Whether you like Rae Sremmurd or not—and, seriously, how could you not—you have to respect the young brothers from Tupelo, Miss. Sonically distinct, industrious, and self-assured, Khalif “Swae Lee” Brown, 21, and Aaquil “Slim Jxmmi” Brown, 23, have swept through the music world like a Gulf Coast storm since releasing “No Flex Zone,” the successful first single off their EarDrummers/Interscope debut, SremmLife, in May 2014.
In the recording booth and on stage, the energetic rappers bring an unrelenting, infectious, feel-good party vibe that has won seemingly everybody over, from folks in their hometown, to producer and label boss Mike WiLL Made-It, to Paul bloody McCartney, who knows a little something about making unforgettable popular music. Anybody who was resistant to Rae Sremmurd’s subsequent string of hits (“No Type,” “Throw Sum Mo,” “Come Get Her,” and “This Could Be Us”) had to give it up when they heard “Black Beatles,” the group’s Gucci Mane-assisted breakout smash from their 2016 follow-up, SremmLife 2. Associated with the viral Mannequin Challenge, the single was everywhere and undeniably awesome, earning both Rae Sremmurd and Gucci their first number-one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. At this point, there is no point in hating, because it’s clear these accomplished siblings are just getting started and the best is yet to come.
On the newest episode of GGN, Rae Sremmurd joins Snoop to talk about their early hustle, learning from failures, the source of their energy, their process working with Mike WiLL Made-It, the expectation of hits, real asses vs. fakes, and much more. Get a taste of the convo here and go to MERRY JANE’s Apple Music page to watch the full interview. In 30 days, the episode will also be available in full on MJ’s YouTube network, alongside all the classic GGN eps with stars like Seth Rogen, Jamie Foxx, Ice Cube, Omarion, Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, and Khloe Kardashian.