Big Yavo is the one of the more recent artists to sign to Jonny shipes’ Cinematic imprint, and he’s ready to take over the rap game one banger at a time.
Repping Birmingham, Alabama, the fast-rising rapper arrives with his own story, style, swag, and sound — a boss tycoon if there ever was one.
When asked what sets him apart from the other rappers, Yavo states, “A lot of s###. I don’t act like other people. I don’t do s### other people do. I do my own thing.”
Originally carrying the moniker 41st Yavo, the “No Pen” artist has impeccable lyricism equipped with vivid storytelling about his come up in the streets of Birmingham to now having the opportunity to take care of himself and his loved ones with the music.
Now, following the success of last year’s “Freestyle,” which quickly reached over 2 million views, Yavo returns with the official music video for “Rich.”
AllHipHop: How would you describe Big Yavo?
Big Yavo: Different, independent, cool, smooth, boss.
AllHipHop: What about your sound? It’s definitely unique.
Big Yavo: Crunk. I’d say my s### crunk. I got some chill s### too, some smoking s###. Some spinning s###, violent s###. I’ve got all kinds of waves on my s###.
AllHipHop: Did Lil Jon’s crunk era influence you at all?
Big Yavo: No. You know I’m young, I’m 22. I just be crunk myself. It’s all about how I’m feeling. If I’m high, real high, I’ll make a little smooth song. If I’m feeling hyped, I’ll make a crunk song.
AllHipHop: Can you define crunk?
Big Yavo: Lit. Live. Loud. Hype.
AllHipHop: Biggest influences coming up.
Big Yavo: I’d say Doe B, Chief Keef, Durk, s### like that.
AllHipHop: What’s your favorite Durk song?
Big Yavo: My favorite Durk song is “Skrubs.” He was talking about a bunch of different s###, dealing with women and being nice to people. I like s### like that, where it’s soft s### and gangsta s###. S### be fire.
AllHipHop: When did you change your name from 41st Yavo to Big Yavo?
Big Yavo: I changed it a little minute after I started rapping, a couple months after I started rapping beginning of 2020. The reason I changed it is because where I’m from, Birmingham, there’s a 41st on the West side and on the East side. I didn’t want nobody to be confused by where I’m from, that’s why it changed to Big Yavo.
AllHipHop: What was the reality of coming up in Birmingham?
Big Yavo: Violence, s###. A lot of people die from being at the wrong place, wrong time so you’ve got to move [accordingly]. I mean, it’s a nice spot. I wouldn’t say everybody’s bad in Birmingham. You pick which route you want to go, but that’s anywhere.
AllHipHop: When did you realize that you could do music for a living?
Big Yavo: I don’t want to do it for a living though. I like doing it, don’t get me wrong. I like doing it, but I don’t see myself doing it for the rest of my life.
AllHipHop: What you trying to do then?
Big Yavo: I don’t know yet, whichever way it takes me.
AllHipHop: It’s all a hobby to you?
Big Yavo: Yeah it’s fun, because I like seeing other people turn up to my music. It be fun seeing other people react to it.
AllHipHop: How does it feel coming out of Alabama? You gotta hella people: OMB Peezy, Yung Bleu.
Big Yavo: That s### hard coming out of Alabama. We different. That s### fire. Not too many people where I’m from make it out of Alabama. I’m one of the chosen ones, for sure.
AllHipHop: How does your family feel about your rapping?
Big Yavo: My mom be on me but other than that, everybody f### with it because I’m more successful now.
AllHipHop: How did you find your way to Cinematic?
Big Yavo: Fabo found me, then it went to Shipes. Ever since then, we’ve been clicked tight. Our relationship isn’t just music, that’s why I f### with Shipes. We cool. We make sure I’m good besides music. Whenever he calls me, it’s more “what you doing? You alright?” Instead of music and s### like that.
AllHipHop: What were you on recording “Rich”?
Big Yavo: I was high as f### when I was recording it. I was in Birmingham. I was high, turnt. I don’t know what I was doing that night, I know I was turnt though because that’s a turnt song. I was for sure turnt that night. [laughs] Crunk that night.
AllHipHop: Best memory from the video shoot for “Rich”?
Big Yavo: I was in Cali when I shot that. That‘s my first time so just being there forreal. Being able to travel and see new things, s### different out here.
AllHipHop: What do you like about LA?
Big Yavo: There’s more business, more s### going on. It moves faster, rich lifestyle s### foreal foreal.
AllHipHop: Would you ever move out here?
Hell yeah.
AllHipHop: What did you do with your first advance?
Big Yavo: I think I saved it. I didn’t do s###, saved for real.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio at all times?
Big Yavo: Weed. Air, because it be getting hot in the booth. You know, I’m a bigger dude. That’s all I need forreal, I just need drugs.
AllHipHop: What kind of drugs?
Big Yavo: Weed. I drink lean, I don’t do it heavy though. That’s about it. I don’t drink alcohol, I don’t pop pills, I just smoke weed.
AllHipHop: One thing you want fans to get from the Dumb Ass tape?
Big Yavo: Don’t be a d######, man. The reason I say it is because a lot of s### I say goes over somebody’s head. A lot of people don’t get what I be saying so I just say “dumb ass.”
AllHipHop: Are your lyrics deep like that?
Big Yavo: Yeah, for sure. I don’t write, I freestyle everything.
AllHipHop: What’s your favorite song you’ve ever done?
Big Yavo: Some new s### I just did, it’s called “Juwanna Mann.” That s### hard as f###. That’s my favorite song. There’s a bar in there I said that had to do with Juwanna Mann. When you hear it, you’ll understand. I hope so.
AllHipHop: How much are you smoking in a day?
Big Yavo: It depends on how busy I am. If I’m not doing s###, I’ll smoke 10 grams. I smoke 10 grams a day. If I’m j really trying to be geeked, I’ll smoke more. Probably a half or some s### like that. But in Cali, I’m smoking a zip a day out here for sure. I’m smoking a zip a day out of here.
AllHipHop: Goals for yourself at this point in your career?
Big Yavo: Stay the same, man. That’s my goal: don’t get adapted to this s###. The industry is fake sometimes.
AllHipHop: How are you navigating the industry?
Big Yavo: I ain’t industry right now. I ain’t mainstream, I’m lowkey right now. I don’t feel like I’m industry.
AllHipHop: Anyone you want to collab with that you haven’t?
Big Yavo: I mean Drake, s###. [laughs] But other than that… I’ve got some s###. I’ve got a lot of good songs with people. I worked with Rylo, Splurge, me and Wiz Khalifa got a song.
AllHipHop: You got a song with Wiz? How’d that happen?
Big Yavo: I don’t know, it happened though. I think Shipes. He liked it and hopped on it. That s### hard. He walked down on there. He was f###### with me on that. You know how n*ggas just do a verse? I feel like he was feeling it. S###’s hard as f###.
AllHipHop: What can we expect next?
Big Yavo: A bigger Big Yavo. [laughs] Getting bigger and bigger.
AllHipHop: After you rap, what you want to do?
Big Yavo: I don’t know yet. There’s a lot of s### that I want to do.
AllHipHop: Like what though? Act?
Big Yavo: Yeah on God, that movie s### hard. I’ll be a good ass actor for sure. I be acting for free, might as well get paid for it.
