His debut studio album, Drip or Drown 2 (2019) peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, while his second, Wunna (2020) debuted atop the chart.[9] His 2020 single, "Lemonade" (with Internet Money and Don Toliver featuring Nav) peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100.[10] His third album, DS4Ever (2022), became his second consecutive number-one album, while his fourth, A Gift & a Curse (2023) peaked at number three and spawned his second top ten single, "FukUMean".[11][12] His fifth album, One of Wun (2024) peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and was supported by the top 40 track "One of Wun".
On May 11, 2022, Gunna was arrested two days after alleged co-conspirator Young Thug in a 56-count RICO indictment against the YSL record label.[13][14] On December 14, 2022, Gunna took a plea deal and was released from prison.[15][16][17]
2016–2018: Career beginnings and Drip Season series
Gunna was introduced to rapper Young Thug through Keith "King" Troup, a mutual friend and community figure who died in December 2015. He was later featured alongside rappers Travis Scott and Gucci Mane on Thug's song, "Floyd Mayweather", from his commercial mixtape Jeffery.[19][20]
On October 14, 2016, Gunna released his mixtape Drip Season through YSL Records. It featured members from YSL, such as Young Thug, Lil Duke, and Nechie.[21] He released the mixtape Drip Season 2 on May 11, 2017. It featured many popular Atlanta and YSL artists such as Young Thug, Playboi Carti, and Offset. From the mixtape, "YSL", featuring Playboi Carti, was on a "Grand Theft Auto" radio station.[22][23] On November 30, 2017, he released his debut extended play Drip or Drown, in which his record producer and close friend Wheezy entirely produced it, with a sole guest appearance from Young Thug.[24]
Gunna in the music video for Young Thug's song "Dirty Shoes" in 2018
On February 2, 2018, he released the commercial mixtape Drip Season 3. It featured notable guest appearances from Hoodrich Pablo Juan, Lil Durk, Nav, Metro Boomin, and Lil Yachty, while the deluxe edition featured additional appearances from Lil Uzi Vert, Young Jordan, Young Thug, and Lil Baby. The regular and deluxe editions were simultaneously released together.[25]
On April 17, 2018, Gunna released a single titled "Sold Out Dates" featuring Lil Baby, a close friend and frequent collaborator. The song became one of his mainstream recordings and received millions of streams on platforms like YouTube and SoundCloud. It was eventually released as a non-album single after leaks. On August 3, Gunna also appeared alongside Nav on Travis Scott's single "Yosemite", a standout song from his third studio album, Astroworld, which happened to also be the highest-selling album of the year. The verse in the song, which was performed by Scott mimics Gunna's verse in "Sold Out Dates". The majority of the song's popularity went towards Gunna's appearance on the chorus.
On September 12, 2018, Gunna and Lil Baby released a collaborative single "Drip Too Hard", which would be the lead single of their collaborative mixtape Drip Harder. The single peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.[21] The mixtape was released on October 5. With guest appearances from Lil Durk, Nav, Young Thug, and Drake, it peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200.[21]
2019–2022: Drip or Drown 2, Wunna, and DS4Ever
On February 1, 2019, Gunna released the single "One Call", which was certified platinum and serves as the lead single of his debut studio album, Drip or Drown 2. On February 11, he released the second and final single, "Speed it Up". The album was released on February 22, featuring guest appearances from fellow Atlanta rappers Lil Baby, Young Thug, and Playboi Carti, and charted at number three on the 200 Chart.[26]
On August 16, 2019, he was featured on Young Thug's single "Hot" from the latter's debut studio album, So Much Fun. The song peaked at the number-one spot on Apple Music. The song was given a remix with an extra feature on a verse from Travis Scott on October 31 (Halloween), because of which the song eventually peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.[27] Gunna is also featured on "Surf" from the album, as well as "Diamonds" from the deluxe version, the latter which was released in December 2019.
