Gunna's Album "a Gift & a Curse" Certified Gold

BYGabriel Bras NevaresPublished on October 02, 20231431 Views

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 03: Gunna performs at the Lollapalooza Music Festival at Grant Park on August 03, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Josh Brasted/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

With hits like "fukumean" being some of the year's biggest, it's no surprise that the College Park MC's comeback album struck... well, you know.

Many doubted his return, and while that conversation isn't over, it definitely diminished a lot. Gunna just received a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for his newest album, 2023's a Gift & a Curse. Moreover, the album's now officially sold over 500K album-equivalent units, marking a big milestone for the comeback record. Of course, this is off of the strength of massive hits like "fukumean," plus thanks to his die-hard fanbase that continued to support him through it all. The College Park MC also just returned to the live performance space, so this is definitely an exciting time for his career.

For those unaware, the aforementioned narrative around his career concerns his "snitching" in the YSL RICO case. This had Gunna laying low for months, and a Gift & a Curse was his big comeback to the hip-hop release sphere. His relationship with other rappers is still up in the air, but with all this commercial success and fan loyalty, that aversion might shift very soon. Still, the 30-year-old also has a lot bigger things to worry about right now, and might be thinking more as a lone wolf within the industry.

Gunna's a Gift & a Curse Goes Gold

That being said, a lot of that bias and backlash diminished after the release of a Gift & a Curse. Maybe the conversation just died down, but various sources (including Gunna himself, Young Thug's father, and more) shut down beliefs that there was beef as a result of Wunna's plea deal. It's not the red flag it once was, and that came as a timely development as he builds skills in other areas. For example, his upcoming remix of Victor Thompson's Afrobeats hit "This Year" stunned fans at its live debut, with many surprised by his excellent foray into the genre.

Meanwhile, there's a lot of bars to digest on the Drip or Drown MC's latest full-length. Now, though, it seems like people just enjoy the music without feeding into the debate. We'll see what else the year holds for him, and we wouldn't be surprised if he ends it off even stronger. Come back to HNHH for more news and updates on Gunna.

About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.