Standing Out, Being Different

0:00 Our interview with Hustle Zombie was a refreshing look into what it really truly means to be an artist. Approaching music from a deeply creative standpoint, he isn't your typical rapper. He thrives on live performances, lyrical depth, and genuine expression. From rocking stages with live bands to crafting songs for other artists, Hustle Zombie embraces every challenge with passion and professionalism. Beyond his bars, his unique sense of style adds another layer to his artistic identity. making him stand out both sonically and visually. Tune into this episode to explore many depths, levels, and layers of Hustle Zombie, an artist who refused to fit the mold. Google and YouTube University is idealistically the best way to learn. All right, y 'all, we are tuning in for another episode of Bankedoutt Radio Show. I'm your host, Andreas, and I got another artist for y 'all today, Hailing from MacTown.

1:32 Y 'all know I was down there in a good little minute, about 15 years or so. But yeah, we got Hustle Zombie online with us. What's up, man? I don't really know, boy. What's going on, man? How cool is that? Now, there's something that I saw where I think you got like a phrase or something that you say a lot. Oh, yeah. Say that phrase for me. I'm the hostess. I'm still still an hour from my next day because 24 hours ain't enough. I need like 30. This was a you need to like do that with everything that you do. I don't care if you do red carpet interviews, you know, wherever you go. have something that you know that is there that people can like you know remember you by and be like okay and they try to figure out like you know what you're saying so let's dive into it like you know you're uh uh making native or oh yeah man born and raised making georgia i don't live i lived in Atlanta and Miami before but i'm a straight from making georgia man straight from the concrete all right that's what's up so Tell us about your experiences, you know, growing up, music, what it means to you, because, you know, making has a huge, rich history of music. For sure that, for sure that, man. I came up, I basically, music been a part of me for as long as I can remember, man. Growing up on holidays and stuff, or just on a regular day waking up and hearing my mama playing music, you know what I'm saying, singing. On a holiday, my family had talent shows. I used to sing R &B before I'd rap, before I went through. voice

3:03 change and all that growing up and should have been puberty type. But I used to sing a lot of R &B, so, you know what I'm saying, I always had a passion for music for real, and it just came to me to start writing music, because I like, around my life, ELA, you know what I'm saying, so I take an interest in words, so it just came to me to write, because nobody can teach me how to do it, and I just... Took off for nothing, I really just took off for nothing. Remakes of songs out here on the radio, just rapping, you know what I'm saying? While it's playing, while I'm listening to it, I'm substituting words in, putting my own words in, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah, I love that. Yeah, it kind of just came to me like that and I just started writing my own music. So tell us about, you know, what era of hip hop was like your childhood and then, you know, you actually getting into it. You know what I'm saying? Where is it? What can I say, man? It really, I grew like the hip hop, as far as the hip hop, like the music. I don't know, man. I wouldn't, I'm not era based, I don't think, because I didn't come to, in my generation, the music that we grew up listening to, the influence. Kind of like the older era, like the 80s. you know what I'm saying, like, lyrical people like Andre 3000 and the best parts

4:33 of Eminem and you know what I'm saying, you know, the two parts, of course, the biggest, of course, you know, stuff like that, you know, Aaron B and Rakim, I like that, you know what I'm saying, like, that was a real rap to me, that's, you know what I'm saying, I can't make that up, the diplomat dips it, that boy Kam, you know, music like that, so, like, I really wasn't, I went all the way influenced by musically about what I grew up to. You know what I'm saying? Life -wise, living life -wise, it's different. I had a different influence, but as far as what made me want to do my own music, or got into it, or have my favorites, I didn't really want nothing in my era, in my generation. They were like, oh yeah, boy, they can do it. I can do it. Yeah, no, I definitely get that sometimes it happens like that or whatever, you know, and they say like, you know, the 80 90s and you know, part of the styles is like, you know, the great area of hip hop and stuff like that. And then it like, you know, it changed because of this banked out radio show and I have some deals for y 'all.

