Interviews

Published on June 25th, 2020 | by Percy Crawford

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With Co-Signs from New Orleans Legends, Ricky B and Mia X, G-Gurk’s Time is Now!

There is nothing easy about growing up in the St. Bernard Projects. Areas like that have a certain way of grabbing the youth and inadvertently stirring adolescence down the wrong path. 7th Ward’s, G-Gurk was no exception. Living a lifestyle bound to land him in jail, Gurk’s faith was sealed at age 18. He would land himself in jail and served 8-years. Fortunately, Gurk was able to come out, change his ways and is now on a path through his music to right those wrongs. His new single, “PTSD” symbolizes the mindset when growing up in New Orleans. Gurk seems destined for greatness with backing from New Orleans heavyweights, Ricky B and Mia X.

G-Gurk talks about prison stint, “PTSD” being a real thing as well as New Orleans artists coming together during our recent convo.

 Tell us where you from?

G-Gurk: Ah man, New Orleans, Louisiana. Downtown in the 7th Ward, St. Bernard Projects to be specific.

New Orleans rap is re-surging right now. Do you feel that way and if so, why do you think that is?

G-Gurk: I feel like I see it. It ain’t there yet, but I see the progression. I see it moving towards coming back to the city. I think it’s coming back because a lot of the artist support each other. At first… I ain’t gonna lie, the city don’t really support you until they see other cities rocking with you. Our city not really big on supporting each other. But right now, lately, a lot of dudes been rocking with each other and supporting each other. So, I think that’s a big part of it. The egos getting pushed out the way. That’s just how it is. It’s not like a lot of other cities. That’s just how it is. You got to… if not move away, get a wave somewhere else and then the city follow. I don’t like that shit, but lately it’s starting to switch up.

You were on, “Came From The Block,” with my man, Yung Alz. That’s where I first heard you. How did you and Alz link up?

G-Gurk: For real! That’s bro fasho. We out the same hood. We both out the St. Bernard Projects. He a lil younger than me. That’s my lil homie. That’s lil bro right there. That’s deeper than this rap shit. That’s fam. We got some new shot coming up too. Me and Alz. We got a lot of good shit.

I think that’s what stands out to me about you young New Orleans cats. Ya’ll all be on your grind heavy and consistently putting out your work.

G-Gurk: Man you gotta drop because think about, you got a lot of music now. A lot of people just upload shit. It ain’t like you need a record deal to make music and upload it. You gotta believe in yourself and stay consistent. I’m gonna keep going. I’ma keep droppin’ on they head until more and more people notice, more and more people start gravitating towards me, I’ma keep droppin’ on they ass.

A little G Herbo influence, you dropped, “PTSD.” Tell us about that track.

G-Gurk: Yeah! My man, Ricky B, you know, New Orleans legend… “Shake For Ya Hood,” ya dig, he come through. He got a project coming up called, “Hard in the City!” So, he reached out to me and we were supposed to do the song together. He sent me the track and I went to hearing Tupac talk on it. He was speaking on post traumatic events, ya heard me, so that’s where it come from. And Herbo had just dropped that “PTSD” around that time. By Pac speaking on it, it just pushed me towards that whole PTSD movement and I just dropped it. I sent it back to, bro and he was like, “I ain’t even getting on that. You bodied that bitch. That’s yo shit. I’ma just play the background.” That’s how it came about, bro.

What’s your relationship with the legend, Ricky B?

G-Gurk: I been knew of him, but personally, through my momma. My momma major in the city. She be doing her thing with the film directing and shit. She got a lot of mini movies all on Amazon Prime and shit. Another thing, we from the same neighborhood too. You know, Ricky B from the St. Bernard Projects too. From there it was just up there.

Mia X shows you a lot of love too. You’re young, but you get a lot of love from some true legends.

G-Gurk: Yeah, that’s fam right there. That’s like my auntie. She always gives me advice. She always gives me the ropes on the business side of things more than anything. She always tell me, “G, make sure your business straight (laughing).” She be serious about that. “Make sure your business straight.” She always telling me that. That’s fam all day.

