The Born Genius

Have you always known that you wanted to rap, like ever since you were younger?

I actually did. I was interested in it. I didn't really start writing until I was 9, and then battling too. I had my little rapper ambitions, but I never thought it would take me where it did today.

Battling? Where?

Yeah. Not like face to face, but on forums. People would post their battle verse, and i'd post mine back.

You say that you're trying to bring Atlanta back to its "older days". What do you mean by that?

When I say the old days, I don't mean olden times, but more back to just spittin' man. When Atlanta first came on the scene, those dudes could spit. They were more lyrical...I'm trying to bring more lyricism back to Atlanta. I want to bring Atlanta lyricism back. I mean, I like the club records, Atlanta's known for them, and i'm fine with that, but I don't want to be that.


So It's a movement that you're trying to start?

I want to start a movement, yeah. (laughs)

I remember when you dropped the Goodie Bag (404) freestyle some months ago. Why did you choose that goodie mob beat, and what went into making that track?

I think really it was, I had just got "Soul Food" again, and I was listening to a lot of other Goodie Mob, but for some reason that beat was just stuck in my head. When he was like, "Cuz you know me!" yadda yadda. I took that and flipped it into my own thing; just to give people a taste of me. I feel like that's a great introduction to me. Years from now, when people want to know about BG that's the perfect track to introduce you to BG because I was really speaking about where i'm from, and how I feel about the rap game.

So was that your first attempt at trying to gain a following by recording, or have you recorded before?

Ive made stuff before. Ive actually made a lot of stuff before, but most of it got lost, and I didn't have the avenues like you guys (blogs) to put me on, so I appreciate you guys. You're helping me with this little movement I want to start...the snowball effect.

Through the grapevine, people associate you with Outkast, T.I, and various other artists who were really big in the 90's and currently. How does that make you feel?

That makes me feel great! That's who im trying to sound like...well let me rephrase, im trying to sound like myself, but if im remincent of them thats great 'cause those are the people I look up to.

So those are your musical influences?

Yeah, everybody from Atlanta is a musical influence to me because this is where I grew up at. I'm gonna relate to them first before any other area. Every Atlanta spitter paved the way for me, and just every spitter period man. I listen to way more than Atlanta music, but this is where i'm from so i'm gonna keep it Atlanta til' they don't love me no more (laughs).

Any other influences?

I would definitely say Phonte from Little Brother. Hes my favorite rapper of all time...of EVER. Um, everyone. Hov, Nas, shit, I could list every rapper on the real because they all influenced me in some kind of way. Everyone influences everyone. I will say though, when you hear another rapper, you don't want to sound like them, so I try do to my own thing.

How long did it take you to complete the BGEP, and what struggles did you have completing it?

It took me...well, the oldest song on there is "Hard Times". I recorded that in 2008. So I want to say it took me 3 years to complete it.

Wow, really?

Well, The BG EP are a lot of tracks that were supposed to be on a mixtape WAY before The BG EP. Like, this was when I had just solidified the name BG McFlyOrDie. There was supposed to be a mixtape called The Freshman 15, a tape that was due in 08, 09. But my external hard-drive crashed, so I lost all that music. I recovered some, but that was the hard part about completing it...restoring all those old tracks because a lot of them were terribly mixed (laughs). I was still a youngin', and still trying to figure out how to use programs and shit.

What's your favorite song off The BGEP that you recorded?

Probably "In My Younger Days". Thats....thats probably the dopest song I recorded so far. It speaks volumes. It just shows where I came from and why I do what I do.

Right now your single "Money" with FLYTASTiK and Jess is a big hit. What can we expect next from BG?

My next single is called "Throw It Up". It's just about reppin' your hood, or reppin' where you're from...reppin' wherever really. We're trying to get a video for it soon. Hopefully you'll hear "Money" on the radio soon too. That's my next big goal. Before I drop my next single I'd like to have "Money" on the radio. So i've really been on that. I'm going through all this industry bull shit to get that going.

Oh yeah, it's crazy. The music business teaches you who you can REALLY trust.

Hell yeah. And don't get me wrong, i'm not trying to have any enemies, but it happens...its inevitable. There are just people I cant fuck with. But it is what it is. This is business, and I try not to take it personally.

Do you feel like you get less respect because you're a female rapper?

Honestly yeah. I feel like that's going to be the reason I get less respect in the game.

Do you think it's just because of sex appeal, or just not being a man?