5:37 There are some companies that I've been going researching, looking at the different products and services that I want to turn you on to. So go to my deals page, check them out. Any one of them that you want to interact with, want to do some business with. You'll get a promo discount as well when you try their product, Banked Out, B -A -N -K -E -D -O -U -T -T. Slide over to that page, check out what I have to offer, and let me know. defragmentizing right now. I think it's gonna actually in the next 10 years it'll be like, you know, sort of like a 1990s type of thing where you got this particular area, this particular area, this particular area, this particular area, and that will be hip hop. But we'll see, you know, that's only my prediction.

6:22 So were there any artists in the like Macon or even the middle Georgia area that you saw that you were like, you know what, I like how they move. It might not necessarily like, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, you know get down to music whatever but you might have liked the impact that they had and stuff like that Couple groups, man. I like the local lifestyle, of course, me being from the west side of making and being in my family. I saw that part of it. I took a liking to how they go moving. They were getting nice attention from that. All right. So at what point did you feel like you okay, I'm getting into this, I'm doing it, but now this is going to be my profession and I'm gonna treat it like a professional. When was that switch for you?

7:33 Oh, it's which way actually Okay, it wouldn't it wasn't that long ago man, it probably like five years ago for real man Wow, just like I man is this this this the way Mm -hmm just cuz I was doing it with a group of friends and so, you know, we've not started at time went on it wasn't moving as fast as we felt like we should move so I don't know, the only one that kept a steady head and kept on keeping on with it. And they became, the friends I rep with, they became fans. So it's like, you know what I'm saying? Like, not to toot my own horn, you know what I'm saying? But I felt like I was the best one in the group. Hey, you still here? So, you know, proof is in the pudding, ain't it? Yeah, for sure. I just kept head with it, man, you know. And when nobody can teach me, so that made me like it even more. I had to mold myself and teach myself a lot about it. So, you know what I'm saying? I like that I came. What's your recording process like? Do you go into the booth? Do you basically offer freestyle? Do you come fair, written? Yeah, man. I'm pretty much premeditated, man. I love being premeditated. I read on paper, I read in a notepad on the phone. Yeah, I like to write out my... artist, I like to write it out. You know what I'm saying? I'm more than just a rapper. I'm a real artist with this. I

9:06 look at it as a piece of paper or a note on my phone. I look at it like a drawing board. I put it all together. I like to see it together before I actually put it out. I make sure it makes sense. I like to make a lot of sense when I'm doing music. Freestyling really ain't my f - I ain't to do like yeah I don't have to probably get ain't nothing against it but there's people who freestyle they can't write like I write and there's people who write they can't freestyle so yeah I'm like there's a lot of different parameters with all that and everything so I definitely get it but at the end of the day what's going to get played and you know what's going to keep the notoriety of stuff freestyle is not going to keep the notoriety of actual song composition will Fags, fags, I like substance. Yeah, they gonna hold you over right here. It ain't just a quick end and that song, you caught it, you knew it, and now you don't know it no more. Now, I like to put this shit on you. Like, my songs have birthdays still, you feel me? Like, every year, I got a song for every part of the year almost, you know what I'm saying? It's timeless, so you know that. I like substance, like real substance. I can't just freestyle, just off the top. I like to... Cause I like you more words than just curse words. I've been listening to your music. So like I said, I love that. I like lyrics. Exactly. I love the effects. Like I said, I can understand you, you got lyrics, you got concepts, your storytelling, and then you don't like fit one category of stuff. Like you diverse.

10:36 Right. I was going through, you know what I'm saying? Like your performance that you did, I think on the debut would made it. Right. First of all, I want to say that one has a double form and I like how it was shot and how you actually interacted with that type of platform. Yeah, and y 'all already know bar. What's the sun?

