“I walk on stage with the same kind of energy whether there’s 50 people in the crowd or 3000. I have a good time on stage; I bring my energy and have fun.”
American rapper, G-Eazy, is headed to the Chevron Festival Gardens on Wednesday, February 18, fresh off the release of his second album, These Things Happen. AARON BRYANS reports.
Hard-worker, approachable, clever, respectable; all words that G-Eazy has optimised during his tenure as a rapper, building himself up from the bottom and continuing to push ahead until his dream was accomplished. Now after six mixtapes and two physical albums, G-Eazy has broken into the commercial scene with his recent release, These Things Happen, topping the Billboard Hip Hop/R&B chart. With hip hop ever on the rise, Eazy believes his and others success has come from determination and a positive attitude.
“I think it’s in a crazy space right now, the playing field has been levelled,” Eazy explains. “Good music can really find its way to people because it’s more about the music itself than the industry itself. You don’t need a record deal to be on the radio all day long and make music and gain an audience you just need to be dope.
“It’s good to start out doing music and spend years developing your craft and take the time to develop your sound. I think a lot of people are so eager for instant gratification these days, they expect it all to happen instantly, as soon as they’ve made a dozen songs they expect a sold out tour and a record deal. It really all comes back to the music, just like anything else it’s going to take years to master your instrument and get a job, just because you’ve recorded 12 songs it doesn’t mean you’ve figured out who you are, maybe you have to record 200 and then you’ve finally figured it all out to the point that you’re making music that people are talking about.”
G-Eazy began his career just like every other musician; young, hopeful and full of aspirations. Patience, however, came in handy as he developed his craft.
“I knew I wanted to do it as soon as I started music at 14,” Eazy reveals. “It didn’t make sense to anybody else but me. It made sense that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, it was the only thing I was completely in love with.”
“The fact of the matter is, I was eager just like anybody else but when it didn’t happen for me for the first 10 years, making music and investing everything I had into it, I didn’t quit. I was still pushing my music. I think These Things Happen was a turning point for me; my sound finally evolved and I had a following, I’d been touring for a couple of years, there was a foundation so that if I spent enough time on the album and did it right it’d have the effect that I wanted.”
Leaving the US behind, Eazy is on his way to perform at the Chevron Festival Gardens and will be bringing his unbridled enthusiasm with him.
“I walk on stage with the same kind of energy whether there’s 50 people in the crowd or 3000. I have a good time on stage; I bring my energy and have fun. Energy is contagious; as a performer if you’re giving out as much energy as you can then the crowd can catch that and connect with it. If you don’t have any life on stage then why should any body in the crowd care? If ever you feel tired or worn down, I try to remind myself that you’re blessed that music is a vehicle that is taking me around the world and if anyone that far away from home cares about you, you have to put on a show for them.”
