Take Cover: Gunplay Talks Being Livewire Of MMG, Bogota & Upcoming Escort Service

"It’s just me, energy is in me, that’s just me," says Gunplay about his high-octane performances in both the booth and on stage. "This is the entertainment business, [my job is to] entertain the people."

As a day-one MMG artist, Richard Morales is finally seeing his stock rise as the label that he's helped build continues to burst forth and expand. Clad in a white skully—which he oftentimes pull down to cover half of his face—and a diamond-studded MMG chain, the 29-year-old Miami native exhibits a rather pleasing demeanor that comes across more genuine than some would expect, considering his sporadic livewire antics on camera and record. Stepping into the XXL offices to chat about his newfound success—his Bogota Rich: The Prequel reportedly flew past 100,000 downloads in less than a week—its hard not to notice how humble and big-hearted the MMG maverick is.

"I’m a humble dude. I swear on everything…there’s more [people] like me that’s broke and struggling than there is rich people,” he responded after discussing the public’s reception to the critically-praised Kendrick Lamar-assisted “Cartoon & Cereal” record.

On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, the rapper sits with XXL and doesn’t shy away from the controversial questions including his infamous ‘Cocaine-sniffing’ video that surfaced a few years back and plans for an upcoming escort service. —Ralph Bristout (@XXLRalph)

XXLMag.com: One of the first MCs on Ross’ MMG camp, you’ve quickly grown into your own as an artist. How does it feel getting that proper recognition this go-round?

Gunplay: It makes me feel like all that work—the late nights in the studio, building Maybach Music from the ground up—all my efforts ain't go in vain. It feels like it [was] supposed to happen. I ain't being bigheaded but it feel like it [was] suppose to happen. Me, Ross and Torch and the whole camp talked about this for years and Boss did his end of the deal. Now I’m doing my end of the deal and making sure I’m a boss and self-made. [Points to camera and takes a moment to digress] Self Made Vol. 2 is on the way though, chill. [Laughs.]

You had the crowd turnt up when you performed “Rollin’” last month at MMG’s Hot 97 sponsored Hammerstein show. That record has done a lot for you, would you agree?

[Yeah] that “Rollin’” record was a big stepping-stone for Gunplay. They knew whom Gunplay was, they seen that [on the] Internet, but they didn’t know my music. It took a while for them to get used to me, to the face, to the voice, to the music. When “Rollin’” dropped they was used to the music, I just needed that one record to say “Oh you ain't got that Gunplay record?” When “Rollin’” came about, shout out to Waka Flocka and the whole Bricksquad, once that record came about it gave me my wings. Now, I got your attention, your ear [and] that’s all I need. All my freestyles from the old ones to the new ones, [fans are] checking for it and its spreading like cancer. Shout out to all the fans that have been following Gunplay since day one from the Triple C’s Custom Cars & Cycles album to my first mixtape, Sniff-a-hill, from my first feature on Rick Ross’ Port of Miami album and thus far. It feels real good finally ’cause I’m about to give you some ish.

Now you recently dropped the Bogota Rich Prequel—

Bogota, Bogota! That’s the capital of Columbia and that’s that work. They seen me in Medellin over looking the city in a mansion, doing my thing and they got me [on camera with that infamous product]. So I said yeah, I’m going to give you Bogota. This that Bogota talk.

Since you mentioned it, let’s keep it trill. What made you decide to sniff that ‘white girl’ in front of cameras during that video clip taken from your trip to Columbia a few years back?

Look at my hat man [points at his white skull cap] it’s all white, which means it’s all right. Just chill out. [Laughs.] I ain’t on it no more, I did my thing everybody got their vices. That was my vice, I got on coke, I snorted the shit and I didn’t pull out the shit in a Motel 6. I was out in the country looking over a beautiful city, which was built off the shit so, I went and snorted the motherfucker and I’m not going to apologize. I don’t make music for the kids, I don’t make music for the shorties, and I make music for the real niggas like me that’s out there getting it. My son don’t even listen to my music, I don’t let him. He know “Rollin’” ’cause that’s my hit, but [nothing else]. [Imitates son’s voice] “Mommy what did he say, what songs, snort, what’s sniff, what does he mean?” He’s going to start asking those questions and I don’t need [him to]. I’m not apologizing and if I do go back to Colombia, I’m going to tell you now on XXL, I’m going to get high again, but it wont be on camera this time [laughs].

I think one of the key qualities that fans appreciate you for is your carefree, get-rid-of-the-B.S. attitude. You say whatever’s on your mind at ease.

Listen, they don’t pay my mom’s mortgage, they don’t pay my mortgage, they don’t pay my car notes, my $1,400-a-month fucking private school for my son. They don’t pay and have nothing to do with that. They don’t take care of none of my bills, my family. Opinions are like assholes, everybody got one and they stink so I could care less. After that video, I didn’t even have “Rollin’” [out] yet, after that video came out I was booked for three months just cause they wanted to see the boy that snorted on camera. I ain’t have no record out, just a bunch of freestyles. Niggas wanted to see him for real. Just off of that, so I took that to the nose, all right this is what we need to do. But for the record, I have been sober, and I have been clean. I pop my little pills here and there, smoke a little reefer, drink a little drink, but that’s about it my nigga, straight up.

