When Billboard linked with BigXthaPlug in Los Angeles, the rising Dallas star was tucked into a booth at Max City BBQ, piling his plate with smoked links and ribs. Between bites, he reflected on how a moment of confinement pushed him toward music and reshaped his future.
At 20, he was behind bars after a probation violation when his son Amar turned one. The distance broke him down. “It took a toll on me,” BigX shared. “And made me very emotional. So they [jail officials] had to confine me by myself. And in that confinement, I felt like I was losing myself mentally.” To keep his sanity, he asked fellow inmates how they managed. Someone suggested writing, and soon he was scribbling rhymes on scraps of medical paper since notebooks were banned. “I wasn’t planning to be a rapper,” he admitted.
That changed the day he promised his son, “you’ll never not be with me ever again.” Determined to live up to those words, he began chasing a career that could keep him both present and stable for his family.
Fast forward, and BigX is now one of the loudest voices out of Texas. His catalogue includes charting singles like “Texas,” “Mmhmm” and “The Largest,” along with two major projects that cemented his name: Amar in 2023, which went gold, and Take Care in 2024, which reached platinum. His latest effort, I Hope You’re Happy, drops this week via UnitedMasters, weaving country textures into his Southern rap identity. The project lines up features from Bailey Zimmerman, Jelly Roll, Shaboozey, Luke Combs, Ella Langley, and Ink.
Away from the booth, he’s raising Amar and his daughter Leilani while collecting accolades, including Billboard’s Innovator Award at the Country Power Players event. BigX says the new album is about heartbreak, fatherhood, and personal evolution, but he’s equally excited to just be dad, catch a game, and enjoy life with his kids.