Listen to Big Hoop's Mixtape "More Than Friends"

Coming off of a two-year project hiatus, Bakersfield rapper Big Hoops has released his tape "More Than Friends" Spanning about 10 songs coming in at just a little under 20 minutes. The tape only has two features, Ness Julius, who previously worked with Hoops for "Foreign Land" and Brandyn Johnson who has also worked with him in the past. "More Than Friends" serves as a reality call for both men and women alike. As stated before Hoop's last project, "Foreign Land" was released back in 2021, during the aftershock of the covid lockdown. Since then Hoops has experienced a life that he has chosen to share with his fans in hopes that it leaves them with a sense of relatability.

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More Than Friend"s is a tape really about self-realization. Realizing that there are things in your life holding you back from reaching your truest potential, even if you are not realizing it. Elijah of KILJOY Magazine sat down with the artist to discuss what it was like releasing music after such a long hiatus, the origin of the hiatus, and what's the overall inspiration of the tape!

KILJOY- Off first listen it seems like this was a heavy project for you... every song seems like you're getting something off your chest.

Big Hoop- I definitely did. I never spoke on these topics or addressed my feelings in the music.. it was finally that time!

KILJOY- You said it was finally time for you to speak on things? What made it the right time?

Big Hoop- Yeah … so that's not a simple question to answer. I was in a healthy relationship from HS [16] until I turned 26. So now I'm back in these streets and dating is completely different now. I also found myself in toxic situations & I became emotionally drained. I had to learn to be alone and work on myself. Now I know what I want in life & I learned I don’t perform well when I'm emotionally invested. I'm going to still pursue women, but they have to understand I don’t believe in “forever”

KILJOY- Damn, and what's good is that you are able to portray these feelings really well in your music.

Big Hoop- I was just ready to speak my truth after the journey I took. As men, it's hard to be honest about our intentions. I just wanted to be bold & be honest about mines & put it out there. It's the mission above love, you have to believe in my dream & be there at the end no matter what I do. It's hard to tell a woman that, so I use music to help mask the dark truths. Now I can’t hide I feel amazing!!

KILJOY- Yea, I agree as men it’s hard to admit certain feelings, but you have the perfect platform to speak your truth and have people agree! Is this why there was such a big hiatus between you dropping tapes?

Big Hoop- Yeah that's literally exactly why! 2019 was my first tape & my HS sweetheart left that same year 3 months later… fucked me up, it took a while to recover.. all of 2020 to be honest. I was DJ Legendary then.. but I reinvented myself during that time.. came back "Big Hoop". I had a situation end before the 2021 tape.. which I used to motivate me. I had a tape ready in 22 but my brother passed.. so I was hurting.

KILJOY- I am glad that you were able to overcome those obstacles. When it became time to jump back in the studio and record this tape, was there anything you had to relearn?

Big Hoop- Not really because I used that hiatus to grow. I came across 2 books “How To Start A Record Label” & “Everything You Need To Know About The Music Business” … before I wrote this tape I already knew how to approach it cause I already taught myself. It was just a matter of proving it to myself, it was a trial & error thing.

KILJOY- Yea man I see it’s working you know, and I can definitely see the growth from your last. I know you told me what inspired the tape, but what are you hoping people walk away with?

Big Hoop- Honestly I want them to get a dose of reality. Men can tell the truth about who they are and what they want & give women a choice if they rock with it or not. For women I want them to accept the fact majority of men want to be successful before committing to a woman.. and if they do commit first that’s where cheating or just problems in general happen cause it’s forced. I want women to understand timing is everything, if it's healthy and he is making you wait, you gotta decide if u are going to ride or not. Women forget they are powerful and can make a man compromise anything & everything if they nurture him and believe in him and just stay down. But I also wanted to remind men of the reality she can always leave. This is why sentimental bonds over romance & relationships work for me. I wanted to make it feel good, not negative, like lifting weights off people's shoulders. "Truths" you can vibe too, that’s my perspective so I hope that's what they get from it.

KILJOY- What's your favorite song on the tape?

Big Hoop-"Better By Now."

KILJOY- Why? What are you wanting people to get from listening to the song

Big Hoop- It's the only one I created on the spot & It feels like I'm speaking directly to someone spitting game. I have no self-critique when it comes to that specific track. I see perfection. Flow, Delivery, Sound. & the topic hits close to home the most.

KILJOY- That’s deep as hell, it’s really an example of what music is supposed to do. It's supposed to be a reflection of the artist in a way fans can relate to! I really fuck with that! Do you have any plans on shooting a music video for any of the songs? What is the rollout for the song looking like for the next couple of weeks?

Big Hoop- Mostly definitely. Finna start filming next month. I actually have scripts written or “treatments” for my videos now written... so it's gonna be fun. All that basic shit's out the window I'm tryna send a message.

KILJOY- When you say scripts, do you mean mini-movies?

Big Hoop- Having a story in the video.

KILJOY- Oh ok yea like storyboarding the videos I get you!

Big Hoop- Yeah bro my first time, Im nervous but ima get it in!

KILJOY- You got it, the intentions are pure so it’s gone work! So it seems like you still have this whole role out to further promote the tape!

Big Hoop- Man hard copies and all [CDs]. The whole 9.

KILJOY- That’s exciting shit bro. I'm really excited to see where this tape takes you and the fan's reaction to everything you have coming out!

Big Hoop - Thanks bro I appreciate everything