Bay Area rapper Gerald Gillum — better known as G-Eazy —started his career by making primitive mix tapes in his dorm room.
Now, he is on the upward path to superstardom, having performed as the opening act for Lil Wayne and Drake on the Drake vs. Lil Wayne Tour. He dropped his debut studio album These Things Happen in June. He reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. He now has hip-hop legend E-40 joining him on the From The Bay To The Universe Tour. And, Nov. 14, he’ll be performing a sold-out show at the Barrymore Theatre.
The smooth-talking, slicked-back-hair-donning, all-black-wearing artist and producer performed at the University of Wisconsin sponsored Revelry Music and Arts Festival last spring and loved every second of it. G-Eazy cites the energy of the crowd as the main reason he loves performing in Madison.
“I didn’t know y’all went so hard out there,” G-Eazy said. “It was a wild crowd. It was super fun. I’ve been looking forward to coming back ever since that last time.”
G-Eazy’s show sold out almost as soon as his stop in Madison was announced—and for good reason. His newest album, These Things Happen, can be heard playing at almost every pre-game party and get-together around college campuses everywhere.
At every one of his concerts, G tries to create an atmosphere of good vibrations, a celebration of life. But he also encourages critical thought about the sonic value and lyrics of his more introspective numbers.
“Half of it is that, it’s like high energy,” G-Eazy said. “It’s a party! I want people to have fun. I want people to get fucked up and enjoy themselves. And then the other half is the more introspective songs. I want people to connect with the music and the lyrics and, you know, feel something.”
One of the things that will set G-Eazy apart going forward in his musical career will be his ability to switch between Top 40 club bangers and downtempo tracks.
As proof that he is more than just a “club rapper,” G-Eazy shared his outlook on diversifying yourself as an artist while staying true to a particular sound.
“I think there are records on the album for that and then there are records for other purposes,” he said. “I think the point is to spread yourself out and be diverse. You know, so you’re not like a one-dimensional artist or a one-trick pony. You know, you want to take a stand and branch out and offer more than just one kind of sound. It’s just you at the end of the day. I don’t think you should try things just for the sake of trying just to be different, but you know, you have more inside of you than just one dimension.”
Friday’s edition of the From The Bay To The Universe Tour promises to turn Madison into the center of classic Bay Area hip-hop, if only for a night.
G-Eazy’s tourmates hold names almost as big — if not bigger — than himself, which speaks volumes to how far the musician has come and how far he can still go.
“It’s a dream. It’s all surreal, you know?,” he said. “Meeting people you’ve looked up to your whole life and you know, becoming friends with them and becoming peers with them — it’s all kind of crazy. They’re still stars in my eyes. They’re still legends. I feel like it’s an honor to know those people and be friends with them.”
