G-Eazy at Porter’s Pub in San Diego on the Must Be Nice Tour
Photo by Lily Shanahan
He’s lighting up the stage in more ways than one, selling out shows like a seasoned veteran, and, oh yeah, he’s your girlfriend’s favorite rapper. This past Friday March 8th, through a rain of bras and hazy smoke, I saw G-Eazy perform for the 4th time in the past 5 months at UCSD’s Porter’s Pub. Though it was the 29th stop of the Must Be Nice tour, G-Eazy brought the energy and didn’t disappoint. With his drummer Blake “Blizzy” Robinson by his side, G fired up the crowd with a range of tracks both new and old, including his latest single “Jack Skellington.” Fan favorites like “Waspy,” “Hang Ten,” and “Marilyn,” had the audience singing G’s lyrics with a passion that could be felt throughout the room. He ended his set with the epic party anthem “Loaded” as per the chanting request of the crowd. But it’s not just on stage that G-Eazy feels the love. Fans show their appreciation for the “dapper rapper,” as he’s come to be affectionately known, through Twitter fan pages, tattoos of his autograph, and beautiful drawings of Gillum. Meet and greets are filled with fans bearing gifts and ladies waiting to be signed by the Bay Area native.
Photo by Grady Brannan
But there is much more to this college educated rapper than weed and women. He’s been referred to as the James Dean of hip-hop, and with his timeless style, it’s not hard to see why. Twenty-three year old Oakland native Gerald Gillum, better known as G-Eazy, breaks the mold trading in the expected white rapper look for a more refined and eclectic style— mixing pieces like varsity jackets with Balanciaga denims, and classic Vans. And with his degree in Music Business studies from Loyola University, New Orleans, Gillum has an understanding of the business that puts him in a league of his own.
Part rapper, part producer, Gillum creates his all his own beats out of his two bedroom home in New Orleans, spending more time on one song than most people spend putting in overtime at a regular 9-5. Taking his Bay area hyphy roots and combining them with the influential jazz scene of NOLA, Gillum has crafted a musical style that is unparalleled. Marrying classic 50’s and 60’s doo-wop and pop with his contemporary rap style has resulted in innovative songs like “Sherry,” “Make-Up Sex,” and probably his greatest sampled piece, “Runaround Sue.” His gumption is to be envied, as he doesn’t just put in the man hours in the studio, but rather is always actively striving to become a better performer. As a college student, Gillum would divide his time between school work and his passion for music. Always looking to improve his craft, he would take to the New Orleans streets to watch shows upon shows of artists, making sure to study the art of their performance – what worked, what didn’t and how he could improve his own show.
Salt Lake City on the Must Be Nice Tour
Photo by Bobby Bruderle
Though he may still have a long way to go to firmly establish himself in the rap game, he already has quite the accomplishments under his belt. In 2010 he opened for Drake and Lil Wayne. The 2013 Must Be Nice Tour has seen success in terms of a streak of 9 sold out shows in a row, and G’s music video “Loaded” featuring DJ Carnage, rocketed up to 1 million views in just 2 days. It is currently comfortably over 2 million. His newest album “Must Be Nice” was released September 26th, 2012 and climbed the iTunes charts at an astounding rate, hitting #4 on the rap/hip-hop charts in less than a day and 25th overall. It’s a sure bet that G-Eazy will soon be a household name. 2013 will bring nothing but good things for this independent rapper and the rest of Team G. So, if you don’t know by now then you should probably get familiar.