11:23 Let it do Made it my business to mind my business and start a business. It's getting serious. I've been practicing social distance. This world is wicked. Hope you're paying attention. We dying to make a living and living to make a killing. Just listen. Know some niggas who clutching like 14 inches. Up to five week to quickness and change your life in an instant. Growing up in these trenches. You dying to go in a prison. Not mine. We on a mission. Our eyes got better. Just gonna see double like when you tipsy. On my way to the tipy. I'm taking my brothers with me. Prolifit. RIP Nipsey. I'm gifted. Lyric is sickening. Like COVID, I get to spitting with potion in it. because sometimes artists don't they might be really good at recording but they're not so good at you know showcasing the talent of the performance right right and i mean i make that that that's one of my biggest points of being able to perform my music cause all of everything that I make is not, all the music I make is not first catch, like, soon to come on and catch you. You actually, some of the music, like, it's better if you can see me, see my passion with it, or you can, you know, my performance with it, or, you know what I'm saying? Just to make it a visual versus just...

12:56 the audio, you know what I'm saying? So I pride myself in that. Like that one of my pet peeves to make sure I perform and make sure I make everybody feel, everybody that's in the room with me, I need everybody to feel involved. You feel me? That's part of my performance. I'm going to put on a show. If you don't like the song, the show I put on, beat the song. So at the end of the day, you feel me? It's all coming together at once. So yeah. That's what's up. The dark difference between that particular song, right? And then also doing the song that was in the Lord Tail of the Blood, right? The thing I loved about that was you performed, I believe it was at Blueprint. It looked like it was in Blueprint and it was with a band. And not a lot of artists can perform with bands. So I love the fact that you said that, you know what I'm saying? I'm not just a rapper. I'm an actual artist. Real artists can perform with the musicians. Yeah, yeah, man.

13:51 Yeah, it's being versatile and reaching another audience. You feel me? I try to make it, try to make something for everybody. All my music don't need to be for me all the time. It comes from me, but it don't even be for me. You feel me? It's to reach the audience. It's to reach the masses. So I can get on any level. You know what I'm saying? I don't feel like it's the height I can't reach. So how did that song come about? Was it a situation where like Santrell was like, you know what I'm saying? He's reaching out to everybody or somebody, Lock Dogg or whomever is reaching out and saying, hey, we got this, can you make this type of concept? Or did you already had a song and y 'all just enhanced it? The song was already done, man. It already beat. Okay. It was already done. And it just hit, you know what I'm saying? The topic, the subject of the song, you know, it's meaningful, you know what I'm saying? And it's not just... It's not hardcore, it's easy on the ear. You know what I'm saying? So it kind of fits, you know what I'm saying? It fits the soundtrack. He said, no cursing, it's a clean song. Yeah. So that's, you know what I'm saying? It's like, it's ready to make his music. It's ready to be, you know what I'm saying? Exactly. Yeah. That shit came about, man. It shots that lock down for that.

14:59 Yeah, so was that the first time you performed with a band? No, actually I don't perform with a live band in Atlanta at a club pregame. DJ Cutthroat was running. I had a whole live band and a whole jazz band while I performed. I had the mic, I was doing the hosting and everything. So yeah, I'm pretty set up with that, man. I love instruments and music, so I'm gonna go with it. I can tell that you're really into all the aspects of, you know, music league, performance, and even like, you know, style too. Cause I love the fact that one of your videos you had, you was performing. It might've been, so I saw one where I think you performed at what used to be Jekyll's Life Center, Tiffany had over there in that area. and you had on like a regular hat and then you had another performance I was watching where you had like the bucket hat and it seems like you have this type of style about you. Oh yeah man I go crazy. Yeah I got my own. It's to my liking. I don't do things because I don't do everything that I do like that because I want to be accepted. It's just my style. I just be me. How did you come up with like your style to fit like, you know, because you're putting yourself out there as like a persona near the right to be digested by the masses. So how did you like come up with that to where you is like,

16:31 you know, cool with it and it's still authentic to you? Because I was already, I was already a cool, cool person all my life, like throughout school. I always had the image and the persona to be cool, like cool. I'm very calm, I'm very, you know what I'm saying? Smiling, happy, go, you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm going out in person, so I'm easy to talk to, I'm good with conversations, you know, like, listen, everything, so I just, just being cool, man, just being me, just enjoying life, and it came from, like I said, it came from just being in streets, rolled over to the music, like, it's just how I am every day, that's just me. It's just how I wake up.

