This Thursday, G-Eazy will be hitting the stage at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, a completely sold out homecoming show that is sure to be a night to remember. For a new feature we'll be doing for future shows on Shameless Promotions & Media, we'll be exploring G-Eazy's current album discography a little bit further. Join us as we explore this powerful Bay Area rapper's current body of work.
The Epidemic LP
Released: 2010
Via: Independent release
As of press time, G-Eazy has a total of four studio albums, and a number of mixtapes (which we'll explore next time; this feature is solely focusing on studio albums). The first "album" (however, I've also seen it dubbed as a mixtape) comes in the form of The Epidemic LP. It's our first real introduction into what G-Eazy can do as a rapper and lyricist prior to Must Be Nice. In all honesty, nothing truly stuck out to me song-wise here, but as I said before, it gives a nice introduction into what we can expect as his songwriting prowess develops over the next several years.
Must Be Nice
Released: September 26, 2012
Via: Independent release
Halfway through listening to Must Be Nice, G-Eazy's second studio album, I could finally understand what makes his style unique. Yes, the lyrical fare is fairly consistent here for modern-day hip-hop: sex, women, drugs, and the like. However, when you get to the track "Mad", it's easy to comprehend G's niche: his ability to rap these verses against almost retro beats Some have a doo-wap feel to them. It's almost "retro-rap", if that makes sense. "Stay High" is another perfect example of this brand of hip-hop. None of the songs are too long either; there's enough information to digest while still getting your money's worth. With hooks and guest verses throughout from Johanna Fay ("Plastic"), Hoodie Allen ("Lady Killers"), Dominique Le Jeune ("Marilyn"), Devon Baldwin ("Mad"), and Mod Sun ("Stay High"), Must Be Nice is a memorable chapter in G-Eazy's career, and one that will launch him into stardom.
These Things Happen
Released: June 23, 2014
Via: RCA Records
The sophomore album, and major label debut, from Gerald Gillum (G-Eazy) is far from a sophomore slump. Production from Christoph Andersson makes for an incredibly chilled-out and hypnotic vibe on each track, with the exception of the hyped-up "Lotta That", probably the most intense song on the album. It's crazy to think that the same guy that wrote "Lotta That" is the same person that was able to write tracks as serious as "Opportunity Cost" and "Just Believe", but the diversity in subject matter on this album speaks to the growth and capability of Gillum's songwriting. The album debuted at number 3 on the Billboard Charts, gaining the number one spot in R&B/Hip-Hop during its debut week, and has sold over 250,000 copies since its release.
When It's Dark Out
Released: December 4 2015
Via: RCA Records
The second half of the album retains the same "chilled out" vibe from the prior record. The first half, however, introduces us to the next chapter of G-Eazy: a more confident, outspoken chapter. I'm not entirely sure what happened in between These Things Happen and When It's Dark Out (other than what we're lyrically exposed to on the record) but it appears to have provided Gerald with a newfound confidence and swagger that I found to be slightly lacking in previous work. Perhaps getting more experience playing bigger rooms helped, but who knows? Either way, When It's Dark Out, G-Eazy's second major label album (and most recent work) is his best yet. He delivers each verse with gusto, addressing a number of topics, some more serious than others (refer to "Everything Will Be OK" for a powerful track). Collaborations with Bebe Rhexa, Too $hort, Big Sean, and E-40 all add to the autobiographical work that is G-Eazy's latest entry. I would expect that a large chunk of material at Thursday's show comes from this new record, and I look forward to seeing it performed in a live atmosphere, particularly for a homecoming show like this.
NOTE: As time goes on, artists release more music. Hooray! When that happens, this article will be updated and archived on the site.
This has been another Shameless Promotion.