When Atlanta MC SWAVAY was pondering his future in rap, he didn’t call a relative or text a friend — he went to ChatGPT. Flooded with doubt, he sought reassurance, asking the popular AI app if he was heading in the right direction. He was shocked by its response.
“What stuck with me the most was that I’m not as consistent as people want me to be,” he candidly admitted to Billboard while taking a ZOOM call from his car. “I couldn’t argue with that. It’s damn near a fact. For me, I kind of blame my inconsistency on infrastructure, the business, and all that other stuff.”
Despite its cutting candor, ChatGPT became the truth serum and motivation SWAVAY needed to rewrite his story. After a brief stint on Metro Boomin’s Boominati label in the late 2010s — which included a Grammy nomination for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: The Album — the Atlanta native reset his career and doubled down on his craft.
In 2022, he released the overlooked ALMETHA’S SON, featuring James Blake, Destin Conrad and G Herbo. Known for his lyrical dexterity and unwavering passion, SWAVAY continued his ascent with BILLY 2 and NO DELUXE in 2025, before returning this year with The PRELUDE, a seven-track mixtape he views as the “Warm-Up” to his forthcoming project, BILLY 3.
Across The PRELUDE, SWAVAY flexes his gifts as both a storyteller and technician, weaving vivid narratives on tracks like “SIXX MINUTES” while displaying razor-sharp introspection on “TONY’S DEAD.”
As he continues his run as an opener on James Blake’s Trying Times Tour, SWAVAY is also preparing to embark on a headlining trek of his own beginning this September. “I’m watching James closely every day and trying to gain a lot of his professionalism as I step into my headline touring realm in the next couple of months,” he says.
Billboard spoke to SWAVAY about his doubts and fears, his experience as a one-time battle rapper, what he would do differently if he were signed to Metro Boomin today, and more.
What have you gained from watching James Blake up close on this tour, even though y’all come from completely different musical worlds?
The seriousness and the importance of a show. I think he takes his live performances extremely seriously. He’s having fun, but it’s very much so like a job that he’s paying very close attention to. I think for me that’s interesting, too — because I was telling you the last time I was in New York, I don’t feel like people necessarily enjoy rap concerts the way that we think that they do. If you give a man thirsty water, he’ll drink it, but I think rap shows have gotten a bad reputation of being piss-poor.
Me seeing someone outside of my genre take their live performances so seriously is a very sharpening experience for me. He’s vocal resting. He’s looking at crowd reactions to prepare for the next show. He has a live band and they have all their separate intricacies. I’m watching James closely everyday and trying to gain a lot of his professionalism as I step into my headline touring realm in the next couple of months.
Atlanta has produced some of the biggest stars in rap, but your style feels different. Why has it been important for you to lean into lyricism instead of chasing whatever’s hot at the moment?
I think I just committed to dying on a hill. Words and what I say really matters to me. That’s important to me and that’s something I’m willing to die on. There’s a time and a place to be fun and kind of relaxed, but I think even with that, words matter. I can’t speak for everybody else, but I also enjoy songs that are about nothing. Still, at the same time, I’m a person that’s intention-built. It’s me — it’s SWAVAY.
We all grew up in a specific blog-era time in hip-hop where the things that might have been cool to us wasn’t cool to what might have been the hotter s–t. It’s like Lupe, [Pharrell] and Ye were cool to a certain type of people, but it wasn’t always the hot thing. You just gotta commit like, “Yo. This is what I’m into, and this is more of reflection of me.”
I heard you’ve even used ChatGPT to break down your strengths and weaknesses as an artist. What was the most accurate thing it told you, and what was something it got completely wrong?
I don’t even think it got anything wrong — I think it was very honest. It compared me to what most people who think of SWAVAY would compare me to off the dribble. For me, I kind of blame my inconsistency on infrastructure, the business and all that other stuff.
I remember my guy Shawn Holiday told me there’s gonna be a time in your career where you’re gonna have to take it into your own hands. When I saw that ChatGPT thing, I was like, “I’m taking things into my own hands.” I gotta let go and let my output reflect on me versus being inconsistent. I don’t wanna be lost in the sauce. Let me exhaust myself and see what happens.
Early in your career, you were signed to Metro Boomin. If today’s version of SWAVAY got that opportunity for the first time, what would you do differently?
Then, I didn’t know who SWAVAY was. I think I was just doing whatever felt right, which is the right thing to do, but at the same time, I don’t think I had that much of an identity then. If I had the opportunity to have that co-sign and that system today, I think I wouldn’t be the artist that everyone feels is slept on, overlooked or counted out. Even now — just being vulnerable with you — I do think about that a lot. Sometimes, I even want that. But not everybody’s story is my story. It’s specific to them. I’m here for a reason, and I couldn’t skip no steps.
You got Jermaine Dupri on the intro of the mixtape. When somebody with that kind of résumé stamps what you’re doing, what does that do for your confidence?
It helps a lot. Just being vulnerable again, I deal with self-doubt. Sometimes, I read the comments. Sometimes, I think about that ChatGPT thing. Even prior to that, I was already thinking, “Damn, if I had did this or did that…” So, having someone like JD give me the stamp, especially being from Atlanta, it’s like, “Bro. I must be doing something right.” Finally, I feel seen. I feel heard.
You’ve been grinding for years, but it feels like more people are finally catching on. Do you still feel like you’re proving yourself, or have you graduated from the rookie phase?
Nah, I still feel like I have to prove myself. I still feel like I’m in that space 100%. Without a doubt. I remember when we were talking about the XXL Freshman List and how I didn’t make it…
Wait. I remember you were waiting to hear an answer. I’m sorry, man.
It’s all good, man. I grew up on hip-hop. I studied this. I care. Just being a fan of hip-hop, that was something I wanted and I didn’t get it. I think for me, it was one of those things where I saw some of my peers on there, and I was like, “OK. Clearly I’m not ready yet.” And I’m not walking around with like a gray cloud around me. I still got the same amount of hunger like when I saw that ChatGPT thing and I was like, “OK, bro. Bet.” I feel that same hunger, if not more, to be honest.
You come from a battle rap background. What skills from that world still show up in your music today?
Quick thinking. You can ask [my manager] Drew. Sometimes, we’ll go into the studio and my mind is moving faster than I am. Just being able to come up with something on the spot and also understanding competition. I feel like a lot of artists think being competitive is trying to show that you’re the best, but in battle rap — when I was doing it everyday — it wasn’t about proving who’s the best; it’s about who can create the best moment. Who can say the thing that you’ll remember?
Even when you watch some of the battle rappers today or back then, that’s competition. A lot of people who I can consider great, I don’t consider them to be the best. They’ve had a lot of great things that stuck with them through life like, lines, dope moments, and facial expressions. I think battle rap just showed me the real way on how to be competitive.
There are a lot of artists who would’ve quit after not seeing immediate results. What kept you believing in yourself during the years when the spotlight wasn’t necessarily there?
God. I’m not even joking. People ask me this all the time, especially artists who may not be as big as I am and I tell ’em, it’s beyond me. I’ve quit multiple times. There were times when I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I didn’t know how. I didn’t feel special anymore. I didn’t feel like I had that “thing.” It was God. There’s not one thing I can name outside of that that kept me going. Even some days now, I wanna quit, but everyday I wake up and just commit to the fight. I pray that God is gonna help me.