17:14 I don't have to wake up and put on this costume. This is me. I love it. Cause like I said, you come visually and all that, you come across very authentic. And I think that's like, you know what I'm saying? One of the things that's like in the category of where, you know what I'm saying? It's a huge checkmark for you versus a lot of other people where they gotta push this certain type of persona. And I always tell artists all the time, like just do you. Because that's gonna be accepted to you know, I'm saying whoever the crowd is going to be as you're building your fan base You don't have to like, you don't emulate other people and stuff like that. You can just be you in to be accepted for you Yeah, I peep other styles and stuff, you know, but I'm not a try to be Ole Miss to me too. Yeah, exactly.

18:15 I'm me taking the lead. Nah, I definitely get that. How has the making Middle Georgia area accepted and embraced you? Was it a little friction or hesitation at first or, you know what I'm saying? I can say, I can say it ain't been, it ain't no friction, man. It ain't no friction or hesitation cause Like I said, I'm a people's person without the music. You know what I'm saying? Like, my group, my guys, me and the guys, like, we known. Like, I was popular, like, known. I go inside of town. I perform for any crowd. You know what I'm saying? I don't perform that, oh, 98 % of the clubs around here. Ain't no stage.

18:55 I ain't touched around here or something. I didn't look for the acceptance. I meant what I said. Like if I do what I'm doing, do what I'm doing, whether y 'all accept me or not. So it's still, you know what I'm saying, be believing in what I believe in. Make what people believe in. Yeah. I think the only place you probably got to do now though is you got to go to the atrium. That's what I got to do. Every time they have a show, I be like, but they ain't ready to hear me. They ain't ready to hear me on that microphone to see me on this stage. And when I feel like the whole city can hear me. Oh man, I'm gonna go crazy. Yeah, I think everyone who comes out of making should like, you know what I'm saying, make that as a goal to like hit that stage either before leaving the city or if you blow up, come back to the city and perform there. That way it will help cultivate like this, like, you know, funnel system to where, you know, local grown talent can be cultivated and, you know, I'm pushed, you know, because a lot of people come from concerts all over whatever to that spot, whatever, so.

19:54 I'm trying to creep in the back door a couple of times. I'm trying to say, hey man, how can we get in? How can we get in? We need to be in that stage because I can hit that stage. Just trying to get in. It ain't going to happen though, man. It's just a matter of time before it does. So 2025, did you have any goals that you wanted to accomplish at the beginning of the year that you've been able to do that thus far? Or how do you do that process from a creative standpoint? is really, man, the goals I wanted, as far as in music, I wanted to make more, what can I say? I just wanted to show my artistry as growing, you feel me? My topics, my choice of topics, and you know what I'm saying, the stuff I'm talking about now, it's kind of changing up, so far as so much as what I used to, type of music I used to make, you feel me? I feel like my... my level of, you know what I'm saying, music, my style has graduated. So, you feel me? I should just, I'm trying, I'm not trying, I'm making better music now. Feel like I'm making better music and not just songs. You feel me? I'm making actual music, like everything ready to go, that can go, that can go. You know what I'm saying? Like that's one of my goals to actually show growth and, you know what I'm saying? That's what's up. So tell me something that, you know, because all artists go through, tell me something that

21:25 you don't really care for as far as that's a part of the industry. To be honest, it's really the fame. I really don't care. I really don't care to be famous for it. Because I got a temper and, you know, I've been through a lot of stuff and it's going to. Fame is going to shake some of those, go rattle some of those buckets, you know what I'm saying? Being fame, I'm kind of confidential with my life, you know what I'm saying? So I don't really involve everybody with everything I got going on. You know what I'm saying? So I feel like fame, man, but I don't feel like I'm not going to be able to handle it. It's just if I could choose to do without, I won't be famous. I just make the money, man.

