Mr. Chicken is next up out of Jersey City, and he’s not stopping until he reaches the top. Back where he’s from, they call money “chicken,” which is exactly how he got his name. With a hustler mentality and endless passion, the rising star has been making music his entire life, here to stamp his name in the rap game once and for all.
“We call money ‘chicken’ in Jersey City. Brooklyn knows the lingo, everybody knows the lingo. That’s how I got the name, I’m the guy with the money,” he states with a laugh.
Full of ambition and always hustling to get some bread, Mr. Chicken actually lists Mary J. Blige and Usher as his biggest influences — which makes sense given his ability to sing and create that melodic rap sound that we all know and love. Exploding onto the scene with his standout single “Never Could,” Mr. Chicken recently re-released the record with his new label Rostrum Records.
AllHipHop: What was it like growing up in Jersey City?
Mr. Chicken: Just regular. It gets treacherous, you know? You’re trying to survive. You take everything that you learn, and you run.
AllHipHop: What was the young Mr. Chicken like growing up?
Mr. Chicken: Getting money, hustling. Ambitious.
AllHipHop: Who were your biggest influences, who were you bumping growing up?
Mr. Chicken: Mary J. Blige, Usher.
AllHipHop: When did you realize you could do music for a living?
Mr. Chicken: When I was sitting in the backseat during a trip with my family, I was 8 years old. We used to freestyle in the car. We’d freestyle about anything in the car, anything my pops or my mom would make up to test us.
AllHipHop: How would you describe your sound?
Mr. Chicken: Unique, from the soul. I don’t say it unless it’s a part of me or I’ve done it before. Just really in tune.
AllHipHop: Bring us back to when you recorded “Never Could,” it’s going crazy.
Mr. Chicken: I dropped “Never Could” about 4 or 5 months ago, but I re-released it again with my label. I recorded it literally sitting in the basement. Shout out to Alcatracks from Jersey, and Elizabeth. In his basement, that’s my engineer. Really working constantly and bringing something to life. Shoutout DJ Swill B too!
AllHipHop: What was inspiring you in that moment?
Mr. Chicken: With “Never Could,” it was more or less I’m going through a phase as far as learning how to speak my emotions, talk in existence and manifestation. In that moment, it was really wanting to do what I “Never Could.” That’s how that came about.
AllHipHop: What were you dreaming of coming up as a kid?
Mr. Chicken: For this moment right here, for my life. My name, being a star. Get the fame. I knew a song would take off.
AllHipHop: Best memory from the video shoot?
Mr. Chicken: When we’re messing with the green screen. It was my first time so I was acting like a kid with it, so happy. It’s crazy what you can do with the effects and bringing things to life. We shot it in Jersey.
AllHipHop: How was it seeing the video back?
Mr. Chicken: eally your dream coming to reality, it’s all amazing. Really chasing, I like the whole thrill of it. Doing the impossible and showing people the impossible is possible. There’s nothing impossibly to me, that’s why I’m never going to stop.
AllHipHop: Who would you want on the remix to “Never Could”?
Mr. Chicken: I want Drake. Someone who can bring life to the track and take it global.
AllHipHop: Who are some artists you’re bumping right now?
Mr. Chicken: I don’t really be listening to too much. I’m listening to Polo G, shout out Polo. He just went #1, that’s fire.
AllHipHop: How does it feel like to be in LA for the first time?
Mr. Chicken: t feels good, it feels beautiful. I like it. I don’t want to leave for real.
AllHipHop: What’s it like back home in Jersey?
Mr. Chicken: It’s very regular. Sitting there working in the studio, keep myself out the way. Before the music, I was outside with the gang chillin’. Sitting in the trenches, running it up all day. Shout out my hood.
AllHipHop: How long you been making music for?
Mr. Chicken: All my life, literally. Before the freestyles in the car, just getting better. We used to go on so many road trips, so we’d always do it.
AllHipHop: What is the reality of the independent journey?
Mr. Chicken: You can’t give up. You gotta keep running, you can’t care what other people think. You gotta become your own monster. No matter how far or how hard you fall, you can get up. You can achieve anything.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?
Mr. Chicken: Good energy, my weed and my water.
AllHipHop: What can we expect next music-wise?
Mr. Chicken: Something amazing, we got a lot of secrets in store. They need to pay attention to me, that’s what makes the ride fun.
AllHipHop: What’s your most meaningful tattoo?
Mr. Chicken: Most Hated, that one means the most to me. Because I do what they never could. Just being different, being hated. The weirdo thing, dressing different. I like to be a different sound, different music. That is what makes me different. I’m rich in my heart already so I can’t wait to take it to the next level.
AllHipHop: You part of the Rich Forever gang?
Mr. Chicken: That’s definitely family. Shout out to Rich The Kid, Gramz (manager) what up!
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself?
Mr. Chicken: To go harder than I ever did. To be #1 on Billboard, go global. It’s going to take hard work, what we doing now. Working, connecting. We got a lot in store, stay in tune. Mr. Chicken, I’ll be #1 real soon. Platinum records and all.
AllHipHop: What are you most excited for as the world opens back up?
Mr. Chicken: That it’s opening back up, we get to take it over. This my real run right now, that’s what makes it so fun.