Atlanta’s Echo Recording Studios,headquarters for Grand Hustle Entertainment, resembles your average nine-to-five office space. Employees Big Kuntry King and Young Dro spend downtime chatting in the kitchen. Co-workers Bobby Ray and Killer Mike treat their studio rooms like any administrative assistant would a cubicle. CEO T.I. occasionally checks in regarding productivity. The newest hire, Yung L.A., is still trying to adjust.
“This is the most time I’ve ever spent in the studio,” says the rapper, born Leland Austin, 23, who, on the strength of his hit “Ain’t I,” recently inked a deal for his Grand Hustle debut, Futuristic Leland (to be distributed by Interscope). “There’s set times now where I have to go. It’s really like a job.”
Hailing from Southeast Atlanta’s East Lake and Thomasville communities, L.A. has done everything—from working at a greasy spoon to working as a greasy mechanic. Needless to say, this is his sweetest gig to date. He honed his upbeat, melody-driven sound during on-the job training with rapper-producer tandem Gucci Mane and Zaytoven. When he dropped his first mixtape, Crush da Block, in 2006, it caught the attention of Young Dro, who groomed and recruited him into the Hustle. “Ain’t I” bubbled in Atlanta clubs in early 2008, but exploded when Dro and Tip joined him for a remix. L.A. refers to the club hit as a “slick motivational song” that makes listeners look in the mirror and say, Damn, I look good.
“In the video Dro and T.I. are rocking the Phantoms and Ferraris. I come through on a bike,” says L.A., who has branded his Mohawk, American Eagle Outfitters, and spike-studded accessories look, “black-boy swag, white-boy tags.” “I’m asking you to watch me grow. Four or five videos down the line, I might be able to pull out the Maybach.” With enough overtime, it just may happen.
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