It’s been two years since Alabama rapper NoCap dropped his debut album Mr. Crawford, a project that debuted in the top-10 of the Billboard 200 chart and ensured he’d be a mainstay in the hip-hop community. NoCap’s The Main Bird EP arrived to close 2022, but what came next was a period of silence that only recently came to an end thanks to the long-awaited release of his sophomore album Before I Disappear Again.
“Some people feel like they find themselves when they turn 18 or something, but I don’t think that,” NoCap tells Uproxx as he reflects on his quiet 2023 year. “I’m 25 and I’m still finding myself. I’ve just been working on myself as far as being a father. Even with this cup, I’ve been trying to put that down [and] get better with that. I’ve just been having some me time, but I’m ready to get back to it.”
Before I Disappear Again arrives to add on to what’s been a special year for NoCap. Two months ago, the rapper and his girlfriend gave birth to their first son, Grenayde. “It’s new for me, it’s my first kid, it’s my girl’s first kid too, so it’s new to both of us,” Still, some things have been an easy adjustment for the “Very Special” rapper. “I been not getting no sleep, so it’s cool,” he says with a laugh. “Sometimes, you just got to wake up, do what you got to do, but it’s been smooth overall.”
Together with the release of Before I Disappear Again, Uproxx caught up with NoCap to talk about the new album, his support from fans, music with longtime collaborator Rylo Rodriguez, and why he’s happy to make up for lost time with his fans.
What’s the meaning behind this album’s title, Before I Disappear Again?
Like you said, I’ve been gone for two, three years working on myself [laughs]. Ain’t no telling when I might have to do that again. Hopefully, I don’t disappear again too soon, but ain’t no telling when I have to go back and work on myself again. Yeah, we artists, but at the same time, we live real life. We’re human, we’re not robots. I just get back in that work mode, sometimes I’m worried about myself. That’s all that’s about really.
On “Far From Nigeria,” you say, “Nigeria’s so far from Alabama I swear, but I would visit just to have a talk with Mohbad.” What’s inspired your interest in the country and have you been able to visit?
I ain’t been able to visit because I don’t have my passport due to jail and sh*t. I can get my passport, I’m able to get it, I just ain’t took the time out. We were DMing and sh*t probably like a couple days before that sh*t even happened. When I heard his music, it’s crazy how you can understand somebody way on the other side of the country.
I always wanted to visit Nigeria, because I can run through my comments and DMs all day, and that’s all I see like, “Come to Nigeria, come to Nigeria.” I can’t wait to do that, and I really wanted to talk to Mohbad on some one-on-one time and we were gonna do music together, that’s a true statement. I would have visited to holla at him for sure, and I said that because in our last couple of DMs, he was like, “Hey, give me a call. We need to talk.” So, that’s why I said in that song, “I’ll visit just to talk to Mohbad.”
You remixed D’Yani’s “Feelings” on your album. How did you come across that song and what made you want to put out your own version of it?
I remember a nail got in my tire. I remember being at the tire shop, I had just got my tire done and sh*t, and my girl was on the Bluetooth. The song was playing, I never heard the song, but I was vibing to the song. So she looked at me and laughed like I was joking. I’m like, nah, I really f*ck with this song. I just heard him, his vocals, and sh*t, and how the song was vibing. Jada Kingdom, she’s on the original version, so I had DM’ed him ASAP like, bro, I love this song, send me the open verse [and] let me replace Jada verse. Jada verse hard, but I heard myself on it too. He sent it to me, I knocked it out, sent it back to him, and I told him I’ll put it on the album. He said it’s a go.
I really think it’s different because the song is already out, usually people don’t do that. I just felt like I could add some more to it [and] get a US fan base on it. Jada, she’s from out the country too, so I just felt like it’ll put a street-slash-US fan base on it. I never had that international verse, so I needed that. Shoutout D’Yani for sure.
There’s a funny clip at the end of “Judge The Jury” with a fan voicing their support for you, going as far as to say they’d go broke to see you. What do die-hard fans like this mean to you on your journey as an artist?
It mean everything, bro. I remember when it was a time when nobody gave a f*ck. So no matter how far I get, I always take myself out them shoes and realize my music really helps people, it really heals people. That’s why I be rushing to get this music out, too. I usually don’t do too much promo and no interviews, none of that, because I really just be so focused on the music bro, and trying to feed my fans with the music because I feel like there’s certain sh*t they never gave a damn about. They just want to hear me rapping. So when fans do stuff like that, it mean everything to me. To walk in these venues and sell these venues out alone on my own tour, I don’t have to be on nobody tour — it’s good for me to be on other people tour — but even when I’m alone, without dropping music, I can still go sell these venues out. My fans, that’s who pay me, and I pay them back.
You have two songs with Rylo on this project, which adds to a long list of collabs you have together. What makes it so easy with between y’all when it comes to making it music and could we see another project from you two in the future?
You gonna see Rogerville 2 from us, for sure. We’ve been doing it before anything. We was locking in every night with Gino. Ain’t too much going on in the city, we really ain’t got nothing else to do but hit the studio six, seven at night to 10 in the morning. We sleeping on the floor in the studio, like this was around them times, we waking up recording. We just locked in all night.
I always knew we had the vision, I ain’t gonna say I knew how big it would get, but I always knew we had the vision. Sometimes, I just be wanting our respect. The stamp we put on this game, I don’t feel like we get the [respect] that we should get. We been locked in, so every time we do lock in now, it’s still the same — it ain’t nothing different. That’s still my brother, it’s love. He working, I’m working, but when we link up, we still coming. Rogerville every time.
What would you say is the biggest difference in the experience you had crafting Mr. Crawford versus the experience you had making Before I Disappear Again?
That was the beginning stage of me trying to turn into a business. That’s why I named that Mr. Crawford. That was the beginning stage of that. Now, I’m to the point where I feel like I’ve handled a small portion of that, so now I can really focus back on this music.
I just feel like it’s for everybody bro. I got four trap songs, I got four acoustic songs, I got four girl songs spaced out for everybody. I feel like whoever clicks on this album will be able to at least like four songs if you don’t like certain types of genres. It’s all types of genres on there, there’s something everybody can get with.
Through the highs and lows of being an artist, what keeps you going and wanting to continue making music and project after project?
Really because at this point, besides my son bro, music is the only thing a n**** got. That’s why I put my heart into it so much. I just appreciate my fans so much, that’s why I gotta keep going. I done seen n****s get in this game [and then] two, three years [later], you never hear from them again. For me to still be lasting without dropping music, it let me know it’s destined for me. Some fans wouldn’t give a f*ck about another artist not dropping. The comments, it be a little discouraging sometimes, but at the same time, I always look at them like they still waiting on me. It’s a lot of people who they not waiting on. That’s really what keeps me going.
What’s up next for you now that this album is finally coming out into the world?
For sure, touring out the gate, gotta go see the world again. Gotta go see the people who love me. If I don’t do my tour first, I might jump on Rod Wave’s tour and then come back and do my own tour.
Before I Disappear Again is out now via Atlantic Records. Find out more information here.
