- My guy.
(hand slap)
How you doing, man?
I've been looking forward to this, man.
I've been looking forward to it.
What's up, man?
How are you?
Real pleasure, real pleasure.
Good to see you, man, how you been?
- Good.
- Hi, I'm Dave.
- Real pleasure.
Hey, man!
- How you doing?
- Dude, what the fuck?
(laughter)
I mean, I get it, but, you couldn't cover it up
underneath the jacket, hurting feelings like that?
I'm in a bad mood now, Boyd.
I'm really in a bad fucking mood, man.
I'm in a real bad mood.
- [Man Off Camera] Yo, can you close that door real quick.
- Yo. Wassup?
- Wassup, man, nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you. - Ant.
- Ant, nice to meet you, Ant.
So, what's going on, man, what's good?
- I'm here, man.
- Man, what you doing in town?
- Just like press, like, just for the mix tape.
- [Gary] The number two?
- Just like running through YouTube, Spotify.
- [Gary] Just getting out there?
- Yeah.
- Yeah, I mean, like, real quick,
out of the indie artists that are buzzing,
he's number one in LA.
- I fuck with you, heavy as fuck.
(laughter)
I'm putting, I think you guys know.
I'm putting you on blast, I'm on the record of
who I think is next, and it's you.
Because I have that, I know my ear, which is like,
I don't think I'm anything
I don't even like to talk to music people about music,
but I know me, and I know, I just know.
I don't know you, I don't know how disciplined you are.
I don't know you. I'm excited to start to get to know you.
But, if you stay disciplined and you fucking actually work,
and if you don't get a little taste of success
and think you made it and do dumb...
Too many people. I don't know you.
But, I know your music is 100% foregone conclusion.
And so, you know, that's what I think.
- [Gunna] Music gave me a blessing.
- But, you know what I mean, the biggest issue now
is actually where you're at now.
This is the sneaky part.
I'm so fascinated by this part,
where there's a little something,
it feels like something, right?
- [Gunna] Yeah.
- It's just tricky, I'm just.
Now that I'm really paying attention for the last year,
I've listened to more music,
I'm paying attention more than I have,
literally, since the sort like 1994/5, seriously.
And it's so obvious you're going to win,
but, it's also so obvious that...
Everybody thinks getting from zero to
where you are right now is the hard work,
and it's the bullshit.
It get much harder now to take it to that next spot.
Because it's frustrating.
Because when you got nothing, or nobody's paying attention,
it's just so interesting.
You guys agree?
- Yeah, it's like you lose the - [Gary] Hunger
Lose the adrenaline, the hunger,
the feel for it because you feel like
ain't nothing happened, but in actuality
it is, it's spreading.
You just don't feel it.
- [Gary] And it's confusing, right?
You get somebody that comes up to you and goes
That is big, and they're like, "Yo, I fuck with you",
and you're like, "Oh, shit".
It's just confusing.
I'll tell you how it is for me, on the business side.
When I'm on the cover of these different magazines,
or when I did the Apple TV show,
you always think like, "This is the thing,
"oh, when this happens."
I'm sure when you guys are in studio
like, "When this second project comes out,
this is gonna be the fucking fire that takes it to the..."
But then, it's the mentality of when it doesn't,
being even more hungry, not deflated.
- [Man Off Camera] For sure.
- I'm fascinated by that shit.
- What's cool is, I mean, you see his jewelry,
he already has it, and then he's already around Thug,
and what's cool about that is he's got the work ethic.
So, exactly what you said, he's around the big shots
but he's not stopping.
- So what else is going on?
- One thing I wanna say, have you met Wyclef yet?
- I did.
- [Boyd] OK, cool, are you working with him?
- [Gary] He's the best.
- I haven't worked with him yet but I just,
I met him when Thug did, they did Wyclef song.
I met him in the studio.
And just vibed out with him.
- Yeah, that's one thing he said he wanted to work
with Wyclef in some interview,
and Gary's super tight with Wyclef,
so, I didn't know if that was something.
- [Gunna] Nah, fo'sho.
- But, the other thing is, if this project drops
February 2nd, I know I emailed you briefly,
but, they're both from StreamCut, as you know,
and they wanna team up and, basically, promote the book,
promote the project, on Spotify you can pre-save something,
and then, we were just talking again, and if he signs.
All his music's so motivational,
it's like, "Don't give up, Gunna", you sign a book,
we do two, three four, whatever,
and we just do some type of contest,
just to help everyone out,
because they're down to promote
the Monday to Monday playlist.
- So I think, here's how I think about that.
That's a good idea, but what's even more exciting
to me, is how obnoxiously authentic this relationship is.
You know what I mean?
To me, I would do that with somebody who's got
4 million followers that to me, fuck.
Forget about my book, I've been promoting.
I'm gonna promote the shit out of it
and I'm gonna listen to it twice
and then decide what song I fuck with the most.
