EST Gee

Jay-Z Told EST Gee To Leave His Rumored Ghostwriter At Home During A Recent Studio Meeting

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Over the course of a long and impressive career, one of Jay-Z’s most impressive feats has been remaining aware of and relevant to hip-hop’s youth movements. While others who started around the same time have fallen out of favor over the years, today’s rising stars still look up to Jay, even now, nearly 30 years later. A Jay co-sign is often the first sign that it’s a new artist’s time to shine, and most recently he bestowed that blessing on Louisville rapper EST Gee, who he not only invited to the studio but also gave some blunt but useful advice.

Normally, being told to not bring a ghostwriter to the studio might be considered an insult, but EST Gee seemingly took it in stride, seeing it as a sign that Jay is cooler than the average old head. He told Complex about the phone call Jay made just before bringing EST Gee to the Super Bowl and to the studio.

“Jay-Z kinda old,” he recalled. “He been in rap for a long time and he ain’t weird. He’s a regular n****. He gon’ shoot a joke at you and everything. He told me, ‘Let me bring you down to the Super Bowl with me so we can kick it, man.’ He’s like, ‘We get in the studio, make sure you don’t bring your ghostwriter with you.’ I’m like, ‘Damn.’ He’s like, ‘Yeah man, they told me you have somebody write that shit for you.’ He was dead serious about it. That’s how I know he’s a street n**** who made it down to the big level.”

Jay is far from the only rap veteran to put his stamp of approval on the Kentuckian rapper. EST Gee is also signed to Yo Gotti’s label, CMG, along with Moneybagg Yo and 42 Dugg, where he just released his new mixtape, Bigger Than Life Or Death, this week.

Watch EST Gee recount his phone call with Jay-Z above.

EST Gee Waves Off The Cost To Floss In His Hedonistic ‘Price Tag’ Video

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Louisville rapper EST Gee released his new mixtape Bigger Than Life Or Death today after teasing its release with the singles “Capitol 1” and “Bigger Than Life Or Death.” To celebrate the anticipated project coming out, EST Gee shared a new video for the mixtape’s standout track “Price Tag” which finds him enjoying the fruits of his labor and shrugging off the light cost of keeping his female companions happy.

With a hook that brags that “good box come with a price tag on it,” it’s probably no surprise to see the Kentucky native surrounded by women twerking in the skimpiest swimsuits they can find. CGI price tags adorn the women as they bend over and shake for Gee’s amusement (and the viewer’s, presumably), highlighting a devilish sense of sophomoric humor on the CMG rapper’s part.

In addition to the previously released singles, the new mixtape also boasts appearances from some big-name co-signers. Future and Young Thug both appear on “Lick Back Remix,” while Lil Durk assists on “In Town,” and Memphis upstart Pooh Shiesty claims a verse on “All I Know.” Fellow CMG-ers 42 Dugg and Yo Gotti make two appearances apiece, while Lil Baby, one of Gee’s first big benefactors shows up with his Quality Control Music compadre Rylo Rodriguez on “5500 Degrees.”

Watch EST Gee’s “Price Tag” video above.

Bigger Than Life Or Death is out now CMG/Interscope Records. Get it here.

EST Gee Announces The Release Date Of His ‘Bigger Than Life Or Death’ Mixtape

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Memphis rap don Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group (CMG) is set for a rap takeover this year. Not only has the label’s other Memphis artist Moneybagg Yo dominated the Billboard albums chart (A Gangsta’s Pain went No. 1 for two weeks upon release and is currently outpacing both mainstays like J. Cole and upstart fan favorites like Rod Wave and Pooh Shiesty) but its rising stars 42 Dugg and EST Gee are receiving increased attention for their work with hitmakers like Roddy Ricch and Jack Harlow.

While Dugg’s Free Dem Boyz tape earned him a top 10 debut and presaged his appearance in the 2021 XXL Freshman class, EST Gee — who signed in January this year, just announced his own highly anticipated mixtape Bigger Than Life Or Death, sharing its tracklist and release date (July 20) on social media, a little over a month after releasing the title track.

The tape is a clear bid for greater mainstream recognition, boasting feature appearances from big-name artists like Future, Lil Baby (who helped spotlight both Dugg and Gee on his last album), Lil Durk, Pooh Shiesty, and Young Thug. Naturally, fellow CMG-ers Dugg and Gotti also appear on multiple tracks, as well. Provided the tape receives the level of response it’s primed to, EST Gee could very well be the next member of the fast-rising rap crew to see his name near the top of the charts and one step closer to claiming a Freshman spot of his own.

