Black Cobain: 'Now' available

There aren't a lot of rappers coming out of Alexandria, Va., (let alone rappers who take their names from Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain). Enter Board Administration artist Black Cobain.

“There aren't really rappers from Alexandria, because they’re afraid to be themselves, nobody is authentic," Cobain says. "They rap about what they see on TV instead of being who they are. A lot of VA artists I’ve come across have this whole façade, or other persona, and that’s gonna catch up with you end of day.”

None of that posturing is on Cobain's Now. "Blacks’ album is showing you that there are people form the 'hood, from the ghetto... that chose not to go that route," says Fat Trel, Cobain's fellow Board Administration artist. "If he and I had come up in the same hood, he would've been the one who knew what was going on, but was just smart, and could avoid certain things." 

Yesterday, at around 7:30 p.m., Cobain was in Northeast, D.C., for a model call for his upcoming video. He'd just received word that rap legend (and friend of Wale) Bun B has given him a shout-out on Twitter. Everyone around immediately started teasing him that he was already changing — even as he expressed gratitude for the attention the mixtape was receiving and took the time to retweet or respond to every single mention of him on Twitter. 

He also made time to talk to TBD about a few of the tracks on the Now.

“Afraid“: “That’s the number one track, I feel that's my favorite. It was inspired from the YouTube video Will’s Wisdom, where he just talks about chasing your dreams and not being afraid to do it. I was working a 9 to 5, at a Boys & Girls Club, and I quit to do music. If you can’t give what you love 100%, and not be the best…”

“Juicy Fruit“ (which samples Mtume's "Juicy Fruit," which was famously used for Biggie Smalls’ “Juicy.”): “I had to consider the fact that those are two amazing songs,” Cobain says. “It was scary at first, but I talked to a couple of people around me and they were like, ‘Do what you feel.’ When you hear the instrumentals, the beats, they seem to take you somewhere. And I really, really started to understand rap when I heard Biggie’s track, so…”

“Lust,” featuring J. Holiday: " I started off with the line, 'I don’t make love no more baby, I make lust.' The concept was a direct message to my ex-girlfriend, to the fact that I do have relations with other girls, but there’s not feelings. I like you a lot, but I don’t love you. That’s a big thing with our generation, those from 18-26, you don’t see long marriages anymore. Relationships are here and there, off and on.”