Young Nudy Is Having Fun With His Mainstream Moment
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Young Nudy has been a rotation mainstay for diehard fans of Atlanta rap for years. But he’s on the verge of crossover stardom after the ascent of “Peaches & Eggplants,” a delectably titled single with his cousin 21 Savage that peaked at Number Seven on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart last fall. The single from Nudy’s Gumbo album is buoyed by a pulsing, synth-driven beat and an irresistible “boaw, boaw, boaw” ad-lib that blew up on TikTok. Over the phone, Nudy says that the song’s success just might be divine.
“Timing is everything,” he says. “I been felt like I had hits…but the universe works in its own little ways.” Nudy calls the breakout moment one of the highlights of his year in 2023, along with the birth of his first son; asked what he learned from having a son, he quips, “That I can have another one.” The 31-year-old has the sense of humor, signature sound, and ear for beats that modern rap stardom is made of, and now he has the platinum plaque to prove it.
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Born Quantavious Tavario Thomas, Nudy grew up in East Atlanta’s Paradise East apartments. The neighborhood was no utopia; he’s alluded to living a lifestyle reflected in his grittier raps before following his cousin 21 out of the streets and into the booth. Nudy tells me that his first rap came from boredom in the studio, with a friend who took so long to finish a song that Nudy fell asleep.
“By the time I woke up, it was like three hours and they were still on the same song — I don’t even think he had made the first verse yet,” Nudy says with a naturally comedic cadence. “I was like, ‘Let me go ahead and rap in that motherfucker.’” Little did the studiogoers know at the time, Atlanta rap history was being made. Nudy dropped Slimeball, his first solo mixtape, in 2016. After catching fire in the Atlanta streets and establishing a creative kinship with producer Pi’erre Bourne on projects like 2017’s Nudy Land, he signed to RCA Records in 2019, setting the stage for his current success.
Being a known figure in his East Atlanta community made Nudy’s transition to music a bit easier — as did being the cousin of 21 Savage, who was similarly a local celebrity making a name for himself in music. Nudy doesn’t talk much about 21. (As evidenced by his terseness about Drake, 21 probably wouldn’t care to wax poetic on the other end, either.) But the love is there, as evidenced by their numerous collaborations over the years.
It’s worth noting how disparate Nudy’s style is from 21’s. While his cousin deadpans to comedic effect, Nudy has a more animated delivery, and is more apt to explore a variety of cadences. That yin/yang dynamic comes together to fun effect on “Peaches & Eggplants,” a track that’s exemplary of the Young Nudy sound. He spends most of his verse talking about the ways he’s going to fuck a mystery woman over quaking 808s, and 21 follows up with one-liners like “She grabbin’ my bandana while I hit ’cause I’m a soldier.” It’s Nudy’s vocal presence, double-time flows, and intermittent “boaw” ad-libs that carry him through the track — and to that platinum plaque.
“I always do numbers, but I wasn’t expecting it to be all over the radio,” Nudy says. “I be thinkin’ some of my shit’s just gonna be [successful] on TikTok.” He adds that he didn’t overthink the track: “When I did it I knew this was gonna be a fun song for everybody to listen to. I really was just bullshittin’ around when I made the shit.” It’s interesting how his in-the-booth character is juxtaposed with his reserved nature. Nudy has admitted that his low-key personality has worked against his desire for bigger stardom at times. But his preference for “weird” beats, colorful artwork, and songs titled after food has still made him a distinctive figure in the rap landscape. Fans know when it’s Nudy season.
(One of those fans? None other than Rolling Stone’s latest cover star, Peso Pluma. “I always bring his music in the car,” Peso raves. “It’s amazing how you don’t even need to know the language to feel the song, you know?”)
When I ask Nudy about his ear for beats, he credits his love for anime and cartoons for helping him develop his taste in sounds. He also tells me that he enjoys a collaborative process where he can have a say in production elements. “If you make the beat in my face, it makes it easier instead of wasting my time,” he says. “[Like sending] me 20 beats and I only pick one — I’d rather somebody make 5-6 beats in my face and I’ll use all of them.”
He said he’s tried to make beats before, but he’d rather work closely with a producer like up-and-comer Coupe, who has nine credits on Gumbo (including “Peaches & Eggplant”). “If I learn how to make beats I ain’t gonna need nobody. It’s about giving a motherfucker a chance.”
When I ask about his plans for 2024, Nudy tells me, “My mind’s all over the board.” So far though, he’s mulling three choices: two collaborative projects and one solo project.
Could one of those be the collaborative project that Metro Boomin has hinted at with him? “I can’t speak on all that type of shit,” Nudy says, but adds, “Me and Metro got a lot of stuff.” While a label rep confirms that a solo album is on the way for 2024, the rest is up in the air. Whatever form it takes, it will likely be a pleasant dash of fun and weird.
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