above the clouds
Curren$y has spent more than a decade deftly managing his JetLife empire while becoming one of the most prolific MCs in hip-hop. He accomplished this while remaining connected to his hometown of New Orleans, the people and hobbies he cherished most.
Interview: C. Vernon Coleman II
Editor’s Note: This article appears in the Fall 2025 issue of XXL Magazine, on newsstands now and available on the XXL website.
Even though Curren$y is one of the most laid-back lyricists in rap, he still needs speed. That’s why he’s been able to amass a body of work on about 100 projects, and why he recently opened an RC track in the yard of his gated-community mansion and filled his driveway with cars ranging from Ferraris to vintage Mercedes-Benzes. Over the past 20 years, the New Orleans rapper’s hard work has done nothing but pay off.
Curren$y has a unique perspective on music and its business thanks to being signed to two of hip-hop’s most prominent independent labels at various points early in his career. He spent the early 2000s as a later member of the 504 Boyz under No Limit Records. He was later recruited by Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment, where he worked for three years before splitting in 2007. In 2009, Curren$y took his flight into his own hands and launched the label JetLife Recordings.
An impressive number of musical credits include critically acclaimed albums such as How Fly with Wiz Khalifa (2009), Pilot Talk (2010), Covert Coup (2011), New Jet City (2013), Fetti with Freddie Gibbs (2018), Continuance (2022), and more. Behind the music, he’s an avid car collector, remote control car and Hot Wheels racer, and despite his celebrity status, he can often be found cruising down New Orleans’ Canal Street, slamming it on the sidewalk just for fun.
Although the 44-year-old presenter is a kid at heart, he’s a boss, expanding the JetLife brand with JetLife Apparel in 2011 and opening a thriving flagship store in N’awlins city centre. While juggling music, business, and expensive hobbies, as well as being the father of 6-year-old son Cruz, Spitta has never taken his foot off the gas musically. He releases at least a few projects to his ardent fan base every year, including Never Catch Us in March, 7/30 in July, a revival of the long-running Andretti series, and his most recent, 10/15.
He’s typically a rapper who stays away from drama, but last summer Curren$y found himself in the headlines after being scorned by Freddie Gibbs on the song “Gas Station Sushi,” produced by The Alchemist. For now, the diss and subsequent footage are like smoke in the wind, but the situation appears to be having an impact on Spitta’s relationship with Al and the status of Al’s highly anticipated collaboration with Larry June.
XXL caught up with Spitta via Zoom from a smoky tour bus in Portland, Ore., in August, before he spoke on the final show of Wiz Khalifa’s Good Vibes Only tour about studio rules, consistency, flowers, Freddie Gibbs drama and more.
XXL: You’ve toured a lot this year. What’s it like to hit the road?
Curren$y: It’s good because, honestly, I relaxed for a minute. Post-COVID, I’ve gotten used to getting money from my couch. I was like, well, damn, if we can still get the job done without moving, we might as well sit still. But after we did it for a few years, I was like, damn, we might have missed some packages by not showing up in person.
You and producer Harry Fraud have collaborated on a lot of music, including this year’s 7/30. Why do you think you and Harry work so well together?
I thought with him and the truth was I was finishing too fast. By the time he played it two or three times, I was ready to get in there. I feel like if I have to look up at the sky, think about a concept, etc., I don’t even need to do that. To the rhythm of his playing, I was already watching the movie. It’s like writing a rap beat for me.
Maryland rapper Premo Rice said in an interview that you intentionally make the studio uncomfortable to maximize your work.
yes. There are two chairs throughout the studio. A chair for engineers. If there are legs going through, move to another chair. Beyond that, whatever Ni**a went through during that time brought the most merchandise to the studio. Because the rappers who stopped me didn’t have time to sit down. There is a swimming pool outside. There’s all kinds of shit out there. They have a pump and a lump on the outside. If this is what you came to do, then do it. But it’s there. Not here because we work.
Current $y photos
With such a strict routine, is it still fun or more like work for you?
Well, the fun thing for me is creating movies when I hear music, writing quickly. If the legs were there, I was impressed by the speed with which I wrote this poem. I’d probably put Jack in front of these legs. It’s also good and fun for me.
In two or three hours, we can probably make an EP. Now, comfort. Now, the back seat of a Rolls-Royce. Let’s just drink tea, smoke weed, and eat donuts. We can do whatever we want now because we have let go of that work. Now, I’m pumped and lumpy. Now, I’m floating outside.
Do you still write lyrics?
Yes, I write like a mutafka. Man, when I was with Young Money, Wayne was just fucking having shit in his head and was like, “Stop writing it, man.” I was like, “No n**a, I want this shit to be legal, you know, you rap, you rap, rap. I need to get it written down so I can do it.” He was like, “No.” I’m like, “Yeah, that’s for Hov It works. I’ve seen this movie too, bro. But on your strength, let me see it.”
So, everything that happened when I was with Young Money, I didn’t write down. So, once I phased it out, I left it in that camp. When I fucking built my own thing, I was like, do what the fuck you know how to do. I just keep writing. So, yeah, that’s my way.
As someone who thrived in the blog age, the mixtape age, and the streaming age, how have you adapted to all the changes over the years?
