With “Champion” out now, we took some time to hear from Baby Booder. Read below to learn more about Baby Booder, the story behind “Champion,” and what’s to come.
Hi Baby Booder! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?
Right off the bat, huh? Before my birth name was even determined, this was my name in the hospital. It stuck. A few of the elders in my family don’t even know my real name because they’ve used Booder so much. The kids in the hood would also call me Booder with a Scooter because I would always be riding a Razer. After my last charge, I wanted to go back to my roots and find the happiness in all the H*ll that I was going through.
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
Baby Boo’s from Ace Deuce. Ann Arbor. One of the greatest cities on Earth in my opinion. Born and raised in the Southeast Area right by Southside Ypsi until Obama came through, then we moved Northwest to Eagle Pointe; that’s where I actually started to mess with music, up until then, in 2008, I was just a kid who had a mom in her 20’s.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
I got grounded one time when I was seven. Growing up, when you get grounded you get confined to your room. No TV. You can’t come out until told to and that could last from hours to weeks except for school and dinner and stuff like that. My brothers were scholars who had books and notebooks and pens and stuff everywhere and all I had was that and the radio. From there, I just kind of fell in love with it – writing remixes of songs that I heard on the radio, making poetry and stories.
I started releasing the music at eleven, thinking all I needed was a phone to record and another phone to play the sounds and the playback sounded horrible. I was determined to find a sound that worked.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
If Shakespeare had a boombox; if God was a rapper. That’s my style of vocals and writing. I make my beats to be smashing, I love that racing kind of energy that’s almost Concrete Jungle-like but Southern at the same time (think Texas). I like 808s and I love it when they drown the other worldly frequencies around the car while I’m driving. You can almost see the wavelengths melt – listen to “BASSHEAD” on Book of De’Rw and you’ll see what I mean – turn that bass up.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
I come from an athletic family. My momma hooped and ran, so did her first-born who added football, then her second-born who started out with soccer first, and me who primarily ran cross-country – basketball is the universal sport for us.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
Tupac. I like the message he gave and the knowledge he left behind – it helped me understand the Black Panthers. Ice Cube. He’s a journalist, and that’s where the hip-hop stories bloom, by the ones who are recording history and building logic to make sense of how life plays out for some people.
Kanye West. One of my first role models. From when he was just the jaw-accident recovering chipmunk-faced loud shirt-wearing backpack kid, I looked up to Ye – the hand-me-downs tat I wore looked like the clothes he wore; patterns all bright and loud and colors might not even match, but apparently they do. Kanye also helped me to embrace my mental health.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
When I was like 15 or 16, I was elected to sit on the Board of Director’s for the non-profit who was distributing my music (Neutral Zone, Youth Owned Records). I wish I took that time more serious, I was headlining shows almost weekly, there were flyers with my name everywhere. We even took a trip out to LA and I recorded “Dazed,” that was the first song that I released to major DSPs, and I did it alone. I was going by BLXCK Diamond at the time. This era helped me see my potential.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
If you can’t talk to anyone, talk to yourself. If you’re aware enough, you’ll hear how crazy you sound.
Love is conditional; loyalty is unconditional.
Don’t get confused by shooting stars in the sky, thinking it’s an airplane.
Don’t get confused by airplanes in the sky, thinking it’s a shooting star.
Now onto your release, “Champion.” What inspired this song? What is “Champion” about?
I used to wear these foam-made Champion’s from Payless when I was thirteen. They were like twenty dollars. My big toe was sticking out the bottom. Everyone made fun of me – Champion was a bummy-brand. Years later, we’re grown and some of the guys from my neighborhood and stuff are miserable. They’re clinging onto the designer that they’ve acquired. Like the Champion gear. It’s me laughing, years ago I was a bum for wearing it and nowadays they’re worshipping it because it’s all they have. While I walk on by in a Champion sweatshirt. I stayed true to who I was. I’m a Champion.
What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for “Champion?”
I wanted the root of Hip-Hop to be in there, the graffiti. The art inside of it is very special. You see a clock, a crown, a hand symbol, zags, leaks. These are all indicating the different phases and mindsets that developed while living in E.P.
What was the creative process like when making “Champion?”
Scary. I was confused while making it. I was angry, but it wasn’t actual anger. I was angry and looking to just simply vent and it came out through this. I loved that after I wrote the verses, I was thinking about the chorus and I’m not sure where it came from but it came to me so easily after I finished the verses.
How long did it take to complete “Champion?”
Probably about a week. A lot of music is written within a week, some done in minutes. Others have been undone for a decade.
What is your favorite lyric in “Champion” and why?
“Weed laced with the intellect, dope mind. Smell like weed and backwoods, don’t mind. Ignorantly independent f*** a co-sign. I been rapping for a minute you was overnight.”
It introduces me better than Baby Boo from Ace Deuce. Then the third line, “ignorantly independent.” Man, I started this music thing and knew I wanted to be independent, but didn’t understand what it meant and it makes me stubborn. But regardless, I been doing it for so long that it’s just molded.
What do you hope fans take away from “Champion” and your music in general?
Life is HILARIOUS! One year people could clown you for something and within a decade go broke for it. You never know what could happen in life, so why not live?
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
NonStop Hip-Hop and NZ partnered up to create Soul Synthesis; concert in late April. Follow my socials for updates.
WMBK who manages Formula 734 is performing mid-May; showcasing the music we created for the sixth annual album. The show will be managed by Queso Tone who’s got his own show stuff going on and who manages the sixth round.
Where can we follow you on social media?
Baby Booder everywhere! IG, TikTok, Facebook, Lemon8.
Before you go, let’s ask you something random. What is your favorite TV show?
My favorite TV show of all-time is Family Guy. Everyone gets it, and it was actually the only show to help me get through a hard time. I grew up with Family Guy.
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