- Yo we put together the playlist,
he literally text me a screenshot of your song,
"Yo bro, this one's on this week."
(laughs)
I wanna put you on there anyway cos him and Richie are like.
- But Boyd is 89 to 94% of the playlist.
I'll listen one time to make sure nothing's weird
I may take something out, he always tries to give me
a little love of my genre, of throwback, a song or two.
But then I gotta make sure that was a song I fucked with.
But, it's very rare for a new artist,
for me to hit him up and be like, "This has to go."
I'm just so convinced about where you're going.
Then honestly on a very serious note man
I really really really think you've
got the absolute exact right thing
for what's about to happen.
I just think you need to,
you know my big thing is collaborations and volume.
You guys do you, that's always my thing.
To me, I just want you to do more shit.
It's always tricky with my artists 'cause I want
more volume, and artists, they don't wanna dilute it,
they want it to be perfect, I have empathy.
But I know it's right.
Here's what people don't understand with volume,
they remember the hits, they forget the other shit.
You don't have the potential to suck.
You understand that right?
(laughter)
Do you understand what I mean?
If I was like, "Yo, you have to put out 100 songs in a row,
your weakest one of those 100, in my opinion,
isn't gonna be weak enough to fuck you up.
And the upside of a hundred fucking at-bat's,
I believe that shit.
And then collaborations, fuck I think I was just listening
to one of yours just now, lemme see.
This would be great.
Yep!
- Yeah
- Literally what I'm listening to.
(Gunna plays)
This is as negative verse as possible.
I can't say it enough man.
You guys are in it, and you know better than me,
I just know what humans do.
That's why I'm gonna do my thing, it's just that bad.
People don't get it.
It's just tomorrow's song that changes everything.
And it's hard right?
'Cause you put so much into- it's like parenting.
You raise this kid, you love them, but then something
that happens at school is a defining moment that had
nothing to do with you, other than how you set it up...
You're so lucky that you're in Atlanta, there's something
happening in the studio every day.
- [Gunna] Fo'sho.
- I don't know. That's where I'm at.
- It's like the best spot for music, like it used to be
New York.
- [Gary] It's Atlanta, 1 2 and 3.
- Right.
- It's not even music, it's everything,
literally culture. It's such an incredible, I'm opening an
office in Atlanta, 100% in the next few years. 100%.
I just want to be there.
I'll make up the reason for me to have an office backwards.
It's that important.
- [Gunna] Yeah, that's serious.
- It's very serious.
You what's most serious about it from my perspective,
from and outsider's perspective?
Is all the different sounds.
It would be one thing if it was one sound, but the fact
that you run the gamut of Savage, to Migos, to Russ,
to, you know, just all of it.
- [Gunna] Yeah, yeah.
- It really is subtle nuances that I think makes it
very important.
The fact that, that can all coexist.
So what can we help you with?
Obviously the project, right?
You guys obviously want that to be as
successful as possible.
- [Gunna] Fo'sho.
- I really, you know what we can do for you?
I got an idea.
DRock!
You know what I'm gonna do?
I wanna, we're gonna hit up like 50 to 100 vloggers.
DRock, can you do me a favor?
Say hello to everybody.
- [DRock] Hello.
- DRock, Gunna's project comes out, next week?
- [Man Off Camera] February 2nd.
Yeah, two weeks. I wanna, and they've got it already,
I wanna hit up 50 to 100 of our vlogging friends
and tell them that we really fuck with him,
and it would mean a lot to us if they used some sample
of some song in their content.
- [DRock] Awesome.
- You wanna have somebody like Alex or whatever put
together the list?
- [DRock] Yeah.
- Let's get like 15, 'cause that's how shit could go.
Thanks DRock.
- Cool
- And then they tag you and that shit goes crazy bro.
That shit goes crazy.
- It just gets listens man.
Just get people to hear it.
What's a radio?
Just a fucking thing that got people. Right?
- One thing I wanted to ask you while we got you on camera
and stuff is your songs like "Don't Give Up" and "Phase"
and every time I listen to them, what do you think about
when you're writing those songs man?
'Cause I was watching some interviews that you've been
doing and that's just something I think people
would wanna know.
All of the music is so personal and so inspirational,
that's why we like it.
- That's why I like it.
That's why I like, I like Russ because he's competitive
and chip on his shoulder.
It's all based on versions of my own personality.
- It's so smooth, you perform that to a live ass crowd.
- [Gary] You're talking truth.
- It's real.
- And you're not scared of going to territories that
don't look the part. That's it.
- I be speaking like third person.
- [Gary] Mhm.
- I got a song called "Money Don't Change You"
on Season 3.
- [Gary] Mhm.
- "I hope the money don't change you" and only talk to
nobody else but myself.
- You know what's funny about that?
One of my favorite things I say, ever, and I say a lot
of shit, is "money doesn't change you, it just exposes you."
- [Gunna] Right.
