This past weekend was quite an eventful one for the Young Stoner Life imprint. Along with a posthumous album from their beloved Lil Keed, a currently not-so-revered star made headlines as well.
Videos by American Songwriter
Saturday (March 18) saw Gunna’s close friend and reported assistant Brittany Reshun post an Instagram story previewing an unreleased song from the Atlanta icon. In the brief snippet, Gunna’s verse alludes to his thoughts on the ongoing drama surrounding his relationship with his YSL label.
“Heard the rumors said I’m packing up and flying out / We ain’t going nowhere I’m staying here, gone fight it out / I meant like fuck it / Let’s just give these n****s dark clouds / Been gone for months and I just keep seeing these dark clouds,” he raps. Check out the video below.
Most likely, Gunna is referencing and denying the reports that he is set to leave YSL and 300 Entertainment for Atlantic Records. These rumors first surfaced after a video stream from hip-hop insider DJ Akademiks, where he revealed that Gunna is working on a new album and a potential exit from his label.
“I think he’s cooked up an album. From what I heard, he has an album ready,” Akademiks said. “He has an album discussing a bunch of shit. He’s got an album, he’s got some shit to say. But there’s nobody down to stand with him.”
By saying he has “nobody down to stand with him,” Akademiks is referring to his YSL colleagues supposedly ostracizing him from their organization. Gunna walks free today because of an Alford plea deal he took in December 2022 that landed him probation instead of jail time for his involvement in the racketeering case for YSL.
In January, after he arrived home from jail, the 29-year-old posted an update on Instagram supporting his friends that were still fighting legal battles. “N****s acting like they switching to a side But it’s only one side,” he wrote in a caption. #YsltheLabel #FreeThug & Yak GUNNA BACC!!!!!”
YSL’s founder and leader Young Thug remains behind bars awaiting trial for the RICO case. Currently, in a prolonged jury selection period, YSL’s case could see Thug and others face decades in prison. With Gunna taking his plea deal, though, fans and YSL members like Lil Gotit believe that he put Thug in a tougher position to prove his innocence.
With all this context and drama, it will be interesting to see if Gunna ever releases the currently untitled song or reported full-length album. His January 2022 LP DRIP SEASON 4EVER seemingly made him one of the biggest stars in the hip-hop category, but that now feels like a lifetime ago.
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/MG22/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue )
