KIRBLAGOOP Interview: Reflecting on an Era

KirbLaGoop is widely known for his appearance on Hellboy with Lil Peep, “Red Drop Shawty”. The comments generally consist of debate over Kirb’s voice, divided between those who really rock with him and those who simply don’t know the lore. That high-pitched voice you hear on RDS belongs to one of Florida’s most iconic SoundCloud rap pilgrims. Being from Florida, and surrounded by the South’s slowed rap music, Kirb has done his study time on the culture and integrated it into his own identity and ethos. From the early 2010s Screwed Up DJ mixes, to navigating the chaos of a prime Ruben Slikk, working with Lil Tracy and other Goth Boi Clique members, Goop is a true veteran of underground rap culture, both within SoundCloud and Southern Rap.

Whilst many burn out of the rap game due to drug addiction and life complications, Kirb has persevered through it all, remaining dedicated to the game over the last 15 years. Today, we speak on the effects of his sobriety, the vocal tone which makes him Goop, and his peak era of SoundCloud lore that fans have been eager to hear more about for years.

Young Kirb, 2016

Kirby is in your government name, where did you get the LaGoop from?

I got LaGoop from Gucci Mane la flare and put Goop behind it. Goop is Sherm/PCP. I really got that shit from Gleesh and DC. Shoutout to my family MILF out there!

You’ve had some iconic quotable’s in your lyrics over the years. Is there a stand out lyric, which means the most to you?

I STILL DO.

Could you go into some detail about your lifestyle from 2014-2017? Those who know, know the significance of that period for SoundCloud rap, and you were right there amongst it all.

Folk I was so off the Xans and shit. I was moving way to quick and not paying enough attention to shit I needed to LOL. I was a fool for real mane, I was just getting high, gettin’ by. I wasn’t on the type of timing I should have been on. A lot of my favourite work is from around then, but after I’ve been sober for so long now, I just see a ton of shit I should have committed more to and been on my game. I was working at a bakery 35/40 hrs a week and then coming home everyday just rapping, so I’d wake up at like 2 am, go to work, leave 10am, get some beers or some drank, go back to the crib and just party and rap, either solo or with a couple buddies. We would make videos here and there. I never really did too many shows, but I did a few around then up in DC that got me introduced to Avi Twat and Sleaze, aka MILF. They became my family for real. They always held me down when I was just trying to make a name for myself and my hood, not even the city, I’ve always been about my block. A lot of that shit was a blur for real, I was deep into partying and always into something.

GBC Tour Bus, Tampa 2017

Is there anything you miss, and also don’t miss from that era?

I miss my folks thats gone, times was fun and I wouldn't change shit, but a lot of shit, like I said woe, I was just getting high, fucking round and not even on my shit for real. I just miss my partnas!

Wild stories from Silver Spoon Boyz days?

That was a Zeus and Ruben thing. They got some cover art made and sent me like 2 songs. Nothing really came of it. I remember Avi told me Kane Grocerys thought I was on H and really shooting shit up. That was all some Z and Slikk shit, them boys was buggin off the spoon mane. It was hard to see Ruben like that. When I first met them I thought bro was more of a pusher than a user. He was a wild card from hell, trying to get a gun everyday, robbing fat girls…shit, any one for real. He’d take too much viagra and have seizures, that shit was not cool man. Zeus was around that shit way more. Me and my boy Snook pulled up, fucked around for a few days, went back and forth from Sota to Tampa, and that’s when we shot Nitwit and made LDRBMFK, plus all the other shit. After we made the tape, Slikk was consistently trying to robb and jugg everyone. This wasn’t too far before the Walgreens incident smh.

Talk to us about your relationship with Lil Peep. It seems a lot of people tried to clout chase after his death, and still persist to. You were someone who was really around peep before he blew up, it seemed he had a real level of respect for your work.

I honestly barely knew Gus on that level, we just had mutuals that fucked with each other, Tracy, Nedarb, Coldhart, a lot of them in Thraxxhouse was fucking with me back in the day. They really fucked with me and bumped my shit. Me and Peep met just the one time in Tampa right before he passed, and we made “I can’t feel my face.” We did Red Drop, Pearls and Freebeez literally right before and that’s it. People think I’ve got some unreleased tape with peep, but there's no such thing. Rip Gus! Quit dick eating the dead, that shit is horrible for ya soul folks.

You’re someone who champion’s 90’s southern underground rap culture, physical tapes, cover arts, chopped & screwed dj’ing, etc. How did hip hop become such an integral part of your life, and why did you gravitate towards it?

At an early age my uncle passed me some Juvenile, Lil Wayne, BG, Hotboys CDs, a lot of Cash Money and No Limit Records is was first got me into hip hop first. That was like 98', when Back That Ass Up was going crazy everywhere down here, I was 6 or so. My uncle also gave me some ICP, and a bunch of other shits: Beastie Boys, Arrested Development. He would just give me a ton of different music.

