Watch Ugly God’s 2017 XXL Freshman Freestyle and Interview
The quirkiest rapper in the history of XXL Freshman is 20-year-old Ugly God. Bouncing between Houston and a couple cities in Mississippi as a kid, he never felt like he fit in, so he took to the internet as a refuge. "I didn’t have shit," he remembers of his time in high school. "I wasn’t up to date on the style and shit. I got picked on for not always having the best clothes.”
So he embraced being awkward on the world wide web, and after releasing songs like "I Beat My Meat" and "Water," he began cultivating a rabidly loyal fan base without any official project out. Now, he's one of the most viral rappers in the world, landing on the 2017 XXL Freshman cover with records on SoundCloud verging on 100 million plays. And he did it with a totally unique style.
"I don't have anybody that really influenced me, honestly," he says when asked which artists he listened to growing up. "There were people I listened to, but it didn't influence the way I make music. I listened to a lot of Soulja Boy. He had a nice lil' swag to him. But before him, it was just anybody on the radio."
Ugly God produces most of his own music, so his upcoming debut project, The Booty Tape, features few beats made by anyone besides himself. His friends Ski Mask The Slump God and fellow 2017 XXL Freshman XXXTentacion have features on the tape, as does Lil Yachty. But don't expect your ordinary mixtape, which drops this summer. He disses himself on the second track, and later on gives a shout out to the "Little Dick Clique." Told you he's quirky.
Watch Ugly God talk about his past, present and future in his 2017 XXL Freshman interview above, and below watch him kill a quick freestyle.
And if you missed any of the freestyles and interviews featuring this year’s XXL Freshman class, check out their individual pages here: A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, PnB Rock and Playboi Carti.
See Behind-the-Scenes Photos of Ugly God at 2017 XXL Freshman Shoot