Prior to the resurgence of Gangsta Grillz mixtapes in 2022, Tyler, The Creator revived the series with his 2021 album. He dropped Call Me If You Get Lost with DJ Drama. The project later earned him another Grammy award.
PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 18: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY - For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from Fashion House) Pusha T attends the Givenchy Menswear Fall-Winter 2023-2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 18, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
During a conversation with Complex at Matthew M. Williams’ Fall/Winter 2023 Givenchy show during Men’s Fashion Week in Paris, Pusha T explained the significance of mixtape culture.
"I just feel like to me, the Gangsta Grillz and the whole mixtape culture and scene is what I’m about. That’s the purest form of Hip Hop to me,” Push said. “The fact that Drama is having so much success, the fact that that’s what I love in Hip Hop, I want to merge those worlds and see what happens.”
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 02: Pusha T presents the Music Innovation Honor to Pharrell Williams onstage during the TV One Urban One Honors at The Eastern on December 02, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Urban One Honors)
"I’m going to be honest with you, seeing Drama’s mixtape with Tyler and how they won a Grammy, I was like, ‘Man, mixtapes really won a Grammy.’ So I’m trying to be a part of that culture as well," he added.
In the past year, Dreamville, Snoop Dogg, Symba, Jim Jones, and more have dropped their own respective Gangsta Grillz project. For Push, his upcoming tape will mark his first with Drama.
About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years.
Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021.
Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
