Rising out of the Northwest Indiana area, 20-year-old rapper Foosiia is quickly making a name for himself with an authentic, unvarnished sound. Bridging the gap between the raw street energy of Hammond and the melodically aggressive pulse of Midwest drill, his music offers a stark, personal window into a life shaped by street loyalty and growing up too fast. Currently building a solid catalogue on SoundCloud, he seamlessly pairs the “Fast Life” mentality with honest storytelling that resonates far beyond his local stomping ground.
In this exclusive interview, Foosiia opens up about his sudden rise since recording his first tracks in a college dorm, the heavy real-life experiences behind hit tracks like ‘Twin’, and his process for stepping in front of the camera for his debut music video ‘Thousand Plu$’. He also reflects on the delicate balance between his grinding music career, trade school, and fatherhood, whilst giving us a glimpse into his sound evolution ahead of his anticipated EP, ‘Reap’.
Hey Foosiia, thanks for taking the time to chat with us! To kick things off, could you take us back to January 2026 when you first started making music in your college dorm—what was that initial spark that inspired you to start recording and sharing your tracks on SoundCloud?
"January 2026, college dorm, late nights. I was just sitting there with my phone and a cheap setup, feeling like the same cycle of school, bills, and the streets was closing in. Something clicked when I started freestyling over some dark Midwest-type beats I was finding. It wasn’t even about making it at first—it was just getting the thoughts out so they wouldn’t sit on my chest. Once I uploaded the first few tracks to SoundCloud and people from back home started hitting me..."
Your sound brings that raw Hammond and Northwest Indiana energy into the Midwest drill lane. How has your environment and the reality of growing up across Hammond, Michigan City, and Gary shaped the themes of loyalty and street life in your music?
"Growing up around here shapes everything. Hammond, Michigan City, Gary, that whole Northwest Indiana stretch—it’s loyalty or it’s nothing. You see the same faces, the same blocks, the same situations year after year. That reality forces you to talk about who’s really with you when it’s quiet, who’s sliding when it’s loud, and what it costs to move certain ways. The drill sound just fits the environment naturally. It’s not manufactured. It’s the way the city moves, the way the nights feel, the way you learn early that your circle is everything."
Your track ‘Twin’ carries a lot of personal weight and recently hit 12,000 plays. What was the inspiration behind that record, and what did reaching that milestone mean to you on a personal level?
"“Twin” is personal. It came from real situations with people I moved with, the type of bonds that feel blood even when they’re not. Writing it felt like putting a piece of my actual life on the track. Hitting 12k plays meant something because those weren’t random streams—people from the area, people who know the story behind it, were actually locking in. It showed me the music was connecting past just vibes. It was reaching the people who understand the weight behind the words."
You’ve mentioned expanding your style from straight drill into genres like ambient music. What motivated that evolution in your sound, and how do you decide which direction to take a beat when you're writing?
"I started pure drill because that’s the energy I came up on and what felt most honest at the time. Expanding into ambient and other lanes came from wanting room to breathe and tell different sides of the story. Some nights the mood just isn’t aggressive. Sometimes you need space, melody, or a darker, slower atmosphere to say what you really mean. When I’m writing, the beat decides the direction more than anything. I listen first. If it feels cold and hard, it stays drill. If it has atmosphere or space, I lean into that and let the writing follow the feeling instead of forcing a style."
When you’re in the studio or catching a vibe to write, what does your creative process look like from the moment you hear a beat to putting the final lyrics in your notes app?
"Process is pretty simple. Beat hits, I sit with it—sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes longer—until a pocket or a phrase jumps out. I’ll start mumbling or freestyling the first bars until something sticks, then I open the notes app and lock it in. From there it’s just refining the story, making sure the flows sit right on the beat, and cutting anything that feels forced. I don’t overthink the structure too much early on. I chase the feeling first, then clean it up until it sounds like me."
Looking at the bigger picture, you’re balancing music, trade school, and being a father to your son. How do those real-life priorities drive your hustle, and how do you manage to balance both worlds as your career grows?
"Music, trade school, and being a father to my son all feed the same hustle. My son is the biggest reason I move the way I do now. Everything has more weight. Trade school is about building real skills and a foundation so I’m not just depending on streams or features. The music is the outlet and the long-term vision, but the day-to-day priorities keep me grounded and sharp. Balancing it means treating time like it’s limited—locking in on music when the window is there, handling school and responsibilities without excuses, and making sure my son sees consistency. The pressure from real life is what keeps the music honest."
You recently shot your first music video for ‘Thousand Plu$’—what was that experience like on set, and how did it feel to bring your visuals to life for the first time?
"Shooting the ‘Thousand Plu$’ video was a different type of energy. First time actually stepping in front of the camera to bring a song to life like that. Being on set, seeing the vision come together with the locations and the team, made the track feel bigger than just audio. It was nerve-wracking at first, but once the cameras rolled and I locked into the same mindset I have when I’m writing, it started feeling natural. Seeing the finished product hit different because it was the first time the visuals matched the world I’ve been talking about."
With your project ‘Reap’ dropping on October 31st, what can listeners expect from this next body of work, and how can fans best support and tap in with you moving forward?
"Some records still hard and drill-focused, some that open the sound up a little more. It’s where my head is at right now. Best way to support is simple: stream the music, share it with people who actually listen, follow the process on SoundCloud and wherever else I’m posting, and stay tapped in for the drops. Just stay locked in while I keep building."
With a firm grip on his reality and a clear vision for his future, Foosiia is proving that raw authenticity still reigns supreme. As he continues to balance the realities of family and school with a growing musical catalogue, his focus remains razor-sharp on crafting tracks that speak directly to the heart of his hometown experience.
Make sure to keep an eye out for his upcoming EP, ‘Reap’, dropping on October 31st, which promises to expand his sound even further whilst staying true to his Midwest drill roots. As he builds momentum, Foosiia is undoubtedly an artist you will want to keep on your radar. For more, be sure to join him on Soundcloud and Instagram.
