Photo Credit: Kyree Sams
“She’s a runner, she's a track star! She gon' run away when it gets hard. She can't take the pain, she can't get scarred, she hurt anyone that gets involvеd.” [Mooski](https://www.instagram.com/mooskiiii/?hl=en)’s smash hit single “Track Star” has redefined the meaning of “viral,” taking over TikTok, radio airwaves, clubs, functions, and headphones all across the country. The crazy part is, he’s just getting started.
Hailing from a very small town in Alabama, the rising star reveals his “ambition took him outside of that.” He states, “I went on a journey in life taking care of my family. I grew up fast, always been a go-getter.”
Having served as a sergeant in the military for four years prior to his music career, Mooski has always had the mindset to be great, to lead, and to always give 110% in whatever task at hand. With his biggest influences being Lil Wayne, Drake, and Fetty Wap, the Capitol Records signee blends the worlds of hip-hop and R&B, with a standout voice that separates him from the rest.
Recently unleashing the highly-anticipated visual to [“Track Star” which hit 7.5 million views in less than two weeks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPfcycMj8BE), Mooski broke the internet for a second time, tapping the beloved Coi Leray to play the female love interest.
_Flaunt_ caught up with Mooski during his studio session with Supah Mario at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. Read below as we discuss his time in the Marine Corps, transferring what he learned into the music, the making of “Track Star,” getting Coi Leray in the video, an epic night in Los Angeles, studio essentials, changing his family’s lives, studio essentials, conversations with Rick Ross, and more!
Photo Credit: Kyree Sams
**Coming up in Alabama, did you think you would be where you are today?**
At one point I didn’t, but later on in my life I did.
**What was an 18-year-old Mooski like in the Marine Corps?**
He was a bad man. He was dangerous. I wanted to be the best Marine I could be. I wanted to come in and soak up game from all my leadership that I was under. I wanted to be the best.
**What happened 4 years in that made you walk away for the music?**
I was doing music on and off. This is how I always move with everything. When I was in the Marine Corp, that was my primary focus. I’d wake up every day and make sure I’m doing everything the correct way, make sure I was training my Marines because I took leadership very seriously. I went in there and wanted to do 20 years, I was going to be a lifer. Along the way, I started doing music when I was 19 or 20. I began doing music again and fell in love all over again.
I was in a professional studio, I kept going back. I started dropping music on all platforms while I was in there. The more I learned about myself throughout my Marine Corps journey—how to use my gifts, how to work with people and be effective, inspire people—it all sent me right to my music. When I figured out how to channel my emotions through my music, that’s when I figured out myself completely. I felt like “okay, I’m in somewhat control of my life right now.” I started realizing a lot of things about myself. The more I recorded, the more music became more important to me.
I’m at the end of my enlistment and I love the Marine Corp, but I want to give everybody 100%. I know if I was to re-up and do another 4 years, my mind is not going to be set. The Marine Corps wouldn’t be my primary focus. I took leadership very seriously, I want to give my Marines 100%. I knew “okay, I’ma finish up this contract. Give everything 100%, make sure my Marines are trained. They have all the knowledge, skill sets, and everything they need to take my place when I leave so I can go pursue this music.”
**What was inspiring music then?**
To be honest, all my music is inspired by the beat. I don’t hear anything and get inspired by it or go in with a certain concept. I listen to the beat and whatever vibe I get from the beat, that's where I take it.
**Were your peers saying you were hard and hyping you up?**
Yeah, they instilled confidence in my music. At the time, it was only a select few I showed my music to, because it was still sacred. I didn’t want to show anyone this, I didn’t even want to put it in their hands for you to shoot me down. I didn’t know what people were going to say, but they instilled confidence in me to do it so I started showing everybody my music. When I got confident like that, that’s when I started doing it more. Music became my life.
**When did you discover your voice?**
I discovered that sound the last couple of months I was in the Marine Corps, so 2019.
**What was music before then?**
It was different. I was singing, but it was more melodic in a tone like PnB Rock.