In February 2020, Gunna was featured on three songs. He appeared on Pop Smoke's "Dior" remix, released on February 12. He was also featured on Marlo's "My Hood" alongside Roddy Ricch and London on da Track on A Boogie wit da Hoodie's song "Numbers", both released on February 14. Gunna later released a collaborative single with Nav, titled "Turks", featuring Travis Scott. The song was released on March 27, 2020, and serves as the lead single to Nav's third studio album, Good Intentions (Gunna is also featured on the track "Codeine" from the album). "Turks" marks the second time the three artists had collaborated on the same song following Scott's "Yosemite". Six days later, on April 2, 2020, he released a collaborative track with producer Turbo and Young Thug, titled "Quarantine Clean", referencing the COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 6, 2020, he released "Skybox", the lead single of his second studio album, Wunna. It was released with an accompanying music video.[28] On May 18, 2020, Gunna released the title track of the album, which was the second single. Four days later, on May 22, Gunna released the album.[29] It features guest appearances from Young Thug, Nechie, Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch, and Travis Scott. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming his first number-one album.[30] On July 24, 2020, he released the deluxe edition, with eight more songs, featuring additional guest appearances from Yak Gotti, Future, Nav, and Lil Uzi Vert.
On August 14, 2020, Gunna and hip hop collective and record label Internet Money released the single "Lemonade", featuring Don Toliver and Nav. The track would proceed to be one of the biggest hits of 2020, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, and was eventually certified 4x platinum by the RIAA.[31]
On January 7, 2022, Gunna released his third studio album, DS4Ever, the fourth and final instalment in his Drip Season series. The album features guest appearances from Future, Young Thug, 21 Savage, Drake, Kodak Black, Chlöe, Lil Baby, G Herbo, Nechie, Chris Brown, Yung Bleu, and Roddy Ricch.[34] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart, moving 150,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. The album notably blocked the Weeknd's album Dawn FM from the top spot by approximately 2,300 units.[35]
2023–present: A Gift & A Curse and One of Wun
Gunna with Tyla (left) at the Konka nightclub in Soweto, 2024
Five months after his release from jail, Gunna released the track "Bread & Butter", in which he speaks on his arrest and allegations that he snitched on his friend and mentor Young Thug.[36] On his 30th birthday, Gunna announced a new album titled A Gift & a Curse, which released a day later.[16][37] The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart, earning 85,000 album-equivalent units (including 1,000 in pure album sales) in its first week.[38] The album's second single, "FukUMean" was released on July 11, 2023, after being submitted to rhythmic contemporary radio.[39] The song proved to be a mega-hit and would prove to be Gunna's second most successful song on the Billboard Hot 100, behind "Drip too Hard". The track spent thirty-two weeks on the chart, peaking at number four. "FukUMean" also reached the top ten in ten different countries.[40]
Following the release of the song "Prada Dem", featuring Offset, Gunna announced the title of his fifth studio album in April, 2024.[41] On May 3, 2024, he released another single "WhatsApp (Wassam)", serving as the second single off of his forthcoming album, One of Wun.[42] On the same day, Gunna announced that One of Wun would be releasing on May 10, 2024. The album features guest appearances from Offset, Normani, Leon Bridges, and Roddy Ricch and debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200.[43] On May 14, 2024 Gunna was featured alongside Jamaican rapper Skillibeng on the song "Jump" off of South African singer Tyla's debut album. The song was accompanied by a music video which was filmed in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, and Kliptown, Soweto.[44][45]
Philanthropy
In February 2022, Gunna teamed up with sustainable food waste management and hunger relief company Goodr to open a free grocery store at Ronald E. McNair Middle School, which he attended as a teenager.[46]
In May 2022, Gunna and Young Thug were among 28 persons associated with YSL Records who were charged in a 56-count RICO Actindictment filed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.[47] On May 11, 2022, Kitchens turned himself in to authorities.[48] Kitchens was denied bond, and his trial was scheduled to begin January 9, 2023.[49] On October 13, 2022, Kitchens was again denied release from jail ahead of his January trial.[50] On December 14, 2022, Kitchens pleaded guilty to a single charge of racketeering and was sentenced to five years in prison, with one year commuted to time served and the rest of the sentence suspended subject to probation conditions, including 500 hours of community service; he was released from jail the same day.[51]
