It’s crazy to think SSGKobe is only 18 years old, and he’s well on his way to superstardom.
Hailing from Louisiana, the rising star arrives on the scene with his own unique sound, swag, and style, redefining what it means to be versatile.
With the ability to transcend genres, from hip-hop to R&B to even pop, SSGKobe went from killing it on the basketball court to killing it in the studio, inspired by the greats such Juice WRLD, XXXTentacion, and Billie Eilish.
SSGKobe’s name pays homage to his favorite basketball player Kobe Bryant, while the SSG stands for Super Saiyan God from Dragon Ball Z. After recording his very first song on his mothers iPhone 6, transferring it to FL Studio and lacing it with autotune, the rest was history.
Kobe describes himself as “a smart, talented, creative artist all around. I want to do everything: all genres. Hip-hop, pop, just different things.”
It was in 2018 when he released his first song on SoundCloud, quickly garnering a fanbase that is on the brink of breaking through from underground to mainstream. In fact, Lil Tecca even posted his song “Lil Kobe,” which was originally his name, to his Instagram story — later collaborating on the song “All Day.”
Fast forward to 2022, Kobe unleashes his newest single and visual called “Don’t Miss,” following his previous bangers “MIA” (directed by Cole Bennett), “F## EM” with Lil Yachty, “ESCAPE YOUR LOVE”, and “4AM FREESTYLE.”
AllHipHop: How was it growing up in Louisiana?
SSGKobe: I lived in a small area called Centerville, it’s a very small town. Growing up there, everyone knows what your business is. Because it’s really small, our population is 400 to 500 so things can around rather quickly..
AllHipHop: Are they like, “oh s###, SSGKobe is blowing up!”
SSGKobe: I mean, I think they’re hella excited, my friends and stuff.
AllHipHop: Who were you listening to that made you want to do music?
SSGKobe: Chief Keef with his words got me to start rapping, definitely Chief Keef.
AllHipHop: How was It when Lil Tecca posted you on his story?
SSGKobe: Man I was freaking out. I was in a car ride going to AAU basketball practice. I was following him, I looked at my phone and saw he posted my song “Lil Kobe” from Youtube. When I saw he posted on his story, I was freaking out. It was so random.
AllHipHop: How many followers did you get?
SSGKobe: The thing that messed it up for me, at the time my name was Lil Kobe. That’s what it said on my Youtube, but then I switched it to SSG so everyone was looking for Lil Kobe. However it did bring a lot of traction to me.
AllHipHop: Why’d you change your name?
SSGKobe: Honestly, I like Super Saiyan. I like Dragon Ball Z, I like anime. Kobe was my favorite player so I had to have that name. I just switched It out to SSG because that was the time I started to get into anime seriously.
AllHipHop: What do you like about anime?
SSGKobe: For me, I always liked cartoons. Even the regular ones growing up, like Courage the Cowardly Dog. The Cartoon Network shows, then I found anime. I’m like, this s###’s way better.
AllHipHop: You were playing basketball. What happened with your coach?
SSGKobe: Not to get it mixed up with my second coach, coach Taylor, shout out to him. Both coaches have been with me since I couldn’t even dribble. They’ve definitely taught me the stuff I know today. I played AAU for one year, then I switched to music because I saw I could do that.
AllHipHop: Were you nice with it?
SSGKobe: Yeah, of course.
AllHipHop: You still play?
SSGKobe: I play pick up.
AllHipHop: Talk about Kaash Paige reaching out, that’s my girl!
SSGKobe: That happened because I was on SoundCloud and heard “Euphoria.” I hit her in the DM like “this is crazy.” I didn’t think she’d respond. She responded, we started having a convo. I showed her my song and she said “man, I want you on my project.” She sent me that open and I did it at home.
AllHipHop: How was that experience?
SSGKobe: That was fire. It threw me off guard because I didn’t think she’d answer honestly.
AllHipHop: How was it shooting “MIA” with Cole Bennett? That’s huge!
SSGKobe: Cole is a great guy. The whole getting it together, the themes of the different scenes, all that was fun. An unforgettable experience.
AllHipHop: Best memory from the shoot?
SSGKobe: Probably joking with Cole. We be playing, I mess with Cole.
AllHipHop: Were those real bugs? That’s terrifying!
