EKT 40 is the next star out of Columbus, Ohio. He has been going viral with his “Snooze” remix, his rendition of SZA’s chart-topping hit. EKT 40 pulled up to Fresh Friday to step into the Star Studio.
How did Columbus, Ohio impact your sound?
As far as I know, I’ll just say it like this, what I’ve been through growing up. I got all sisters, so I already grew up. I was never ashamed of singing or use my vocals. So that’s what made me versatile, as far as being an artist that can harmonize.
What did you learn from your time locked up?
I went to juvenile jail. And you know n-gg-s in there, beating, rapping all day, but I’m the n-gg- in there singing. But I’m one of the toughest on whatever tank or block I go to. So I’m in there singing. It definitely helped me grow early. You on your own. Crazy juvie it is wilder. I been in both. I done been in juvenile prison and in the real prison, but in juvenile prison, still to this day, I say it was wilder, for sure. You gotta think about it, it’s hella young dudes and they turnt all day. In real prison, they older so they a lot more relaxed, a few YNs come in but juvie is like that all the time.
Why did you remix SZA’s hit song “Snooze”?
It was really I was just listening to the regular song by SZA. And I’m like, damn, I want to remix this. So I looked for a sample beat to it. And I found one, and I was like I’m gonna do this right now. And I just learned to record myself. I just feel like it was another side of it, the guy’s side.
How did you and Lil Durk connect?
It was a show in 2020 and they wouldn’t let me in. In my city, they be on some weird sh-t. Trying to block my shows, I couldn’t show up to any shows I did get approved for or they kept getting them canceled and sh-t like that. But one of the DJs from my city hit me up, hey bro, Durk said, come back to the door, he ain’t coming in if you don’t get in, if they don’t let you perform. So when I ended up getting in, we meet up in the backroom. He told me, yeah, they used to do that to me in my city. I hate that, but we ended up locking in that day.
What’s your advice to upcoming rappers?
First and foremost, lock in with God. Once you do that everything, everything gonna do it for itself. It’s gonna fall in place. Gotta lock in with God. Because you might be thinking sh-t going good, but I’m telling you, boy, it’s gonna smack you hard. It ain’t gonna be anybody you could call, it ain’t gonna be no amount of money. It’s gonna be them situations in life for everybody, where you get you down so bad, he’s the only one you can call. That’s the only problem. I can’t call up exactly. And I don’t actually did it. And I seen the difference from when I’m tapped in with God and when I’m not.
