Bino Rideaux and Blacc Sam, Nipsey Hussle’s brother, have been all gas, no brakes with their press run in promotion of Hussle and Bino’s collab album PROLIFIC, which arrived Aug. 14.
Their latest stop came at Billboard House on Wednesday (Sept. 9) during Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop Week, where Bino and Sam sat down with staff writer Michael Saponara for the Preserving the Hussle panel to talk all things PROLIFIC and how they’ve continued Nipsey Hussle’s Marathon seven years after his passing in March 2019.
“For me, it was important that [PROLIFIC] came out and I’m just happy it’s being received so well. An honor to be a part of this push and continue this rollout,” he said before manifesting a Grammy nomination. “Now it’s time to get this thing nominated for a Grammy.”
Recorded in 2017, Bino and Hussle spent three months straight living in the studio, which they turned into their residence, as they showered, ate and recorded at NoName Studio in Los Angeles.
“All times of the day somebody’s doing something,” Bino said. “Everybody had a common goal and everybody just focused and locked in. You got Hussle right there, ain’t no telling what you’re gonna get when you wake up. You getting documentaries, lessons, bangers, jokes. It’s just all-around energy.”
Originally titled Single for the Summer, which Nipsey Hussle’s partner, Lauren London, wasn’t too fond of when Blacc Sam got her blessing for PROLIFIC to come out.
“Bluntly speaking, she wasn’t with that name, Single for the Summer,” Sam said. “We all internally was like we not going to name it that for sure. Hussle would’ve changed it at the last-minute anyway.”
Sam continued to recall his conversations with the actress: “When I did pry in and ask her about the records, she’s like, ‘Y’all not calling it Single for the Summer?! I was like, ‘Hell nah.’ She said I told Hussle, ‘Yeah, you are going to be single. You’re gonna be single for more than a summer.’ She laughed and joked about it. I know she wanted the music to come out for Hussle and for Bino.”
PROLIFIC served as the first posthumous project release from Nipsey Hussle, which arrived on Aug. 14 — a day ahead of what would have been his 41st birthday — and featured assists from Cardi B, Ty Dolla $ign, Buddy, Leon Thomas and more. The project debuted at No. 21 on the Billboard 200.
Watch a clip from our Billboard House conversation with Bino Rideaux and Blacc Sam below.
