G-EAZY

G-Eazy built his entire world before the world knew his name. Coming out of Oakland’s post-hyphy scene, Gerald Gillum started as a producer at Loyola University New Orleans, grinding out mixtapes that fused Bay Area swagger with a rockabilly greaser persona. It was always about the complete package: the slicked-back hair, the leather jacket, the self-styled “Johnny Cash of rap” cool. While his 2014 RCA debut These Things Happen landed him on the charts, it was 2015’s When It’s Dark Out that perfected the formula. The album’s inescapable hit, “Me, Myself & I,” crystallized his entire appeal—a dark, impossibly smooth pop-rap anthem for the stylish loner, turning a meticulously crafted character into a global star.