**Who’s the special female that inspired “Track Star”?**
You know… \[laughs\] The beat always inspired me. It’s a lot of track stars. Maybe I put a lot of experiences on one, maybe I put someone else’s experience. Nobody feels special about “Track Star,” I can’t lie. \[laughs\]
**What was the biggest factor in the song blowing up?**
God.
**Are you religious?**
I wouldn’t call myself religious, I’m just spiritual. I do a lot of self-reflecting. Man created religion, people can form religion. Every church is different, sometimes people control things behind the pulpit themselves.
**How’s it feel to hit 4 million views in a few days?**
It’s a dope feeling. Shout out Coi Leray, she's dope. The label came up with the idea and I was all for it, because Coi’s dope. A dope artist, dope entertainer. When we’re shooting the video, it was dope. The vibes were good and in my opinion, she really made the video pop. She really did her thing.
**Where was the video shot?**
LA, we shot it here. The best memory was when I got to drive the car, that was dope. I hit a few blocks on it. I can’t remember which car it was, it was dope though.
**Do you plan to move out here?**
Nah, I’m in Atlanta. I love Atlanta.
**Seen you post “LA hits different,” how so?**
I took a picture with a real goat in the strip club. It was dope. A girl came up to me and said “I have a goat in the car, you want to take a picture with it?” I thought it was dope, this is crazy. I thought she was going to wait until I got outside. I was over there vibing, throwing money. I turned around and she said “here goes my goat.” I was trying to figure out how she got her goat in the club.
**You be at strip clubs like that?**
Not going to lie, I blew up in Miami. That’s the only place we had to perform. I used to like strip clubs like that, but now I be chillin’.
**Do you turn up?**
Yeah, Hen all day.
**3 things you need in the studio?**
Henny, chicken, and my people. These are all my people.
**How do you like your chicken?**
Fried, lemon pepper. I don’t do spicy, I don’t play with it.
**How was it seeing Halle Berry run to the record?**
That was dope. That’s one of the moments where it’s hard to believe because Halle Berry is so deep in the culture. It was crazy because before I even knew who she was, I knew her name. I thought back to when I was little and I used to sing the Halle Berry song. Now, she knows my song. It was definitely dope.
**What was your family's reaction?**
They thought it was dope too. Everybody was going crazy. They’re definitely happy for me. They’re excited to see where this is going to take us, because this changed a lot of things for my family.
**Who can we expect on the remix?**
Who do you want on the remix? I’ll say this, the remix is going to be hard.
**You say “as long as you stick to the formula, you’re good.” What’s the formula?**
The formula is to be me, just be myself. It’s me, the way I make music is the way I make music. I’m not changing anything because that’s what got me here. Stay true to what got me here.
Photo Credit: Kyree Sams
**What can we expect from the debut project?**
Expect some music pulled from a real place, real life experiences. I really want people to pull inspiration from the music. I want it to be something people can live with. Throughout life you have these songs that you remember, “okay I used to play this song when I was going through this right here,” I want my songs to live with people.
**I think “Track Star” is doing that right?**
Yeah, I hope so.
**Did you think it’d take off like that?**
To be honest, I didn’t know this song would take off like that until I dropped it. Before, I had another song I wanted to drop as my single. My partners told me “nah bro, you need to drop ‘Track Star’.” I went home and I thought about it because they’re already sneak peeking to people. They kept getting good results. I ended up dropping that one. When I saw numbers the first week, I’m like “yeah, this one’s about to take off.”
**How was it performing at Rick Ross' daughter birthday?**
That was a dope experience. To meet somebody that has been in the game as long as Ross, it was a great opportunity for us to pick his brain. Get knowledge and wisdom from him so I could come in the game sharper. It cut most of my mistakes in half, off the rip. The same approach I took in the Marine Corps, I want to take here. I want to talk to the successful artists and the people who were just in my shoes and made it to where I want to go. Now, I can get there quicker if I pick their brain.
**Who are those people?**
Drake, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Kevin Gates. It’s a lot of artists.
**Is there anyone you want to collab with?**
Drake, Chris Brown, Kevin Gates. \[laughs\]
**Anything else you want to let us know?**
I love all my fans.
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