BBNO$.

Today we’re going to be talking about a current rising artist in the funky rap game. Canadian rapper bbno$ (pronounced baby no money) has recently caught my eye with his own take on rap music that features unconventional beats, humorous lyrics, and unexpected collaborations. Usually these new and trending artists have a couple of decent hits, make a bunch of money, and then disappear for a bit, making mediocre music for the rest of their career. But contrary to this bleak outlook, bbno$ seems to be going on pretty strong as he builds a diverse fan base by using meme culture and the internet to connect with his fans.

So, who really is behind bbno$ you may ask? Well, not much is really known about this artist as he only started his music career in 2015. What we do know about this cryptic artist is that his real name is Alexander Gumuchian and that he was born on June 30, 1995 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Bbno$’s primary musical influences are hip-hop artists Tupac Shakur, Chief Keef, Gucci Mane, as well as artists Pouya and Yung Lean. Prior to music, bbno$ actually had ambitions of becoming a professional swimmer, but due to an unexpected back injury he had to change career paths. One fun fact about this artist is that he actually attended the University of British Columbia and graduated in 2019 with a degree in human kinesiology.

Bbno$’s music usually falls under the genres of rap, hip hop, and R&B. Additionally, frequent collaborations include Y2k and Yung Gravy. He first exploded into mainstream music in 2019 for his single “Lalala” which was produced by Y2k. This instant hit has overwhelmingly received over 500 million plays on Spotify and had gained over 27 million plays on SoundCloud in under four months. In promoting the song, Bbno$ and Y2K told Rolling Stone that they adopted unconventional marketing methods such as creating a fake story about how they met, using Tinder and even harnessing call centers. Adding on to the list of impressive achievements, this song also made the Billboard Hot 100, entered several charts around the world, and it was certified Gold in the United States. 

I’ve taken quite a liking to bbno$’s music because I genuinely think that his passion for making music and his humor shine through his songs. I can tell that he likes to make songs that are pleasurable and fun to listen to, rather than just to make money off of them. Moreover, bbno$ is not signed to a label or company so he isn’t afraid to experiment with his style or make an extremely goofy persona for himself. One of my favorite songs of his is called “Welcome to Chilis” which is a collaboration with Yung Gravy and features a catchy Latin beat accompanied by the on brand humorous lyrics. The music video also adds another layer to this song as it creates an 80s-esque crime story as the two main characters try to chase a notorious criminal. Other great songs include “shining on my ex”, “iunno”, and “mememe.”

Check out bbno$ for a good laugh or for a good bop!