Smokepurpp Explains Why He Scrapped His Collab With Kanye West
Written by SOURCE on January 12, 2020
Smokepurpp‘s Deadstar 2 was stacked with guest features. We’re talking everyone from Ty Dolla Sign and Moneybagg Yo to Lil Pump and Denzel Curry to Trippie Redd and Lil Skies. But, according to Purp, there was one big-name artist whose was pulled from the album: Kanye West.
The Chicago-born, Miami-raised revealed this information during a sit-down with No Jumper last month, insisting the track in question—reportedly titled “No Problem”—would never get a proper release. Purpp shed more light on the situation during a recent HipHopDX interview, explaining he decided to scrap the profanity-laced record because of ‘Ye’s renewed commitment to Christianity.
“He kind of just changed his ways or whatever,” the rapper said. “Mike Dean mixed the whole album—he executive produced the whole album. So he pretty much just told me [Kanye’s] not really cursing and shit, he’s not really performing his old songs anymore, he does ‘Jesus Walks.’ If he does do his old songs, he changes the lyrics. Mike Dean told me at first. He was like, ‘Yo, it was going to be harder to get it cleared because he doesn’t curse no more.’ I was just, like, fuck it, just put it away. He’ll change again.”
If ‘Ye never returns to his old ways, we’re sure Purpp will gladly try to fill his shoes, as he’s previously described himself as “the Kanye West of the next generation.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Purpp opened up about substance abuse within hip-hop, and revealed Lil Peep’s fatal overdose is what prompted him to enter rehab.
“When shit like that happens, it hits you out of nowhere,” he said. “… It’s definitely hard, but I grew up in South Florida, so since I was young, my friends have been dyin’ and shit … You can’t really explain the feeling.”
The 22-year-old rapper also addressed the recent tragedy of Juice WRLD, who allegedly ingested multiple Percocet pills shortly before his death. Purpp explained that when it comes to rapping about drugs, there is a thin line between self-expression and glorification. He also encouraged listeners to seek help for substance abuse concerns—just like he did.
“If you feel like you’re addicted to something, then I feel you shouldn’t be embarrassed to talk to somebody, because that shit will just eat you up and make you wanna do more drugs …” Purpp said. “I wasn’t never going to tell nobody I went to rehab, but if I talked about drugs, then I can talk about going to rehab. I don’t want my fans going through what I’m going through. If people think it’s cool because I did that, then ya’ll got to think it’s cool to go to rehab because I did it.”
You can check out Smokepurpp’s full interview above.
