New Orleans' RJAE can really freestyle, promises new music and calls NY his second home (Exclusive)

New Orleans isn’t the only place RJAE is calling home these days. The hip-hop star most associated with NBA Youngboy and his close-knit bond to New York City’s own A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is on a Big Apple grind these days calling the Empire State’s most famous city his second home and juggling all types of new things from his ‘4 I Go’ anthem to cinematic gems like his crush-fueled ‘Louisiana’ anthem.

It’s only right the Southern rap crooner takes a moment to break away from penning new heat to chop it up with Attack The Culture on everything from his love for the freestyle culture and bodying Drake’s ‘Lemon Pepper Freestyle’ with his ‘Brooklyn Bridge Freestyle’ to having a love for gaming and putting the finishing touches on a new studio effort.

Check out the highlights of RJAE’s conversation and keep scrolling to hear the entire chat - especially whether he’s Team PlayStation or Team Xbox and if food is allowed around his gaming system.

Staring with ‘Tweet Bird,’ let’s hype that up a little bit. It’s you and the whole entire [NBA YoungBoy] team, all on one record. Who had the best verse?

[laughs] Me and [P] Yungin. [laughs] Meechy, I love Meechy. I think me and Yungin stomped it though. For sure. Definitely.

I had to get you loose, man, so I had to throw that at you quick. And so, focusing on Valentine’s Day, you spit a lot of lovey dovey words on these records, especially when you listen to ‘Louisiana,’ was it a Call of Duty type night on Valentine’s Day or was it chocolate, flowers and all that craziness?

Nah, it was definitely an in the studio type of night for Valentine’s Day. I was locked in. I was working. I guess the whole point of the records was to just feel that but I need love too, the records was just the records for sure. I was just working for Valentine’s Day in the studio and locked in.

Your freestyles are what really brought me in and then it’s like, ‘Oh yo, he’s not a freestyle artist. He actually does heartfelt records and then he does gritty type records.’ So talk about the culture freestyling and especially [your ‘Brooklyn Bridge Freestyle’] as well for you.

I love freestyling. I live for that shit. For sure. I can make records all day but when it comes to the freestyles and the hard bars, it was challenging to me. I just love it. I just had to hop on that beat ASAP and we had to do it the right way. The whole aesthetic with the video and really New York’s my second home for me. We worked on my upcoming projects out there in New York and we do a lot of mixing and mastering out there. It was only right we went out there and got that shit done. It was a lot of fun for sure.

Where does that stand as far as your favorite freestyle? Once people look into how many freestyles you’ve actually done, you’ve got a body of work just off of freestyles but like I said, due to the cinematography and just how dope it is - it takes it to a whole other level. Where does that rank with all the different freestyles you’ve done and in recent times?

For me? That’s a great ass question. I don’t know. For right now I feel it’s number one for sure because the feeling of it. I had all my guys with me. It was turnt. We had all the whips out. It turned out fire. That’s definitely my favorite one so far.

How important is it to show people this is what happens when the camera isn’t rolling even though it was rolling [at the end of the freestyle video]?

It’s very important to me and especially for that video and that record. Me and the label went back and forth about it because a couple people didn’t want me to post the whole seven minutes and stick to the music. To me, I don’t know, it was very important because I want people to see that side of me, that off-camera side. That shit that happened to me at the end of the video, it was random as hell.

Is it the [New York] culture? Is it the food? Is it just how people are as opposed to in New Orleans? What is it about the New York scene that’s really drawing you to making it your second home?

Definitely the grind and the hustle, the whole environment. Everybody is just grinding and working. It’s not to say that’s not going down at home but I also feel like home is a comfort zone and I don’t like to get out of my comfort zone and every time I go to New York, I always see something new. Something new is happening. Niggas is outside. I see something and I make a lot of great music out there for whatever reason. It might just be the air. That’s why I feel like New York is my second home.

It’s that grind and that work ethic. I love it.

I had no idea you were big into gaming. Obviously you can’t see me in Madden, but putting that to the side, NBA 2K you might be able to get me because they have a lot of cheat codes but what is your ultimate gaming goal? Is is Madden? 2K? Are you up on Call of Duty? Battlefield?

Lately, it’s Fortnite. As soon as I turn the system on, it’s Fortnite. Me and the guys, we’ll be playing Fortnite. Facts. Fortnite is just so dope. I feel like there’s always something new. Every day there’s something new and exciting in every game. It’s crazy.

How does the gaming goals impact you in the music creation mode? Especially when you’re in project mode? Do you use it as a relief like, ‘I’ve been in the studio for 12 hours straight and I need to kick back and play some Fortnite’ or does it actually influence the raps in some type of weird way?

That too. It’s definitely for some cool, kick back and relaxed type of vibes. But I also play to connect with the fans. A lot of the times I’ll get on Fortnite by myself and especially before NBA, the fans would just join and they’re just excited to hear my voice and play and ask me questions about the music that’s coming up. It’s also a way for me to connect with my fans and I rock with y’all. It’s not just about the music. We’re a family and shit like that. It’s a cool experience.

Do we have food around the controllers or is food a no-go? Like, do not get greasy fingers on my controllers, fam?

Nowhere near the PlayStation! [laughs] No way!

Check out the full RJAE interview to get his take on signature Louisiana grub, his love for PlayStation 5 over Xbox, wrapping up his new studio project and more below!