Memphis rapper Big30 has entered into a deal with N-Less Entertainment and Moneybagg Yo’s Bread Gang Entertainment, in partnership with Interscope Records.
“Big30 is a great kid,” says NLess CEO Marcus “Head” Howell. “He’s an example of what we do at NLess, we take potential and turn it into stardom.”
The 21-year-old’s debut solo mixtape, King of Killbranch reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart upon its September release, and included features from Yo Gotti, Future, Lil Durk, Moneybagg Yo, Pooh Shiesty, Quavo and Offset, some of whom served as mentors for the up-and-coming artist. “Gotti always tell a n—a chase the dream, chasing the dream gone get you everything else you want,” Big30 says. “Bagg, he always on me pushing me to go harder and be better. Gucci want you to work, don’t never stop working push yourself at all times.”
According to Moneybagg Yo, the two instantly connected after he first heard his music while in Memphis. “He was talking different for his age, he was talking like me. I understood his struggle when he broke it down for me. Where he come from, how he came up, what he’s trying to accomplish,” he says. “I wanted to help him, build him up, help him feed his family.”
Moneybagg Yo adds that mentorship is a major goal of his, in order to extend his legacy: “Some [artists] don’t want to see people on top of them but it actually gives your brand longer life as we keep going. Of course I’m setting the tone, but after me then what? It’s got to be 30.”
Big30 is currently the opener on Moneybagg Yo’s month-long A Gangsta’s Pain tour. The rapper entered his deal with N-Less and Bread Gang prior to the partnership with Interscope, and says he has felt supported every step of the way. “Head, the CEO at N-Less, is always in his artist’s corner whatever we wanna do, whatever vision we got. That’s even before Interscope,” he tells Billboard. “Interscope boosted the platform, it’s like a bigger playground.”
N-Less Entertainment was founded in 2016 by Howell and former NBA basketball player Zach “Z-Bo” Randolph. “The vision [is] to keep growing, to keep getting better at being able to create the next star in music, the next star in production,” says Howell. “In the next five years, we’re gonna be one of the biggest labels in the game. If we stay the course and keep moving how we are, there’s no doubt in my mind we’d get to that status.”
Big30 is currently working on his next album and in the future, hopes to break into “the top 5 on Billboard,” he says. “Just keep leveling up.”
