Big Havi’s vulnerability in the booth is therapeutic. The Atlantan rapper has a sense of artistic expression that is both personal and reflective. Listening to his music, it’s clear to understand that growth is the common denominator across his catalog. Havi, who has this natural tendency to revisit the past, is a self-described “hood rockstar” at heart, providing a revamped aesthetic to his city’s thriving trap soundscape.

In a city that’s considered the hub of influence when it comes to music, Havi’s pain is often misunderstood — but when it’s all said and done, he’s a person, just like everyone else. “That’s my biggest message, I want people to understand that I’m human. I’m not fake, I’m not perfect.” He’s bringing humanness back to rap, owning his imperfections and embracing a traumatic past that birthed a star.

Change and growth are synonymous — and according to Havi, it wasn’t until he had to change his sound that he began to feel challenged as an artist. “Nobody would really know, but to me, the hardest thing I’ve endured is changing my sound completely,” he admits. Sonically, Personal Problems 2 narrates the transition from Havi’s innate melodicism to a medley of detailed mentions about his bouts with pain and hardship. The pensive cut follows the young artist down a path of self-preservation, embracing this new chapter in his life with some assistance from autotuned strains.

At this stage in his career, the only thing that matters is staying true to himself and providing for his family. After a lengthy conversation with the rising emcee, he’s excited about the future and what lies ahead. Check out our conversation, lightly edited for context, below.

When did you first fall in love with rap?

I was just around it growing up. I saw B.O.B, T.I, and a couple other people do they thing — I was just motivated by that shit. Overtime, I picked up on it. I had made my first song when I was 3. It was some lil’ 3 year old shit, but I’ve always had a thing for music. I was in the marching band in highschool, played the drumline and shit like that, so a nigga always had a love for music — now we here. 

Behind the music, who exactly is Big Havi?

Shit, Havi a human. The nigga is a person, living like everyone else bro. I’m just tryna make it happen for me and my family. I love family time. I love getting a piece of mind, going outside, catching a lil’ bit of  nature and shit like that. I’m just a normal person, out here tryna get it for me and mine. 

What was life like growing up?

It was whatever you make it bruh. I’m from Atlanta, so you know,  if you not from here, you wouldn’t know how it is. You got the same shit you got in every city every day out here. It’s like, I always tried to stay out the way. Of course, sometimes I’d end up in shit, but for the most part, I did a good job with staying out the way. 

To me, life was just a breeze, it was whatever I made it dawg. It was full of just music frfr. I been traveling, doing music on my own since the age of 14. At the age of 14, I started venturing away from school and just being that normal kid. Ever since then, things have just been different. I’ve been more focused on it [music]. 

Life is just whatever man. It wasn’t the best, it wasn’t the worst — but I’m just here. 

How has Atlanta influenced your sound?

I don’t really study Atlanta, I more so just listen to the music. Atlanta, with just being here, it’s like going to LA for the first time. You just got that motivation to do shit. That’s how Atlanta has always been. I’ve always been in the studio, around it, so frfr bro — it just is what it is. 

I just really want the people to know that I’m a fucking person. That’s something that we forget with artists. Knowing Lil Baby at the time that I got to meet him and stuff, I felt like I knew that nigga all my life.I feel like we need more of that, more artist who treat people like people instead of acting like, “oh, you can’t touch me, stay 20 feet away from me.” I’m one of those people where you can ask me anything bro, because I know what it feels like to be human. That’s my biggest message, I want people to understand that I’m human. I’m not fake, I’m not perfect. I don’t believe in role models, I’d rather be a real model. 

In terms of artistic growth, what has changed since the release of your previous project, Personal Problems?

I have gained fans off my music. This really one of the first times where I’ve gained fans off of my mixtape, EP or whatever. I’ve been noticing that I got real life supporters from that project. I’m still going through it, it’s still a blur for me, I can’t really feel the change, I’m just living in it. It’s a transition — I’m transitioning as we speak. I can’t really tell you what’s changed, because it hasn’t changed all the way yet. Once it’s done turning, you gotta ask me that again so I can tell you what’s changed. 

Cuz’ right now, the only thing that’s changed is that people perceive me more. They perceive me to be up here or whatever the case may be. I’m just on some self-preservation, that’s the only thing. I wasn’t on that at first. I used to want to do it for everyone, but I finally got in my bag and focused on me.

Looking back, do you have any regrets about not putting yourself first sooner? 

Honestly, no. I wasn’t ready yet. Had I made it a long time ago, I wouldn’t be here right now. I’m grateful — shit, it was time for me to grow, and I’m still growing right now. I ain’t got no plaque yet, so I haven’t even reached my potential as Big Havi yet. I’m blessed to be where I’m at with this shit bruh. I’m out there, but then again I’m not. I still got that square one effect going on to where I can do this, do that, fuck around with the sound a lil’ bit, hit em’ with this note, and then that might be my sound now, know what I’m sayin’. I still got that creative finding right now. 

I love it. I don’t regret this shit. I used to say that. Used to see other people surpassing me, but I ain’t gon’ lie — I look up and see that some of those people ain’t nowhere near where they used to be, it was just their time to shine. I’m just learning how to appreciate it [the process] as life goes on. 

