[Akbar V](https://instagram.com/akbar__v?igshid=ol8gf2e031p9) is the certified Queen of Atlanta, and we’re here for it! Born and raised in Southwest Atlanta, the rapper, reality television star, mother, relationship advice expert, and overall bad bitch arrives with one hell of a personality, exuding her contagious energy onto all those who follow, watch, or listen.
Boasting with confidence that she is Atlanta, Akbar states, “I can take you to any hood in Atlanta, I am who I am. I can really rap. I came from nothing. Atlanta knows before I touched television, I was poppin’ in my city. I was always this fly, big girl. Pretty, can rap, always in some shit. You good with me if I bring you in Atlanta, period.”
One thing that separates Akbar from the rest is her raw honesty, confidence, and resilience that speaks volumes to the masses all around the world. Having come from the trenches, even being shot in the head 4 years back, the Southern lyricist speaks her truth any chance she can—with no ghostwriters writing her raps. Now with the right team and marketing plan, she truly believes she can be a real global superstar, continuing to reel in fans from all over the world.
Stemming off her last release, “Talk To Em,” Akbar gears up to release her newest single “[Queen](https://akbarv.ffm.to/queen),” off her highly-anticipated forthcoming album. Additionally, she celebrates a new distribution deal with Blueprint Music Group under Cortez Bryant, Lil Wayne’s manager… all while balancing motherhood with 5 kids.
_Flaunt_ caught up with Akbar via Instagram Live, who was posted in Atlanta moments before her flight to New York for her friend’s birthday party. Read below as we discuss her upbringing in Atlanta, Nicki Minaj’s influence, the inspo behind “Talk To Em,” giving relationship advice as Doctor Akbar V, relationship with Thugger and the YSL family, forthcoming single “[Queen](https://akbarv.ffm.to/queen),” and more!
**Why are you the Queen of Atlanta?**
Because I am Atlanta! I was born and raised in Atlanta. I can take you to any hood in Atlanta, I'm who I am. I can really rap. With the right team which I have now, with the marketing plan, I really can be real big over the world. A real global superstar because I already got Atlanta. No ghostwriter, I can really rap.
**What was a young Akbar like growing up in southwest Atlanta?**
Young Akbar was in the streets, I was really outside. Been through a lot of shit, got shot in my head running with the wrong crowd. I was always thuggin' with the wrong people. I've been in the street since I was 14 years old now. It was March 15, 2016, I got shot. That's when I got a wake up call.
**Who were you listening to? Who made you want to rap?**
Growing up, I used to listen to Eve, Missy Elliot, Lil Kim. I love R&B, still do to this day. I was listening to Brandy, Monica, T.I. I love their music. As a kid, I always loved music. When Nicki came out, I was in my teens and there were no female rappers. The first one I heard from Nicki was “Still I Rise.” \[starts rapping\] “She said ‘fuck Fendi,’ but I think she was playin'. I heard she move them thangs, I think she fuckin' Wayne. She call herself Lewinsky, that means she give him brain. She tryna be like Lil' Kim; her picture looks the same.” When I heard that, then I was listening to "Itty Bitty Piggy.” All that, she won me over. I love Nicki, that’s my dream collab.
**That was one of my questions, what’s your favorite Nicki song?**
I like “Still I Rise.” My real real favorite is “All Things Go,” I really went and bought that damn ringtone. I was inspired a long time ago but she really played a part to keep going like “yeah, I'm here.” I always wanted to rap and be successful in the music business.
**At what point did you realize you wanted to do this artist thing?**
Back in 2013, I wanted to give it my all. Let’s go! I took it serious in 2016 and was pushing. \[claps\] I came out with _Griselda Blanco,_ because I was going through some shit. I had a lot of shit going on in the streets. Street-wise, I’d just got shot. Two weeks later, my name came up in a homicide. I had nothing to do with it, but I was guilty by association. I had to go on a run. I went on a run to LA, I went on the run in Philly, then I came back after they cleared up my name.
I knew then it’s time to change it up, switch it up, get your life together. God will take you through them trials and tribulations and put you through that pressure, so stand on that. I stood on 10 every chance I got. That's what makes me different from a lot of these rappers. They rapping about the things I've done and lived, I really lived the street life. The streets don't love nobody, I've been in the streets since I was 14. I was immune and I was exposed to things that I shouldn't have been exposed to as a kid growing up. My virginity got took. At the end of the day, my story’s different from these girls because it's real.