You’re only 28 and you know a lot of important people in the city. That’s wassup, man.

G-Gurk: You know I just come home. I just come from doing jail time. I just did 8-years straight. I came home when I was 26.

I didn’t know you had did a jose like that.

G-Gurk: I did 8-flat. From June 15, 2010, I came home April 4, 2018. I was in there from 18 to 26-years old.

Oh, so you real hungry out here.

G-Gurk: Man, I’m starving. I ain’t hungry, I’m starving, ya heard me. I’m starving big bro.

Tell us about this, “SOA” Movement.

G-Gurk: Savage On Alert. Me and my potna, Irvin… another New Orleans legend son, DJ Irv. That’s his father. We rap together but we real friends too. We grew up together and we josed together. We used to watch this show called, “Son’s of Anarchy,” ya dig. And that was like their lil thing, “SOA.” So, we were playing around like, “When both of us get home, we gonna push this, “Savage On Alert,” because that’s what it is.” And fuck, show enough, he beat em in trial. He got found not guilty. He did 4 ½ years. I come home 4-years after him and we stuck to the plan. He ain’t too big on the music. He do it, but he’s just a part of the movement. I’m the one really pushing the movement, but he all the way involved in everything I’m into. He just be rapping when he want to.

I like the fact that you show love and salute the people from your block. You posted about, Tyrann Mathieu and how we came from the St. Bernard Projects and went on to win a Super Bowl.

G-Gurk: Man, bro always giving me advice. Bro is a big part. He got his thing going on with that, “New Era” Movement and I fuck with him on that. He got his artists, shout out to all of them. They doing they thing. He just always supported me, so I’m going to always show love to my people. He fuck with my movement and I fuck with his movement and we just cool.

Going back to your “PTSD” track, I’ve heard people say that if you grew up on the streets of New Orleans, to a degree you do have PTSD. Do you believe in that?

G-Gurk: Hell yeah! That shit real. All the way. Especially in New Orleans. Just like them war vets come back with that shit, we born in that shit. I can’t even remember what age I was when I saw my first murder or when I saw my first friend die. Being traumatized from being in and out of jail. Plus, the poverty, man, that shit real out here. I feel like if you in the mix of the streets and you from New Orleans, you got PTSD. That’s a fact, bro. I’m not glorifying it, that’s just what it is. I don’t glorify shit like that, that’s really just what it is. It’s sad to say, but that’s just life, bro.

What would you say the biggest lesson you learned from being locked up to now being free?

G-Gurk: My eyes opened because I was moving fucked up. I was blind in ways that I didn’t even know I was blind in until I really had to sit down and reflect on some shit. That was the biggest gift and curse of my life. It showed me so much. I grew up in there. I was only 18, so it showed me who was there for me. Who really was there for me. It showed me that your family, my momma, always got your back no matter what. I gained patience from it. I gained so much from that situation. I loss a lot too. Shit I’ll never get back. I’ll never get that time back, but the shit that’s priceless, the loyalty and patience, that’s shit you can’t buy, and I learned that from that experience. Rick Ross, Young Jeezy and Yo Gotti didn’t drop their first albums until they were a little older, so it’s up. Real shit! My time didn’t happen yet because I got locked up. If you go on YouTube, I got old music on there from like 2008-2009. I spelled, Gurk with a J, so I spelled it differently back then. If it wasn’t for my unfortunate circumstances with the jail situation, I feel like I would have been applied pressure and people would have known me. Unfortunately, I had to deal with that for 8 solid years.

I appreciate the time; everyone need to go get that “PTSD.” Is there anything else you want to add?

G-Gurk: You can find that “PTSD” and all my other music on all major platforms; Apple, Tidal, YouTube, Spotify and Google Play. Whatever you listen to music on, G-Gurk is on there. Instagram @g_gurk_soa. Everybody keep pushing. The whole city come together. It’s our time, leave the bullshit alone, stay focused and get this bread.

 



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