BigXthaPlug has joined the rodeo, but he has no desire to be a cowboy. Fans will hear him bring his trap flair to the country sound on his next album, an idea that came to life thanks to the love he was receiving from country music artists.

"So many people from the country world said they f***** with me and wanted to do something with me," BigX tells Billboard. "We buckled down and did it before the next person would do it."

He clarifies that his album is a fusion of trap and country music.

“I’m rapping on a bunch of country-style beats, but it’s not just country," he explains. "I’m not on there sounding like no cowboy; I’m rapping. I’m just doing it from a country standpoint. I’m not saying it was easy — it definitely was a challenge.”

With his single "All the Way" serving as a test and an example, BigXthaPlug earned his first #1 on Hot Country Songs — the song debuted at #4 on the Hot 100 in April.

"I didn't think I was going to get as much positive feedback as I've been getting," says BigXthaPlug, who was honored as Billboard's 2025 Country Power Players Innovator. "A lot of people don't even accept people of my color even trying to be in that lane. Just to be accepted the way it's being accepted and everyone wanting to work with me — I'm grateful."

Although he was introduced as a rapper and had "never listened to country music in my life," the crossover allows BigXthaPlug to flex his skills as musician.

“Everybody is realizing I’m not just a rapper — I’m an artist,” he says. “I feel like it’s not [me] trying to take over somebody’s situation. It’s more like, ‘Hey, I’m an artist and I want to see if I can do this as well.'”

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