AZ Chike Talks Kendrick Lamar "peekaboo," Getting Roasted By ScHoolboy Q & West Coast Unity

There's no denying it-the West Coast is on top. But it's not because of a feud or a singular hit record that captured L.A.'s essence while resonating far beyond its borders. AZ Chike is at the forefront of this movement, especially after a breakout year. Though his rap career dates back to the 2010s, his relentless grind is finally bearing fruit. He's established himself as one of Los Angeles' most promising talents. Recent releases like "Love Yo Weapons" and "Whatx2" have only fueled his momentum.




Since the success of "Burn Rubber Again" in 2018, Chike has steadily climbed the ranks of the West Coast scene. Now, his time has arrived. His feature on ScHoolboy Q's Blue Lips single "Movie" was an immediate standout, putting everyone on notice. But it was his verse on Kendrick Lamar's GNX highlight "peekaboo" that truly cemented his status as one of L.A.'s rising stars. With that position comes responsibility-something Chike doesn't take lightly. The release of the "Whatx2" music video was followed by a snippet that many interpreted as a response to Joey Bada$$'s recent comments about the West Coast. However, Chike describes it as "shooting the flare in the air" for anyone. To him, it's not about beefing between coasts but ensuring that he-and everyone who stood on stage at The Pop Out-uphold their moment and let the art speak for itself.




"Anybody could get it," he tells HotNewHipHop. "I don't want nobody to feel like it's super directed at somebody, but I do want them to know that them West Coast n***as is putting n***as in check-bottom line, you know what I mean? And, for the sport of everything, I just don't want n***as to think that Dot did all this shit and the tides are turning, and it's for no reason, you know what I mean? He didn't put all these new young n***as in the spotlight for him to still have to worry about insignificant sh*t. So that's just what that is, bro. And I'm a man of lyrics and bars and creativity and letting the art live, so you know, that's just what I'm standing on."




His recent singles, coupled with the announcement of his deal with Warner Records, have capitalized off of the already-existing hype surrounding his name. The co-signs certainly don't hurt, either. Relationships with everyone from TDE alum to YG, Mustard, and Tyler, The Creator signaled something that he's already known: he has the West Coast behind him. We recently caught up with AZ Chike to discuss his extraordinary rise, the Super Bowl moment, and West Coast rap lineage.




This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

HotNewHipHop: How have the past 12 months felt after years of grinding?




AZ Chike: They feel good, bro. I really just been working. I've been doing so much sh*t, I think I was just telling somebody the other day that I'm still registering the Super Bowl moment. It's all coming in like, small spurts. Everything little by little, but specifically these past four months, I've just been in grind mode, bro. Like, I haven't been getting too caught up in what's happening. I'm just trying to make sure it keeps happening, you know?




You just announced your deal with Warner. What made Warner the right place for you at this point in your career?




Everything. It was really-shout out to Tim Hinshaw. Tim really connected the dots for me. I met Tim for the first time The Pop Out with Kendrick. I went to rehearsal, and I didn't know who Tim was at that point. I remember the first thing he said to me was like, "What's the deal, Chike?" And I look. I didn't know who it was know it was, but, you know, I'm not a rude dude. But, I'm like, "What's the word?" He's like, "You still signed to Atlantic?" I'm like, "Nah." He was like, "Good for you." That was our last conversation.




The next conversation was in December, after "Love Yo Weapons" dropped and after GNX dropped, but he hit me up when I dropped "Love Yo Weapons" and he DM'd me like, "Who do I need to talk to?" Got in contact with my people, and it was on between me, him and Warner. You know, it's been great ever since. I can't even lie.




The Pop Out was a huge moment for, not only yourself but everyone who shared that stage. It felt like everyone got a chance to get their recognition on a bigger platform. What was the highlight of The Pop Out for you?




It was between when we all got on stage-he asked everybody who performed to get on stage to even the people who didn't perform that was just the homies, he had them on stage. I think that that was a super powerful moment, because it was a lot of different hoods, and just n***as you would never see together outside of this. And I don't think people understand the magnitude of what was happening, you get what I'm sayin'? So that was super, super powerful, like, and I know all those people. I know how sh*t gets down on here so it was kind of crazy. It was between that moment and then also, that's when I first met Kendrick. And he walked up to me while he was rapping "Not Like Us," shook my hand, and told me that I was dope. He was like, "you hard, bro." That was the first time I met him. So between that and between the n***a performing, "Not Like Us," like four times in a row, that was crazy.