When I was growing up around my hood, all my og’s and dudes I fucked with round the way in Locklear all banged Dj Screw, Watts, Ron C, or just slowed down music. On the east coast of Florida they for real be listening to shit fast and sped up. That shit kills me. I first got into chopped & screwed with older folks from my area that ended up giving me CD’s, Slowed down trick daddy, Swisha House, Bone Thugs, Watts and Three 6 mafia mixes, shit the DJ black dragged and chopped shits go insane. All that shit pulled me in so much, I instantly wanted to learn how to play with turntables and slow shit down that I’d never heard slowed down before. That shit all came from my uncle and the radio stations playing Juvenile and them all time in the 99, also from my og’s from the LP that bang screw.

How has Florida influenced your sound, and shaped you as a person?

It’s more my hood I’d say, the LP is just the way I grew. I was already into street shit by 12 hanging out and thuggin’ on bullshit. All my folks taught me so much and I done seen so much how not to act, how to take action and be a man. Florida overall I will say we don’t need a stylist on how to be ones self, we just gonna make it work boy. I feel like a lot of other folks be doing way way too much with dressing, music, and style. That shit just ain’t for me bruh, I ain’t really fucking with no one cause most this other shit so flake to me. I can’t be making daily videos with my phone in my face running around a store singing my song. That shit is not the game I fell in love with, and a lot of this music shit is whack in my book. I can’t fuck with the fake mane. Quit making the south look bad ya bitch! My sound for real came from old Lil wayne and Lil Boosie. I really fucked with the pitch on their voice and started trying to implement something of that sort into my music. Boosie is a big inspiration to me.

You have a vast discography. Aside from the classics, what are some of your favourite projects you think are slept on?

All my shit slept on mane, they been sleepin’ on da Goop. It's time to wake em up, they seen the line up this year. We got Mista Goop, the whole P 10/10 front to back, got em in the garden farming. Quit playing with da Goop. We just dropped “100Thousand Ways To Jugg”, that shit is really hitting home for my folks who are from the 941 round the corner. It’s my favourite tape for real, that got me really Goopin. “100 tryna kill me” is #1 one of my sleeper songs I’d say. “Writing on the wall” too, but I got so much music around different times of my life. It just depends on the day and how I’m feeling.

Do you feel your influence is overlooked?

Hell ya, they don’t wanna talk about the thug, the gangsta, they don’t wanna talk about the Goop! They already know how I'm coming. If they deny the influence we know the truth mane, 1 double 0. I ain’t changing or trying to impress a soul, I'm just here for the hood and the homies that couldn't make it. I ain’t one to point fingers and say “look how bro doing his voice, why is that white boy saying he from something-something block”, like bruh… I got influenced by Boosie and Slim Wayne. I was influenced just like y’all mane. All i can say is, if I influence yall, please… this shit from my heart, from my block, all the pain and drugs I’ve been through and rapped about ain’t an image to live and try. That's not a way to cope with feelings. Be careful cause shit ain’t sweet woe. The music will always live as music. If I can create that and inspire others to tell their stories in the same way, its all gravy wootay, I ain’t trippin’ on recognition.

How do you think you’ve impacted/influenced the underground?

Yeah, like I sorta said before, I just hope it wasn’t in the wrong way. One of my biggest songs is 6 xans. That shit makes me think, how many folks threw that on then threw some pills back, dropped in the soda like shit…fuck with me for real mane. Shit ain’t all gravy all the time. I’m sober now, so I see it even more so, that shit be fucking with me for real. I know it’s art, but I got myself into a lot of shit just from being influenced. I hope all the music I’ve made, from the start to since I’ve been sober can leave a better impact, and not just be another drug rapper. I make gangsta rap, always have, always will. I’ve never wanted to make anything else in my life. Everything I strive for now with rapping is to keep the south alive and thriving!

What are some of the things you’ve learnt from your duration in the scene?

Stay off drugs and don’t be scared to commit to things bigger than you to put yourself in those opportunities! Always stay working. Life’s too short to let shit go by without trying or doing what you love. RIP my fallen Souljas, I miss my dawgs. Live for your people and the ones we lost, 100thousand!!!

What’s your approach like going forward?

Staying positive everyday. When I wake up I can’t be stressing about nothing, whether it’s a bitch, some dude, or some money. Everything can be replaced other than your time and your life, ;earn to love it and enjoy what we have whilst were here. Nothing is promised to us here, everyday imma smile and make the most out of what I can for the rest of my days. I’m just striving to be happy and keep my peace from all the fuck shit and nonsense in this world. Spread love and peace, keep it 100thousand playa. I try to work on music 2/3 times a week. It’s gotten tough since being sober but also better. It was hard to make music for a while, shit, it’s hard to talk to people, I still have issues with em smh. I’ve learned ways to accept what I can and make that shit work cause this for real all I’ve got. I’ve gotta make it for all my folks I’ve lost and the ones you lost. I gotta keep on.