That Billy Woods blocking his face bit seems pointless. I photographed him at Pickathon. I got photos of yer mug, buddy
Probably just joking around but if anyone is interested he has discussed it in some interviews.
On why he started out that way:
“Part of it probably has to do with how I grew up. My mother is maybe the most private person I ever met in my life.” He has referred to her as a hermit.
“The face thing started because when I started rapping I had left DC in what I would call a hurry. And I had concerns about the possibility that certain events could or could not follow me from that place. And due to these concerns, I got out, I got away.”
Asked if they were legal or street concerns: “I felt like there had been street situations, which then could have turned into legal situations.”
He has also implied that he had concerns about things "overseas" that he felt more comfortable commenting on in anonymity as well.
On continuing to do it:
Someone told him that he should start showing his face as business advice around the time of The Reavers record and his thoughts were: "If you haven't shown it yet, once you do that's over. If you don't show your face, and you totally fail, then you can be like, well maybe I did the wrong thing, but I did it my way, right? If I go and I show my face and then I fail. I didn't even really do what I wanted to do, you know what I mean?"
“A) That’s kind of how I like it and B) That’s the persona that was developed in order to protect me for practical reasons. And now, even as some of those practical reasons have fallen away and are not as important, it’s already built up like that and I’m comfortable like that.”
Also liked when last I heard him discuss it he started rapping Apollo Kids "Since the face been revealed, game got real / Radio been gassing n----s, my imposters scream they're ill"