Key Takeaways
- BigXthaPlug told The Breakfast Club that “you got to genuinely be going through something” to make country music, crediting heartbreak with helping him finish I Hope You’re Happy.
- He praised country’s welcoming community, saying Post Malone, Jelly Roll, and Luke Combs charged nothing for features and Shaboozey and Bailey Zimmerman regularly check on him.
- After I Hope You’re Happy reached No. 2 on the country albums chart, he returned to rap on Oct. 30 with Better Over Time, an 18-track album featuring GloRilla, Lil Yachty, and Leon Thomas.
BigXthaPlug is opening up about what it takes to make country music, saying you need real-life experiences to draw from.
During an appearance on The Breakfast Club on Monday (Nov. 9), BigX reflected on his venture into country music and explained why the genre requires artists to tap into their emotions.
"You got to genuinely be going through something to make some country music," he said.
The rapper, who recently returned to hip-hop with his fourth solo album, Better Over Time, also spoke about how welcoming the country music community was when he decided to experiment with the genre.
"The country world is a whole different world. They are so open arms with everything," he explained. "Like, they knew I had never did a lick of country music, but they was willing to."
BigX revealed that several major stars agreed to work with him on his country project without charging for their appearances.
"I didn't pay for none of them features. And some of them, Post Malone, Jelly Roll, Luke Combs, them big names," he said. "Them was just people that wanted to genuinely, they seen that I was trying to do something that hadn't been done and they was willing to help. And we did, we made history."
The experience also led to some genuine friendships. BigX said Shaboozey and Bailey Zimmerman are among the few people who regularly check on him.
"Them the only people that will randomly on a Tuesday, ‘Hey, what's up, bro? You good?’ Nobody else do that," he said.
BigX previously discussed the differences between rap and country music during an interview with Complex, explaining that storytelling plays a much bigger role in the latter.
"With country music, that story got to be one hell of a story," he said, adding that with rap, "you could just make it sound good and it can go."
His own experiences with heartbreak helped him understand that distinction while recording his country-inspired album, I Hope You're Happy.
"The heartbreak happened in the middle of me making the project. That's when I understood. And it helped me finish it," he previously told MusicRow.
Released in August 2025, I Hope You're Happy debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 2 on the country albums chart. The project also led to BigX performing "Pray Hard" alongside Luke Combs at the 2025 CMA Awards.
Despite finding success in country music, BigX made it clear that he wasn't abandoning his hip-hop roots.
"As much as I've enjoyed this country bag and I've enjoyed the people, I miss rap," he said.
He returned to the genre on Oct. 30 with Better Over Time, an 18-track album featuring GloRilla, Lil Yachty, Leon Thomas, Ava Max, and Fridayy.
