NLN Te Turns “CHOPPA GOTTA BITCH” Into a Dark Los Angeles Crime Film
There is something cinematic about the way NLN Te talks about “CHOPPA GOTTA BITCH.” The record feels less like a song built around one idea and more like a scene pulled from a crime thriller, with industrial Los Angeles, empty parking lots, smoke-covered warehouses, military precision, football aggression, and criminal exchanges all existing in the same world. Even the “CHOPPA” itself becomes more than just an object. In Te’s imagination, it carries a reputation like a character that everyone in the room already knows about.
That same intensity carries into the way NLN Te approaches his music and his own personality. He is competitive, comfortable with dark humor, and constantly pulling from different references instead of staying in one lane. At the same time, he understands that the aggression in his music can cause listeners to misunderstand him. For Te, the lyrics are not always supposed to be taken as a literal autobiography. He sees himself more like the person behind the camera, building the scene, controlling the characters, and deciding how everything should feel.
If “CHOPPA GOTTA BITCH” was a movie scene instead of a song, what would be happening on screen while it played?
A Los Angeles crime thriller.
Setting: Industrial LA.
Empty streets and parking lots.
Smoke hanging in the air next to warehouses.
I would involve a combination of football game action, military operation, and criminal exchange.
Everyone would treat the “CHOPPA” as a real person.
Not saying it would walk and talk but more so have a reputation.
What’s the most reckless, funny, or unexpected real-life moment that matches the energy of this song?
One moment that comes to mind is me being pulled over in Compton by the sheriffs. True story.
So look, I’m behind the wheel going down Rosecrans and I thought they jumped in front of me to get under my skin so I chose the reckless route. I start tailgating, they eventually hit the lights and I immediately hopped out to a gun to my face.
They thought I was from Piru. I kept talking my shit and they threw me in the car for a couple hours but the whole time I’m still doing reckless stuff so I’m happy to be here.
I was shown that I need to chill out but also I’m willing to go to hell once I hit that switch.
If the beat could talk back to you while you were recording, what do you think it would’ve been telling you to do differently or go harder on?
The beat would’ve told me, “Boy you going crazyyyy!!”
However, I do think the beat would’ve included some pointers such as:
“Stop trying to fit me, make me move around you.”
“Don’t be afraid to sound crazy, be you.”
“You already wrote enough shit, now MAKE ME FEEL THE BAR.”
The beat would’ve gave me my props while at the same time prioritizing elevation.
The title sounds like something people would repeat before even hearing the song. How much do you think about making phrases that can become part of people’s vocabulary?
The title definitely has replay factor. I try to keep things just simple enough for my listeners. At times I know I can get complex and potentially lose some ears. Simplicity often gives me better stream results.
The phrase kinda fell in my lap, I didn’t have to think too hard about it at all.
The main thing is that I want something to be MINE. I want people to hear the phrase and instantly think NLN Te. Phrases like “I get money” are way too common for ownership.
If somebody only had “CHOPPA GOTTA BITCH” to understand who NLN Te is, what would they get completely right about you, and what would they probably get completely wrong?
The things I think people would get right after listening to my song would be:
- I think in references / I don’t stay in one lane
- I’m very comfortable with darkness / dark sense of humor
- I’m competitive
On the flipside, listeners would probably only see me as aggressive. They may find me emotionless. They may find my references random at times. They also may think I don’t care about being understood.
One thing I want my listeners to take after hearing this song is to keep in mind that NLN Te isn’t the guy in the lyrics; he’s the director.
That final statement might be the best way to understand “CHOPPA GOTTA BITCH.” NLN Te is not simply placing himself inside every scene he writes. He is building the entire world around it, deciding what feels dangerous, what feels funny, what feels exaggerated, and what deserves to become part of his identity. With this record, the darkness, aggression, references, and larger-than-life imagery all work together like pieces of the same film, and NLN Te is making it clear that he wants his name attached to every frame.