Did you talk about "peekaboo" by that point, or was that the very first time you crossed paths?




I didn't know we was doing "peekaboo" until I pulled up to the studio. But at that moment at The Pop Out, me and him had zero contact with each other. I had already talked to [ScHoolboy Q], and I was already like, you know, real good friends with Q at that point, and a little bit with [other people from TDE] but at the Pop Out was my first time being acknowledged by Dot, but he did go over the list. Like, everybody who performed that day at The Pop Out, he approved. DJ Hed told me, like, "Everybody who's on the list, who's performing, Dot knows you're coming, he fucks with you and he's happy you're here." 




That picture you guys took at the end of the performance is so iconic. 




You want me to tell you something funny about that pic?




Yeah, please. 




Let me tell you something funny about that picture, bro. So I got a version where you can see me in it-I haven't blown that picture up. I need to, though. But I got a version where you can see me in it, but I'm way in the back. The picture that's floating around that they put on a billboard and sh*t like that, my head is down in the back and I'm on my phone [laughs]. But I was in the back, and I was chopping it up, YG. Everybody was running to the front, I was talking to YG, and we were catching up. I walked right behind Mustard. You can check behind Mustard, you'll see my brown hair and shit, but I'm looking down. 




My whole thing is, I don't like being thirsty, bro. Maybe I got the "too cool" syndrome, but I don't like being thirsty. Let me get in here. Oh yeah, I gotta get in front of the camera, like you dig what I'm saying? Just for-about four months later-Kendrick to call me up to for me to go f*ck with him anyway. So, you know, it all worked out. But that was always funny to me because I can always see my head down, and that sh*t make me laugh.




Was there a particular moment when you realized things started clicking? I look at the song you did with City Girls, Tee Grizzley, and King Combs as an example of how you had people gravitating towards your sound.




Like, 2018, bro. Like, I dropped "Burn Rubber Again" in September 2017. It took, like, five months for that song to really take off. I say, like, top of 2018, mid-2018, it started getting crazy. I signed my first deal in December 2018 and by 2019, it was up. I was touring with Shoreline Mafia everywhere. Then I went on my own co-headlining tour with 1TakeJay, I was in New York every other weekend. It started going crazy. Like, 2019 is when it really took off. I got my first check, finally moved out of my momma's house, first $100,000. I started learning all types of sh*t-business, money management, and, you know, from there it was up, bro. That's when I made "Surf" with Tee Grizzley, City Girls, and King Combs, in 2019.




It must've been an amazing feeling, too, just finally getting that check and seeing the work pay off.




Honestly, I was scared, bro. I was just talking about this, actually, yesterday on the podcast. I was scared when I signed my first deal because I never saw that much money before. At the time, my biggest song hadn't generated that much. Again, I was learning the business. I signed for like $250,000 and they gave me $100,000 upfront, and they was like, "Yeah, you gotta recoup this." And I was like, "What?!" Like, what the f*ck? That's a lot of money. Like I said, you know, my biggest song hadn't did what it was supposed to do yet so I was nervous, bro. And the only thing I could do that kept me from being nervous was work. I was in the studio every night, like every night, because what's better than new, better music, you know what I mean? I was outworking any fear, just for my biggest song to go up. And I now know, sometimes all you need is one song. That sh*t can make you a million dollars, you know what I mean?




It's interesting. That's not a perspective you hear often. Obviously, it's an exciting time but there's a sense of reality that hits you when you sign the paperwork.




Nah, facts. It was really after. Because when I signed it, you know, you kind of still in the moment. But when the check hits and you see that account, you're like "Oh no, they're for real." So, man, I got to work, and I feel like that was the best thing I could have ever done, you know what I mean?

Was 2019 the first time you performed at Rolling Loud?




