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Polo g can’t help but yield a lit harvest again I made that shit last minute. My little brother and a lot of
and again. Hailing from the streets of Chicago, real name Taurus Bartlett, the 22 year-old has already achieved what most aspiring artists can only dream of: boasting nearly 30 plaques, repeated viral hits, and an incredibly dedicated fanbase that supports his every move.
Exploding onto the scene in 2018 with his breakout single, “Finer Things”, Polo has since catapulted to being one of the hottest rappers in the game, creating what he calls “pain music.” His braggadocious bars and vivid storytelling speak volumes to his come up, inspired directly by real-life experiences growing up in The Chi. From poverty to millions, fame has yet to phase Polo—his priority is to do what he loves and take care of his family.
Polo G’s most recent release, “RAPSTAR”, debuted at
the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, earning him the highest streaming debut of 2021 for a male artist and the second highest streaming debut of the year for any artist in the States—56 million streams. The record stayed #1 for two weeks in a row, an accolade that only 22 before him, including Childish Gambino and Drake, have accomplished.
The “RAPSTAR” official music video earned over 41 mil- lion views in its first two weeks and sees Polo living the fast life on his private jet, flexing his drip and chains while still show- casing insecurity, vulnerability, and a layer of realness. He spits on the second verse, “They say I’m Pac rebirth, never put out a weak verse”—all facts as showcased on his critically-acclaimed sophomore album, THE GOAT.
Beyond the numbers, the attention, and the endless career highs, Polo is a proud father with his son Tremani turning two years old in July. From doing his first feature for $200 to now commanding $150K a go, Polo proves his international pres- ence, with “RAPSTAR” even top trending in the UK. Plus, he manifests every goal he’s ever had, speaking it into existence and seeing it through each time.
We spoke with Polo G about the continuous success of “RAPSTAR”, the meaning behind the record, being called the voice of the next generation, his cars, coming out with his own line of jeans, his mental state, new project Hall of Fame, collabo- rating with fellow Chicago native G Herbo, and more!
How does it feel to be seen as the voice of the next generation?
It feels like I’m finally getting the recognition or respect I should be getting. It’s more widespread. Where it was just a frac- tion of people saying that back then, now it’s more common that people feel that way about me. It’s something I feel good about. Why do you feel like you’re the voice of the new generation?
I don’t necessarily deem myself that, because there are a lot
of artists that’re around my age doing their thing. You got Rod Wave speaking on pain and dealing with issues in day-to-day life, then you have an artist like Lil Baby who’s poppin’ his shit. [Lil] Durk’s doing his thing. I know by me being one of the youngest in that crowd, speaking on what I speak on, and how versatile I am as an artist, I stand out. That’s why people say shit like that.
Every time you drop, it’s a crazy impact. How’d it feel to have ‘RAPSTAR’ debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100?
Shit, it was a great feeling. It’s something I had listed as a goal
of mine, so to see that actually happen for myself... I spoke that everyday saying my positive affirmations: ‘I’ma do this, I’ma do that. I will go #1.’ To see that was crazy to me—the shit pulled through.
Bring us back to when you made ‘RAPSTAR’?
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homies were telling me I should record the song. I looked it up on Twitter, looked up the lyrics on Twitter. A lot of people Tweeted out: ‘Only bitch I give a conversation to is Siri.’ I saw a version on YouTube with a beat over it, so that’s what made me jump on that. The recording process was pretty easy for me, because that’s the normal music I always make. I didn’t do anything out of the norm.
It went #1 on the Hot 100 for two weeks straight, only 22 peo- ple in history have done this—and no rapper since Gambino and Drake. How does that feel to accomplish at age 22?
It feels crazy. Those are definitely some powerful names to accompany myself with. Seeing that and knowing how hard I worked, how much overtime I put in, to see it unfold the way it did is crazy. I can’t put a specific detail on that feeling—it’s just a great feeling to me.
What’s the reality of being a ‘RAPSTAR’?
Going through the motions, ya feel me? Being lit, a lot of people knowing you. The pros are living this lit life: you’re going out, you’re having a good time. Then the cons are sometimes it’s overwhelming. Sometimes a lot of anxiety comes with being a man or being a rapper, whatever the case may be. It’s a lot of pros and cons to that, but essentially being a ‘RAPSTAR’ is being a lit rapper for real.
What were you trying to convey in the video?
I sat with Arrad and came up with the video scheme. I gave
him a million and one ideas, and he shortened it down to a few scenes and takes. [laughs] I came up with the video thinking of
a lot of shit I go through on a day-to-day basis, or shit a poppin’ or popular rapper goes through on a day-to-day basis. Giving people an outlook, because, normally, nobody ever really made a song about being a ‘RAPSTAR.’ It’s always pop star or rockstar, shit like that. But if you check the details and stats on what mu- sic is today, rap is the most poppin’ genre. It was best that I shed light on something like that.
Best memory from the video shoot?
Actually shooting it, then seeing the shit on camera. Damn, this gonna be a movie. I knew while we’re on set and they’re show- ing me the playback, ‘nah this shit is going to be lit.’
How many Beamers you got?
Oh,I only got two personally.I got a BMW i8 and I got an X7.I got five cars. I got a Hellcat 2, a Maybach, and I got a bulletproof truck in Chicago.
Who do you see up next out of The Chi?
Trench Baby. He’s raw. He has a lot of ambition, a lot of aggres- sion in him. You can tell he’s serious about what he’s saying. Three billion streams for your sophomore album, THE GOAT. How does that recognition feel?
I put a lot of overtime into making THE GOAT. That’s the first project I stepped out of my shell, and definitely leveled up from Die A Legend. That’s a great feeling to see all the accolades it got. Where did you put the plaque?
I put it up in my studio room. I have a room with all my plaques in it.
How many plaques are in there?
So far, I have about 15 or 16. I have about 12 more on the way. What is it about Tupac you identify with?
I personally fuck with Pac, on a personal tip. The way he moves, the way he thinks, him just being a great rapper. Him paving the way for a lot of other rappers to be great. I have a lot of respect for Pac. Where that correlation came from, I read my YouTube comments, and that’s something that I often see: ‘Damn, he’s the next Pac.’ I don’t like to really compare myself, but I embrace