G-Eazy has been more productive than most during quarantine. He had a few songs and videos under his belt that needed to be released, including “Moana” with Jack Harlow and “Angel Cry” with Devon Baldwin. In the first two months, he used the time to stretch his horizons and flex some new creative muscles. The Bay Area rapper has released a series of covers, ranging from the the Beatles and Bob Dylan to Radiohead and the xx. Plus, he’s written a large collection of new music that will be released soon on Everything’s Strange Here, a project originally slated to be released on June 5th but delayed in light of the protests across the nation demanding justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and many other Black Americans.
“Eight weeks ago I didn’t know I needed to make this,” he wrote in a message on social media at the end of May. “The world has been turned upside down and inside out — but a lot of us have had the opportunity to self reflect and evolve. This project is a representation of where my heart and head have been at.”
While fans wait for both Everything’s Strange Here and the long-awaited These Things Happen Too (a sequel to 2014’s These Things Happen), G-Eazy has been using his platform to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter, re-releasing his 2017 song “Love Is Gone,” with updated and timely lyrics.
What are you doing with your unexpected time at home?
These are very, very unusual times. Just trying to make the most of them and find the silver lining in this freedom that we have and look at it that way instead of looking at it as being trapped. I’ve been trying to use the time to do things that I wouldn’t normally do, especially in the studio and creatively speaking. I’ve been working with a vocal coach and a piano teacher on FaceTime, challenging myself to learn how to sing and and play piano. I’ve been in my studio every night writing original songs and covering songs that I love.
What music do you turn to in times of crisis for solace and comfort?
I listen to a lot of old stuff. Stuff that brings back to a time of nostalgia, stuff I grew up on that my mom would play. Lot of Bob Dylan, Beatles, Johnny Cash, Amy Winehouse.
You released covers of the Beatles’ “I’m So Tired” and Radiohead’s “Creep.” Why did you choose those?
I’m just using this time to do stuff I don’t normally do or wouldn’t choose to try. It’s a blessing to get the ball rolling in your career and become busy, but it’s tough to step outside of your routine and do anything out of the norm. So I’m taking advantage of this time to see if I can push myself to learn and grow in new ways.
Are there any words of wisdom you want to share with your fans right now?
Try to find a silver lining and all of this and take this as an opportunity to look inside, to reflect and to look for ways you can grow. The most disappointing part of all this would be when everything goes back to normal that we didn’t change or evolve or make adjustments as people.