2018 was the first time I performed at Rolling Loud. 2019 was one of my best Rolling Loud's. The last one I just did this past weekend, I'll put it at number 2. December 2019 Rolling Loud, that's my number one still. Really because I had a nice slot, but it was daylight savings-or, I think it wasn't at that time-so it got dark faster. In December, rather than in March, in California. It got dark faster. So my set, it went into nighttime, the stage was lit. I'm not gonna lie, I was so geeked up, my eyes were big-I had on all blue. I looked like Frozone. It was crazy, though.




How would you compare your performance in 2018 and 2019 to this year's Rolling Loud?




2019, I was just going with the flow. I'm feeling it at that point, it's going up for me. And, yeah, that stage was just incredible, bro. It was more closer to downtown L.A. rather than Inglewood. So it was just crazy, it was a crazy time. Oh, and 2019, I wasn't even supposed to perform. They ain't even have me on a bill. They booked me, I want to say like, the night before, so I kind of went in with a chip on my shoulder. Like, "Alright, y'all n****as got me fucked up." I had a little more motivation that year because I was mad. Like, n***a, how y'all not book me and I'm having this crazy year? I just went in that motherfucker ready to cause havoc. 




I feel like I'm one of the reasons, if not one of the top 5-10 artists, why, when you go to Rolling Loud now, they give you cans of Liquid Death water. Because it was n***as like me on stage with the water bottles, throwing them bitches everywhere. And they would complain about that-wetting the speakers, lights, you know, all the damage. But I don't get no damn, you know what I'm sayin'? It was rockstar lifestyle, might not make it. 




But from then to now, I really know how to work a crowd. Even this past weekend, I got a song called "HMPH," right? Nobody knows that song like that. It's an 808 Mafia beat. Nobody knows that song but because of the beat and the feel-right hand on God, I promise it'll kill a lot of n***as sets at Rolling Loud. Like, if you go back and watch the set, that's one of the first times I go stand over the crowd. Look at that f*cking crowd to that song. They don't know that song from a can of paint, I promise you. Once I did that song, people start passing out, getting passed to the front, you have to pause the show. But it's sh*t like that that I've learned. I made that song with that in mind, like, "oh, this strictly for performing." So I know the advantages in this now.




There's another joint you played at Rolling Loud this year that earned a great response. Genius has it tentatively titled as "Admit It"-it's the song previewed at the end of the "Whatx2." A lot of you guys in the West Coast have been showcasing your unity, especially when people have been getting at you, and obviously, that snippet has been taken as a shot at Joey Bada$$. What compelled you to respond to his shot specifically?




I wouldn't say I was responding to his shot, specifically. I feel like I was just shooting the flare in the air for anybody to know that that's what's going on, you know what I mean? And it don't just go for one person-it goes for anybody. Anybody can get it. I don't want nobody to feel like it's super directed at somebody, but I do want them to know that them West Coast n***as is putting n***as in check-bottom line, you know what I mean? And, for the sport of everything, I just don't want n***as to think that Dot did all this shit and the tides are turning, and it's for no reason, you know what I mean? He didn't put all these new young n***as in the spotlight for him to still have to worry about insignificant sh*t. So that's just what that is, bro. And I'm a man of lyrics and bars and creativity and letting the art live, so you know, that's just what I'm standing on. And by all means, I'm from the West Coast, so I'm going to stand on the West Coast, and the West Coast's behind. At this point, I'm a pioneer in this, bro. So you know, I'm chin up, chest out, 10 toes down.

Is that a mutual feeling among you and your peers in L.A.? Kendrick did what he needed to do last year but now, it sounds like anybody who wants to check us, we're going to check back harder. 




Yeah, I'd say it is. It's a good, probably handful of motherf*ckers out here that really care about this shit. You know, the music, hip hop, rap in general. And you know, again, being creative and letting the art live. Some n***as just do this for a hobby and a check. And that's cool, too, but you're gonna know which ones really passionate about this. But, yeah, we all standing together, bro.




How do you feel what you're doing right now builds off of the legends who paved the way for you?




