Lil Uzi Vert stresses the importance of staying true to yourself in a new interview with Jazzy’s World TV, who last month made headlines with her Kendrick Lamar discussion.
At the top of the video, seen above, Uzi is asked to break down how important their Philadelphia upbringing was in the ultimate manifestation of who they are today. Per Uzi, there would be no them without Philly.
“My experiences in Philadelphia, the way it helped mold me into who I am today is, it was a very, like, I was always around a very different crowd, very diverse. … It just made me who I am today and I really took from it,” Uzi said, adding that “if it wasn’t for Philly, I wouldn’t be Uzi.”
From there, Uzi’s trumpet-playing high school era was mentioned, with Uzi crediting this aspect of their artistic journey with having taught them the value of patience. Originally, they revealed, they were aiming to be a snare drummer in the school band but the demand for that instrument was too high. Ultimately, they were instead offered the cornet, which led them to the trumpet.
Toward the end of the interview (which notably ends with a thank-you to Uzi from the celebrated interviewer for having brought her on stage for their Rolling Loud set), Uzi is asked to give viewers some advice on the power of being yourself. Uzi gave an impassioned and inspiring response, complete with something they urged everyone to be mindful of in life.
“You gotta love yourself first before you can love anyone, right? You gotta love yourself, always remember that,” they said.
See the full interview up top.
Uzi has recently been spotted in a number of social media posts with Ye, including a widely shared photo in which the two were seen showing off matching tattoos alongside Steve Lacy.
