SXSW Pop: What's the story behind your "Do Better", and what inspired you to write it?

Lil Nico: There isn't really much of a story behind my song "Do better". I was just in the studio and heard a beat I liked and decided to write to it. I usually don't write songs, I normally freestyle all my music but I decided to write this one because I felt that song needed to be written.

SXSW Pop: How do you hope your fans will respond to your song "Do Better", and what do you think sets it apart from your previous work?

Lil Nico: I just hope people can like and vibe to the song cause you know you the best & can't nobody "Do Better" It's all about self confidence. I think what sets "Do Better" apart from my other music is the structure, most of my songs are freestyles and sometimes not always on topic but this one has a little message in it like you know you the one and if you don't you should cause can't no one "Do Better".

SXSW Pop: Can you walk us through your production process "Do Better"? Who was involved, and what was the vision for the final product?

Lil Nico: The process behind creating the song "Do Better" was actually pretty quick. I went to the studio to meet up with one of my engineers & We just started playing different beats I had prepared. This song in particular I had gotten the beat from a beat pack I bought from producer KEONTHETRACK. Once we played that beat and I layed down some melodies we knew people would love this track, I took about an hour to write the entire song and another hour to record everything.

SXSW Pop: What's been the most exciting or surprising part of releasing the song "Do Better", and how do you think it will impact your music career?

Lil Nico: The most surprising part about the song "Do Better" is probably the numbers me and my team received, we honestly didn't expect it to do as good as it did. I believe if I stay constant with music and with my fans It's a really good start to an amazing music career.

SXSW Pop: How do you balance your creative vision with the commercial demands of releasing a new single? Do you have any advice for emerging artists on this front?

Lil Nico: I just try to make a new song at least every other day to stay consistent with my drops but honesty making music isn't a challenge for me so to balance coming up with new material and dropping new music I just try to give my fans at least something to hear while I work on the big projects. I would tell other up incoming artists just to work hard & block out all the negative things in your life, stay focused on the bigger picture because time will tell.

SXSW Pop: What's next for your music career? Are there any upcoming projects or tours that fans can look forward to?

Lil Nico: I just dropped a new single on the 31st of May called "W!ld N!ght" with the music video dropping in the first week of June. Me and my team plan on dropping a couple singles with videos for the next few months and hopefully a Mixtape dropping by the end of the year.

SXSW Pop: Can you tell us about your favorite track from your own songs, or one that holds a special meaning to you?

Lil Nico: I would have to say my favorite song by me is an unreleased song called "Fed Up" because it's one of my most relatable songs and I feel like I really put effort and emotion into making this whole track, from the beat to the final mix it really stands out to me.

SXSW Pop: How do you think your music has evolved over time, and what are some of the biggest changes you've made in your approach to songwriting or production?

Lil Nico: My music over the years has really evolved all the way from my beat production to lyrics & cadences and my mixes my music over the years has become better as I became more serious about my music. Some challenges I've had along the way with my songwriting and overall production would definitely be writer's block. Sometimes I get distracted while writing and forget where I was, that's honestly why I prefer to freestyle because I'm just going with my first thoughts and don't have to second guess anything.

SXSW Pop: What do you hope people will take away from your music, and how do you think it can make a positive impact on their lives?

Lil Nico: I hope people can take away self happiness from my music, I try to push self confidence and love a lot in my music. I believe my music can leave a positive impact on people's lives because I try to spread love through my music and my everyday life.

SXSW Pop: Is there a message or feeling that you're trying to convey through your music, and how do you hope that translates to your fans?

Lil Nico: My message to the world is to Love one another and just spread the love, there's so much hate going around it be hard to see the love. Don't take anything for granted and chase your dreams. Whatever they are, make it a reality and prove everyone who said it's impossible wrong. This is your world, everyone else is just living in it !