Is it reasonable to state that we are in the delusional era of social media, where distorted depictions of reality have caused its many followers to live out what should have simply remained a notion in a sea of comments? This definitely is the case when it comes to Gunna’s career.
The Rapper Vs. The Streets
The Atlanta rapper went from being on top of the world to an uncertain future after social media critics piled on accusations of him committing the ultimate no-no of street life — snitching. Born Sergio Kitchens, the 30-year-old was never really about that life.
Unfortunately, his image has become synonymous with criminality, most likely because of his associations within Young Thug’s YSL Records, currently fighting an otherworldly 56-count RICO case that nearly deaded the entire Slime movement.
His rise from the struggle life of being raised by a single parent to a tough-talking lyrical savant is another factor playing a part. Gunna’s credentials include work alongside the likes of Lil Baby, Drake, Lil Durk, and Future, rappers who also face the challenge of balancing their real life situations as sons, fathers, and businessmen amid contradictory lyrics glamorizing unsavory behavior.
Gunna Comes Back
A Gift & a Curse, Gunna’s first music release after serving an eight-month prison stint in 2022, addressed social media fodder head-on with leading single “bread & butter” where he states he “never gave no statement or agreed to take no stand” and that the “lawyers and the DA did some sneaky s***.”
Gunna understood the most pressing assignment, combating the damaging hearsay with a resilient “back at it,” while admitting to his post-prison paranoia on the transparent “idk nomore” and hoping for a positive outcome on “alright.”
The chatter online insisted Gunna would never be able to make a comeback, but real life begs to differ. The Drip Season rapper embarked on a two-state tour based on the premise of the album. Surprisingly, in mid-September, Gunna bypassed Atlanta and took “The Gift” to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The second half of the tour titled “The Curse” is set to take place at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, CA on Sept. 28, 2023.
Gunna: A Gift & A Curse Setlist
His label released a 31-track album, Gunna: A Gift & A Curse Setlist, in alignment with the two live performances. The collection includes songs from A Gift & a Curse and some of Gunna’s most popular music entries, such as “Baby Birkin,” “Drip or Down,” “Top Off,” “Hot,” “Pushin P,” and “Who You Foolin,” to name a few.
“Drip Too Hard,” “Space Cadet,” “Yosemite,” and “Lemonade,” featured collaborations Gunna performs live on tour, are not included on the album.
Not only was social media loudly inaccurate about Gunna’s fate in music, but the man is thriving, packing out the Barclays and, at the time of this writing, nearly selling out the YouTube Theater. Let’s play devil’s advocate.
A Lane Of His Own
Gunna’s comeback may be thriving because there’s a whole new legion of fans supporting the “Sold Out Dates” rapper — and they don’t reside in the hood or make life decisions based on aged-old, street life commandments. No, this demographic knows all the words to Gunna’s songs and have enough disposable income to buy a concert ticket.
As long as they exist, rappers like Gunna will always have a lane. Case in point, Snoop Dogg, T.I., 50 Cent, The Game, and Boosie have all been rumored to have successfully navigated the most life-threatening circumstances and serious court cases, which otherwise would’ve landed them in prison, thanks to their cooperation with the “ops.” Yet, fans seem to still support these rappers. Most of them are highly ranked on the list of top rappers ever.
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For Gunna, the underdog persona may be the very thing that propels him to the next level. Then, there’s always the chance that Young Thug will somehow escape the state-fueled RICO case, be released, and vindicate Gunna by revealing everything was part of some big masterplan.
At this point, anything could happen.