SSGKobe: They were real bugs. [laughs] At first, I was terrified. But then I’m like, “it’s gonna come out fire.”
AllHipHop: “Don’t Miss” out now! What’re you most excited for?
SSGKobe: A crazy video. It’s based around magic with wands. It’s a lit, turnt record. I usually don’t drop many of those. I know my fans and supporters will be excited because they don’t really get too much lit, turnt music from me. It’s a big moment for me, I like it.
AllHipHop: What is it you want fans to get from your story?
SSGKobe: That it’s okay to be authentic. Even though you see other people like “damn I want to be like them,” just know the world hasn’t seen you yet. They might love the same things you see in another person, that you think is cool but being authentic and relatable is important. Because we really are all the same.
AllHipHop: You started making music around 2016. How does It feel to be signed so young?
SSGKobe: I didn’t know I’d sign before I was 18. I didn’t think my career would do what it did. It’s a fun experience that teaches you different things, learning the business side of music. It’s a learning experience.
AllHipHop: What made you go with Columbia Records?
SSGKobe: I felt out of all the labels I did visit, I felt more comfortable with Columbia. They’re running the charts. They have some of my favorite artists under their label as well.
AllHipHop: How’d you link with Lil Yachty on “F## EM”?
SSGKobe: We got the song, we were working on the song. I recorded my verse at home, then I sent it to my engineer who mixed it and went crazy. We put it out for Rolling Loud New York. We were trying to set up a video, but our schedules weren’t really matching. We were both going to be in New York for Rolling Loud so as soon as I landed, we shot the video. We did it in 3 or 4 takes. They edited it and it came out great. It’s lit.
AllHipHop: I feel like a lot of blessings are coming your way, are you spiritual at all?
SSGKobe: I feel like I definitely have a long way to go. I’m definitely a beginner.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?
SSGKobe: Water, snacks and a TV that has Netflix. Just have it on, anything. Movies, series, anything.
AllHipHop: What inspires you the most when you record?
SSGKobe: Me thinking about where I started, to the point where I am now. Just to keep going.
AllHipHop: What’s your top animes of all-time?
SSGKobe: Attack on Titan, Death Note, The Promised Neverland, and Leech. That’s my little list.
AllHipHop: Best encounter you had with a fan?
SSGKobe: I went to a show in Orlando for Autumn’s tour. One of the fans there, they really didn’t know I was going with them. When I came on stage, everybody started going crazy. At the end, we had all gone outside. A fan, she started crying and she was shaking. So I took a picture with her, and I signed her phone case.
AllHipHop: Being only 18, what do you like to do for fun?
SSGKobe: I like to be with my friends, recording, and playing basketball.
AllHipHop: Anybody want to collaborate with?
SSGKobe: There’s a few actually. I want to work with Olivia Rodrigo, The Kid LAROI, Don Toliver, and Playboi Carti.
AllHipHop: Can we expect a project?
SSGKobe: Of course. I got my first project coming out this year. I’m still debating on the name. I was gonna go with Euphoria and spell it U4EYA. I feel like Euphoria is a unique word, just put a twist on it.
AllHipHop: What do your tattoos mean?
SSGKobe: [pulls out forearm] I got this one, it’s a Nirvana angel. I got this one because of Kurt Cobain. This one, honestly I don’t even remember. It’s a moth. I also have a black cat with orange. My whole aesthetic is black cats, so I just had to stamp it. But I’m done with tats.
AllHipHop: Why?
SSGKobe: I’m not too sure, I think at least for now I’m done. I like tats, I like getting them too. I only got them on my arm, I don’t think those hurt too bad.
AllHipHop: Goals yourself as an artist at this point of your career?
SSGKobe: New year, I want to stay focused. I want to get on the Billboards, at least Top 10 this year. Hopefully work with one of the artists I had named. I want to have a successful project.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
SSGKobe: I do have a couple features on the project. All the new music is a whole new me. Before you listen and dive into it, think of it as me growing up. It’s definitely a big leap. You can tell in lyrics and beats, flows, cadences, all that stuff.
AllHipHop: Are we going to get pop records from you?
SSGKobe: Yeah definitely. I have one on my project I’m working on now. It’s all versatile. That’s what I’m saying, that’s going Platinum.