Rob49 and Lil Wayne Bring It Home to New Orleans on “Wassam Baby”
The “TOPIA TWINS” rapper tells Hypebeast more about joining forces with Weezy, as well as Birdman and G Herbo.
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While many recognize Rob49 for his star turn on “TOPIA TWINS” alongside Travis Scott and 21 Savage, the 25-year-old rapper is not at all new to the scene. Hailing from New Orleans, Rob49 has a handful of projects under his designer belt – acclaimed 2022 mixtape Welcome To Vulture Island and this summer’s 4GOD II – each of which boasts a stacked lineup of features: Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch, Icewear Vezzo, Trippie Redd and Lil Durk to name a few.
Rob49 can now add a major name to the list, as he joins forces with the old guard of New Orleans rap – none other than Lil Wayne – to deliver a heavy-hitting hometown anthem dubbed “Wassam Baby.”
With almost two decades separating the NOLA rappers, “Wassam Baby” enmeshes two eras of the city’s sound. “I remember listening to Wayne in high school – Sorry 4 The Wait 2 in the gym,” Rob49 recounts, noting this collab was in the works for a minute.
“I’ve been telling Mack Maine that I wanted to do a song with Wayne for a while … One random day I got a call from [Maine] that Wayne was asking for my number … I went to the studio that night and made ‘Wassam Baby’ and we knew we needed someone from New Orleans on it.”
Freewatermardi
Freewatermardi
Clocking in at just over two minutes, “Wassam Baby” leans into its New Orleans roots, backed by a contagious, bouncy beat and braggadocious bars. “Growing up in New Orleans, we come from a lot of musical sense,” Rob shares, citing his time playing drums in jazz band as a key influence on his music.
“I used to drum on my pencil box until my mom got me a drumset and sticks for Christmas one year … I pulled up to band class in the third grade with my own drumsticks – that’s like walking into English class with a dictionary.”
Rob49 spent time with NOLA big-name Birdman, and tells Hypebeast the Cash Money Records exec looked to sign him before any label approached him. He also cites G Herbo as a major influence on his artistry, making a pact with the Chicago rapper to include him on every project he ever releases.
As for what’s next for the emerging rapper: a project arriving later this year he’s sure will cement his spot on the map. “I’m the youngin comin’ up to take over the game,” he asserts. “I’m a realist. When I fell off, I knew I fell off. I don’t think there’s a possibility of that now.”
“Wassam Baby” is now streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.
