G-Eazy | |
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 G-Eazy in 2023 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Gerald Earl Gillum (1989-05-24)May 24, 1989 (age 36)[1] Oakland, California, U.S. |
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| Works | G-Eazy discography |
| Years active | 2006–present |
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| Website | g-eazy |
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Gerald Earl Gillum (born May 24, 1989), known professionally asG-Eazy, is an American rapper. Based inOakland, California, he began his career in 2006 and released two independent studio albums before signing withRCA Records to release his third album andmajor label debut,These Things Happen (2014). It peaked at number three on theBillboard 200 and spawned the single "I Mean It" (featuring Remo), which receivedtriple platinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and marked his first entry on theBillboard Hot 100.
His fourth and fifth albums,When It's Dark Out (2015) andThe Beautiful & Damned (2017), both debuted within theBillboard 200's top five. Their respective lead singles, "Me, Myself & I" (withBebe Rexha) and "No Limit" (featuringCardi B andASAP Rocky), both entered theBillboard Hot 100's top ten; the latter peaked at number four on the chart and remains his highest-charting song. His sixth album,These Things Happen Too (2021), was met with a commercial decline, peaking at number 19 on theBillboard 200. His seventh and eighth albums,Freak Show (2024) andHelium (2025), both failed to chart in any known territory.
Gerald Earl Gillum was born on May 24, 1989, the eldest of two sons of Edward Gillum, an art professor atCalifornia State University, Fresno,[2] and Suzanne Olmsted, an artist and professor. He is named after his maternal grandfather. He has a younger brother, James (born 1992) who is also a musician. His father is of partialWhite Mexican descent.[3]
When Gillum was in first grade, his mother left his father, and Gillum then moved in with his grandparents inBerkeley, California, where he attendedBerkeley High School. They later moved toNorth Oakland, although Gillum continued to attend school in Berkeley. Gillum attendedLoyola University New Orleans, where he graduated with a BA in music industry studies in 2011.[4]
Starting out as arecord producer, G-Eazy began working on singles while he was still a student at theLoyola University at New Orleans with his producer Christoph Andersson who also was a student there.[5][6] He gained some recognition for being a part of the newhip-hop scene back in theEast Bay Area, joining with such artists asLil B, Crohn andThe Cataracs.[7][8] He became a member of a local hip-hop group called "The Bay Boyz", who had released several songs on theirMyspace page.[9]
In 2008, he was performing at a college talent show and was nearly booed off, when Matt Bauerschmidt noticed him and signed him as a client to his new music management company The Revels Group that he started with Matt Davis.[10]
In 2010, G-Eazy was given an opportunity to open for some well-known artists, most notablyLil Wayne[11] andSnoop Dogg.[12][13][14]
G-Eazy's mixtapes at this period of time were met with limited success. In August 2011, he releasedThe Endless Summer, with an updated version of the 1961 hit song "Runaround Sue", which garnered over four million views via YouTube. The music video was directed by Tyler Yee. The mixtape features guest appearances from Greg Banks, Erika Flowers and Devon Baldwin.[15] In November 2011, Gillum embarked on a nationwide tour withShwayze.[16] "My Life Is a Party" was featured in the gameSaints Row: The Third on an in-game radio station.[17]
On June 16, 2012, G-Eazy performed all United States dates on the annualVans Warped Tour.[18][19] On July 25, 2012, the Excellent Adventure Tour was announced, which featuredHoodie Allen and G-Eazy. The two performed in cities across the U.S., including Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Columbus, Des Moines, New Orleans, Atlanta, Austin, and Philadelphia.[20] On September 26, 2012, G-Eazy released his first full-length album,Must Be Nice. The album, which was completely independent of a label, landed at number 3 on theiTunes Hip-Hop Chart.[21] On July 9, 2013, G-Eazy, alongside2 Chainz, opened for Lil Wayne's "America's Most Wanted Tour".[22] On December 15, 2013, G-Eazy and Master Chen B performed "Lotta That" fromThese Things Happen in New York City. On January 15, 2014, G-Eazy announced his "These Things Happen Tour" withRockie Fresh,KYLE, andTory Lanez accompanying him. The tour ran for 40 stops throughout the United States and Canada from February until April 2014.[23]
On June 23, 2014, G-Eazy released his major-label debut album,These Things Happen. The album topped the U.S.Billboard's Hip-Hop/R&B and Top Rap Albums charts, also earning him the number 3 spot on the USBillboard 200 and the Top Digital Albums Chart. The album has sold nearly 265,000 copies to date.[24] On October 21, 2014, Gillum embarked on his sold-out "From the Bay to the Universe" tour.[25] The tour traveled across the globe to countries like Australia and New Zealand. This was his first headlining tour overseas.