**I hear you talking your shit on "Talk to Em,” what inspired this record?**
“Talk to Em” is about this guy I was dating... I'm still dating him. I was having to let that n\*gga know: stop fucking playing with me ‘cause I'm not that. When n\*ggas ain't used to bad bitches, they start acting a certain type of way. Sometimes you got to sit them n\*ggas down like “aye let holla at you, let me talk to you for a minute.” I had to talk to that n\*gga.
**What was his reaction?**
He just smiled. We talked about it. I been going through shit with the n\*gga. He's not from Atlanta, he's from Alabama. I was going through shit. I had to let that n\*gga know, stop fucking playing on my top! ‘Cause this ain't that. Sometimes you gotta let a n\*gga know, I'm not nothing to be fucked with because I'm a little crazy. Stop motherfucking playing with me n\*gga!
**Did he get his shit together?!**
He's working on it. I'm being patient with him. We working on it, we taking it day at a time. Because I care about him, I love him. We met in California.
**Speaking of relationships, I know you’re Doctor Akbar over here.**
Doctor Akbar V baby, I give out the best relationship advice. I've been doing it for a minute. The thing is, I want to relate to my fans and show them I'm human like them. I want to talk to them. It went so big and so viral, it's a big thing for me now. I give relationship advice. They be in my DMs like “Akbar, I need relationship advice!” I really spread myself thin. I need y'all to calm down, I got y'all. Because they really be on my head. When we’re doing relationship advice, there's a couple rules you can't do. You can't come in looking at no ceiling, we don't like to be in the dark. I’ll cuss you out, but if I cuss you out that means I love you. Me and my fans, we’re like family. We get on here, I pray with them.
**What’s the best relationship advice you've ever gotten?**
I was messing with this dude from Cleveland Avenue. Everybody used to tell me “leave him alone!” I’d never leave him alone, we’d still go back to each other. Boom, my friend Brianna said “I want you to leave him alone.” It was getting to the point, we’re falling out. I knew I loved my friend more than anything, she said “man, look what he got you doing!” I was going crazy. I was pulling up, busting out wanting to swing. I really woke up like “I gotta let this go. It ain't me, it's making me no good.” I really let it go. Now when that n\*gga sees me, he’s on my head. I’m like nuh uh!
**Sometimes you gotta cut them off real quick.**
You gotta let them know, I don't want that anymore. I don't like that.
**How's it been focusing on the music?**
It's been great! I signed to Blueprint Group with Cortez Bryant. Cortez had invested money in me and never got paperwork on me. There were a lot of deals on the table, I didn't take them. I stayed loyal to Tez because we started together, let's finish together. He’s going to take me to that next level. I'm dependent on him, God, and my team. I'ma do my part. I want to be a lot healthier. I went and got the gastric sleeve surgery, then I had to go get a little tummy tuck. I got 2 more surgeries to do.
I want to speak on that too. As me and my career, I'm a performer. I want to get on that stage and give a great show to my fans. I was out of breath. 10-minute set, I couldn't do nothing but 3 minutes without being out of breath. I’ve been on my healthy shit. I’m working out because the gastric sleeve is only going to limit your food, it limits your appetite but you still gotta workout. I gotta take vitamins every day. I wanted to be better. When you look good, you feel good. That’s a big part of my life. In this industry, they pick and choose. Even though I was already a fly big girl, me now losing the weight, everybody’s like “yeah Akbar, yeah!” But I already had talent, why didn't ya'll see this talent when I was a big girl? I was unhappy. Not being a big girl, but not being where I wanted to be. I did my part, I let drama go. I'm in the studio, I'm making the music. There’s no way I can't go and be that big superstar I'm destined to be.
**You being so honest with your surgery, your weight loss journey, have you always been this way? Your fans can really appreciate the realness.**
My fans are really organic. My fans know. Even when I go and post, I have to say “paid ad.” My fans and me, we don't lie to each other. At the same time, I understand them and I love them. I really love my fans. They see me in public, “Akbar! da-da-da.” I'ma chop it up with them. I'm a real one, I don't let fame or money go to my head because I came from nothing. I used to stay in trap houses. I know how it feels not to have hot water or lights, to have to take a bath in a sink. When your mama out getting high, and you around here getting touched by a man at a young age. I know how all that feels, I don't be boastful. I let my fans know this is what's going on, this is what’s happening. It is what it is.
If I'm out of pocket, guess what they gon’ say? “Akbar, I don’t like what you doing.” I listen ‘cause they love me, they want to see me win. I know for a fact them Akbar fans love me. For that, I love them. That's why I get on Live, I do relationship advice. We have a good time. I'll never be boastful towards them. When they see me, I say what's up. That's how I am.
