Florida native Big Baby Scumbag lives life in the fast lane and has his own beer collection, and to be honest – that’s cool as hell.

Often revered as the ‘King of Merch’ for his innovative stance taken on distinguishable merchandising, Big Baby Scumbag is one of music’s more polished gems on the brink of achieving global ascendancy.

Big Baby’s Floridian upbringing was encompassed with a fondness for Stock Car Auto Racing and high-risk ‘Hey Mister’ confabs outside of the neighboring Circle K convenience store.

“I remember being 15-years-old and there was this Circle K right up the street from my crib and the only way you were getting alcohol was if you did a ‘Hey Mister’.”

Today, the emerging talent has released the newest addition to his eclectic catalog with unmasking Big Baby Earnhardt, a unique embodiment of what contrasting characteristics embellish his very being.

Featuring noteworthy collaborations with the likes of Lil B and Project Pat, Big Baby Earnhardt demonstrates Big Baby’s warranted versatility and appreciation for Pop Culture.

We had the opportunity to house a conversation with Big Baby Scumbag centered around his new album release, name origin and more.

Talk to me about the origin of Big Baby Scumbag – how did this name come about?  

I had two homies that I used to go to middle school with and they ended up starting a rap group around 2014 or so. My homie had reached out to me and was like, “Yo, I made this rap group and I want you to be in it”.  

At the time, I wasn’t event rapping.  

I was like bro I don’t even rap (haha) so, I don’t even know what you’d want me to do. I feel like 2014-2015 was a big Soundcloud area, everybody wanted to be a rapper. So, I decided well shit – I’ll try it out.  

The group name was Scumbag World and it was kind of like on some A$AP Mob shit where you have Asap Rocky, Asap Ferg, Asap Ant, Asap Nast…ya know, that whole thing.

There was Skinny Scumbag, Lil’ Scumbag, so I was like damn – I need a cool name.  

I had thought of Baby Scumbag and I tried to change my name on Twitter to ‘Baby Scumbag’ but the name was taken. At that point I had to improvise, so I was like I’m a put ‘Big’ in front of the ‘Baby Scumbag’ and yeah, that’s basically how I got my name.  

From my understanding, you’re originally from Tampa, FL correct?  

Yes.  

I always hear some relatively unique stories about Floridians. I mean, random things like people walking alligators on leashes, almost like pets, really just a completely different vibe out there. With that in mind, what was it like growing up?  

Honestly, I feel like Florida is a big melting pot. All types of different people, all different walks of life.  

My father is from Florida and my mother is from New York, so I get like the best of both worlds – the country side and the big inner-city side. Growing up in Florida really influenced a majority of the shit I’m doing right now.  

For instance, with the NASCAR shit. Seeing kids with the NASCAR jackets – like, nobody was even really watching NASCAR at the time, just wanted to have NASCAR jackets with Tony the Tiger on em’. At a point, it was like a fashion statement.  

Even at the Florida State Fair, they would have bootleg, knock-off Nascar jackets.  

Once I started getting into music and shit, it was like a no brainer for me to incorporate that shit. This is what I grew up on, so I’m going to take this and bring it to the music side.  

I have a bunch of videos where I’m at chicken wing spots, barbecue spots, riding four-wheelers and shit – that’s as Florida as it gets.   

You seem like you’re a NASCAR enthusiast. Talk to me about your passion for the sport, because I’ve noticed a lot of NASCAR-inspired elements incorporated into your artistry  

Outside of my love for the jackets, I started going to thrift stores when I was younger.  

We got the Daytona 500, Disney World, a bunch of shit that’s around, so anytime I went to the thrift store I would see Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck shirts, NASCAR shirts and that has kind of what fueled my love for NASCAR as well.  

One thing I noticed about the early 90’s NASCAR designs is that it gave me an early 90’s No Limit vibe or like a 90’s Hotboyz, Cash Money Records design where it’s like a million different things going on.  

There’s a car, a bolt of lightning, money and shit. Big wording, big bold lettering across the top.  

I think that’s what attracted me to the sport too, the aesthetic.  

From ‘stealing 4 Lokos out the Circle K’ to having your own beer has to be one of the best full circle moments, how would you describe that feeling?  

Haha, yeah man it’s cool cause honestly, going back to that Tweet – I remember being 15-years-old and there was this Circle K right up the street from my crib and the only way you were getting alcohol was if you did a ‘Hey Mister’.  

You would literally just stand out in front of the store and ask whoever walks up.  

I would’ve never imagined going from that to having my own beer.  

I’m a put it like this, I don’t think I would have my own beer if I wasn’t a rapper making music.  

If I wasn’t doing this, I don’t think that would’ve been accessible at all.  

If there wasn’t a demand for a beer by Big Baby Scumbag, for the brand I created, it wouldn’t happen.  

How exactly did your beer collection come together?  

I got a few homies at the brewery that listen to my music and they ended up working there.  

It kind of just fell in my lap and we’ve been tryna get this out for the past 5 or 6 months and now it’s about to become a seasonal thing.  

We’re already working on beers for the Spring, for Spring Break.  

Yeah man, a lot of things in the works. 

I hear that you’re the ‘King of Merch’ – You have tie-dye shirts, trading cards, condoms and even beer koozies. Talk to me about your innovative stance taken on merchandising/branding yourself to that degree 

I honestly feel like I’ve always been a creative person, I just didn’t have an outlet to showcase my creativity.  

