Next State Property: Gillie Da Kid
Everyone wants to know one thing when it comes to Gillie Da Kid: Are the rumors true? Did the 28-year-old Major Figgas rapper from the Erie Avenue section of North Philly ghostwrite Lil Wayne's Tha Carter album? Gillie (his real name is Sar'd Nasir) doesn't divulge much about his years working for the Cash Money label, except that he's held onto publishing rights-the real money in the music game. The label never released his album, but Gillie's presence at Cash Money from late 2001 to 2004 was felt in a big way. "I was forced to play background and do a lot of ghostwriting," he says. "I did a lot of writing for Baby and a lot of writing for Cash Money." About working with Lil Wayne, Gillie says: "He has talent. He works hard. One thing I learned being around Cash Money is the grind. I used to hustle, but not as hard as I do now." Gillie's still grinding (he put out seven mixtapes in 2005), but if all works out as planned, he might soon be a platinum-selling artist like Weezy Baby himself. And with Cassidy still serving his sentence for involuntary manslaughter and Beanie Sigel's State Property family out of business, Gillie is Philly's best shot at a comeback. Last week he released Marijuana High, a DVD featuring Philly's best underground rappers with guest appearances from Lil Wayne and the Clipse. "All the hottest little rappers coming up in Philly, I go around to each of their hoods and give them a little shine," Gillie says of the DVD. Gillie's Gangsta Grillz mixtape should be released this month and marks the first time the Atlanta-based DJ Drama has featured an artist from Philly for his popular mixtape series. (Some of the tracks are now in rotation at Philly radio stations, but haven't been heard down South or nationally.) "It's a beautiful thing that Drama reached out to me," Gillie says. "I'm going to make him very proud." And his long-awaited album is finally slated for summer, though whether it comes out independently or on a major label, the only thing that's certain is the title: Get It How You Live. "It's kind of like: I don't care if you a hustler," Gillie says. "I don't care if you a doctor or a journalist or a stripper in the club-you have to get it how you live, however it suits you, to feed your family." (K.K.)
Wers das denn? Und überhaupt, Baby's Ghostwriter...
