Money Mu is on a mission to become one of the greats in the rap game and he’s got the success to support his ambition.
Hailing from Atlanta’s Eastside, Stone Mountain to be exact, the rising star is a rare breed in the music industry, coming a long way from rhyming over beats on lunch tables in elementary and high school to now recording at some of his city’s most legendary studios where plaques from icons like Beyoncé, Outkast, Jay-Z and Tupac decorate the walls.
Describing himself as a “young hustler,” Mu grew up listening to Gucci, Jeezy, T.I., Boosie and Future, that Southern trap. He states, “I’ve been through the whole Eastside of the A, I’m out here grinding. Money Mu be still face, still straight, and the biggest believer you ever seen.”
Last year, Mu unleashed the official remix to his standout single “Hittin,” reeling in Moneybagg Yo and Foogiano. The song’s official music video has over 38 million views to date, and continues to be the go-to turn up anthem for any function or event.
In fact, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played “Hittin” in the locker room after their Super Bowl win, with artists from Lil Boosie to Trina posting IG videos vibing to the record.
Soon, you may even hear the song in an upcoming episode of television show “Step Up” on Starz, starring Christina Milian.
AllHipHop caught up with Money Mu, who was posted in his hometown of Atlanta.
AllHipHop: What was the household like growing up in Atlanta’s Eastside?
Money Mu: At a young age, for me it was calm. I was training for basketball, coolin’, hanging out with the gang, smoking good; just coolin’. As I got older, when I hopped out, it was really about getting some money on the Eastside. We about getting some money for real for real, do what you gotta do to eat.
AllHipHop: At what point did you realize this music thing was forreal?
Money Mu: I’ve always been into music but I realized I could do it professionally when I saw my homie Mondo producing, not rapping but making the beats. When I saw how he was making some money off it, he was explaining to me how I could. That’s when I realized I could do it too. It took a little bit of time for it to start coming, though but I believed in what I was doing.
AllHipHop: What was the inspiration behind your name?
Money Mu: I had different rap names. Really, I was Money Mu when everything started happening. When I started getting some motion, when I started making some money, they already knew me as Money Mu. It stuck from there.
AllHipHop: How much money you got on you at all times?
Money Mu: A couple bands. I don’t carry a lot of money, for real for real. Unless I’m doing something, I don’t carry a lot. I’ma keep it though.
AllHipHop: “Hittin’” remix with Moneybagg Yo & Foogiano going up. How’s it feel to have it go up, a song from 2017?
Money Mu: It’s a blessing. I feel real grateful and thankful that a song from back then is still going. It feels real good. Makes you feel like everything you went through was worth it, all the work we’re putting in is blessing us now.
AllHipHop: When you recorded the record, what was Money Mu like then?
Money Mu: Back then, I wasn’t really focused on music. I was more focused on getting some money back then, less on this rap s###. I was the same n*gga though, fasho. I was one foot in and one foot out. I had one foot in the streets, one foot in with the music.
AllHipHop: What inspired the record?
Money Mu: The lingo. In the A, lingo stays coming. Every month, we have new lingo. “Hittin’” was something we say all the time. I knew I was going to make a song about it. In that week, I made a lot of songs. That day, I made 4 songs and it was one of ‘em. I didn’t even think anything of it at first, I thought it was just another song I made.
AllHipHop: How did you get Bagg and Foogiano on it?
Money Mu: That came about when I collabed with Authentic Empire, with Boomman. When I collabed with them, we came together. The first thing we was going to do was the “Hittin’” remix. We reached out to them, we felt they’d go hard on it. They both came through that same day, put a verse down the same day, and we shot the video two hours later. That was hard.
AllHipHop: Where was it shot?
Money Mu: We shot it at a park. We were on the Southside, I don’t even think I’d ever been to that park. But we shot it there in the parking lot thuggin’. We had at least 150 people out there, it was lit. The whole thing was epic for real. For me, it was a new experience. I never did anything like that, at least not that caliber.
AllHipHop: How’s it feel to have artists such as Lil Boosie, 42 Dugg and BRS Kash make videos vibing to the record?
Money Mu: It feels great to see that folks really like it, that’s too hard. I love to see that, it keeps me motivated.
AllHipHop: What was your reaction when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played it in the locker room after winning SuperBowl LV?
Money Mu: That was hard, you know? I was excited about that for sure. To see that they was rocking with it like that was definitely exciting.
AllHipHop: “Hittin'” will be featured on an upcoming episode of the STARZ series, Step Up, starring Christina Milian. How’s that feel?
Money Mu: I’m really excited to catch that episode. I’m guessing they’re gonna be dancing to it so that’s gonna be cool to see.
AllHipHop: What is it you want fans to get from your story?
Money Mu: I want ‘em to always remember to believe: believe in what they stand on and believe in themselves. Keep pushing, keep going, keep believing. Believe. I re-released a single I recorded a few years ago and it’s become a hit, all because I believed in the record and its potential. I just want my supporters to not give up on their dreams or themselves.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?
Money Mu: I need weed, water, and a vibe. A good engineer.
AllHipHop: Do you freestyle or do you write everything down?
Money Mu: I freestyle mostly. I started recently back writing because I want to write more, because all I did is freestyle for the last couple years. Freestyle, punch in bar by bar. I recently started back writing, so both.
AllHipHop: What does it mean to be signed to Authentic Empire? The same label that got Foogiano’s deal with 1017/Atlantic.
Money Mu: To me, signing to Authentic Empire was a stepping stone for my career. They had the same vision as me. They believe in me strongly and back me. It was a stepping stone to the next level. We going up; we pushing to the next level.
AllHipHop: What’s the reality of the independent grind?
Money Mu: It’s been hard, but I’ve been learning a lot. It’s teaching me so much about the game. The reality is you get what you put in. That’s how it is independently, you get what you put in. The work you put in is doubling back. It showed me how many people you really are touching, no fabrication. No none of that. You can really see how far and how many people you can reach with what you’re doing yourself independently. That’s hard, I like it.
AllHipHop: How was linking with Lil Durk on the “Eat” Remix?
Money Mu: I linked with him really through the label, through A.E. Boomman put it together. Durk’s a cool dude. We got the verse and I met him at the video, right there with Boom. We pulled up and got to it, it was real hard. He went crazy too, he slid on it.
AllHipHop: What would you be doing if you weren’t doing music?
Money Mu: I’d be jiggin’ until I made enough money to invest into something legit. That’s what I would’ve been doing, honestly.
AllHipHop: What can we expect from you music-wise?
Money Mu: I got a project coming, it’s almost finished now. It’s gonna be real hard, real bangers. Expect some more features. I got stuff coming with Money Man, K Camp, a couple folks. Real heat coming, a lot of flavor. A lot of energy, different vibes. Everything doesn’t sound like “Hittin’,” but I got a lot of those kinds of tracks and some more vibes for you too.
AllHipHop: What kind of vibes?
Money Mu: I got serious, pain vibes. I got some vibes for the females, for the ladies to turn up to. I rap about all types of things. I could rap about relationships, how I’m feeling about having a relationship or I might be rapping about turning up, smoking some weed. It’s all different types of vibes that most anybody can relate to and feel.
AllHipHop: Goals yourself as an artist at this point of your career?
Money Mu: Definitely to go Platinum. I want Platinum albums, I want Platinum records. Want to make sure that I get my label Still Paid moving in the right direction. I want to really get my artists and producers out here more and known. I want to successfully run it.
