The Brick Squad Monopoly is steady making moves to take over the game. With a roster of rappers and producers any label would be jealous of, it’s almost added pressure for BSM’s current artists to continually put out quality music. Have no fear for Frenchie. After talking with him shortly before playing select tracks off his upcoming mixtape, Long OverDue, there’s no question that the Queens emcee is determined to deliver what the people want and need, whether it’s for free or a small fee. Check out the short interview we were able to do with Frenchie, below:

I checked your website and one of the first things I saw that you are “the hardest working artist out right now.”

I grind man. I don’t get no chances to sleep. When I wake up, I’m in the studio. I go to sleep-I’m in the studio. I breathe the studio. I am the studio.

And part of that grind is self producing your own music videos, I noticed. Why did you choose to do so many on your own?

I had to. I dropped like 86 videos last year, alone, on World Star. A matter of fact, all the blogs. It was hard. I had to do it myself. If I don’t do it, who gon’ do it? Now, it’s my thing. I do it well. I gotta perfect it now.

How is Long OverDue different from your past projects?

The beats on this joint is ridiculous. I love the beats, my wordplay, some of the features that I got. It’s just beautiful. I was able to work on this mixtape and really just sit down and know what I wanted to do. Usually, other people put together my mixtape. This time I sat down and I went through all my songs. So I perfected this mixtape myself.

Yeah, definitely. It’s great how the mixtape game has stepped it up. They’re basically free albums now. And I noticed you had Southside on production multiple times on this mixtape.

Hell yeah! That’s my boy. Young Lane. G Moss. That’s my people right there. That’s the clique.

And of course you can’t leave out Mizay (Deborah Antney, manager to Waka and Frenchie).

I could never leave her out. That’s my aunt! That’s my blood family.

I learned that your family is full of talented people in the industry. Your cousin was an A&R at Def Jam and your uncle used to DJ for the Beastie Boys. Do you take that as a burden because you’re expected to fill those shoes or as a sign that this is meant to be?

I felt like it was meant to be. Even my little cousin, Young Joey, he’s an artist. And he’s my family, running around with the same people. We had this gift since we were born. It’s in our blood. I ain’t never knew I was gonna meet Chuck D at a young age. God bless his soul. I met the Beastie Boys when I was like 10 years old. Rest in Peace, MCA. Shout out to [DJ] Hurricane.

I know you want to live in the moment right now but what’s next for Frenchie after this?

After this, it’s going to be an album. Right now I just dropped a single called “Power Moves,” featuring Waka. It’s on radio stations right now. It’s picking up. This summer’s actually mine, man. I’m taking this summer by storm. Ya’ll gonna hear a lot from me. The album’s gonna be ridiculous.

Summarize the album for us in 5 words.

Crazy. Awesome. Scary. Rude. And absurd.

Scary?

Yeah, it’s scary because some of my beat selection is just dark!

On some ski mask ish?

On some ski mask sh*t.

You were talking about the wordplay on this mixtape. What’s your favorite line on this mixtape?

It comes on “Guala”: You ain’t getting money like this/ you ain’t getting money like French/ you ain’t never been to the projects/ you ain’t never sleep on that bench/ elevators smelling like piss/ get a hundred dollar bill out a bitch/ still on the 6th floor, every little kid thinking you rich/ your kush don’t smell like this/ your pack won’t sell like this/ my swag don’t come in a bag/ a hundred years to get like this/ you don’t know nay n*gga / jump out the Ghost, no pistol, but I scare n*ggas/ when I was broke you didn’t care n*gga/ so I gotta show that I care ni**a?!

Look out for Long OverDue on May 21st.

Bryan Hahn (@notupstate)