Lil Migo calls himself the new King of The Trap, and he’s here to make sure he lives out that title. Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, the rapper, real name Adarious Smith, follows in the footsteps of a long line of legends to come from his city, which makes it even more meaningful that he went on to sign to Blac Youngsta’s Heavy Camp imprint, as well as joining Yo Gotti’s CMG family.
The craziest part? Migo has only been rapping for a few years. While artists may work and wait their whole lives to sign to a major, Migo lets his music speak for itself. Exploding onto the scene with his breakout smash hit “Rockstar,” who’s music video is currently approaching 4 million views on YouTube, Migo quickly garnered a huge fanbase organically, proving he has the talents to hang with the greats.
In describing himself, Migo states he’s “a young artist from Memphis, came in independent, having his way, doing his thing. Just showcasing his lifestyle, that’s Lil Migo.”
In 2020, Lil Migo received an all-star appearance on Moneybagg Yo and Blac Youngsta’s critically-acclaimed joint mixtape, Code Red, on the song “You Can See.” Migo has collaborated with everyone from Jacquees to 42 Dugg to, most recently, EST Gee on “By YoSide.” The song can be found on his most recent project, King of the Trap 2, released at the tail end of last year.
AllHipHop spoke with Lil Migo in downtown Los Angeles during the height of BET weekend, discussing his roots in Memphis, going to college, signing with CMG and Blac Youngsta, and more.
AllHipHop: Why are you the new King of the Trap?
Lil Migo: Because nobody expresses it like me. I’m a tell you how it is, raw and uncut. I’m not going to fabricate it. It’s not no made up life, no made up story. I’m a tell you how it is, that’s why I’m the King of the Trap.
AllHipHop: Talk about being from Memphis, y’all going crazy right now!
Lil Migo: Yeah, we got a wave right now because it’s more young artists coming up. We’re all in tune with each other. We’re helping each other out, so it’s opening more doors and opportunities for people in Memphis to make it out.
AllHipHop: What was your upbringing like in Memphis?
Lil Migo: It was rough, but it wasn’t that rough though. I ain’t going to say it was all the way bad. Came up in the hood around my uncles, but I had my mom and dad too. I was going to school. I actually went to college, I did 2 years in college.
AllHipHop: What did you study?
Lil Migo: I was trying to do some nursing s###. I wanted to do something with hospitals. I was trying to do it, but that s### wasn’t really for me though. You know how that s### be.
AllHipHop: What made you want to work in that field?
Lil Migo: Because my mom, she’s a nurse. So I really was just trying, then she wanted me to go to college so I really did it for her. Then to see for myself too though. S###, you see I’m here now. I guess everything worked how it’s supposed to work.
AllHipHop: Did the music take off? That’s why you stopped going to college?
Lil Migo: Nah, I stopped going before I even thought about making music. To be honest. I just started making music 2 to 3 years ago.
AllHipHop: That’s it?!
Lil Migo: Yup. I’ve only been rapping 2, 3 years.
AllHipHop: What was the moment that you decided to do music professionally?
Lil Migo: S###, when my cousin was rapping. He was hard as hell. He was trying to quit rapping, but I said, “nah bro, you need to keep rapping.” So I did it with him, that’s what made him keep going. And me, that’s why I’m here today.
AllHipHop: I’m guessing you loved music your whole life?
Lil Migo: Yeah, always loved music. Coming up, I was listening to Migos, Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, Boosie, Lil Wayne, T.I., s### like that.
AllHipHop: You listened to Yo Gotti, how’s it feel to have that CMG chain around your neck?
Lil Migo: Nah fasho. I been knowing Yo Gotti, even before the music because we from the same hood. When I was growing up, I used to always see him come through the hood in cars and s### like that. It was already family when it happened, it was natural.
AllHipHop: Was it easy or hard for you when you first started rapping?
Lil Migo: Nah it was easy, but all I had to do was perfect my craft and just work on it. Because it was some new s### for me. S###, I really was just doing me. Trying it and doing it.
AllHipHop: It was fun I’m guessing?
Lil Migo: It was fun, yeah. I like it now, fasho. Way better.
AllHipHop: How did you get your name?
Lil Migo: My name’s always been Migo, but I was little too though. I’ve always been short. I just grew. When I was in high school, I was probably 5’4″, 5’5″. I’m 5’9, 5’10” now. I was little, so that’s where the Lil came from. I was little as hell, but I’ve always been Migo anyway though. They been calling me that. That’s been my name.
AllHipHop: I know “Rockstar” was a big song for you.
Lil Migo: Yeah, that was the song that actually had me take off. That caught traction. I did the beat with my cousin Denaro Love. When I did that song, the whole city had took wave of it. That’s really how Youngsta had seen me, and Gotti.
AllHipHop: How did that feel, to have your city behind you?
Lil Migo: Man it felt good. Because coming out of the city, being one of the first young people to make it… around the time I made the s###, it was me, Big30, and Pooh Shiesty. All this came in at the same time. We were the first young guys to come up all at the same time.
AllHipHop: So you’ve been knowing Big30?
Lil Migo: Yeah, him and Pooh Shiesty.
