The Studio Interview with Gunplay

“My reputation precedes me, man,” says Gunplay, referring to the “wild n***a” persona that has overshadowed his legacy as a great MC. “I’m obsessed,” he emphasized during a recent visit to MASS APPEAL HQ. “I could tune out the world. I could record for days. ‘Go to sleep, Gun!’ No! When my body shut down I’ll go to sleep.” That’s how much he loves the art of rapping.
Sitting inside the MASS APPEAL recording studio, the rapper born Richard Morales Jr., spoke about being born to a Puerto Rican father and a Jamaican mother and raised in the Bronx and Queens, New York before moving with his mother to Florida. “It was 88-89 when I left,” Gunplay recalls. “So we [in the hip-hop community] were just getting solidified as a genre of real music. Not just a fad. I just stuck to it, man. Followed my dream. I had a passion for writing, for music, and DJing and the culture. Once I was like, ‘I could rap too. I go through stuff too. And I got something to say.’” I wanted to do the shit for the rest of my life.”
Gunplay traces his rebellious streak to the first time he tried marijuana. “I smoked weed when I was 12 years old, right?” Gunplay recalls. “Once I hit that joint and I got high, I looked at life and everybody in it in a whole different situation. I looked at my mama different. I looked at my daddy different. I listened to what they said, and I analyzed shit and I was like, ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute. I got the keys. I got the keys now!”
While following his musical dream, Gunplay got involved in a fair amount of trouble in the streets. Looking back now, the artist who also goes by Don Logan believes that his chosen name might have had something to do with the drama he encountered. ““Look at Khaled: We The Best. Right? You say that over and over and over again, and other people saying it over and over, guess what? You’re gonna be the best… When you say the word Gunplay over and over and over again, the universe don’t know that that’s your name,” he reasons. “All they hearing’ is “gunplay.” So ‘Gunplay’ got Gunplay in trouble over some gunplay.”
Check out Gunplay’s Studio Interview to learn how Gunplay first met Rick Ross back when Rozay when known as the TeflonDon, how he began working with Kendrick Lamar, and why he recorded some of his greatest records while on the run from the law. Press play on Gunplay.
Subscribe to Mass Appeal here:
goo.gl/LqG3wZ
-------------Mass Appeal-------------
Website: massappeal.com
Twitter: / massappeal
Instagram: / massappeal
Facebook: / massappeal
What started as a humble graffiti ‘zine in 1996 would soon grow to be one of the most trusted outlets for youth-spawned urban culture. Today, Mass Appeal is a media collective led by authentic voices and inspired minds. We are a platform for radical creatives who are transforming culture.

[@WILD__THINGS]

I ran into Gunplay randomly one day at the Caribbean Car Wash on US1 and he was cool enough to show love and chop it up with me like he knew me. No ego, no security, none of that shit. So say what you want but he will always be real to me.

[@massappeal]

Shout out to our guy Don Logan aka Gunplay for coming to the studio to chop it up!

[@mistamfmeyhem6145]

Mass Appeal he seams so sincere....we need dmx my niggas and yo... I miss beats by the pound and Dj uneek

[@AripLabalt]

so happy to see him clean ... man as a fan of hip hop it was hard to see a talented guy like him struggling with his addictions and shit man... im sure one day hes goin to put out a classic... MEDELLIN we waitin for it

[@GB-di1st]

Something about this dude is motivating to me s/o gunplay 💯

[@RTDon]

This man is hilarious. S/O to Carol City.

[@knix2for5]

Im proud of this guy ! Very talented he just lives hard he came a long way and has a great story

[@SjAragon33]

One of my al time favorites Salute to y’all for putting this up

[@certifiedsavage4830]

He still relevant haven’t heard of this guy in like 2 years

[@bebapls5088]

Certified Savage I'm saying

[@shaquillerobinson8922]

Certified Savage he was cooking up some music and his label is tripping

[@_E1k]

Miami legend !

[@thugspoet]

Great watch.

[@broncas67]

Dope interview

[@Suave_TheArtKartel]

Gunplay on TDE would be magic .... TopDog & team would keep him focused .. GP is talented as hell

[@zerotwone]

Cartoon & Cereal still 🔥🔥🔥

[@maybachmusicgroup2756]

#Livinglegend #mmg🔥💯

[@shaquillerobinson8922]

big up to my don logan he's underrated asf 💯💯

[@egggggggggggypshindiaauxil298]

I live him

[@EMPOR5615]

Woooowwww son! Play used to sound like ab soul thats crazyyyy

[@GRIMM2197]

Where is that old gunplay omg

[@shaquillerobinson8922]

Dracula Wannaboogiedown he's still here he never went nowhere

[@marcowilliams1841]

I just wanna see my nigga win man , real ones know Bible on the dash is a CLASSIC !

[@bebapls5088]

Damn I missed him where he been at

[@shaquillerobinson8922]

Gucci Please the girl that is on you're dp is so fucking beautiful.can i get to know her?

[@shaquillerobinson8922]

you're profile pic i mean

[@fatpapi331]

Gunplay dope... Go listen to his song mike tyson... they day i heard that i was like okay.... he has it.

[@franklorenzo2411]

🔥👻💰🤘🙏🙏🙏

[@skrrtskrrt2712]

BUN GANG BITXH!!

[@michaeltap8728]

FIRST NIGGA