22:12 I'll write. I'll be a writer. I don't mind being a writer for another artist. I'm not even... Just, you know what I'm saying, all heads up, a rapper. I don't have to be the rapper. You know what I'm saying? Because everybody can't write. You know what I'm saying? A lot of artists, a lot of singers, a lot of rappers, just in general. Sometimes I think, you know what I'm saying, people have to understand, it's like just consumers, that it takes a lot to produce music to the point to where we all feel the value in it. And that comes from a lot of different people playing different roles. Like Whitney Houston was a phenomenal singer. Couldn't write. Couldn't write, yeah.

22:57 Shots at the baby face for most of them songs. Yeah, exactly. Yes, sir. We have a baby face in the choir. Smokey Robinson was a phenomenal writer. Yeah. Not a dope artist, as far as a singer and stuff. He can sing and stuff, but that was not his thing. Fantasia, dope. artists as far as recording artists can sing. Writer, not so much. So there's, you know, there's a lot of different pieces that goes, when you put it together, you know what I'm saying? It makes this, you know what I'm saying? Bigger thing or whatever. And like writing is cool. I'm like, I love it. You know what I'm saying? A lot of people can't do it. So the fact that you know that you can do that and you want to do that for others, I think that should be something well worth, you know what I'm saying? Putting some time into it, whatever, because you know.

23:47 at the end of the day, just being a recording artist and rapping and stuff like that and performing, it's only just one lane of revenue stream for you anyway. And I'm like, you got all of these other different things that you can do. How do you feel like social media plays a role in like the new landscape of artistry and stuff? Do you think it really benefits artists? You think it's a hindrance, it's somewhere in between? I feel like it benefits us. not even just artists, it benefits a certain type of character. You have to be a, you have to be, I feel like you have to be a character for the social media. I'm not too much of a character. I'm a more of a realist type person. So you feel me? Like I'm not one for the, can easily like put aside what I've been through today, if it makes sense to get on the camera and put on, you know what I'm saying?

24:44 Like I'm more of a realist type person. I'm not a carrot. It's hard for me to fake anything. You know what I'm saying? It's hard for me to fake smile. A picture of me actually smiling at something versus me somebody saying smile. It's going to be two different images. Exactly. No, I definitely get that. I don't feel like... Like I said, the internet is for certain carrot. Yeah. But it's beneficial though. It's beneficial. It makes it easier. Let me say that. It makes it easier if you're a character. So I'm not that much of a character. Social media ain't really been my blow -up platform. I'm more of an in -your -face. You feel like I'm more of a see me when you see me. That type of thinking I think will get you far just because You lay a solid foundation when you meet somebody, right? You get to read all the body language, the micro expressions and things of that nature. You get to have a lasting impact on a person to where I've met people and years later they still remember me because of the interaction that we had. You can't get that from social media. And I feel

26:31 like people take a more liking to me face to face anyway whether whether they fake kicking it kissing my ass or just trying to get to know me you feel me yeah it's easier to take me face to face versus on internet calls like i said man i i have a temple sometimes you know what i'm saying like yeah everybody got tippy you know what i'm saying we are we're all human we're all human at the end of the day i ain't really got patience for a lot of the internet stuff like i'm not gonna do what somebody else might do on the internet because that's what everybody doing I don't do the TikTok dances because that's what everybody do. That's just not me. Exactly. I ain't got that against it. I don't mind somebody making this TikTok to my music, but me getting out and actually putting a little dance together, that ain't me, man. It don't fit my, you know what I'm saying? I'm kind of different, so. I definitely get that. So going into 2026, what do you want to accomplish? What are some things you want to knock off your checklist or some goals you want to get going? Man, I had to get my credit together. That is like one of the realest things I've ever heard. For one, that was the reason I was late for the interview. I don't get this credit to go. I'm working on me as a person. I want to be engaged with the music I need. I'm trying to have more visuals out and another complete project done. That's, you know,