It's like, how can I put this? Me personally, like, of course, my, my immediate higher ups will be the Tyler, The Creator's, the Schoolboy Q's, and the Kendricks, right? So I would say, you know, it just forces you to be the best artist you can be. That's just what it is. There's no in between on the West Coast, bro. Either you're a local, and you still getting your cheese and you still going crazy. Everybody still know you on the coast, but you're local. Or, you're a mega star. There's no in between. It's not like that middle point where it's like, "Okay, well, yeah, you getting there now. You about to hit that mega start point. Now, you selling out in Atlanta and Texas and on the east coast." There's no middle point in the West Coast. Either you're small dog or you big dog. It forces us to be as creative as possible and really take it there. And I feel like it's a good and a bad thing, you know what I'm saying? Because not everybody can be a mega star. But, you know, this shit is not for the weak, but I feel like that's how the people before me paved the way for what it is today.




You mentioned Q, Kendrick, and Tyler. I don't know if they're part of your top 5 West Coast artists of all time but if they are, who else would round out those other two spots?




It would probably have to be... Let's switch it up. I'm going to go DJ Quik and Dru Down from the Bay.




How has it felt to have someone like ScHoolboy Q in your corner and genuinely championing you, especially with holding down "Movie" by yourself?




It's great, bro. You know, he keeps me on my shit, keep me on my Ps and Qs. When you rub shoulders with somebody as great as him, you obviously take some of it with you. So, again, it's a dope feeling, bro, that these are my examples on the West Coast. He's an example for me on the West Coast. And it could have been anybody, you know what I'm saying? But it was him that opened that door for me first. And to be honest, it don't get no better than that. It's honestly a blessing.

How has that relationship evolved since you two first met up? And have you gotten into any roast sessions? 




Oh yeah, that n***a is definitely funny. Our relationship is still good, bro, I feel like we're definitely like closer now, you know? For what he seen in the beginning, he always gave me a feeling that, like, "Alright, yeah, I know I can f*ck with you." Even when the GNX happened, started kicking off, he was the first person I texted and just gave him thanks and let him know that I acknowledge that he was the first one to really shed that light on me. Like, giving me the whole "Movie" song because he had a verse on there. He chose to take that off and just let me rock. 




But roasted, yeah. He definitely roasted me before. I used to get these care packages of different liquor from Belaire. And they used to give me all type of sh*t but at this time, was working on "Movie" around, like, November. It's like, holiday season, and they gave me this eggnog liquor, and I hadn't tried it yet, but at the time, I was drinking a lot so I was into, like, experimenting with liquors and tequilas. That was like, after the pandemic. N***as was whooping the 42 and Azul down. I'm trying to find the new hottest thing. 




You know, eggnog's creamy and thick, but it had alcohol in it. [Laughs] And I took it to the studio, thinking I was doing something and [ScHoolboy Q]'s like, "Man, let me hit that sh*t." I gave him some, he sipped it, and he was like, "Oh no, what the f*ck?!" [laughs]. He was like, "What's this bullsh*t? Aw nah." I forgot what he said-he said some crazy sh*t! I was definitely like I'm feeling dumb as f*ck. I was like, I'm about to go ahead and never bring this back. Throw this away, right now, dude. But yeah, they definitely cooked me for that liquor.




I heard you mentioned that your early records were more on a conscious tip, and that you obviously appreciated the early years of TDE. How much of Black Hippy's sound and mentality reflected your reality and creativity at that time?




It reflected in it 100%, bro. Because, this is before the ratchet era in L.A.. This is before YG Re'd Up and all that. This time, YG was fresh off the jerk scene run. He still had the bangers, don't get it f*cked up. "Toot It & Boot It" was already out going crazy. By time the world heard it, it was already old to us. But it was before the ratchet era was a thing. L.A. only had jerk rap and what Black Hippy was doing. We was over the jerk shit. At this point, we grew out of it. We're like teenagers at this point, that was like middle school for us. And, yeah, we was on Black Hippy, and that sh*t was the coolest thing to us. Like, knowing how to rap, being lyrical, that was cool to us. I mean, it still is. That sh*t definitely took toll on us to where we wanted to do that ourselves. And again, my brother AZSwaye, like TDE is his actual family. It was all like aligning, like that's what we needed to do, you know? But L.A. wasn't fucking with it so we started rapping about the sh*t we was actually doing, and that's when the ratchet shit came in.




What was the "peekaboo" session like with Kendrick Lamar? What was the atmosphere like in the studio?