Bigger Than Life Or Death is due 7/20 via CMG and Interscope. Pre-save it here.

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EST Gee Laughs All The Way To The Bank In His ‘Capitol 1’ Video

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Louisville rapper EST Gee returns today with another new single to build on the rising rumble he’s cultivated over the past year. “Capitol 1” is a thumping song that oozes menace as the street-bred rapper threatens his ops and shows off his cash. The video accompanying the track finds Gee waving a stack of said cash in front of the camera as he sips from a red cup, mugging alongside his crew while draped in glittering diamond-encrusted jewelry. He also FaceTimes his mentor Lil Baby, who helped launch his career by putting him on the 2020 “Real As It Gets” and originally offered to sign him to 4PF.

While that plan didn’t exactly come to fruition, EST Gee did manage to land a deal instead with Yo Gotti’s CMG Records, where he shares space with fellow up-and-comers 42 Dugg, Blac Youngsta, and Moneybagg Yo. He also has a number of successful singles with many of the aforementioned cohort of trap rappers, including “Members Only” with Dugg, “Special” with Moneybagg, and “Get Money” with the label honcho Gotti. He also popped up on fellow Louisville native Jack Harlow’s acclaimed debut album earlier this year, celebrating the world-famous “Route 66.” The Louisville native is on the verge of a huge breakout thanks to some choice features but proves he can carry a song on his own here.

Listen to EST Gee’s “Capitol 1” above.

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EST Gee Calls Out Internet Gangsters In His ‘Bigger Than Life Or Death’ Video

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Louisville, Kentucky upstart EST Gee has been primed to blow ever since featuring on Lil Baby’s “Real As It Gets” last year. Since then, his buzz has only gotten louder after appearing on “Route 66” from fellow Louisvillian Jack Harlow’s debut album and signing with Yo Gotti’s record label CMG earlier this year. As he prepares to make his festival debut next month at Rolling Loud Miami, he shares the video to his latest solo single, “Bigger Than Life Or Death.”

In the Diesel Films-directed video, EST Gee shows off his jewelry, throws dollar bills, and takes over the mic in a club. Adding a quirky twist to his performance, he wears a shark-themed ski mask for the bulk of the video, highlighting his killer instinct and kill-or-be-killed mentality.

In addition to his high-profile co-signs, EST Gee released two mixtapes in 2020: Ion Feel Nun in March, which featured rising Michigan stars Icewear Vezzo, Payroll Giovanni, and Sada Baby, and December’s I Still Don’t Feel Nun, on which he scooped up two more Detroit-based sparkplugs, 42 Dugg and Babyface Ray, as well as adding his CMG compatriots Moneybagg Yo and Yo Gotti. Kevin Gates, YFN Lucci, and Harlow also appeared on the tape, helping him to stretch his appeal from the Midwest to the South and keep his audience growing. The hustle is paying off; don’t be surprised to see him join this year’s list of XXL Freshmen.

Watch the “Bigger Than Life or Death” video above.

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Lil Baby And EST Gee Brag About Their Riches In ‘Real As It Gets’

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Lil Baby refuses to take a break after completing the rollout for My Turn, sharing the video for his latest single “Real As It Gets” featuring Louisville rapper EST Gee ahead of his All-Star weekend matchup with their mutual homeboy Jack Harlow. The video is a stripped-down affair, utilizing an empty parking lot, a crowd of people, a few luxury cars, and a whole lot of jewelry to highlight the two rappers’ boastful rhymes.

Despite being an absolute juggernaut through 2020 — even outselling Taylor Swift — Lil Baby has yet to take a break in 2021. Already he’s released a collaboration with Russ, another with collaboration with Lil Durk, and teased a potential joint album with the latter thanks to their working chemistry on songs like “3 Headed Goat.” This is in addition to starring in his first-ever Super Bowl commercial and plotting to open his own restaurant in Atlanta, proving he’s got even bigger plans for the future of his career.

Meanwhile, EST Gee is already looking like he’s about to have a similar year to Lil Baby’s 2018. After appearing on Jack Harlow’s That’s What They All Say single “Route 66” just days ago and now getting a similar co-sign from Lil Baby (who also appeared on Harlow’s debut album), the Kentuckian has been placed in prime position for a big breakout, provided he can capitalize on the additional looks.

Watch Lil Baby’s “Real As It Gets” video above.