Chevy Woods has come a long way from being Wiz Khalifa’s hype man. The original Taylor Gang affiliate had a hand in establishing Wiz’s Taylor Gang Records and with countless features on tracks with some of the top artists in the game and seven of his own mixtapes under his belt, it’s finally Chevy’s time.

The Pittsburgh MC is focusing on his music, prepping to pick up where his Gangland 2 mixtape left off with a new mixtape, the first project to be released from the new Taylor and INgrooves Music Group distribution deal.

“I think Gangland was what everybody wanted from me lyrically,” the “30 Deep” rapper told BET.com, reflecting on his 2012 mixtape while backstage at his By Any Means tour stop in NYC (Aug. 20). “Gangland 2 was what the streets wanted from me lyrically, so I switched up the whole process of recording and just did some trap stuff.”

The extreme of both Gangland projects was a learning experience for Chev, leaving him in a good space to find the sound for his forthcoming untitled EP. “I said to myself that I need to get in between those two projects and hone a sound people could understand,” he said. “For the EP, I went for bigger production and making it sound like an arena production rather than me just recording.”

The hands-on experience has left Chev with more than 100 songs to choose from for the EP. But one song he said he is determined to fight for is a collaboration with Rico Love. “I got this song with Rico Love that’s crazy,” he boasted.  “I am a fan of his music…He actually taught me that content is very important.”

Chevy has yet to announce a release date for the highly anticipated EP, but he’s sure his Taylors will feel that he has arrived and can definitely stand on his own. 

“I want people to get this correct,” he said, “I don’t want to be Wiz, I am not going to try to be Wiz; but we have blueprints that we follow as far as the Taylor Gang. Things might look like we’re doing the same thing, but it’s because we are around each other and we work together all the time.”

Check the video below to see Chevy talk about working with Ty Dolla $ign and what he learned from Wiz and Juicy J.

BET.com is your #1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. 

 (Photo: Jlnphotography/WENN.com)