How has fatherhood changed your outlook on life?

It’s a lil’ edgy situation. That situation came back a lil’ ehh, but I already rapped about it, so yeah. It’s gonna give me more shit to talk about during interviews, niggas gonna wanna know, feel me. Prayerfully bro, prayerfully, I won’t have to be a father at this age, I’ll have a second chance. But, if it comes back that way, it is what it is, we gon’ man up and handle that situation.

Shit, I even appreciate you giving a fuck to know that that’s going on in my life right now. That’s real shit right there. 

At this stage in your career, what’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned so far?

Nobody would really know, but to me, the hardest thing I’ve endured is changing my sound completely. Really tapping into who I am as a person and trying to transfer that into the world without it being, “oh, I’m just a young nigga bruh — I’m young right now, I wanna do this right now.” I used to be that cocky and arrogant, I didn’t know. I wasn’t trying to be cocky or arrogant, I was just so excited. I had to learn and realize that that ain’t it. It’s not that it will never be, that just wasn’t it right now. If I go back and apply that same energy that I had into making these [new tracks], I’ll get somewhere with this shit. 

Also, Juice Wrld passed on my birthday. Someone had told me to change my sound around the time they put me onto Juice Wrld. It was a list with him and a couple other people, I can’t name not one other person from that list, I just remember Juice Wrld. And, he died on my birthday. So, now I know this the lane I gotta fall into. I’ve always been an edgy living nigga. My manager don’t really like the rockstar word, and I know he listening but, I call myself a hood rockstar because I’m from the hood but I rock the fuck out, I have fun with this shit. It’s like I know this the lane for me, almost like Juice Wrld left for a nigga to do this shit — I just FEEL that way, because he died on my birthday bruh, that shit just so sporadic. I went to post happy birthday to myself and I see Juice Wrld — I’m like, what the fuck!?

The hardest thing I endured was just changing my sound and getting them [listeners] to like it. To do something that actually contributes to what I’m tryna do, and the whole team be happy behind it. That’s why, with this new project, I’m fucking excited bruh. I can’t think of one song that anybody on the team had a problem wit. Not one song — and that mean something to me. Tre can tell you, I come from a big ass history of just making music and it don’t be all the way it bruh, real shit. I just always had to develop. 

What are you most excited about with this new release, Personal Problems 2. Is there a message that you want your fans to receive with this project? 

I love my flows on this project. I hit the mufucka’s with them flows on this one. I can’t wait for people to hear my growth from Personal Problems, to the second EP I dropped — No Pen No Pad Just Pain — and then wrapping it back around with Personal Problems 2. Just making this an ongoing type thing. You know how almost every artist, it’s something about that third project, that shit just does something for them — I feel like this one of them ones. Whatever God brings, that’s what he brings, but I just feel the energy. 

This gonna be one of them ones that help me get some type of platform, get some type of notoriety, let people know who I am — musically, without that Lil Baby feature. Without Lil Keed being on a song, I want niggas to know that Big Havi is hard as fuck. That’s why I’m on the hooks on a lot of those songs with features. The only where I’m really not on the hook is the one with Peezy, but dawg, only if yall knew — Peezy sent me that song with literally just his verse. We had to cut it up, my engineer had to set it up to where I had to go and do my part and all this, so we really created this album. This shit was like some from scratch shit. When we came home from tour, niggas went straight to the studio. You can ask anybody on my team, I went straight to work, I didn’t go home. 

I ain’t gonna lie, I’m like 3 projects ready – a definite two. Two fasho fasho, one of em’ with one producer. With Iceberg [Polo G – Pop Out], he actually in Atlanta right now, we finna lock in. 

What does happiness look like to you?

If happiness had a look, it would be my mom, just smiling. Knowing she good, I’ll be straight. 

With you being so emotionally intact with the music, does that ever become taxing or overwhelming?

Sometimes. When I’m not sad, when I just wanna have fun, I go on Instagram and all my fans wanna hear some sad ass shit. On the real, it’s honestly more therapeutic than it is overwhelming. Whatever I rap about, that’s really how I’m feeling. What does get overwhelming though is not knowing which one gon’ be the one. Not knowing which one is my golden song. Just not knowing, having to wait on the universe to receive it. Niggas want this shit from me. If I don’t feel like I can get something out, I just won’t record. 

I’m in the studio all the time, like I live in that bitch. So, if anything, I’ll sit on that couch until gotdamn the microphone call me name, forreal. I leave the house at 6am sometimes, go straight to the studio so I know I’m up, and that’s without my engineer. I’m in that mufucka locked in by myself, just recording. That’s how I became a workaholic. Tour did it to me. It [touring] made me do shit when I didn’t feel like it. I made some of my hardest music on the nights I ain’t feel like doing shit, no cap. 

Finally, how does Big Havi deal with his personal problems – how do you cope?

I sit with myself, go on Instagram rants and shit. That’s what I’ve been tryna cut away from doing, so lately I just been rolling up a lil’ blunt ya know, cut on a few songs of mine and vibe out. Once I hear a certain note, it’ll make me forget everything else that’s going on, certain notes just sound so good and I be like damn, did I do that shit. When I’m mad, you can tell, but for the most part, I’m always chillin’.