In the latest move for Gucci Mane and his The New 1017 Records, Guwop inked Texas rapper Hotboy Wes to a record deal with the label, gifting him a diamond-encrusted 1017 chain to commemorate the occasion. The news was announced this past weekend (July 4) via a post on Gucci’s Instagram, in which Wes can be heard reciting lyrics from his new boss’ 2009 cut, “Hood Affairs.”
“I was trapping like a fool, me and FF Fool/Didn’t go to school/I was trapping like a bitch, I sold a lot of bricks,” Wes raps as he soaks up his “chaining” moment while Guwop looks on. The signing was also celebrated with a post on Wes’ own Instagram account, which included the caption, “If You Really Love Yo Trenches Show Them A Way Out….We From Tha Slums..We Aint Neva Seen No Palm Trees…1017LandLord,” under a pic of himself surrounded by children from his Waco stomping grounds.
Hotboy Wes gained a buzz off the strength of his 2019 mixtape release, Never Had Shit, that included the standout singe, “I Can’t,” which has racked up nearly half a million views to date. Joining a 1017 roster that includes breakout stars Pooh Shiesty and Foogiano, Hotboy Wes looks to contribute to the label’s recent reign of dominance and has the potential to be the next artist under Gucci’s tutelage to become a household name.
In a May interview with Billboard, Gucci Mane spoke on his mission to expand The New 1017 Records in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, a goal he’s only inched closer to with the label’s recent acquisition. “The pandemic is how I popped off my label,” Guwop revealed. “While everybody [else] is going to sit on their money, I’m going to come out and sign artists. That was my whole strategy.” He continued, adding, “We’ve been like a family. I want to make my artists a part of everything I do. And we’re going to all grow together. We don’t even have a studio. We don’t have these overheads that a lot of labels have. We’re not doing things the traditional way to make sure we make profit.”