AllHipHop: How’s Pooh Shiesty doing? [he’s locked up]
Lil Migo: Man he’s doing good. He said he’s good. He’s good.
AllHipHop: You just released “Cheated,” what were you going through recording this one?
Lil Migo: Man I don’t even know. I think I was probably into it with my girl or some s###. I’ve been listening to the song, my mama used to play the song when I was little. When I heard the beat, when my producer played it, it was the right timing. Because I was already mad at my girl, then the beat just made sense at the time. That’s how it came about really. I knew females was gon’ mess with it though, they like the song for real.
AllHipHop: How’s your feel about it?
Lil Migo: Nah she loves it. All the females, even before it came out. I used to play it around people and I tried to get people’s reactions, they always loved the song. They’d always say “send me the song,” so I already knew. When m############ were doing that: damn when the song drops, it’s going to be some good s###.
AllHipHop: And it did!
Lil Migo: Hell yeah, it’s doing good.
AllHipHop: Your last project was King of the Trap 2, released end of last year.
Lil Migo: Yeah, I got the deluxe on the way too. I’m a add 6 or 7 more songs, it’s going to come out in a couple weeks. I’m a do visuals to all them mothersfuckers, so you gon’ see videos with them too.
AllHipHop: Talk about linking with Quavo on “Migo S###,” that’s the perfect name.
Lil Migo: Quavo, we’ve been locked in. He was trying to sign me at first, you know he got his own Huncho Records. We’ve been locked in though. Corona was last year, so we didn’t really get a chance to be around each other. This year, we finally linked up after Corona. The rest was just history.
AllHipHop: What’s your relationship with Blac Youngsta?
Lil Migo: Oh nah that s### be crazy. That s### genuine love. He’s a real big brother to me, he don’t even play about it. He be on his business about it too, that’s my man for sure.
AllHipHop: How’d you end up signing to Heavy Camp?
Lil Migo: When I was doing “Rockstar,” it was my first song out the city. Once I did that, that’s how he ended up seeing me. But when he hit me, it wasn’t on no signing. It was on some more just checking on me. We ended up exchanging numbers, we were just talking everyday. One thing led to another, now I’m here. Really, that’s how it happened.
AllHipHop: What was your reaction when he asked you?
Lil Migo: S###, it was shocking. Because really right before he asked me, I was talking to my brother. I said “bro, what if Youngsta or Gotti hit me up and said they wanted to sign me?” Some days later, on God. No cap. I had seen it right before he had DMed me, then he ended up DMing me. I showed my brother like “bro, didn’t we just say?” That s### was crazy as well.
AllHipHop: Because you know it’s not that quick for most people.
Lil Migo: Nah yeah, I got signed my first year rapping. My first 6, 7, 8 months, that was my first time really rapping. So I had got signed my first year. Most people don’t even get signed that quick, and that’s my first time rapping, doing music. I never wanted to do music for real. I liked hearing music, but I never wanted to see myself doing it. But I always looked like a rapper. Always dressing like a rapper, I live like a rapper. My uncle, he made me really do it. He’s like “man s###, you’re doing this s### like a rapper. You might as well try.” S###, I end up trying. That’s really how it happened.
AllHipHop: That’s your real uncle?
Lil Migo: Yeah, that’s my real uncle. My manager too though, so it’s some family-oriented s###.
AllHipHop: How’d feel to be on Bagg and Youngsta’s tape, “Code Red?”
Lil Migo: Nah that’s hard. I actually already had the song. When I had the song, they had ended up hearing it and ended up getting on that m###########. It was my song, I was finna put it on my tape. I had gave it to them for their tape. It was hard.
AllHipHop: What is it you want fans to get from your story?
Lil Migo: I want them to hear the authenticity, and let me lead them. Let me be their inspiration, guidance and motivation. Know I won’t steer them wrong.
AllHipHop: What can we expect next from you?
Lil Migo: More music, more visuals. We finna go crazy, just networking.
AllHipHop: Any features on the deluxe we should know about?
Lil Migo: Nah I ain’t do no features on the deluxe. I ain’t even do none, this is all me right here. But on my next tape, I’m a try to do more features with more people. I really want to show the world me first. No more features until the next tape.
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself?
Lil Migo: S###, I want to go on at least 3 tours before the year’s up. I want to do at least 2 or 3 before the year’s up.
AllHipHop: You’ve been on tour right?
Lil Migo: Yeah, I came on tour my first year. When I got signed with Youngsta, he went on tour. We went on tour for 3 months straight. That s### was insane. That was s### was lit, that s### was crazy as hell. Different shows, different people every day. Different cities, different places, different cultures. Just seeing different s###, s### was lit.
AllHipHop: When’s the next tour you’re going to be on?
Lil Migo: I think we got the CMG tour coming up, we going crazy. Youngsta got a tour coming up. After I go on them tours, I’m a do my own tour. I want to do at least 2 or 3 tours on somebody else’s tour. Before I do my own tour, I want to build my tour first.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let the people know?
Lil Migo: Just tap in, tune in. Lil Migo everywhere, go crazy.