Philly loves G-Eazy. Just ask the 150 or so who saw his local debut at the Barbary in Fishtown in early 2013.
The West Coast rapper is now a mainstager at Made in America.
Related: Earl Sweatshirt uncensored at Made in America “I love that spot,” Eazy says of the Barbary. “A hundred and fifty came to see me, and I was excited [so] many people cared about my music in Philly. To play Made in America — it’s a hell of a journey.” G-Eazy, aka Gerald Gillum, of Berkeley, is a name you’re about to hear a lot — if you haven’t already. He delivers a wide and appealing range of rhymes, from the Drake-y introspection of “Almost Famous” to the fun word play of “Monica Lewinsky.” His biggest hit, “I Mean It,” a Top 5 song on the Billboard 100, is a trippy and trappy statement of determination.
The fact that the guy looks like a movie star doesn’t hurt, either.
“In my whole career, I’ve taken things one step at a time, nothing has happened overnight,” Eazy says. “It’s been an 11, 12-year journey, and it’s been almost as gradual as it can be. I try not to think about the big picture, the summit or the bottom. You just take it one step at a time.” The steps this summer include recording a new album, and playing the major festival circuit in Europe and the U.S.
Last month, he played to 40,000 at his hometown San Francisco Outside Lands music and arts fest.
“It’s one of the best summers of my life,” Eazy says.
Dinner withJay Z
G-Eazy recently sat down to a steak dinner with Made in America curator Jay Z. “It was an honor getting to talk to him about the festival. And being in the presence of somebody who’s done so much for the culture and done so much for our genre — it was inspiring,” he says. “It’s all about how you rise to that occasion and what you do on that big stage.” If you go:
Budweiser Made in America
Saturday and Sunday, starting at noon
Ben Franklin Parkway
$171.20 for a two-day pass
G-Eazy brings the love to the Made in America Festival this weekend
Provided
