesn’t like… hip-hop, a rapper and an artist. So I’m saying, people like Beyoncé, me and a bunch of people that have been able to do it are artists. You can’t just hold them in one lane. It’s like telling a painter you can only paint red apples. No, he’s an artist, he’s gonna play a lot of different things. So I feel like you can’t really, I mean of course there’s gonna be some hate about it, but they can’t hate it if it sounds good.”

It’s no secret that country music is the hot genre right now, and everyone wants in… but at least artists like Beyoncé took a little bit of time to look into the history of the genre and some of the greats, like Linda Martell, who she credited with largely inspiring her “country” album Cowboy Carter. Of course, Beyonce later said “this ain’t a country album,” so who really knows what the goal was there.

But during a recent interview with BigX, when he was asked to choose between Texas staples like the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, he admitted what I imagine to be one of the cardinal sins for any Texan when it came to picking between Willie and George… he admitted he didn’t know who either one of them were, but went with George because he’s heard of him more:

“George Strait. I’m not gonna act like I know who either one of those people are, but I’ve heard George Strait a lot more than I’ve heard the other guy.”

Good one… that has to be a joke, right? He’s just messing with the people who criticized the fact that he’s a rapper putting out a country-inspired album with country artists, right? RIGHT!? I mean, the last time I was in the Dallas area, you couldn’t walk into any restaurant or bar and not see one of their faces, so considering that’s where he’s from, I refuse to believe he’s not familiar with Willie Nelson of the KING.

I would say straight to jail with any Texan who didn’t know Willie and the King, but you know… he’s already there…

But the people in the comments were largely upset over something completely different, to my surprise: a battle between grocery stores Kroger and H-E-B… are y’all okay? I think there’s much more important things to discuss from that interview…

@billboard @BigXthaPlug plays This or That: Texas Edition with Billboard Read More