BlocBoy JB’s Surprise Rise to Fame – 2018 XXL Freshman Interview

Life is short; you need to enjoy what you do. For 2018 XXL Freshman BlocBoy JB, part of his appeal is how joyous he is in all of his videos, working in the “Shoot” dance and all of his other moves. Knowing where his strengths lie, when asked what separates him from the crowd, Blocboy keeps it simple. “My bars and my dance moves,” the buzzing Memphis rapper tells XXL.

Coming up locally, then making a name for himself on the internet streets, BlocBoy JB had a steady stream of popular songs that began to reach outside of the Memphis city limits. The first song that increased his buzz was “Shoot” and the infectious “Rover” followed soon after. But BlocBoy’s true moment in the sun came when he found a fan in Drake.

The Canadian superstar wanted to collab with the Memphis upstart, leading to BlocBoy featuring the 6 God on the smash hit “Look Alive.” The video brought Drake to BlocBoy’s world and has 188 million views on YouTube to date. The song took off fast once it dropped in February, debuting at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Then a reworking of BlocBoy's previously released track, "Rover" came soon after, with the new title “Rover 2.0.” The new version featured a new BlocBoy verse and the addition of 21 Savage. He also dropped his solo project, Simi, his year, which features fellow 2018 XXL Freshman Lil Pump on the track "Nun of Dat."

BlocBoy has had a whirlwind year, but he won’t be taking a break anytime soon. He's currently working on a new mixtape that will be out in no time. BlocBoy’s combo of solid raps, unforgettable choruses and extremely entertaining dance moves has made him bigger than ever. Now armed with even more visibility, he wants to help other artists. His post Freshman Class plans are noble. ”Maybe like a feature, for free, just on me, give somebody else a chance to get in the game, another Freshman,” he shares. Using your light to let someone else shine? Pure selflessness.

Watch BlocBoy JB discuss his surprise rise to fame in his 2018 XXL Freshman interview then catch his memorable freestyle below.

See Behind-the-Scenes Photos of BlocBoy JB at the 2018 XXL Freshman Cover Shoot