The Bogata EP had a lot of dope joints like “Low Life,” “Jump Out” and more. Since that was only an EP, what’s in store for listeners on the actual Bogota mixtape?

The prequel was half and half; it was original records and freestyles. The original records I had were originally for Bogota, but I said, “You know what? I’m going to go ahead and wipe the slate clean.” I’m going to give you a couple from Bogota on Bogota Rich: The Prequel, a couple of original records and a couple of freestyles as an appetizer. So Bogota, you going to see original hit records, no freestyles, all hit records, big A-list features on there. It’s going to be what to expect from my actual album.

FOR MORE ON GUNPLAY AND HIS COLLABORATION WITH KENDRICK LAMAR AND AN UPCOMING ESCORT SERVICE, GO TO THE NEXT PAGE

You also have another tape coming soon titled, 106 & Snort.

This is why I came up with 106 & Snort. I like freestyles and there’s a lot of new music and new beats that I like that’s cool [and] I can rap on, but I’m from the old school. I love Wu-Tang, Mobb Deep, UGK, Jay-Z, Nas, Geto Boys, Scarface, Trick Daddy, Pac, B.I.G. the list goes on. I like that old school stuff. So, what I did on 106 & Snort is [freestyle over] a lot of old school joints. I don’t give a fuck whatever records you like that are on the radio, I’m not going to do that beat, I’m feeling to do what I know. I’m going to [do a couple new school tracks], but I’ma keep it old school.

That’s an interesting title to use, are you concerned with BET lashing out because of it?

On everything I know, shout out to BET [but] please, I’m begging you dawg don’t fuck with me about this shit. If they [do], I’ll take it down and [it won’t be] 106 & Snort, [instead] it’ll be 601 & Snort [Laughs]. How do you like that? It’s the new freestyle mixtape I’m going to put out between my real mixtapes with original records.

Now recently you joined forces with Kendrick Lamar on the track "Cartoon & Cereal." How did you two connect for the record and what was your reaction when he reached out to you?

I heard about his buzz about six or seven months before that. I saw when they crowned him king of the West Coast, that’s the first time I really seen him and I was like who ‘Kendrick Lamar?' So I did my research, I’m a big 'Pac fan, Ice Cube, NWA, Mac Dre [pretty much] a fan of the West Coast, so I seen him and looked him up and felt his music. A friend of mine who knew him reached out and surprisingly he knew who the hell I was, listened to my music and was like ‘I got a record for you.’ He sent it over and it was just my vibe, it was exactly what I needed. I can sit there and do the crunk shit all day, but when it come to real records, real point of views and not jumping around like crazy, I can do that. I can put that shit easier than I can do “Rollin'.” So, when he reached out it was dope and the record came out awesome. [Because of the record my] audience grew from all the way street to people that genuinely listen to hip-hop. I have to take my hats off to Kendrick Lamar.

I was out at his previous concert in San Francisco and when he performed that record, the crowd went nuts. Everyone rapped it word for word.

That’s dope; I’m a humble dude. I swear on everything. I don’t really sit and glamour this shit cause there’s more motherfuckers that’s broke and struggling and can understand where I’m coming from than there is motherfuckers that’s rich and can relate to that type of music. A nigga got money, but I'm not sitting there focusing on “look I got hundred dollar bills in my pocket.” Anybody can do that shit. I try to focus my energy on motherfuckers who gotta wake up everyday, some [that] hate they job, some love they job [that be] like, “My nigga, I can't take this dawg.” I feel you. I'm there, I'm still there.

There’s a lot of projects that’s about to come out of the MMG camp. I know you’re workin on your untitled Def Jam debut and also on that Self Made Vol. 2. What can you tell me about that project?

Expect Gunplay to tear a hole in that shit. Expect more music from Meek Milly, he’s burning the streets up right now, Wale [and more]. You're gonna hear the second go-round of what MMG has to offer. Shouts out to Stalley [too] he’s really taking this shit to another level, on the hip-hop vibe, the culture, and on the art of this shit. Hats off to him.

Now I know how you all are about keeping things underwraps but what, in your opinion, can you say that we can expect from Ross' God Forgives, I Don’t?

You can expect that God Forgives, I Don’t to sound like Rich Forever, which is a million downloads plus, Google that. That wasn’t even an album and he [already] toured internationally for that. He’s a genius, he’s an evil genius, and we all know it. Look for concept records, street records, records for the hoes, overall you're gonna hear what a Boss really is. So expect that.

You're about to have an escort service that’s soon to pop off called “Apples and Onions.” Tell us about that.

My mama always told me, “If you do something you love, like your job or whatever, make sure you love doin' it.” Music [is] something I love, [however] another thing I love is pussy. I’ve been pimping before I even knew I was pimping. I was 17 driving my bitch car [who] was 30 something, I didn’t know back then. After a while, I started poor pimping, doing my thing. I call it poor pimping because I'm about to take it another level, the legal way, the million dollar level. I’m takin' everything I've done with poor pimpin, with these poor hoes, to make some big money with these top-notch bitches. I already got a squad now [so] we’re just waiting for the legal ramifications and then I can go ahead and do the damn thing.

When can we expect the EP to drop?

The EP, I think is going to be summertime. I got Lil Wayne, Rozay, Triple C’s, French Montana, Meek Milly, Wale and Roscoe Dash on there. That’s just to let you know where I'm going with it. I'm really going for that check, straight up.