‘Innit’ Rapper BunnaB Talks New ‘Sweet Lick’ Mixtape & Her Breakthrough Year: ‘I Ain’t Really Took It in Yet’

From having the country “talm ‘bout innit” to getting name-checked on “Whim Whammie,” one of the year’s buzziest breakthrough rap hits, BunnaB, 22, has emerged as one of the most resonant voices in a new class of Atlanta-bred female rappers. 

Blending the raucous debauchery of mixtape-era Gucci Mane and the Futuristic Era sounds that dominated their childhoods, this new class of female MCs prioritizes party music that speaks to the specific realities and intricacies of female relationships in the social media-stained 2020s. For her part, BunnaB, beloved for her infectious, near-constant laughs, has separated herself from this ascendant pack by infusing her bubbly disposition, girl’s girl attitude, unfettered authenticity — and the unmistakable gravity of earning a second shot. 

Out Wednesday (Nov. 5) via Artist Partner Group, Bunna’s new Sweet Lick mixtape doubles down on the sing-songy melodies and positive vibes that she rode to the zenith of Gen Z culture with June’s Ice Cream Summer Deluxe mixtape. “I didn’t want to go in a specific direction,” she explains to Billboard. “Maybe I can do it for my album.” When “Bunna Summa” first started gaining traction on TikTok and Instagram Reels this spring, the Edgewood-born rapper had just relaunched her music career with January’s “No Drought” (the song YKNiece and PLUTO nod to on “Whim Whammie”). She initially caught some steam with 2023’s “My Man,” which resulted in a deal with Atlantic Records; creative differences sank the pair’s relationship, ending in the label shelving Bunna and the rapper signing with APG in March. 

With “No Drought” reviving her momentum, “Bunna Summa” reached No. 27 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and follow-up tracks “Fine Shyt,” “Innit” and “Mad Again” kept her in the forefront of the conversation. In August, Metro Boomin recruited Bunna for A Futuristic Summa standout “My Lil S—t,” and legendary producer Jermaine Dupri called her the following month for “Magic City Money,” a track from his compilation album tributing the famed ATL strip club. Both collaborations proved that even her city’s leading voices recognized Bunna as not just one of the most obvious new stars of her class, but also as a bridge between today and the city’s late ‘00s and early ‘10s Futuristic Era. 

Though she enraptured TikTok all over again with her hysterical outbursts during a viral stream with Plaqueboymax and Rakai, Bunna isn’t all giggles. In October, her Ice Cream Girl Road Trip tour of HBCU homecomings brought her to Spelman and Morehouse Colleges in her hometown. Social media clips captured students groaning and booing in response to Bunna’s performance announcement, so she treated them with an uncharacteristically reserved performance, plainly saying, “If y’all don’t f—k with me, I don’t f—k with you… I want to save my energy for the people [who] want to see it.” Incredibly, that level of authenticity won over the oft-unmovable TikTok comment section, proving that, in just a few months, Bunna has built a fanbase intimately in-tune with both her artistry and her personhood. 

Below, BunnaB speaks with Billboard about Sweet Lick, what makes this new class of ATL female MCs special and how meet-and-greets inspire her songwriting.

How’s it been like walking around your hometown after the year you’ve had?

It’s been good, but people ask for pictures and stuff. I’m really surprised. I ain’t really took it in yet.

What’s been your biggest pinch-me moment so far?

When I had a show at UCLA. It was a couple weeks ago. I just seen so many lights. I’ve never seen that many phones before, and everybody’s screaming the song.

Where did you even find the time to record this new mixtape?

In between the days when I ain’t got to go out of town and do something. I was focused on myself with this mixtape.

“D.P.W.M.F.” goes hard. When’s the last time you really had to arrive from one of your homegirls like that?

It was some time ago because I really tried to mature when it comes to my friends. But I don’t like people hurting people who I love. I can’t tell you what I did, but I be having my friends back though.

“Just a Girl” is a nice, softer parallel to “D.P.W.M.F.” Would you consider a remix for that one? 

I’m not sure about a remix. I wanted to put that song out there because some girls really need to hear it. All the conversations I have in my meet-and-greets made me go home like, “Let me make a song for them.” [My fans] really come to me in tears and tell me what they’re going through, and I cry too. I can’t control my emotions when I’m talking to these people.

What are some things that you learned from working with icons like Jermaine Dupri and Metro Boomin?

Working with them helped me meet different people and helped me learn better. It gave me a bigger opportunity for people to see me.

What do you hope to bring from the Futuristic Era to your audience?

I don’t be trying to give futuristic, it just comes because it’s our culture. When I’m in the studio, it just pops out.

What made you want to incorporate your humor into your brand with your songs like “LMAO?”

[Laughs.] I didn’t know people would gravitate to it so much. Once I seen people keep talking about the way I smile, I was like, “Let me make a song about it.”

Were you a happy baby?

Yeah, always.

Do you prefer freestyling or writing?

Writing. Because you kind of know what you’re going to go in there and say, instead of just coming off the head.

What inspired “DeadBeat BabyMama?”

If I’m having a conversation and I feel like somebody’s speaking on a good topic, I put it in my notes and I write to it later. I was speaking with my sisters, and they were talking about somebody being a deadbeat, and I was like, “This would be a good song somebody could relate to.” I done had this song for a minute now.

What’s been your favorite performance of the year so far outside of UCLA? What have you learned from being on the road this year?

My favorite performance was probably when I stopped in Dallas on my [Ice Cream Girl] Road Trip. Maybe it was because it was my first stop, but I feel like they gave me all the energy that they had. I couldn’t believe I was headlining my own show and people was buying tickets to see me. The college people love me, so when I go to homecomings, it’s cool to step out there and know that people been waiting on you.

What have been some of your biggest takeaways on the business side this year?

I learned I am the business. I got to move like a business. My body is my brand, so I got to take care of myself.

When you look back on 2025, what are you most proud of and what are you most surprised by?

I’m proud of me just elevating and putting out more music and trying to learn my sound. And I’m most shocked by people really loving me. Still can’t believe it, but they love me. Some artists got diehard fans who ride for them, and I feel like I got the same.

Do you have any more videos on the way?

Yes, I got videos for “DeadBeat BabyMama,” “LMAO,” “Hoe Is You Cool,” and maybe one more for “To the Left.” I really wanted to put out 4 videos, but it’s been hard for me to move around and pick a day.

What excites you most about this new class of female rappers, especially the ones that are coming out of Atlanta?

It’s really us girls right now! And it’s not like we’re just making the music, we doing something with it. We elevating and building fan bases. It ain’t just rap. I feel like it’s bigger than rap.

What do you most hope to accomplish by the end of next year?

I want to drop my debut album, go on my first headlining tour, and connect with my fans in real life.