Nardo Wick joined DJ Akademiks on the latest episode of his Off the Record podcast and spoke about growing up in a situation that led him to robbing people.
During their discussion, the Jacksonville rapper clarified previous comments he made back in December in which he explained there was a time in his past when he would rob people for money and explained what drove him to do it.
“When my momma first came home from prison, and I started to get older so began to realize, ‘We really struggling,” Nardo explained to Akademiks. “I slept on the floor three years straight, that’s why I never had to have a bed.”
“Even when I was doing it,” Nardo continued, “I knew I wanted to rap. I knew I wanted to rap since I was 14. I just never had the time or the funds. I was just waiting, trying to perfect my craft.”
Back in December, Nardo faced backlash after an appearance on the Big Facts Podcast. During their conversation, Nardo was questioned about his life before signing to a major record label. He explained that when he was younger he would rob people rather than working a legitimate job.
“I would just look at it like, I would go rob a n***a and get this much, why would I go to work for a week?” Nardo said at the time. “But you got to think, for real. If I go do this to somebody and get $7,000, $5,000 [...] why I’m finna go to work for two weeks and make $500? Hell no.”
Days later, Nardo issued a statement on social media saying that he wasn’t trying to “influence” anyone.
“They asked a question about MY PAST and I answered it. That’s what I was doing when I was 15-16 years old,” he wrote on IG. “A product of my environment. My mama had just come home from prison and it was a hard time for us and we ain’t have nothing. I would never tell or try to convince a young Black man or anyone period to crash out! I changed my life and started taking rapping serious because I knew that I wouldn’t make it if I kept doing what I was doin.”
Nardo also said that “robbing ain’t cool at all” and that there’s nothing wrong with having a job.
“… I ain’t try to make it seem cool. I was speaking on past events, what I was doin young and dumb,” he continued. “I changed for the better and learned from my mistakes. Y’all stay focused and chase y’all dreams.”
You can stream the full episode of DJ Akadmeiks’ conversation with Nardo Wick on Spotify below.
