Open Space: Gunna | Mass Appeal

College Park native Gunna first came to national attention on the Young Thug cut "Floyd Mayweather," where the previously obscure Atlanta rapper did his thing alongside Gucci Mane, Travis Scott, and Thugger, who ended up signing Gunna to YSL. Where did this guy come from? During a recent visit to MASS APPEAL HQ, we found out.

"I been rapping since a kid," Gunna recalled in an Open Space interview. "When I was like 12. I just started taking it serious about two years ago tho." Since then he's dropped three volumes of his 'Drip Season' mixtape series, distinguishing himself as an exceptionally gifted artist with his own sound and vision. 'Drip Season 3' features Thug, Yachty, Lil Durk, and Lil Uzi Vert.

"Other artists who I might do features with, and they not from Atlanta, they say, 'Y'all Atlanta stick together,'" Gunna remarks. "Which is true. We do." He loves that about his home town. "We always wanna put somebody on something. So if we put 'em on music that's what they gonna be on. We kinda just rub it off on everybody."

In Gunna's case he was introduced to Young Thug by a mutual friend named Troop. "He was like a real deal uncle to me," says Gunna. "You might have heard of him. He died. He had a real personal great relationship with Thug before I even met him. But he introduced us, and when he died it just made me and Thug closer and we just went from there." Gunna soon hit his stride with the 'Drip Season' series, working closely with Metro Boomin.

"Now they finally catchin' on to what is drip," he says. "Drip is your attire, your outfit, your clothes. That's your drip… It's just my sound and like, me as a artist, I done developed more. Same substance, same hunger. I go to the studio every day, in town or out of town. I might go in there and just listen to beats-like, just vibin' out. Like, every day. That's just being consistent. And that's one thing I'm just trying to stay on top of-being consistent in my music, and with anything I'ma do."

Gunna's story is not an overnight success, but he's not tripping. "I don't get upset when songs get slept on, cause it's gonna take time for them to understand my music," he says. "I ain't rappin' like other artists. So it ain't gonna be quick and catchy like every artist is. You gotta have to really goddamn listen to my music and hear what I'm sayin'."

Check out the latest Open Space interview to learn about Gunna's early friendship with Playboi Carti, how to use strip clubs to break music in Atlanta, and the wildest thing he's ever seen in those strip clubs.


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What started as a humble graffiti 'zine in 1996 would soon grow to be one of the most trusted outlets for youth-spawned urban culture. Today, Mass Appeal is a media collective led by authentic voices and inspired minds. We are a platform for radical creatives who are transforming culture.