Quavo of Migos fame was born in Athens, GA, but he wasn’t raised there. With that said, an Athens local who goes by the name Lil Darius, has set out to put his hometown on the Hip-Hop map, with hopes of becoming king of The Classic City. Taking time from his bustling schedule, Lil Darius sat down with us and shed light on his forthcoming mixtape, childhood memories, and much more. Check out our full Lil Darius interview!
With hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok, and tens of millions of views and streams, the name Lil Darius is ringing bells across the worldwide web and in the rap game. His music is a refreshing blend of the new age sound and originality, which makes it easy to comprehend why fans are taking to him like moths to flames.
Parlé Mag: Tell us about your hometown Athens — what do you like about it? What do you dislike about it? What are some of your best childhood memories in the town?
Lil Darius: I like that Athens is small, it’s not too much going on, and everybody knows one another. Dislike? Since the town’s so small, it’s a lot of hate amongst each other because people wish they were in a position somebody else is in—it’s a lot of jealousy. As for childhood memories, I remember being 14-15 years old and winning like $4K at a big dice game; being so young, it felt like I was rich or something!
Parlé Mag: You began rapping in the 10th grade and discovered Hip-Hop because of your father. Shed more light on your relationship with your dad and the role he presently plays in your life.
Lil Darius: Me and my daddy real close—he’s damn near like a brother to me. He lived with me until I was 6, then him and my moms split up. By the time I hit high school, I left my moms spot and moved in with him. We’re really close friends; I can talk to him about whatever. Anything I need he’s there.
Parlé Mag: What about your mother — how’s your relationship with her?
Lil Darius: Me and mom are super close. Growing up, we bumped heads a lot because I was trying to have my way and do what I wanted to do as a man! As I matured, we became tight. We talk often and I call her whenever I get the chance. I love my momma to death.
Parlé Mag: You are signed to Encore Recordings. How did that happen and what made you choose to sign with them versus all other record labels?
Lil Darius: We first shopped around Atlanta for a deal. Then, we went to L.A. and met with several big labels. Everybody was saying the same sh*t, but Encore sounded more genuine and they really locked in with me. They were upcoming, so I knew I would get the attention required to launch a new artist (versus getting shelved). Joey (President, Encore Recordings) is very accessible, and the label truly cares about my career. They’re my home away from home.
Parlé Mag: Your latest single “Meant 4 You” — Are you addressing anyone in particular in the song? Also, do you feel it’s the best single you’ve dropped thus far?
Lil Darius: I was speaking in general, not to anyone in particular ?. I focus on business mostly, so the relationship stuff’s taking a backseat right now. As for it being my best single, I think all artists feel their most recent single might be their best one. “Meant 4 You” is fire, but to date I’d have to say that my single “Had 2” is my favorite joint.
Parlé Mag: NFL star quarterback Cam Newton has shown you love in the past. Tell us a little more about that.
Lil Darius: My manager set up the situation with Cam. From my understanding, Cam asked his kids who was hot in the rap game and they mentioned my name. From there, he reached out and got in touch with us. Him and I sat down and chopped it up; he gave me some pointers (e.g. money management, life tips, etc.) too. He’s a really cool dude and I got much respect him.
Parlé Mag: You have an upcoming joint mixtape with multi-platinum producer Tay Keith called Yung N Turnt. How did that come about?
Lil Darius: Tay been messing with me for a hot minute. When I first started rapping, he followed me and always showed love in the comments. When I got signed, my A&R who was tight with Tay’s camp brought us together. Him and I got to work and the rest is history. Look out for Yung N Turnt soon!
Parlé Mag: Who are your favorite Hip-Hop artists and why?
Lil Darius: It varies daily, but my top 3 I’d say are Drake, Lil Baby, and Future. Baby because I like the way he came up—his story amazes me. Drake go hard and he’s just different; he’s versatile, can rap about anything, and his status in the game inspires me. Future also has a crazy story—nobody rocked with him at first, then out of nowhere he blew; it’s super inspirational.
Parlé Mag: If you didn’t rap, what do you think you’d do for a living?
Lil Darius: Ha! Um, I used to want to play professional ball, so perhaps the NBA. I was into basketball heavy prior to picking up the mic; I got into a car wreck on the way to a b-ball game and afterwards I said “f*ck basketball.” I like re-selling stuff (buy low, sell high) too, so I may have flipped expensive shoes, clothes, etc. Either way, I was going to be where the money at.
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