Gunplay, Rick Ross Refuse to Sell Their Soul on 'Be Like Me'
Maybach is on crew control.
The Rick Ross-founded Music Group, still bubbling over Meek Mill's No. 1 album, Dreams Worth More Than Money, is gearing up for another major release. Gunplay's Living Legend, his sophomore LP, is expected before the end of the month with features from YG, Yo Gotti, MMG's Stalley, and The Bawse himself, who appears on the collection's latest single, "Be Like Me."
"So who they wanna be like? Me, that's right, Gunplay/ A player that'll take it to the paint without a pump fake," he spits over a track that rings out with gunshots and other alarms (don't panic, there's a booming bassline to balance).
If those lyrics are too strong of a metaphor, Gunplay also made a recent stop by ESPN's Highly Questionable to explain what life is like. "Reckless, making poor decisions, chasing money, just trying to you know, just trying to survive and arrive alive," he said of growing up in Carol City. He also recounted the time his truck was shot up, and how he eventually left the recklessness alone.
In 2012, he was was facing a life sentence after being arrested for armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. He had a "temper problem" and pulled a gun on his accountant. "I went on the run for about 9, 10 months," he said, but the time wasn't wasted.
"The only way you don't come back [to jail]," he said, "is if you change something within yourself. I had to change my whole mentaity."
He made more than a dozen videos, dropped a mixtape, and went to acting school, while on the lam. He turned himself in after he could no longer hide and be a well-known artist. His folks had convinced him to go to the BET Awards and the judge saw him. It was worth it, he said, "I wasn't going to miss the Awards."
Advice he would offer, "Focus on your music," he said. "You can't get time back. You can get money back, you can get friends back, but you can't get time back."
Living Legend is due in stores July 31. It's available for pre-order now.
Listen to Gunplay feat. Rick Ross, "Be Like Me" in the clip below. Warning: it contains explicit language.
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(Photo: Chris McKay/Getty Images for BET)
