At this stage in his young career, Ron Suno is self-motivated and hellbent on living beyond laughs. All jokes aside, he’s ready to be taken seriously, pivoting into a creative space that’s reflective of his growth on a personal level. 

Ironically, Suno never aspired to be “The First Comedian Drill Rapper,” but that’s a title he’s willing to uphold if it comes naturally. “Personally, I don’t even try to be funny,” he shares. “That shit just come to me.” Whether or not he’s intentional in his efforts to make America laugh again, Ron’s comedic styling has afforded him the opportunity to significantly enhance his digital footprint, in route to becoming the face of The Bronx’s next wave of drill.

If you know the vibes, then you can identify with Suno’s growth. Candidly speaking, he’s just living his best life, staying high and hydrated while embracing a newly discovered source of motivation: fatherhood. A change in perspective, Suno is determined to remain focused, above all. Now, things are completely different, we’re talking about objectivity – or as he states, “I’m determined because I feel like if I won’t get it done, it’ll never get done.” 

Most recently, Suno unveiled Jokes Up, the follow up to 2020’s Swag Like Mike album. This time around, Ron upped the ante on bars and flexed his pen game. Branded by his waggish ways and rapid-fire delivery, this new project personifies Suno’s maturation in song, spotlighting the elevation of his artistry.

Stylistically, Ron Suno is showing the brighter side of drill. His knack for displaying a palpable sense of relatability with his words is game-changing. And yet, the 20-year-old artist seamlessly remains the life of the party, on and off the internet. 

He’s doing things differently, on his own terms. Get to know Ron Suno and his fucking vibe. Our conversation follows below, lightly edited for context. 

Growing up in The Bronx, how would you best describe your first encounter with drill?

It all came together because in the Bronx, I was just rapping about what I was going through, what I was seeing growing up and shit. At the time, when I was growing up, Chief Keef was around, so I had that Chief Keef influence. I started drill rapping at the age of 14. My first song [on YouTube] is called “Murder.”

Your spirited personality has seemingly enhanced your digital footprint. Are you a natural jokester or is that a trait you developed over time? 

That’s just me. Personally, I don’t even try to be funny. That’s not my intention. I just be living my best life, just good vibes, and funny shit just be happening throughout the day. Usually, I don’t think of jokes. That shit just come to me.

It just seems like you get a kick out of being the life of the party. How are you able to bridge drill, which is often considered edgy and trap-influenced, with your lighthearted sense of humor? 

You gotta be realistic. With me, all of my videos are real-life situations, I just turn them into a funny scenario. I feel like everybody can relate to my videos because every video that I do is something that everyone has to go through in life at least one time. At the end of the day, it’s gon’ be hard to do, but when people know you for who you are, and you really do what you say you’re doing, it’s gon’ be a lot easier. Like with me, I’m genuine, I ain’t tryna be like nobody, I ain’t tryna sound like nobody, so it fits very well. It’s just natural. Personally, I’m a rapper and a comedian. I’m both. It’s like two sides in one. It’s like a basketball player on the court. Lebron knows how to do everything when he on the court, he knows how to play defense, offense, he’s an all-around player. I feel like it’s the same with me, I know how to do everything. 

Now that I think about it, you really are the first comedian drill rapper. 

That’s a fact. I’m the first comedian drill rapper. I’m the first rapper one to really start dancing in their music videos. I created the Hip Hop Harry dance challenge, the Weave challenge. I did a lot of challenges. 

Producer tags often add value to songs by inciting hype and anticipation before the music has started. With your signature tag, “Ron Suno, niggas know the fucking vibes,” what prompted you to focus on branding in song? 

With the tag, I ain’t gon’ lie, one day I was in the studio, I made this song called “Party on Jump.” In the song, I went, “Ron Suno, niggas know the fucking vibes,” and that shit sounded clear to me. It sounded fluent, and I decided to keep that as my go to. Then I made a song called “Lingo.” I started saying “We Outside,” “If you ain’t from here don’t come here,” “I’m posted with the demons,” “BANG EM,” that’s my lingo too, I got BANG EM tatted. I’m living by what I rap. That’s my lingo. 

When you dropped Swag Like Mike in 2020, I feel like that was a statement project. What type of impact do you feel like Jokes Up will have on its listeners? Both old and new. 

With this tape [Jokes Up], it’s going to be a more serious version of me. You’re going to hear more sounds, like an elevated, grown up Ron Suno. With Swag Like Mike, I was growing up in the industry. I was learning what my fans wanted to hear. Now, I got a daughter, I got money now, I’m living my life. I got shit to talk about. Now they gon’ hear me, they gon’ feel me, they gon’ understand me. 

Do you still feel connected to your natural self now that you’re pivoting into a more serious space?

I still feel the same way. I ain’t even gon’ lie to you. I feel even better now that people are listening to my music and understanding me better. The goal for me is to keep doing what I’m doing now and do it well, so I’m feeling good about myself. I can’t even lie. 

With drill becoming more popularized outside of the U.S., have you ever considered pushing your pen on an international scale? In terms of collaborating with other artists. 

Most definitely. Personally, I like working with other artists and collaborating on different sounds to hear what other people like. I already got songs with people from out the country. I got Spanish songs, Europe songs, and songs from Canada. Right now, I’m already working overseas, I ain’t even gon’ lie. I just gotta get my passport. Once I get my passport, I’m outta here.

Hablas español también? 

No hablo español that much [laughs]. I definitely made a song in Spanish though. Whatever I know in Spanish, I said that right in the lyrics. That’s from going to school and paying attention in Spanish class. 

As you continue to evolve as Ron Suno and fine tune your sound, what allows you to maintain this insatiable desire for more? 

I got people watching, people that’s looking up to me. They motivated by me, so I want to set a good example. I got a daughter, so I do it for my lil’ one. And me just wanting to elevate myself and see myself win. I’m self-motivated. I look in the mirror and want to see myself do better everyday. 

As a black man, how has fatherhood shaped your outlook on life?

It changed my perspective with me being more secure in what I wanna do. I’m determined because I feel like if I won’t get it done, it’ll never get done. Now, I wake up earlier, I gotta grind harder, I work out more. It’s a different kind of motivation.