Music Interview: It’s Time for Fenix Flexin to Enter the Spotlight

2021 plans to be huge year for Fenix Flexin. The former member of Shoreline Mafia is ready to release a “game-changing” mixtape to the public.

Flexin’s work ethic has been crazy since Shoreline’s Mafia Bidness dropped in the middle of summer. Aside from offering a bevy of chart-topping hits on that album, Fenix has been featured on the Thizzer On the Roof YouTube page trading bars with Bay area mainstays like Mac J, Young Slo-Be, and Skeamy Ru.

The LA spitter plans to start a new chapter in his career by spotlighting his own impact in the city, and showing people why he should be bigger than he is. His recently-released solo single, “First Off,” exemplifies his ability to craft hedonistic declarations that could fit any hazy club/party venue (in a normal world, of course). It’s the type of lean-filled revelry that many have come to expect from Fenix. In a solo setting, his proclamations are as catchy as ever before.

Flexin talked with The Young Folks over the phone about his upcoming plans as a solo artist, his recent influences, and why he feels he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.

How have you been holding up emotionally and mentally?

Shit, I’ve been chilling, bro. I’m a father, so I’ve just been at home chilling with my kids for the most part. It’s just been working, and that.

How many kids do you have?

I got two.

How’s the family life been treating you?

It’s been cool. I haven’t been doing no shows or nothing, so I’ve been trying to take advantage.

I have to commend you, because you’ve really been on the grind recently. I’ve noticed you’ve been working with other California rappers.

Oh yeah, basically I’m doing a new run. I was doing this shit with the group {Shoreline Mafia}, so now it’s time for me to put my foot down, and let people know what time I’m on, and where I’m at with things, you know what I mean? Give them what they need from me.

How has your recording process changed as a solo artist, compared to when you were a part of the group?

Mainly I’d say like, back then, if I was recording with the group-which at the end was pretty rare to have us all recording together-I’d literally be sitting at the phone where I’m just doing the hook or just doing the verse. Whereas now, it’s me piecing together a whole song-chorus, hook, chorus, you know what I’m saying? However it may go.

It’s pretty cool, you know what I’m saying? I’m going to try and give people what they haven’t heard from me, which is music on my own. Mainly, I would be like a feature. I would never be the foundation of the music. And now, I’ll be the foundation of my own music, which is pretty cool.

Are there other producers that you want to work with? Have there been some new ones you’ve worked with, recently?

Yeah, there’s been a few. I haven’t been working with too many big producers. I used to work with Ron-Ron (The Producer) and AcetheFace, and stuff. I haven’t been doing any work with them. So yeah, new producers, new sounds. I’ll kind of be on the lookout for upcoming producers and upcoming artists to get that new shine.

I don’t really care about the hype. It don’t matter to me if the producer got a million followers. If the beat’s hard, the beat’s hard.

How has Soundcloud and YouTube been huge for your ascension?

I don’t really use Soundcloud too much. When Ohgeesy and I first started off, we both put our shit up on Soundcloud. Now, YouTube is just an easy platform. Just put some shit up, it might go viral, it might not. It’ll be out there for people to see, so it’s always good.

You’ve been working with artists Mac J, Lil Bean, and Young Slo-Be. How did you get in contact with them?

Well shit, rest in peace Bris, he’s an artist out of Sacramento. I was bumping his shit hella times, like every day. I was hearing him, and I’d seen Mac J’s influence, so I just reached out. Or, I think one of his partners might have reached out to me. And then we started working and shit. I’m a big fan of what they got going on in they’re movement. Shoutout to Mac J, he hard as shit. Bris, rest in peace to one of the young legends out of the Bay. Then you got Slo-Be and {EBK} Young Joc in that ring, they’re killing it too.

The Bay Area music has always been a big influence on my music. I feel like it’s only right to reach out, and bridge that gap, and bring it up together.

What are some other artists that have influenced you over your career?

N****s don’t be fucking with me like that. I’ll be hella overlooked. Shoutout E-40, he’s reached out to me. He’s an OG in the game. But yeah, n****s don’t be reaching out like that, so I don’t be reaching out to them. I’ve been doing my own thing, and they’re gonna see one day.

One of my favorite songs off of the Mafia Bidness album was “How We Do It” with Wiz. I juts thought it was so different compared to your other stuff. How did that come together?

It came together super last minute. But shoutout Wiz. He’s one of the bigger artists who fuck with me on an actual level. Bro had me pull up on him, and if I were to DM him, he would for sure respond, so that’s pretty cool. I grew up listening to Wiz, like Wiz is one of the reasons why I started rapping. He for sure helped my style growing up. So that shit was crazy, he’s one of the GOATs.

That shit was crazy how it came together. We had recorded that song a couple of years ago, and then they sent me the song, and asked if it was gonna be on the album, and I was like, ‘what?! Wiz is on the song.’ They were like, ‘yeah ya’ll are shooting a video next week.’

I know we’re in a weird time with the pandemic, but are you planning to tour after you release your mixtape?

I don’t know about after I release, but when the time is right, yeah of course. But shit, I’mma tour when shit’s back up and running.

Do you miss touring?

Hell no, I hated that shit. I like being comfortable. I’m not comfortable if I’m too far away.

Maybe I’ll like it now, because now will be my shows. I felt like at a certain point, I wasn’t coming up with no DJ shit. so that shit didn’t really matter to me.

I know your a big fashion guy too. What are you currently rocking fashion-wise?

I’m not too big on designer shit. Like designer shit, I probably just rock like a designer belt or designer shoes. I’ve always been into streetwear, like Bape, Supreme, Nike…It just all depends on how you piece it together. That’s what it is, like piecing streetwear and designer together. Just really what you like. If you piece together what you like, other people will like it.

You’ve also done music with Detroit artists in the past. Is Detroit a place that also inspires you?

Yeah, for sure. Detroit got some inspiration. Shoutout all of Bandgang, and rest in peace Paid Will, rest in peace Jizzle P, that shit’s crazy. Bandaging for sure was one of my biggest inspirations in music, definitely. Man, Bandaging Lonnie, bro’s got a crazy recording process. Man is just an all-around dope artist. Shoutout to my guy GT too.

You did a tape with him {GT} a couple years ago to, right?

Yeah, GT be hella, I wouldn’t say overlooked, but he doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He’s kind of like me. People will wake up on him too. He’s an artist that makes timeless music. Anybody who’s making timeless music, their time is going to come.

What do you want fans to be most excited for in the future?

Man, this project I’m about to do is going to be fucking game-changing. Bro, like I make good-ass music. People have to wake up bro, and give me the respect I deserve. This shit been too long, just like, being stuck in the fucking background for nothing. That shit weird as fuck, so definitely look forward to seeing me do what I do. I rock with the fans tough.

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