Unknowingly. Trying to fit in is where people get into trouble. I see memes of fans opening Curren$y albums and wearing the same shirt for the past 12 years. It’s so funny, but it’s true. Just staying true to your voice and being yourself, no matter how much changes, is a testament to that. You adapt to the way drugs are sold, but the drugs are still the same. I still cook it the same way because the demons love it just the same.
You still live locally. Why choose to stay in New Orleans?
The exact reason Mutafkas left was because it was dangerous. Everywhere is dangerous, but I know danger, and I know dangerous people, dangerous people. It goes without saying that I’m just on the list. Like, you just don’t hang out with brothers. You can’t make this kind of money anywhere. Plus, I represent a lot of these things [is] tangible. So, I have to stay there, because those things that seem so far away, I’m there.
As your son Cruz gets older, what’s it like balancing being a dad, a rapper, and a business owner?
That’s what I was hoping for, because when I had him, I thought, man, I probably wouldn’t even do this when he knew this was what I was doing. But, look, he’s old enough that if he stood up, he’d be like, “Yo, I’m gonna stay awake. I wanna be in this. I wanna be on stage.” One time in Washington, [he was] Like, “No, I want a microphone. I want to rap.” I’m like, “Go for it.”
He can do whatever he wants. If he wants to be an astronaut, go for it. I’m not asking him to rap, but he was already frustrated because he was only 6 years old because he was like, “I already want to be a rapper. I want my own chains.” That’s where the pressure was on him. The world was bearing down on him. At 6 years old, he wanted to take responsibility for himself in the game. He wanted to get paid for his rapping. I can’t be angry.
In an industry where it seems like everyone has a personality, you just have to be yourself to succeed. Do you think this is good for you?
Yes, that’s the character. If you have to have something to support, why not support yourself? I will never give up on it because it is right. Anyone who takes this page out of my book can see the benefits in their life.
Recently, you had a Freddy Gibbs situation. He accused you of not promoting “Fetti,” a joint mixtape the two of you released in 2018, produced by Alchemist.
What is the root of it, I can’t help because it’s old. I think this is a good project. F**king people think this is a classic. [I promoted] It’s on Instagram. I just had a baby, so I was like, F**k. what can I do? i tell [Alchemist]”I’m not going to play ‘The Boy Is Mine’ with you and this guy. Y’all got it.”
Does something like this make you think twice about doing a collaborative project?
No, because that’s what rap is. I don’t think there are many settings where we actually do this [presses fists together]. It’s just through rap though, so it’s not shit. [But] I might have to give in [project] Larry Jean and I set off. i tell [the project producer Alchemist] I didn’t stumble… For the good of the music, for the sound that Larry and I have put down, I might have to let people enjoy this wonderful thing.
Aluminum solid. He is neutral. He creates the beat. So, this is not brother’s G code. I’m not going to trip over that. But that being said, I can’t get in the car with you because I know exactly what I can’t expect.
Have you discussed the situation with the Alchemist?
Yeah, about a day or two later. I told him that was fine. But I told him, if it was me and Mutafka said something about you, this song wouldn’t exist. I didn’t trip. I didn’t trip. But like I know I’m obviously guessing that I’m with this man [Freddie Gibbs] There’s no music not playing, you’re all in the same car.
What does the rest of the year look like musically?
8/30 [came out] August 30th. [I dropped] 9/28 [in September] Because this is the same Porsche that shot Scarface in as he left the Babylon Club. In October, I hope Harry Flood and I will be back with another one of ours. I got a complete project with MadeinTYO and he did all the production. I can’t wait for people to hear this. People never even knew he had this bag to put it in.
For Christmas, I’ll try to do something with the whole crew, like another JetLife gift. So, you’ll be getting music from us for the rest of the year, trust that.
You’re often called one of the most prolific rappers of all time. What do you think when you hear this sentence?
I’m honored that Musafka would nail it. Calling Mutafka a goat? They have porn goats, they have all kinds of them. I am fine. Don’t call me that. Prolific, it’s legal.
At this point in your career, how do you define success?
Get whatever I want for who I want. C-Murder is successful for me because every time I’m in trouble and money solves it, he’s like, “How much does it cost to solve it?” Boom. I want to be that person for the people I care about. That’s why if Murtaf** Kass was legit, I would never help it.
Do you think you received flowers?
From the people I value, they think very highly of me. The people I’m not hearing this from are probably the ones I don’t care about. So, I really just surround myself with people who think very highly of me. I couldn’t see any of the flowers I had that I didn’t have. I’m straight. Anyway, that can’t be false. Flowers are for everyone. Flowers on the street.
Listen to Curren$y’s 10/30 album
Current $y photos
The Fall 2025 issue of XXL Magazine, which features Curren$y’s interview, is available for purchase here . This issue also includes cover story interviews with Joey Bada$$ and JID, with Hit-Boy, Chance The Rapper, Rob49, KenTheMan, Bay Swag, Curren$y, Wallo267, Hurricane Wisdom, Hanumankind, Babyfxce E, Ghostface Killah, Conway The Machine, Pluto, TiaCorine, singer Isaiah Falls, comedian Josh Joshson, Vice President of Music on SiriusXM and Pandora Joshua “J1” Raiford, we take a look back at how album releases have changed over the years, highlighting Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out album and more.
