Although that matters, I realized that you can reach more people putting your music on Soundcloud and networking with blogs to write about you. “There’s only so much you can do on a physical level trying to tour or pass out mixtapes. Years of selling CDs, passing out promotional flyers to shows, and cramped car rides helped him cultivate a set of custom business philosophies, the most important being: working smarter, not necessarily harder. Regarding delivering when he’s in the studio, G-Eazy is no stranger to diligently promoting his own product. He admits that it is expensive to handle the setup and breakdown of his set on a nightly basis, but he makes up for it at merch table. This time around, with the drummer and DJ still elevated, he performed in front of a lighted grungy, urban storefront, inviting an eerie atmosphere that coexists with nightfall. On his From The Bay To The Universe tour, he performed with a drummer and DJ atop an elevated platform with images projected in the background. Photo by Bobby Bruderle - Courtesy of Biz3įor G-Eazy, delivering during performances means over-investing in stage production. “But when you put great people in position, that’s how you avoid any missteps.” The group behind G-Eazy’s includes a tour manager, assistant, security, production manager, two sound men, a light director, DJ, drummer and Jamil Davis - G-Eazy's former college roommate who would often leave school to accompany Lil Wayne and Drake on tour. “We’re really critical with the process of who we hire,” he said. That grind is a necessary byproduct of G-Eazy’s vision for superstardom and employing a team that shares in it. Even with the top spot on Billboard’s Top Hip-Hop/R&B charts, advanced sellouts for tour dates, performing at a number of major music festivals in past years and making the Cash Princes 2016 list he told me “I’m still on my grind.” That’s dope!” he said with a smile and a handshake. I constructed and recited a brief bio of the Bay Area rapper, which he then followed with inspiring stories of his experiences to get to his then-current status - that night he had sold out the 1,700 person capacity venue, Emo’s - and his aspirations to attain more.Īs I walked into the green room I reminded G-Eazy of our previous encounter. This particular event with G-Eazy included an opportunity for members to watch him run through a sound check, followed by a 30 minute Q&A session. As an intern for the Texas chapter of The Recording Academy, it was my job to create and execute educational programming for college students who were a part of the nationwide organization Grammy U, and pursuing careers in the music industry. My relationship with Young Gerald dates back almost exactly one year prior when he landed in Austin on his From The Bay To The Universe tour in 2015. Just don't stop his party.“We like to keep things pretty calm around here,” Nicky said. Beneath the debauchery and boasting, G-Eazy sounds grateful to see his hard work pay off. On "For This," he provides a lyrical reminder of how far he's come, and how he did it by himself, while on "What If," he reminds listeners "I worked for years and studied the game." It's an assured nod to the past, when rising to the top came with a lot of discipline and grassroots support. Occasionally, G-Eazy takes pause, offering moments of introspection and reflection. Old-school icons Too $hort ("Of All Things") and E-40 ("Nothing to Me") even make appearances to offer a bit of street cred.
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Throughout, G-Eazy is supported by an army of guests ranging from singers Bebe Rexha (on the hit "Me, Myself & I") and Keyshia Cole ("Nothing to Me") to hip-hop stars Big Sean ("One of Them") and Chris Brown ("Drifting"). He's another breed: a rapper and a rock star. He manages to differentiate himself from easy race comparisons - while also acknowledging his conflicting privilege - rapping about being "the coldest white rapper in the game since the one with the bleached hair" and asking "what if the game didn't care I was white?" He's not corny like Macklemore, not scary like Eminem (circa 2000), not as earnest and afflicted as newcomer Witt Lowry. By weaving such tales of danger and pleasure, G-Eazy delivers a bevy of vicarious escapes to his listeners. G-Eazy covers familiar ground, spinning similar tales of drugs, partying, and fornicating over 17 addictive tracks without the decadence ever growing stale, like wandering through different, enticing corners of a dark club. Yet despite the pitfalls and pain that he raps about here, the lures of pleasure and fame remain mighty.
G eazy when its dark out cd how to#
He spits about what he knows: gratification, how to attain it, and the energy expended in the process. On G-Eazy's second LP, When It's Dark Out, the self-made Young Gerald oozes confidence on a nocturnal journey of hedonistic rhymes set to the wooziest of productions.