bbno$: It’s Pronounced Baby No Money
Meeting with The Note on Zoom, Canadian rapper Alexander Gumuchian, better known as bbno$, jumps on the call with a wide grin and an important proclamation. “I just saw that TMZ has posted a photo of me oiled up on a comparison scale of ‘Who would you rather?’, and my opponent was Nessa Barrett. Out of 2,700 votes, Nessa was 95%, so my ego is in the gutter to say the least.” We assure him that the sold-out Aussie crowds awaiting his upcoming Australian tour in November should be enough to lift his spirits.
Interview Millah Hansberry // Photo Olen Quinn
bbno$ burst onto the viral scene in 2019 with his breakout hit ‘Lalala’ with Y2K, cementing himself as not only an influential electro-pop-rap artist, but also a chaotic, viral internet presence.
In 2021, ‘edamame’, his collaboration with Rich Brian, pushed him further into global acclaim, and his recent collab with VTuber Ironmouse, ‘1-800’, has only solidified his star power. Not to mention his highly anticipated upcoming self-titled album is due to drop on October 17. From the jump, the tone of the interview is set: bbno$ is all about potty jokes and ‘six-seven’ Gen Alpha internet memes, taking nothing too seriously, except his lust for life and having fun.
We’re stoked to see you back in Australia. It’s been a couple of years since you last stopped by on a solo trek. Are you excited to be back on this side of the hemisphere?
You don’t even know! The first run of tickets sold out in a day, and I was like, ‘What the fuck happened?’ Every single show in Australia. Just absolutely bonkers. I’m really excited to come back. I’m doing some of the biggest capacity shows I’ve ever done in my life, independently. I’m amped. It’s gonna be awesome.
Do you have any standout memories from any of your festival shows in Australia?
My first night in Aus, I met The Chats. The first night, I was like, ‘I have to meet these guys.’ I was playing Laneway in 2020, and on my rider, I had three bottles of vodka. I was like, ‘I’ll just go give it to them as a peace offering.’ I walked up with all the bottles above my head. Immediately, we all became friends. The last show in Perth, Eamon was like ‘Let’s do some pingers.’ I was like, ‘All right, let’s do it.’ We were doing push-ups together and running around the hotel in Perth, nicky nicky nine doors-ing people (ding dong ditching), being degenerates. It was such a good time.
You’ve got your upcoming self-titled album, which drops on October 17, fit with 21 tracks – your longest album yet. What made this huge collection of tracks the right fit to be your namesake?
I didn’t really think that deep about it. If this is going in print, just say I woke up one day and I forgot that I took a laxative in the morning, and on the toilet, I decided to choose 21 tracks, because 21 Jump Street is my favourite movie – while it was streaming out of me.
Truthfully, when I come up with albums and make music, it’s just like, ‘Fuck it, this song’s awesome, let’s put it on the album.’ I wanted my album after all of this recent success to be longer, because I don’t typically make very long projects. But I also watched 21 Jump Street and was having diarrhea in the morning.
That’ll be the headline right there, at the front of the mag. bbno$ had diarrhea.
Can you please do that? Please?
Your music typically blends rap, electronic and pop with wordplay and a whole lot of humour. With this record, are you straying to any new paths?
A lot of my fans were like, ‘I miss the old bbno$,’ which is more ‘boom bappy’. There’s two ‘boom bappy’ songs. There’s one with party energy, there’s one with a little bit of a ballad and mixed Prodigy feel. It kind of has a little bit of everything for everybody on this album. I really think it is the best collection of music I’ve ever put out, by no question. I’m really proud of it.
Since the start of this year, you’ve dropped ten tracks, six of which are on the album, plus two from last year. What’s the push to be creating so much music and dropping it?
If I was dropping every song I made, I would have to drop a song a day. I just make a lot of music. I've always thought, if someone is a fan of me or someone likes what I do, why wouldn't they want to hear more? I have such a cultivated fan base that I need to feed. So, I've always just been like, more is better, because why the fuck not? Especially in this day and age, where the music industry is so incredibly democratic and anyone can do anything.
I'm still independent, so it's in my favour to constantly feed my fans. They are the people that make my career and make my life so interesting. I get to wake up every day, get out of bed, and be stoked to be awake. It's such a blessing, and I'm so thankful for the people that have given me this opportunity. And, you know, I've been working my ass off for the past, like seven years, ‘six-seven’ years… I don't know if you get that reference?
Unfortunately, I do.
You gotta put this in the article! The ‘Lalala’ music video, which I recorded seven years ago and put out six years ago, in that music video, I did the ‘six-seven’ motion. Isn’t that a crazy trend setup? I made a post about it yesterday. I was like, ‘Guys, I am the creator of this.’
Do you want to carry that? This huge Gen Alpha meme trend?
It's super funny. I love the internet with all of my heart, I grew up on it, that it was like my best friend. I love having the ability to articulate my humour online for people to enjoy. I do all of this to preserve my inner child and to just have as much fun as possible. Because, I mean, I am speed running my death because I work so much. I have 50 years left, let's say, give or take, and I want to have fun in those 50 years. That's the point of living, right? I just truthfully love what I do, and it has given me the ability to put so many smiles on people's faces.
Your online promotion for this upcoming album has to be probably the most entertaining we’ve ever seen; between the relentless posting, the cosplays and the collabs. Do you fear your digital footprint, or does it fear you?
I just don't give a shit about what I say online. I've already signed that letter and sent it away. I think that there needs to be more body positivity. There needs to be more men out there doing what other men might be like, ‘that's not the society norm.’ I grew up in a very loving household with open-minded people in the west coast of Canada, which is incredibly progressive. That's my take on the world. I've never been shy to be who I am.
What’s a cosplay you’ve got coming up that you’re excited about?
I’m doing freaky SpongeBob with Smosh, you know when Patrick Starr does the fishnets? I think most of the cast is going to be there, it’s going to be so stupid. I have a bunch lined up. Like, really, really silly. It’s so much fun, not being yourself for a day. I’m really excited for this album. It’s all fun and games.
Are there any new tracks off the album you’re particularly excited to play live in Australia?
I haven’t played any of these new songs recently, so I’m excited to see how they perform live. I have one song that I know for certain is gonna go ape shit. I have a very famous person on it, a very famous millennial sample. I would be damned if it does bad.
What about ‘1-800’, which was one of your most recent viral collabs with Ironmouse? Do you think that track is going to go off live?
That one's an absolute ding dong. I love that one. That one goes insane, like, really, really good vibe.
You’re hitting Hindley Street Music Hall in Adelaide – what should fans expect from the show?
It’s just a party. A lot of my songs are remixed with drum and bass. It's just silly, high energy. The whole time, it constantly is just boom, boom, boom, boom. I've been looking through my set list for this one, and [I’ve realised] I have more big songs now. It's crazy. I play these songs and everyone knows the lyrics. I remember when I only had one song where people knew the lyrics! So, expect a good time. Come with your friends and you're gonna leave exhausted.
Lastly, congratulations on your new Fortnite emote and a potential skin. This collaboration seemed like a bit of a mishap online. What happened with this?
My managers always say, ‘do not talk about it.’ Haha. Maybe, just say on the print, ‘We asked about the fortnight. He paused. The interview ended.’
So, we’ll open the interview with bbno$ had diarrhea, and we’ll end it with, we asked him about a sensitive question, and he hung up.
Haha. That's great. That’s money.
bbno$ plays Hindley Street Music Hall on Thursday 6 November. Tickets are sold out. bbno$ (self-titled) is out on all major streaming platforms on Friday 17 October.
