Gunplay Renames Escort Service, Talks God, Drugs and Swastika Tattoo

At 33, Gunplay, Rick Ross' swastika-tattooed, drug-advocating partner, has finally cut a lane for himself, thanks to his unabashed cocaine usage, unapologetic persona and scene-stealing appearances on Maybach Music Group's exultant track "Power Circle" and Kendrick Lamar's depressive "Cartoon and Cereal."

As he prepares to release his debut album, Medellin, The BoomBox spoke with the Miami-repping Def Jam signee about his failed marriage, newly renamed escort service and his belief in God.

Lately there's been a lot of talk about drugs in rap. Everyone's talking about the drug molly in every song. Is that corny to you?

Nah, it's not corny to me, it's what I do. It's a million other motherfuckers out here just like me. I represent them, the undesirables. I represent those that do have a habit. I represent those hustlers, the underbelly of society, so I got the swastika [tattoo] because it was a peaceful symbol, then Hitler turned it into something evil, just how society do. The babies start off innocent and get corrupted due to the system, society.

A lot of people people do cocaine. Why do you think there's still a stigma about it? Our president tried it.

Because they saw what it did to people. The people of power, the people of status. It was their downfall, so society looked at it and frowned upon it, but it's still here. It never went nowhere.

Do you ever feel like there's a Gunplay character that people want you to play up?

Nah, they just used to me. They used to me being Gunplay.

[Yells at someone in the background, "Get that, what? Yo! Hit that shit, fuck it!"]

So, uh, the Gunplay character they expect is just me. Sometimes I might be just chill and not in the mood for that bullshit. Sometimes I might be super turnt up, and they just hope to catch me like that. I give you something to see, aren't you not entertained? Ain't that my job? Don't I get paid very good to do that?

You're starting an escort service. What kinda girls are in season right now? And what's out?

Nah, pussy is never out of season, that shit just goes. There's never a drought, there's never a decline in sales. It's just how you gonna get more. Pussy been selling before. That was the first thing that was selling. It was church and pussy. That's the only thing that was getting money back in the day, and it still is to this day. Church and pussy.

So with my escort service, I'm changing the name because of some legal issues, but it's gonna be called H.U.S.H. -- Have U Seen Her. It's trademarked, I already got that. We starting in January. We launching. It's based outta L.A. We tryna get the best of the best. Exotic bitches. We have to keep it civilized, so it'll be H.U.S.H. video vixens and so forth and so forth.

What's the roster like?

What's the roster? It's gonna be those high class girls, man. It's gonna be girls that you can't even believe selling. You're gonna be like, "Baby, how are you even selling yourself like this. I can't believe it. Can I save you?" And they're gonna be like, "No, I have to report to Don Logan, he's my savior" [laughs].

You mentioned church, and you mention it in your rhymes a lot. Do you believe in God?

Yeah, I still do. I believe in God, of course.

Why do you believe in God? What makes you believe?

Because there is a higher power out here. I don't believe in coincidence, I don't believe in luck, because then that'd just be taking God out of the equation. Definitely, I believe in God. He got me through a lotta situations. I believe there is a higher power, a greater being other than ourselves, you know?

There wasn't any particular moment when you were like, "There's a reason I lived through that?"

Oh, there's plenty of moments, plenty shootouts. Plenty shootouts, plenty jail, you know what I mean. In and out of jail -- just a lot of things that I didn't get caught for, that they shoulda put me away for life, and that I'm still here. You got to learn from it. You need to create a balance in your life. I got that balance now.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to play basketball, but my grades was so good they said, "Nah, you have a 80.0 GPA, you don't even need to play basketball." I said, "Yeah, I know. I believe you. I'm just going to be a rapper, man" [laughs].

What was going on in your mind when Ross was going through the health problems and seizures. What were you thinking?

Oh, you know, that's my fool, man. I wasn't thinking of Rick Ross having a seizure, I was thinkin' of William Roberts. Fat Boy. Willow. My dogs. See what I'm saying? That's my n----, so, I wasn't thinking of it is as Rick Ross. I was there the next day. The hospital they was in, wherever the private jet landed, I was there the next day. When he opened his eyes, I was right there. I just wanted to make sure I see my dog. I got to make sure he good. I can't really do much, but as long as I feel like I looked at him, he was OK, that was gratifying to me. I dropped everything I was doing and I went to go see my fool.

But that just let you know life is short, um, hustle hard, do right by your people, and that was just a wake up call. I had a close friend of mine pass away, God bless him, and that'd just be one more that'd take you over the top, 'cause you lose n----s here and there, but when you lose those n----s that are really close to you, it'll do something to you.

At one point you were married. If that had worked out, then you might not be where you're at now. You might not be a Maybach Music Group rapper. Do you ever think about that?

If I was married? What about it.

If you had been on point, and not fucking up at that time, you might not be where you are now.

Yeah, you right, because you have to give your all into a marriage, a relationship, a family. My thing was, I do the family stuff later, let me get this money now. I'm glad it didn't work out, because maybe I woulda ... No! Can't no pussy, can't no marriage stop me from getting these millions, I'm sorry! It was meant to be [laughs]. It was meant to be to get a divorce and let me go get this money and pay my funky ass child support. That's all.

try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-402657").style.display="none";}catch(e){}