Back in school, I was never into extracurricular activities, any clubs, none of that shit. I was still super creative, just didn’t have any outlet to showcase that.  

Once I started creating music, that was the perfect way to say this is what it is, this is what I like.  

I’m just putting myself in the shoes of the fans, the listeners and just giving them what they would want.  

As a consumer, you want to know that your favorite rapper is really getting hands-on with the shit.  

I’m buying the supplies, I’m getting my hands messy dyeing these shirts.

Every shirt is made with love man, it’s just me.     

Let’s shift focus a bit. From my understanding, you have an upcoming project releasing this Friday titled ‘Big Baby Earnhardt’ – essentially the follow-up to your ‘Juvenile Hell’ offering featuring Lex Luger. 

Yeah man.  

Expand on that for me, what inspired the title and how exactly did this album come together?  

‘Big Baby Earnhardt’ has been in the making for the past year. I’m a say since like February 2019 – a lot of the songs that are on the project, I felt like I wanted to make a lasting impression.  

I was getting to the point where I felt like singles were some in-and-out type shit.  

A lot of artists drop singles and then they would drop a video to the single and it’s forgotten about, doesn’t have a lasting effect.  

I don’t want these songs to be forgotten about, these songs have longevity and are timeless.  

I wanted to embody what Big Baby Scumbag is in one whole project, cause’ ‘Juvenile Hell’ – I would say that was my first project but it wasn’t my first album.  

When you listen to ‘Big Baby Earnhardt’, no song sounds like the last.  

With every song on ‘Big Baby Earnhardt’, with every line, I just made sure I made some shit that I would listen to 10 years from now.

Shit I feel like people will listen to 10 years from now.  

There’s an interlude on the project called N**GAS IN SWEDEN and I was actually in Sweden when me and my homie made that, my homie CadyCutThroat. I remember waking up one day and Cady was playing this loop (Big Baby Scumbag proceeds to sing) ‘I wish you were mine’.  

At first, I started freestyling to it, but I didn’t like what I was saying so I was like you know what fuck it, we’re just going to make this a whole interlude.  

I think back on it now and I get nostalgia. It was 6 months ago, just reliving the entire experience in Sweden.   

You have some pretty notable features on ‘Big Baby Earnhardt’ too, Lil B and Project Pat – that’s insane!  

What’s crazy bro, Lil B is my favorite rapper. I’ve been listening to Lil B since I was like 15, 16 years old.  

I had been recorded Nicole Richie and once I finally got cool with Lil B I was like shit I have the perfect song for him.  

Lil B, a lot of his shit makes references to culture and figures in Pop Culture – Paris Hilton, Mel Gibson, Bill Bellamy.  

I base a lot of my shit off of real people – Dale Earnhardt, Jameis Winston, Bruce Wayne, Metal Gear Solid, just Pop Culture shit,  

He literally got the verse back to me the day after I sent it to him (Nicole Richie) – I remember being in the car and just playing that shit for like an hour straight.  

Lil B is the homie, I literally talk to him almost every other day.  

If you had to select a favorite track from ‘Big Baby Earnhardt’, what would it be and why?  

I’ll say To The Moon, it’s the very last song.  

I don’t know man, it’s just so different.  

I feel like my different songs are my favorite songs.  

I can make a million Dale Earnhardt’s, I can make a million Nicole Richie’s but when I make songs like Toy Story and To The Moon it hits different, it (To The Moon) took me out of my comfort zone of what I’m usually making.  

What’s funny is like, a lot of fans will joke with their favorite artist and say things like “Oh, I miss the old Big Baby Scumbag, he’s trying new stuff“.  

As fans you gotta understand I can’t keep making the same music over and over again, you grow as an artist and experience different shit.  

I definitely understand the premise behind experiencing growth and how that can reflect in your art. What do you feel like is one interesting dynamic about your music that your fan-base may not be aware of?

Dale Earnhardt remix was honestly kind of made on accident.  

One day I made a tweet like “Yo, I wanna do a remix to one of my favorite songs” – but the remix I was referring to was one of my very first singles that really hit and that was Jelly.  

I put Jelly out in 2016.  

lil aaron just so happened to reply to me and I was like well shit, I know lil aaron wouldn’t snap on Jelly cause lil aaron is from Indiana and that’s another big NASCAR capital like Florida, so that was a no-brainer.  

So yeah, that remix was not planned at all.  

I think he said he wanted to shoot a video soon, so that may be in the works the next time I go to LA for sure. 

What can we expect from Big Baby Scumbag for the remainder of 2020?  

A bunch of strategic marketing, a bunch of products that should be at a store near you.  

I’ve been on my vegetarian shit for almost a week and a half, I want to dabble in the health realm.  

More beer, more projects, a lot of more high jinks.  

I want to start a vlog and document everything that I do on a daily basis.  

Other than showcasing music, my fans don’t know what I do on the daily. 

I want to get into E-sports, I got a bunch of homies that stream on Twitch.  

I got a bunch of homies that are into Cosplay, I’m pulling up to all the conventions and I’ll have my own Big Baby Scumbag card-trading booth, all that shit.  

It’s a bunch of shit in the making.