Ep. 267: YG Opens Up. Bad Deals, Hit Records, and a Midlife Crisis
And The Writer Is...with Ross GolanShow Notes
Today’s guest is a multi-platinum rapper and songwriter who took Compton to the charts and gave the world “My Hitta,” “Who Do You Love?” and “Big Bank.”
From his debut album My Krazy Life to collaborations with Drake, Nipsey Hussle, and Nicki Minaj, he’s built a catalog that’s done serious damage to club speakers. Now, with The Gentlemen’s Club, he’s getting personal and reminding everyone there’s a storyteller behind the hits.
And The Writer Is…
YG!
In this episode we go deep on: - The inspiration behind his new album - The Def Jam singles deal with five album options: "I could have sued everybody" - What he'd tell an 18-year-old holding a label offer - Why having a catalog doesn't mean you own it - What a YG session looks like: tequila, "next beat," and a BPM in his head - How "FDT" got made with Nipsey, and why Def Jam wouldn't release it - The night Nicki said "don't put this out without me" - "Who Do You Love?": three months, hook writers, and Drake telling him to do it himself And much more...
Hit subscribe and turn on notifications. Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music. Follow us on socials: @andthewriteris
A special thank you to our sponsors for making these conversations possible. Our lead sponsor, our Patreon! Patreon.com/andthewriteris And @splice — the best sample library on the market. Period.
Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:32 Hiring a "Hitman" 8:07 "Were you ever suicidal?" and the homies who said "same" 9:10 Chin up, chest out: what the streets never let you say 10:28 "2004," the song he cut from the album 24:31 Turning himself in while his song blew up, and the label that called his mom 27:31 Signing young: "I could have sued everybody" 28:24 Ross: athletes get rookie orientation, artists get "good luck" 34:57 What he'd tell an 18-year-old holding a label offer 39:40 The masters trap: you have a catalog, but you don't own it 41:30 What a session with YG actually looks like 47:39 Why he made Gentleman's Club: "they were playing with my name" 50:10 How "Hollywood" with Shoreline Mafia got made 53:51 How "FDT" happened with Nipsey, and why Def Jam passed 59:40 Meeting Nipsey: two different gangs, one mission 1:05:56 How do you stay brave when the people around you get killed? 1:10:59 The night "My Hitta" got made 1:13:03 "Big Bank": Nicki says don't put it out without me 1:18:15 What he knows at 36 that he didn't at 20: the streets don't love you back 1:27:20 "Who Do You Love?": three months and Drake's "you do the hook" 1:30:02 What makes a Mustard beat different
Credits Hosted by Ross Golan Produced by Joe London and Jad Saad Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from And The Writer Is...with Ross Golan
Today’s guest is a three-time GRAMMY-winning singer, songwriter and producer behind some of country music’s biggest songs. Across more than two decades, she’s built a career on honest stories, unmistakable songs and doing things her own way. And The Writer Is… Miranda Lambert!
And The Update Is…a weekly beat on the industry . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today's guest is the British singer-songwriter behind “Escapism.” and “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” After seven years in a record deal without releasing her debut album, she went independent, landed a UK No. 1 and won six BRIT Awards in one night. This is the story of how she found her own way to succeed—and brought her people with her.
Today's guest is the Swedish producer and songwriter behind "Problem," "Into You," "Love Me Like You Do," "No Tears Left To Cry," "Santa Tell Me," and "Unholy,". He finally sits down with Ross for an And The Writer Is interview ten years in the making. He taught himself to make music from a demo CD that came in a cereal box. A radio singing contest got him discovered, and he signed a publishing deal at 17. It then took him ten years to land his first real hit. He tells Ross how a year of playing FIFA with Shellback led to Wolf Cousins, and what Max Martin's famous "math" actually is. If you've ever wondered how the biggest pop songs of the last decade actually get finished, this one's for you
Today’s guest is a singer, songwriter, producer and dancer who has spent her career trusting her own instincts—and building a world around them. From “2 On” to “Nasty” and “No Broke Boys,” Tinashe has kept releasing music through major-label deals, independent projects and viral breakthroughs. She’s collaborated with artists including Calvin Harris, Charli xcx and Kaytranada, and joins us to talk about the journey behind it all.