Blessed with a clear artistic vision and the talent to get it across, Lil Gnar is never afraid to express himself to the fullest. Digging deep into his past and contrasting his struggle with the high-rolling lifestyle he currently lives, Gnar shares “Stonecrest,” a new video single. Produced by Bouncegohard, the spritely new single finds the 43B signee skating atop rollicking piano in raspy triplets, reminiscing about his youth shopping at Stonecrest Mall in Atlanta’s Eastside and reflecting on what he had to do to survive. “Lord forgive me for my sins, I was just tryin’ to win, for sho sho,” rhymes Gnar, as he remembers his past life.
“Stonecrest is an area on the Eastside of Atlanta where I spent a lot of time hanging and growing up, especially at the Stonecrest Mall,” says Lil Gnar. “It’s a symbol that represents the situations I had to overcome to get to where I am today. The song describes my feelings about the past. I’m just asking for forgiveness and remembering why the area I was raised in is relevant to the way I move now.”
Directed by Highdeas based on a treatment Gnar wrote himself, the video for “Stonecrest” tells a powerful story that could only take place in the south. The video starts with a defiant Gnar rhyming in front of six hanging klansmen–a powerful image that alludes to the institutional racism that every Black person must overcome–before the designer-clad artist speeds off in his all-white Bentley truck. By the time Gnar reaches a farm filled with miniature horses, it’s clear that he has leveled up his lifestyle even as he’s stayed true to his country roots. The video for “Stonecrest” continues Gnar’s recent hot streak, following clips for “Almighty Gnar” ft. Chief Keef (3.5 million YouTube views) and “Triple S”
In June 2022, Chief Keef founded his new label 43B, launched in partnership with RBC Records/BMG, and announced Lil Gnar as the label’s first signee. Short for “Forget Everybody,” 43B offers multi-tiered label and distribution for artists and producers, emphasizing artistic expression and independence and autonomy. Lil Gnar is the kind of self-sufficient, business-minded artist who represents the label’s ideals. Along with his career as a rapper, Gnar is an accomplished businessman and the founder of his own streetwear brand Gnarcotic. Gnarcotic has been modeled by A-List stars including Future–whose FreeBandz label released a collab with Gnarcotic–Juice WRLD, Young Thug, and many more, and sold his first skateboarding sneaker collection earlier this year to the tune of $500k first weekend sales. He released his 2022 project DIE BOUT IT, featuring guest spots from Trippie Redd, Lil Uzi Vert, and Ski Mask The Slump God, among others, under his own Gnarcotic Records label, before joining up with Chief Keef to start the next chapter of his career.
“What makes him stand out? His style, sh*t,” says Chief Keef about his 43B signee. “He ain’t tryna be like nobody else.”
Stay tuned for much more from Gnar and 43B.
© 2023, Seth "Digital Crates" Barmash. All rights reserved.
