Most artists have the same trajectory. They start music young, they struggle for a while, finally get a break, sign to a label, then hopefully make it big. Some artists spend longer in one stage than others, but the order is usually the same.

But Gerald Earl Gillum, who would later brand himself as G-Eazy, doesn’t follow molds. Not when it comes to fashion and not when it comes to succeeding in the music industry. Instead of working on getting a label’s attention, Gerald decided he didn’t need help and was going to make it on his own. It took him a little while, but once he made it, he really made it.

Early Life

G-Eazy was born Gerald Earl Gillum in 1989 to Edward and Suzanne in Oakland, California. Both his parents are academics, though they split up early in his life. After their split, Gerald had to learn the value of working for what you want – there was no other way for him, now living with a single mom, to get it.

That work ethic and determination he learned early on served him well when it came to his musical aspirations, which came to fruition in high school. It was when he saw a group of his friends get a Billboard hit that he realized that he, too, could be successful in the music industry if you used a little elbow grease.

The Start of Something

If you had always thought G-Eazy was from New Orleans, you’re not wrong. That’s where he went to college, Loyola University, and where he really kicked off his career. He’s often heard saying something about “Nola” in his songs, in homage to the city that launched him. His track from college to the top of the charts was a steady incline, which took at least five years. Given that he did it without the help of a record company, that’s nothing to scoff at.