Atlanta’s Best-Kept Secret: How ChatGPT Became SWAVAY’s Unexpected Career Coach
Categoria: Musica
SWAVAY talks James Blake and what he learned for his upcoming tour, things he would have done differently working with Metro Boomin and more.
Por Billboard | 23/06/2026
When Atlanta MC SWAVAY was pondering his future in rap, he didn’t call a relative or text a friend — he went to ChatGPT. Flooded with doubt, he sought reassurance, asking the popular AI app if he was heading in the right direction. He was shocked by its response. “What stuck with me the most was that I’m not as consistent as people want me to be,” he candidly admitted to Billboard while taking a ZOOM call from his car. “I couldn’t argue with that. It’s damn near a fact. For me, I kind of blame my inconsistency on infrastructure, the business, and all that other stuff.” Despite its cutting candor, ChatGPT became the truth serum and motivation SWAVAY needed to rewrite his story. After a brief stint on Metro Boomin’s Boominati label in the late 2010s — which included a Grammy nomination for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: The Album — the Atlanta native reset his career and doubled down on his craft. In 2022, he released the overlooked ALMETHA’S SON , featuring James Blake, Destin Conrad and G Herbo. Known for his lyrical dexterity and unwavering passion, SWAVAY continued his ascent with BILLY 2 and NO DELUXE in 2025, before returning this year with The PRELUDE , a seven-track mixtape he views as the “Warm-Up” to his forthcoming project, BILLY 3 . Across The PRELUDE , SWAVAY flexes his gifts as both a storyteller and technician, weaving vivid narratives on tracks like “SIXX MINUTES” while displaying razor-sharp introspection on “TONY’S DEAD.” As he continues his run as an opener on James Blake’s Trying Times Tour, SWAVAY is also preparing to embark on a headlining trek of his own beginning this September. “I’m watching James closely every day and trying to gain a lot of his professionalism as I step into my headline touring realm in the next couple of months,” he says. Billboard spoke to SWAVAY about his doubts and fears, his experience as a one-time battle rapper, what he would do differently if he were signed to Metro Boomin today, and more. What have you gained from watching James Blake up close on this tour, even though y’all come from completely different musical worlds? The seriousness and the importance of a show. I think he takes his live performances extremely seriously. He’s having fun, but it’s very much so like a job that he’s paying very close attention to. I think for me that’s interesting, too — because I was telling you the last time I was in New York, I don’t feel like people necessarily enjoy rap concerts the way that we think that they do. If you give a man thirsty water, he’ll drink it, but I think rap shows have gotten a bad reputation of being piss-poor. Me seeing someone outside of my genre take their live performances so seriously is a very sharpening experience for me. He’s vocal resting. He’s looking at crowd reactions to prepare for the next show. He has a live band and they have all their separate intricacies. I’m