The 29-year-old rapper wasn't shy to admit how much he admires Kanye West and DiCaprio when he opened up to ET while promoting his upcoming Endless Summer tour, which kicks off July 20.
G-Eazy is here to make your summer “lit, lit, lit!”
The 29-year-old "No Limit" rapper is hitting the road for his Endless Summer tour alongside artists Lil Uzi Vert and Ty Dolla $ign among others. ET sat down with G-Eazy in L.A. during rehearsals, where he dished on bringing the “eclectic” show to life.
“It’s just a vibe,” he gushed. “It almost makes it feel like a festival… everybody is giving a different sound, a different perspective, a different energy and it’s really dope to see something like this come together, it’s rare.”
The rappers on the bill have no shortage of party anthems, but G-Eazy says to prepare to experience “a rollercoaster” of emotion.
“It's like a movie. It should make you laugh and cry,” he said. “That's how fans relate, by having an emotional connection to the music and the experience of it. Music evokes a memory of, ‘I remember what that song meant to me at that time in my life,’ and it brings you back there.”
Consider yourself warned: G-Eazy is ready to surprise you with some unexpected celebrity guests on stage. The 6’4 rapper has collaborated with the creme de la creme of artists (Britney Spears, Cardi B, A$AP Rocky, Halsey), and he says, you never know who might pop up!
“I think for the fans, that’s a special part of the experience, when they get that surprise when someone gets brought out that they weren't expecting.. to see that unity on stage,” he marveled.
The rapper, who grew up Gerald Gillum in Northern California’s Bay Area, has come a long way since his days of selling mixtapes on the streets of Oakland. He’s now a multi-platinum-selling artist, but tells ET he doesn’t quite process the magnitude of his fame.
“I feel the success in what I'm able to share and the platform that I have, or the resources that I have or being able to take care of my mom. Being able to travel more comfortably with my team, being able to reach a wide audience, and I’m grateful for all that comes with it. At the end of the day, it doesn't stop there. It's an always-going thing you have to keep up.”
While G-Eazy points out that many facets of his life have changed, he’s kept a few things the same. His tour rider still includes “sour candy, water and a lot of coffee,” and he still gets nervous before hitting the stage.
“It's just kinda what's natural about being an artist. You're going up there and you're vulnerable and you're expressing yourself. Especially if there's certain people that you look up to like crazy [in the audience]. I remember at the VMAs when I got to perform with Britney Spears and it was one of the craziest experiences of my life, and I remember walking out on stage and I looked up and ‘Ye (Kanye West) was just like, right there! I was like, ‘Uhhhh, that's ‘Ye!” he recalled, adding that he felt “so nervous.” But ultimately, G-Eazy reminded himself, “I was going up there to do what I do, what I'm capable of, so it was just like, ‘Don't trip, you're supposed to be here, be good.’”
With several platinum plaques and a creative partnership with Stillhouse Whiskey, G-Eazy is dipping his toes in the entrepreneurial pool, telling ET, “I do wanna grow up to be like Puff [Daddy].” Still on the bucket list? G-Eazy is ready for his close-up… as an actor!
The rapper revealed it was none other than Leonardo DiCaprio who’s responsible for piquing his interest in theatrics. “He's just the cleanest cat to ever live,” he said, before sharing the story of how they once met.
“It was crazy,” G-Eazy gushed. “We were at an Oscars party and I was luckily tipsy enough to not be so nervous, and I saw him walk past me and I was like, 'Woah!' and I just tapped him and I talked to him and he was like, 'Yo, you're dope, kid! You're a rockstar. I like you,' and I think I fainted.”
“You forget that everybody is a human,” he continued. “Being mutual fans of each other is really crazy. You forget that they're people too. They enjoy music just like we do.”