I think its just because i'm a female period. There's great females in the rap industry. But when you're a female, you're going to be placed in that 'female rapper' category instead of just being a rapper, and that sucks. It's a barrier that I want to break. Female or male, Im probably going to be better than who ever is challenging my position (laughs).
With all due respect to rappers that's how I feel...that's how you HAVE to feel in this industry. It's a competition at the end of the day. For the top spot, for the top sale, for the top whatever. Hopefully when you listen to my music that 'female rapper' brand dissolves out of your mind. I'm just a rapper, that's how I want it to be.

Do you have any favorite female rappers?

Jean Grae is definitely one of the best bar for bar rappers. My favorite of all time would have to be Missy Elliot. She definitely is the greatest to ever do it right now. I haven't seen anybody better than Missy. No one was doing anything like she was doing when she came out. Shes different.

Do you think that it's production, or what she's saying?

Both. As far as production I think Timbaland was doing most of it, and his whole style is just unique and innovative. That mixed with her writing just made great music.

Who are your favorite producers?

The Neptunes, Timbaland, umm Swizz Beatz. He's dope. I think 2010 has been his most dominant year. It may not sound like all his old stuff from Ruff Ryders, but every artist has to evolve their style.


Do you feel that way about Kanye too?

Kanye just changes his style every album (laughs). He went from rap to...shit, world music. I don't know what to call that. It's still dope though. But his last album (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy) is the epitome of that. I'd place him as one of my favorite artists and producers.


Where do you see your music career 3 years from now?

At the least I want to be the best in Atlanta. Hopefully it will be less than then. I'll take being the best "female artist", but I would rather be the best rapper. At the most, I want to be one of the hottest rappers in the world. Signed, or just doing my own thing independently.
I like your questions...they're not generic like: "whats your name", "whats your rap name, and where did it come from"....

Well, where did your rap name come from? (laughs)

My name is Brittany Gage. So there's the "BG", and then McFlyOrDie came from 'Back To The Future". It seemed like when I started using it, everyone wanted to use it too. That's like my motto I guess. You either fly or die...either way you in the sky.

Is there 2 sides to BG? On twitter about every 3 weeks there's a Young Trap Ham, or a BG McFlyOrDie.

(Laughs) Well, I don't think there's really 2 sides to me. But I will say Young Trap Ham is my more aggressive phase.

Like when you listen to your ratchett music?

Yeah! Young Trap Ham is like the TIP to BG's TI. That's the best way I can put it.

When Is Planet BG coming out?

August 5th is the tentative date. Hopefully I can get it out before then. Im going to drop a couple little tidbits here and there so that should hold ya'll over until then. But I am working on more projects that Planet BG.

Like What?

Im actually working on my friend Jessies album right now. I did some of the mixing on that project. Its going to be called "...And That's It". That album is great...I can hear it all come together now. Jessie's style is really unique to me...its like she speaks stories. It's not about how much better than you she is, or how she's about to sex you up, its just pure stories. That project is going to take ya'll by surprise. That should be coming out soon...really soon.

- Miya Williams for ATLjunkie (atljunkie.com)

NOTE: The artist has since changed her name from BG McFLYorDIE to the current title The Born Genius.
- ATLjunkie

BG has Southern flow and sound that works for her. It’s impressive to see a Female artist from the East Side of ATL. From the “404 track that greets you when your first press play to the last track “91 Hemp flow”, the EP has a nice flow. Defiantly something to smoke to.

Who is “BG”?

BG is me of course lol but as an artist, I feel like me “BG” I represent Atlanta and that’s the first thing I want people to realize when they hear my music. Regardless of where a person is from I want them to say “Wow, this is some Atlanta shit!” when they listen to me. I feel like Atlanta is too dope of a city for there to be so few artists, underground or mainstream, that rep it proudly. When people hear me, I want them to love Atlanta.

What can we expect from this EP?

This EP is alot of my older recordings so I guess the best way to describe it and tell people what to expect is to say humble beginnings. Alot of them sound terrible unfortunately because they’re so old but I feel people will still get the vibe from it. Also, I feel like the EP is an introduction to me as an artist. Yeah, that’s the best thing to say. The BG EP is the introduction of the humble beginnings of BG.

If you could describe your sound in three words what would they be?

REAL ATLANTA SHIT!

What artists inspire you the most?

