With the Florida rap scene taking a firm stance in the spotlight at the end of the ‘10s, the 2020 explosion of Javarri Walker, a.k.a. HOTBOII, into the mainstream shouldn’t come as a surprise. Much of his prowess has relied on his concerted effort over time to hit it big. His debut project, 2020’s Kut Da Fan On, was written during his two-year stint in a youth behavioral correction program. “I’d been rapping before the program, so the program ain’t motivate me,” Walker, who was born and raised in West Orlando, says of the time he spent awaiting his 2018 release. “It helped me though.” What makes HOTBOII a star is something even deeper than just speaking what’s on his mind. Fans familiar with his viral hit “Don’t Need Time” know this to be a fact. “I made that song a week after my friend had died,” Walker says. The video, resonates with fans for that very reason; in addition to being a tribute to his deceased friend, it’s a street’s-eye-view look into the complex emotions that settle among family members and confidants after one’s passing. While the wounds of loss never heal for some, Walker uses rapping about these more vulnerable moments as a coping mechanism of sorts, as well as a display of love for his fans. He also notes that he receives DMs from them “everyday” about the raw experiences he discusses on his tracks.