During the summer of 2015, G-Eazy played some of the main stages at a series of notable music festivals, includingLollapalooza,Electric Forest,Bonnaroo,Outside Lands,Made in America, andAustin City Limits. With the rise of his music career, Gillum has also taken up in interest in fashion by releasing a collaboration with Rare Panther in the fall of 2015 and being namedGQ Magazine's top 10 most stylish atNew York Fashion Week.[26] Gillum's second album,When It's Dark Out, was released on December 4, 2015.[27] On January 6, 2016, G-Eazy launched his second world tour. The tour saw G-Eazy tour the United States, Europe, and Australia.[28] His single "Me, Myself & I", in collaboration withBebe Rexha, peaked at number 7 on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100.[29]
He co-headlined the Endless Summer tour with American rapperLogic, along withYG andYo Gotti as supporting acts, from June to August. Before the tour, he announced his newmixtape, Endless Summer II. He cancelled the tape due to problems with sample clearance.[30]In May 2016, G-Eazy confirmed that he would be featured onBritney Spears' single "Make Me...".[31] The single was released on July 15, 2016, and serves as the lead single from Spears'ninth studio album.[32]
G-Eazy performed "Make Me..." and "Me, Myself & I" with Spears at the2016 MTV Video Music Awards and the 2016iHeartRadio Music Festival.[33]
Gillum released an EP with Guatemalan DJCarnage calledStep Brothers on March 27, 2017.[34] G-Eazy released his new single, a collaboration with American singerKehlani called "Good Life", which is a part of the eighth installment of the film franchiseFast & Furious, titledThe Fate of the Furious. He was also featured in the newDillon Francis single titled "Say Less".[35]
On June 14, 2017, G-Eazy announced throughInstagram andTwitter that his next studio album,The Beautiful & Damned, would be released in the fall of 2017.[36] On November 8, 2017, the official release day was announced as December 15, as well as an accompanying short film.[37]
On December 5, 2017, G-Eazy released his second single fromThe Beautiful & Damned titled "Him & I" withHalsey, with whom he was in a relationship. They performed the song together onDick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve of 2017.[38] On February 27, 2019, G-Eazy released the single, "West Coast", featuringBlueface and released the video on March 28, 2019, adding ALLBLACK and YG.
G-Eazy released an EPB-Sides on June 25, 2019, which contained the songs that wouldn't make it onto his then-upcoming album. The EP spawned the song "Bang" with American rapperTyga. He later re-released the EP on August 22 and September 19 with additional tracks.[39]
He made his acting debut withcrime-comedymovieHustlers, where he played Johnny, released in September 13, 2019.[citation needed]
Gillum released the single "I Wanna Rock", featuring American rapperGunna, as the lead single of his EPScary Nights, on October 16.[40] The EP was released on October 18.[41]
In March 2020, G-Eazy announced a new project featuring an indie rock sound titledEverything's Strange Here.[42] The album was officially released on June 26, 2020.[43]
G-Eazy released his long anticipated fourth studio albumThese Things Happen Too on September 24, 2021. It was supported by the singles "Running Wild (Tumblr Girls 2)" featuring Kossisko, and "Breakdown" featuringDemi Lovato in the weeks leading up to the release date.
In April 2022, G-Eazy released the song "Angel" which is a tribute to his mother who died in November 2021.[44]
In March 2023, he released "Tulips and Roses", which is his comeback single after a year of hiatus.[45] G-Eazy appeared in a few interviews over summer 2023 to confirm that his next album will be coming soon.[46]
On April 4, 2024, he released "Femme Fatale" featuringCoi Leray andKaliii as the lead single to his upcoming seventh studio albumFreak Show.[47] On June 6, 2024, he released "Anxiety" as the second single from the album. The albumFreak Show was released June 21, 2024.
G-Eazy released a new album titled "Helium" on May 23, 2025.
In 2018, G-Eazy headlined a concert for Bay Area fire relief that raised $15 million, pulled out of a H&M sponsorship deal after blowback about a sweatshirt advertisement that some considered to be racist, performed at anEverytown fundraiser on the eve ofMarch For Our Lives, and used his platform to speak out against gun violence.[48][49][50] Also that year, G-Eazy launched the Endless Summer Fund, which is a non-profit dedicated to helping young people reach their full potential and strengthening the Bay Area community.[51]
In 2022, G-Eazy joined the ownership group of the purpose-driven, professional soccer teamOakland Roots.[52]
From 2017 to 2018, G-Eazy was in a highly publicized relationship with singerHalsey.[53][54] From 2020 to 2021, G-Eazy was in a relationship with actressAshley Benson.[55]
On May 2, 2018, Gillum was arrested inStockholm, Sweden on suspicion of assault and possession and use of drugs after he allegedly punched a security guard and was found to havecocaine in his pocket.[56] Gillum pleaded guilty to violent resistance, drug possession, and assault against an official in court on May 4. He was sentenced toprobation and ordered to pay a fine of $10,000 and a $900 compensation fee to the security guard he assaulted.[57][58]
On September 13, 2021, he was arrested and charged with assault inNew York City.[59] It was reported that he assaulted two men at the Boom Boom Room at the Standard.[60]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Hustlers | Johnny | Movie | |
| 2022 | Take Me to the River: New Orleans | Himself | Documentary | |
| We Were Hyphy | Himself | Documentary | ||
| 2023 | Alone at Night | Tom Montana | Movie | |
| All Souls | Silas | Antagonist |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | G-Eazy | Best Hip-Hop Artist | Nominated |
iHeartRadio Titanium Awards are awarded to an artist when their song reaches 1 Billion Spins across iHeartRadio Stations.
| Year | Nominee/Work | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | "Him & I" (with Halsey) | 1 Billion Total Audience Spins on iHeartRadio Stations | Won |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | G-Eazy | Favorite Hip-Hop Artist[61] | Won |
Kane: What is your background then? G-Eazy: It's just white [laughs]. My dad's part Mexican, but they were just white people.
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| National | |
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| People | |