Man, let me just get a few key artists out of the way because to be honest EVERY RAPPER inspires me. Whether they’re dope or just ok or hell, even terrible, they inspire me to be better everyday. But the main artists that shaped me as a person as well as an artist are the whole Dungeon Family of course: ‘Kast, Goodie Mob, Cool Breeze, Big Rube, etc. Kanye: like, who isn’t inspired by Kanye lol. Common: Common inspires me because he’s so conscious, the way he would paint pictures of the struggle is so amazing to me. He’s also an emcee’s emcee. He can kill you in a battle or on a song!Nas: I fuck with Nas because he pretty much inspired every rapper I mentioned before and he’s top 5 rappers dead or alive. Lupe Fiasco: Lupe inspires me kinda the same Common does with his consciousness, but his metaphors are so fucking crazy!!!! I feel like he could be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Ludacris: Although I feel like he went kinda R & B, Ludacris is fucking great and niggas still sleep on him. Ludacris is Atlanta. If I want my career to parallel any Atlanta rapper I think I would Luda…BEFORE he cut his braids though lol. Phonte of Little Brother: In mainstream rap, you probably wont hear this guy’s name thrown around alot, but this man inspires me more than any other rapper in the world. Phonte is my favorite rapper of all time, every verse this man touches is just some memorable shit. This nigga is the dopest nigga you might not have here before.

How often do you write?

I try to write everyday, but I’ve been having alot of writers block lately…last rap I wrote was yesterday.

Do you have a vice that fuels your thoughts?

Marijuaaaaaaaanaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, LOL! I’m kidding. Weed doesn’t necessarily fuel my thoughts, but it does enhance them. But I don’t think I have a true vice that fuels my thoughts. I just look at everything in my life and let the pen flow from there.

- Torie Simmons for The PaperRoute (thepaperroute.tumblr.com) - The PaperRoute

Woooooo… you know lately I’ve been slacking real REAL hard on doing reviews. I sit and I listen and instead of being compelled to write…I am compelled to leave the computer and go outside. I thought it was me. Maybe I just wasn’t in the “mood.” Nah, it isn’t that. I am currently sitting at my 9 to 5 and while checking my Twitter replies I saw that the homey BG dropped her project today The BG Ep. Now I try to stay away from reviewing people I know but damn…404 won me over. Before I knew it, my hands were on the mouse opening up a Word document to start typing this review up. With one track…I was inspired to write.

404 – BG’s flow reminded me of why I love Atlanta. She is is so damn ATLANTA it’s crazy and I love it. “Yall best invest in the truth,” alright BG…You got me.
In My Younger Days – I am huge SMKA fan and sometimes it’s hard to get the original track out of your head when someone does a remix. After listening to BGs rendition I had to go back and look up who did the original on the SMKA Experiment Vol 2. That says a lot. She made it her own.
#BitchWassup ft. FLYTASTiK – You know that reaction you have when you hear “We some head bussas?” I have that same feeling when listening to this song (minus the throwing bows part…I am a lady after all ;o). ) BGs flow…ahh I don’t know how to describe it. You know how you hear someone and you just know that this is what they are supposed to do? I had that feeling the first time I heard this track a few months ago.
Hi(gh) Life Pt. 1 ft. Trendz – This was a real smooth track. I felt high listening to it.
Hi(gh) Life Pt. 2 - I probably wouldn’t have put these two so close together. I would’ve placed it later on and have it be like interludes.
Withstand – I enjoy BG’s freestyles. Once again though I feel like this should have been an interlude.
Hard Times ft. TL – In the beginning I felt like BG took over the beat like the flow was laid over it instead of done for the beat. Towards the end it felt like they came together.
Suni MF Solomon x FLYTASTiK x BG High To This – I don’t really feel any type of way to this track. It is a cool track. The “have the Honda Civic smoking like a BBQ pit” line made me reminisce on some of my random nights in Atlanta.
Chillin’ - I’m a sucker for a story on a track. This track low key made me think “BG aint shit,” but I guess I am not either because I have had the same shit happen to me. “We just chillin’.”
Beautiful Music ft. Kid ReA – BG speaks some real life shit in such a smooth way. I’d love to hear her on some “art of storytelling” type shit.
Showtime ft. Illa J – Knowing BG’s age makes me appreciate what she raps about on this track. When people think that the youth aren’t paying attention…I can point to her and say “Nah pimpin’ someone is listening.”
’91 Hemp Flow (outro) - even her outro is smooth.
For this to be BG’s first project, I am very pleased. In all honesty, what she did in this project surpasses some of the projects that have been submitted to me for review. It’s rare that I review because I want to and as of late…It’s rare that I review ANYTHING because of the lack of drive I see in some artist. BG gave me the faith I needed. I want to see her on some longer tracks. I always say that I want to hear more from an artist…Well when it comes to BG I CANT FUCKING WAIT!?! I love anyone that produces real hip hop from the south…better yet from Atlanta.

Rating: BG gets a 3.5 out of 5 – I’d like longer tracks and this is just the first project plenty of room to master it. Dope job homey!

- Joselyn Joy for 84 Area (84area.com) - 84 Area