- I believe in that shit so much.
- [Gunna] Me too.
- You are who you are.
Actually one of my buddies, he lives in Alpharetta,
one of my buddies from college moved to Atlanta right
from the get, like I went to the '99 Superbowl.
Got in trouble with the Gold Club that night.
(laughter)
They shut that fucking gangster ass place down but anyway,
(laughter)
he hit me up the other day, and he was like, "Man, I just
wish-" these are the kids, he's the one who introduced
me to Scarface and Geto Boys, these are my hood friends,
this is where I got any of it from, he's like,
it was crazy it was so emotional for me, he was like
"I wish people really knew how you didn't change."
You know? It was really cool.
'Cause it just doesn't change you.
It doesn't.
It fucking exposes the fuck outta you.
- You know what else?
We finally pulled up little inside notes and he was talking
about the first time you came to New York, and the story
about you trying to sell CD's and stuff.
- Oh yeah. My first time coming to New York I came
out just planning on selling some of my CD's.
- [Gary] When was that?
- That was 2016.
- [Gary] Mhm.
- Right after my birthday. I feel like it was '15.
I was passing CD's out, and nobody wanted to grab 'em.
(loud laughter)
- Because it's so ruined out here, because the stuff that's
getting passed down there is the worst of the worst,
so New Yorkers don't know the difference.
They just know that you pass it out, and the guy's like,
"Give me my 20 bucks".
- Yeah yeah yeah. I wasn't even selling the CD's
I'm just passing them out.
- [Gary] They didn't believe you, because that's not
the move.
- Right. So I hand 'em- and they're like "Nah, nah."
- No, New York's very simple.
(laughter)
Where's my 20 bucks?
You know? It's some gangster shit.
That's Times Square man.
That's the truth.
How you gonna do me like that? Gimme my 20 bucks!
(laughter)
Yeah it's no joke.
- He's already been through that part. So you know.
Your story's great man.
- [Gary] Yeah, man.
- He's been doing Richie lately blends in so well
with Southside connection.
- Right.
- [Gary] He's so much talent. Right?
- He got sound. Everything he plays, it comes out.
- [Gary] You're like "good, good, good."
He's so talented.
- [Gunna] He love my sound for some reason.
- Richie and Gunna is one of the best connections
we've ever made.
- [Gunna] My best songs are on his beats.
- I think he's gonna be a super-producer.
- [Gunna] Fo'sho.
- I've been spending a lot of time DMing with like,
Sony Digital and Metro Boomin.
I'm not like a real music guy.
The reason I fuck with you is what you're saying.
I like the story. You know?
I like that you go to places that I think are vulnerable,
and truth, 'cause that guy and that girl will always win.
That's what people don't understand about Pac and Biggie.
Go, actually go back and listen to Pac.
- [Gunna] Real life.
- They talk about like- you guys are youngsters.
You don't understand, Brenda's Got a Baby,
that was ridiculous.
That was shit like, Biggie-
- [Gunna] It make people cry. Got tears in people's eyes.
- Just like story telling right?
Biggie's funny.
Like, "I Got A Story To Tell" is funny.
That was different.
This was when hip-hop was like, "I'm hardcore, I'm tough
and you're not."
Simple. Binary.
There was no other story.
People don't get why- They broke out for a million reasons,
but nobody, I mean I watch every documentary,
I read everything, I'm waiting for someone to say
those guys broke out- they say story-teller's-
they'll compare them to KRS-One and that's fine.
It's the vulnerability.
- Right.
I feel like they put you in their world, they just wanna
hit you with it. - [Gary] That's all I meant.
- They make you feel like you already know them, you know
what I'm saying?
- [Gary] Like we're sitting next to them.
- We might not be in the room, or maybe not even seen
each other face to face, but I still feel like I know you
from your music because what you're saying.
You put me in your world.
It makes people tune in, when people got they own.
- My man. My man. You will be a big, big, big, fucking star
if you stay focused. Like a big one.
(laughter)
- I know it's flattering, I smile when people say-
I think you will be a big star.
You need to really fucking focus.
You need to focus man.
You need to- my advice? Go in a cocoon.
Go out, live life, but mentally, be in a cocoon.
Anything that veers you from completely dominating,
be out. You can go out every night.
But don't get caught up in anything that veers-
you need to be obsessed.
'Cause gifts are fucking rare man.
Listen, I've been listening to a lot of stuff,
you guys have been watching the stuff,
you guys have heard a lot of these interviews or
been in the room, you have.
I don't feel like this about 99% of the people I've
been meeting with. - [Gunna] 99?
- 99. I'm telling you-
(laughter)
- I gotta go?
I really believe man.
Let's have a quick photo 'cause I gotta bounce.
- [Gunna] Okay.
- [Gary] I hate that I gotta bounce, I wish I could
stay here for an hour, but we'll get together again.
I'm glad you guys came through.
("Top" by Gunna)