Notero: Today, we're here with G-Eazy (shwoop) breaking down his lyrics. His hardcore bars...

G-Eazy: Hardcore, I'm so hardcore.

Notero: So we wanted to know what your musical influences are, because one of the most interesting things about you is that you do like this crazy rap and shit but then you also have (yeah) like stuff that sounds like it's from decades and decades ago. So like what are your main musical influences?

G-Eazy: My main musical influences are The Beatles. Like right off the bat yeah. Like my approach to making beats when I like write the music is The Beatles and like a lot of like late 50s early 60s pop. So The Beatles are first on the list. My second, right behind The Beatles as a really close second is... is the godly insane-ly talented DJ Carnage. DJ Carnage is like out of this world man, he's really brilliant. Um he's inspired my whole style, my whole everything you know.

Notero: Wow that's incredible.

G-Eazy: Right behind John Lennon, you know. So he's up there man he's up there. Uh Johnny Cash his storytelling, and just, you know I like to - with my lyrics I like to just frame stuff in a way that is relatable that people can connect with and identify with you know. Um, but uh, yeah. Other than that you know just uh Lil B and um...

Notero: Lil B and The Beatles that is all you need.

G-Eazy: Yup.

Notero: So well, some of those are kind of unconventional influences for rap. We've certainly heard Beatles before but how do you make that work for hip-hop?

G-Eazy: It sounds unconventional on the surface but when you think about the music like, Beatles chord-progressions you know. The music isn't so different from what's popular today
Like, like the same reason that those melodies and those chords sounded good back then is the same like fundamental reasons that they sound good over rap beats now you know? It's just taking melodies that people like to hear, and telling stories about shit people can relate to and framing it in a contemporary way that fits like our world today. You know what I'm saying? With drums that like, you know hit hard and shit. That make it like viable in this world.

Notero: That's awesome. So one other thing that I did want to talk to you about is that you are a producer and you told us that you produced everything except what the wonderful DJ Carnage produced.

G-Eazy: What the wonderful DJ Carnage blessed me with.

Notero: I don't know how you follow up that...
G-Eazy: That's why I put it last on the album, you know? It had to be a bonus track it was too exclusive.

Notero: Otherwise he would totally kill you on your own...

G-Eazy: I'd be so embarrassed to play my beats after anything DJ Carnage made. I worry about people that like play my album on repeat and they have to hear my tracks after hearing loaded. But yeah, no I made every beat on my album, um and I mean I started out really way more as a producer than as a rapper. Um I started rapping just cause I was tired of, you know, waiting on like lazy rappers to come over who didn't have like the work ethic I did, so I was just like, fuck it. I can rap at least as good as you. You know, and I'll get better at it, and I'll get dope, so it's just like, that was a decision I made like, I don't know, senior year of highschool or something like that. I just kept working at it and it's just an obsession that took over my time.

Notero: That's amazing, you know like besides maybe Hit-Boy or Kanye you always hear about it the other way you know like now the rapper wants to make his own beats.