It was chill, bro. It wasn't nothing crazy. Like, it was only like four of us in the studio. Me, engineer, Kendrick and his executive assistant-slash-best friend. It was only us, it was super chill. Wasn't a wild shit or nothing. Outside of that, I was just really in kill mode, bro. I played my before-studio music, and I was in demon mode. Like I was trying to go in there and kill something. It was up to him on what type of beat he put on. It was just their luck they put on some fun sh*t. Because anything darker, it would got real drastic in that mothaf*cka. 




But, yeah, bro, it was chill. Like I'm in that b*tch to soak game, catch a vibe on what Dot was on. And, you know, he was just giving me props and you know, really making a real connection, giving me advice and sh*t. Bro, it was a real wholesome moment, I should say.




What was the best advice he gave you during that session? 




The best advice he gave me was just how to transcend to end up being on your own. Like, bringing your friends with you, you know what I'm saying? I just asked him about how to bring your homies with you, or how to leave some homies behind that don't understand what's going on, or who are holding you back. So he gave me some good advice on that.




What was the conversation with him like after the Super Bowl? 




I hit him up right after that, or a few days after that, but he didn't get back to me until like a week after. I think he had just got back to LA. He called me, like, early in the morning. It was actually the day my single "Whatx2" dropped. He called me that morning, and we hopped on the phone and we didn't even talk about the Super Bowl at first. He was, like, "Bro, 'Whatx2' is hard. Like, everything n***as be trying to say or do, you know how to put it to words." [laughs] He didn't care to talk about the Super Bowl. He's so-and that's another thing he said-he's all about living in the now. Not saying that shit that happened doesn't matter but he's all about the now. And you know, that tends to show. He talked about what's right then and there, like, n***a, that's today. We're about to talk about this right here. When I brought the Super Bowl up, we just kind of skimmed over it. He was just like, "man, it's all good." And, you know, we just started talking about other sh*t immediately, bro. He's just talking about he's gonna start sending me beats and ideas and shit like that. 

View this post on Instagram A post shared by CHIZZLE (@azchike)

So we might hear more collaborations in the future?




I mean, hell yeah! We better. 




You followed up GNX with "Love Yo Weapons" and "What2x." With those two singles, what can fans expect from your next full-length project?




Man, just a variety of everything, bro. I just did some playbacks for a few DSPs, and we got great feedback from all of them, bro. One of the best ones was Apple. I feel like the head lady over there, she's hardly impressed, but she was impressed. These are the rough drafts of the songs. She was just like, there's a great chance you have a classic on your hands. And, you know, it's a variety of everything. I'm gonna give them what they know me for. 




Do you have a tentative title, a release date? How far along is this project? 




We just in the beginning, bro. It's not even no legs on it yet. I did like one week recording in Michael Jackson's studio. It was amazing. I had a super busy week after that. Like, soon as I got done doing that, working on that music, I went to New York for the playback. Soon I came back from New York, I just did Rolling Loud. That was like a day apart. Now this week, I gotta do this shit, interviews, then I do Mexico Papas&Beer Festival this weekend. After this weekend, I go back to the studio. So now, after this next session, we're gonna start trimming down the fat, getting the songs together and figure out what we're gonna work with and go from there.




Have you locked in with Tyler, The Creator yet? You mentioned on Instagram that you need that verse.




Yeah, absolutely. These hands hurt, you better know something. But, nah, nah, nah, not yet. If-when I do, it'll most likely be on his time because he's obviously on a huge ass tour. From what I've been told, he got a set-up on his bus. And you know, it's nothing to fly to where he is and get that in so. I just want him to focus on that, because I went to the show, I seen the production, and that shit is hectic, bro, you know what I mean? So I'm not in no rush.




Is Mustard on the project? 




Yeah, I talked to Mustard, for sure. The first day I got in the studio, I text him and I told him let's get some shit in. Because I know I did some shit with him too, but that was for his project. I don't know if he'll just f*ck around and might let me use some of that, or we just do some new shit. I definitely just talked to Mustard shit. I just had a 30-minute FaceTime call with Roddy Ricch. And, again, the West Coast behind me, bro. Like, I got all the elements I need.
The post AZ Chike Talks Kendrick Lamar "peekaboo," Getting Roasted By ScHoolboy Q & West Coast Unity appeared first on HotNewHipHop.



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