**What’s the best encounter you had with a fan?**
My talent shows and doing relationship advice. Baby you get on there, you gon' see! I got me another little child, I call him little Timmy but his name’s Pat. I went viral cussing him out. I tried to talk to him because he’s smoking and he’s underaged. He's 13 or 14, I met his mom and everything. I'ma go visit him next year and do a little talk with him, because I want him to change his ways and his life. He’s dealing with mental issues. I was a kid growing up dealing with mental issues, somebody had to cuss me out and get on my ass. If I cuss his little ass out, give him a pop pop every now and then, I do my children like that. I don't play.
I whoop my kids’ ass, I don't let them play with the wrong people. My friends will tell you that. I don't care if ya’ll don't stay in my household. My oldest son stays with me. The rest of them stays with their dad and 2 of them stay with my auntie, but I don't play with their ass. You’re not disrespecting a grown-up. I grew up like that, you have to respect me period. I don't play with kids. Nowadays, these parents let social media raise their kids. People say “you never with your kid.” Yeah bitch I’m with my children, but it ain't for that. I don’t have to broadcast who I'm with. I'm their mother, I'm supposed to do what I'm doing. Even now, I'm about to spend $1500 on a fucking game for my child, because I love my kids. Whatever they need or want, I'm their mama. I’ll go broke for them because I never had stuff growing up. My auntie did the best she could, but I'ma make sure my kids have a different life. Period, that's a wake up call right there.
**Do your kids be bumping mommy's music?**
Yeah, they know my music. I catch them, they be cussing too. My son Dulchay wants to be a rapper. I'ma get him on a track. They bump my music. They’re proud of me. I get messages from them: “mom, we’re proud of you! Keep going!” That means more to me than anything.
**3 things you need in the studio?**
I need water, good vibes, and one of them candles to be lit.
**How was linking with Tink on “Leaked”?**
I always loved Tink, always was a fan. Tink don't get the recognition she should get. She's a dope artist. She's a real one, I hung out with her. I check on her every now and then. I reached out to her like “I need you on a hook suh, let's get it!” She was widdit.
**What can we expect from your new single “**[**Queen**](https://akbarv.ffm.to/queen)**”?**
I told him like “On my city, top 5. Ride with me like do or die. Got these bitches traumatized, my pipes, I'm bussin' that fresh supply. I stand tall with them real bitches that make way when the welds try. Who you think they bankin' on? My top back and my brain gone. Bitch you know my reign strong. I got it out the mud, I ain't even ask for help. And you know I got real mob ties like Frank Sinatra here. Bitches never liked me… you ain't no big dog if you can't put your whole team on.” That's a little snippet, but that's the lyrics. It's gon’ be real dope.
**How much are you dropping at the strip club?**
The most I did in the strip club, I blew $10K.
**Talk about your relationship with Thugger and the YSL family.**
Me Thug, Lil Keed and Lil Gotit, Lil Shawty, we all from Cleveland Ave. We were ROC before YSL. I was always the first lady of ROC Crew, then we switched up to YSL. Me and Thug had our differences, we went without speaking for a long time because I felt a certain type of way and he felt a certain type of way. Nobody wins when the family feuds. We had a big, big falling out. I'm thankful where we’re at now. We can really be a family again, it's love. It’s always been love.
I'm proud of him.To see him become who he was, he made me want to go harder. I felt a way with him taking off. I see that you reap what you sow because how I was coming at him, I had people coming at me. Not knowing that... give me time. If I would’ve given him time, he could’ve done what he wanted. We’re patching the relationship up. I know he really loves me and I love him too. I want him to be the best he can be, I know he wants the best for me. I'm YSL, ROC crew to the death of me. That's my hood, them n\*ggas raised me. Everytime them n\*ggas had beef with n\*ggas, I'm the girl. “Fuck ya'll n\*ggas…” I always been like that about them. They raised me, they still my family. I didn't have no family for real so I went out, I've been with them n\*ggas for years. We've been through a lot together. RIP Big Boo, I know you see this shit. I love you and miss you forever.
**What can we expect from your forthcoming album?**
It's a mixture of things. You're gonna feel heartbreak, joy, turn-ups. I'm giving you all the deck of cards. The club scene, the king. My rollout is a deck of cards. I don't want to give ya'll too much, but my rollout is “[Queen](https://akbarv.ffm.to/queen).” The Queen of clubs, the Queen of spades, the Queen of hearts, you getting all that in one on the album.
**Anything else you want to let us know?**
I love you all and I want to close out with a prayer.
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