28:02 that's, that's, that's what those are. Those are from fantastic goals. I love it. I love the fact that you don't say you're so down. I want to get my credit. Like we're definitely there alone. I got to get it together. I've been spending cash money all my life. Well, most of them, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. Are there any people in the area that you're looking to collaborate with that you haven't done so thus far or you know, are there some people outside of the area that you're trying to collaborate with? I'm willing and ready to work with everybody. Even if I have worked with them before, I'm ready to work again.

29:01 Because in this area around here in my city, man, if it ain't a song, I don't put people on the stage before. I don't work with them some type of way with their music. Like that's probably like 90 % of the people right here doing music like I don't gave you a platform own, you know, they gave you some partners probably watching at your studio session. I don't be in your studios. You know that like even to the DJ man. Yeah, let DJs borrow equipment. I don't work with plenty. I don't work with plenty. So it's just like I ain't sure now no work man. I don't You can't threaten me with a good time. I do this. Love it. So when you go outside the city, what is the perception of the city from other people?

29:55 Oh man, I feel like we some menaces down here for real, but I don't give out that aura. Like I said, I'm a cool face. I'm a calm, you know what I'm saying? I got a good energy around me when I'm out and about. So you feel me? When I explain to people where I'm from or whatever, they might say that I'm third, but they don't get that from me. You know what I'm saying? I'm always pushing a different image. Like, well, we can run it, I know. Yeah, you know, they hustling, I know. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? My city has fine females in it. You know what I'm saying? Like, yeah, it's it. We get it down here too, just like they get it as well. It's crime happening there, where it's about what you shine the light on, though. Yeah, exactly. It's seen, you feel me? So I shine a light on the positivity that's going on down here in my city. Even though it's a lot of negative. Again, there's negative everywhere, but I love the fact that I think right now, making from and being removed from only about a year and a half now, and what I see, it's growing in a right direction. You got the movies like, you know what I'm saying? Sentra and Lock Dog, they are doing their thing as far as bringing unity throughout the city because I saw the first one versus the second one in the growth. and seeing how everyone is being evolved and all that. And so many familiar faces that I know, which I'm loving it. And then people are showing up and it's being consumed financially. So that

31:25 way it helps build it up even more to where more people will come. I just want them to keep going and I want all the artists to keep going. and everyone to like, you know, get in where they fit in and, you know, and stuff like that or whatever. Cause even like Bragg's in the last couple of years has really put a stage for urban artists and stuff like that. And I love how they've been doing that. And then like the whole Guap with the Mike Clark situation, situation, you know, getting signed to Atlantic. Exactly. So I'm like, it's growing in the right direction. I just wanted to keep multiplying and amplifying and stuff like that. But I want everybody to know, you know what I'm saying? How can they get in contact with Hustle Zombie? They want to listen to your music, stuff I did. If they want to collab, they want to work, things of that nature. All you got to do is look me up.

32:15 Do not search me. Look me up at Hustle Zombie. Hustle on this call zombie on Instagram. I am the big zombie on Facebook, man, and in your Google tab. Hustle zombie, I'm gonna be the only one to pop up. Guarantee you, it's not another one. You feel me? I'm the only one standing up, standing out, running neck and neck. 20 bars ain't enough. I need like 38. You feel me? I love it, I love it, I love it. Well, thank you for, you know what I'm saying, doing this interview. I appreciate it and everything. Y 'all go and support, find the music. Like you said, you can look them up. You can Google my real name, man. My album gonna pop up. You can type in Antonio Davis and it gonna pop up, Hustle Zombie. Anywhere, no doubt.