Lil Tecca opens up about his ‘Fortnite Festival’ headline set and ‘GTA’-influenced music

Lil Tecca has taken centre stage in season 15 of Fortnite Festival, creating what the rapper calls a “full-circle” milestone. His musical journey began by exchanging verses with friends through Xbox Live, while the soundtracks from Grand Theft Auto later helped shape his 2025 album ‘Dopamine’.

The announcement confirmed that the New York rapper would join previous headliners such as Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter and Laufey. The rhythm game is connected to the hugely successful Battle Royale experience and was created by the developers behind Rock Band. The collaboration brings several Lil Tecca songs into the game as jam tracks, together with character skins, equipment and weapons inspired by the artist.

“It feels amazing. I’m an avid Fortnite player, so this is really cool to experience,” Lil Tecca told NME. “I’m such a fan of the game.” The ‘Ransom’ artist added that he usually chooses solo zero build, a fast paced Battle Royale option that places more emphasis on accurate shooting than constructing structures.

As someone who regularly plays shooting games, Lil Tecca especially appreciates the ability to personalise characters inside Fortnite. “I’m good at it too, which makes it easier to like,” he said. “Years ago, when things first started going crazy for me and my music, people were using my songs in their Fortnite montage videos – so headlining Festival is a real full-circle moment.”

Lil Tecca x ‘Fortnite Festival’ CREDIT: Epic Games

Four songs from Lil Tecca have joined the enormous selection of playable music available during the event. He believes ‘Dark Thoughts’, ‘Ransom’, ‘Love Me’ and ‘500lbs’ provide the “perfect introduction” to his catalogue. “They’re the most essential ones; the heavy hitters and the party jams.”

More than 20 million users enter Fortnite each day, meaning a large number of players may discover Lil Tecca for the first time through this partnership. However, he is not concerned about seeing social media posts asking ‘what’s a Lil Tecca?’ from people who are unfamiliar with him.

“I’m always trying to get new fans and introduce people to what might be their new favourite artist, so this is a great opportunity [to do that],” he said. “I also want people that have already been listening to my music to see me, a fellow Fortnite player, in the game and it move them. I want to inspire [someone to become] the next Lil Tecca.”

Lil Tecca began experimenting with rap at nine years old, sharing playful verses and humorous diss tracks with friends through Xbox Live voice chat. Even after releasing five albums, that same playful spirit continues to guide him. “I never want that purity to leave,” he said. “Ego is not on my agenda. I’m just going to keep doing what I came into this to do, which is inspire people and spread positivity.”

Keeping that mindset may become more difficult as his audience continues to grow. “You just have to let the universe bring whatever’s meant for you. Have fun with it and don’t force it,” said Tecca. “It takes balance and you really need to maintain a sense of reality. But I’m not worried about being who the next guy thinks I am.

“There was a time where being a rapper on Soundcloud wasn’t cool. So now, I’m just trying to do everything I can to make people feel comfortable [with who they are].”

In 2025, he shared ‘Dopamine’, a confident rap record heavily influenced by the radio stations Fever 105 and Flash FM from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The carefully selected music from the hit 2002 game moves between contemporary disco, soul and classic pop, alongside fictional presenters and station jingles. “That intentional un-organisation was so influential,” said Tecca. “And everything about the game – the environment, the soundtrack and characters like Tommy Vercetti – just made sense [to me]. I wanted ‘Dopamine’ [to be similarly chaotic].”

Fans are continuing to campaign for Lil Tecca’s songs to appear in the forthcoming Grand Theft Auto 6, although he “doesn’t think” he is currently allowed to reveal anything about a possible involvement.

Created inside his home studio, the record represents a “compilation” of Tecca’s greatest strengths while also allowing him to experiment beyond his familiar style. “I wanted to show people things they haven’t seen from me before, like hopping on those Pharrell-type beats for ‘Dark Thoughts’,” he said of the emotional song, which sees him comforting a partner during a difficult period. “Even though it has sad lyrics, the music is upbeat. It’s something you can dance to. I love that sense of polarity,” Tecca explained, adding that he hopes it can connect with people regardless of how they feel. “If you’re down, hopefully it can bring you up. If you’re already up, it can take you higher.”

‘Dopamine’ also gives listeners a clearer look at Lil Tecca’s character and the confidence he has developed throughout his career. “I wanted [the album] to have an identity. The last few albums I’ve done, it was like I created them in the wind but for this one, I wanted to build a world.” For future projects, he hopes to create records that resemble a “cinematic experience”.

That ambition makes the timing of his Fortnite partnership especially meaningful. “There are so many kids that are making music in their bedrooms, which is the way I started. It’s important to be able to see how far you can take it from there,” he explained. “I just want to be the proof of concept for the next guy, who’s going to be bigger and better than Lil Tecca. This Fortnite crossover is the biggest of opportunities [for me].

‘Fortnite Festival’ season 15 is available now and continues through October 31.