By the time I got kicked out of school, I had nothing else to do but rap.

I know the devil is working against me. I already know my mission and what I'm really here to do. People may not see it but he's been working overtime. He's not even able to mess with other artists because he's got so many demons around me.

My parents preached so much about Christianity and my mother thinks Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to the world - which he is - and God found a way of making examples for me. Like, just growing up, bullets would hit my partner but not me and I'd be right there. Or my Dad had a thing where he would make me play for the sorry team during football and make me go up against all my friends. It built a certain kind of character and a humble factor into me because I knew I had to work for it. And then to be able to beat them or be just as successful at so many things.

I'm a very spiritual guy, very funny, emotional, I love women, I'm a playful guy. Sometimes I may get a little angry. So there's so many sides of me I want to be able to display and not be boxed in as just a trap rapper or a dope boy that wants to flex on everybody. I'm not into all of that.

When I fell in love with hip-hop, my favorite rapper was Jay-Z. But I used to like Common and Nas. But I was a South dude. So I grew up on UGK, Triple Six, Outkast, and Pastor Troy. That's where I get my lingo, my slang, my passion.

I didn't have to sell my soul for money. I didn't have to go through trap music; I could just help Ye write songs and get money from it. So I knew when I put my album out I could just be myself. Not saying I won't do a trap beat or rap over one, but that's just not what makes me. That's not all of CyHi.

I never wanted to be known as a local rapper. Not downing anybody, but you know Gucci, that's cool to me, but I want to be massive. I want to be Kanye. I want to be Eminem.