Lefty Gunplay

Not to be confused with Gunplay.

Franklin Holladay, better known by his stage name Lefty Gunplay, is an American rapper from Los Angeles. Born and raised in Baldwin Park, Holladay is signed to OTR Records as of 2024 and has released four albums, including Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Gangster. He gained recognition for his feature on Kendrick Lamar's GNX single "TV Off".

Early life

With his mother and grandmother, Holladay grew up in a mobile trailer park in Baldwin Park.^[1] His mother is Guatemalan, and his father is white, from Mississippi. His first encounter with music happened in elementary school when, for a talent show, he performed songs by Kanye West and 50 Cent and won. All through high school, Holladay played varsity-level sports like baseball, football, and basketball. While incarcerated for several years after high school, Holladay met the rapper Jap5 who encouraged him to pursue rapping.^[2]

Career

After being released from prison, Holladay pursued a career as a hip-hop artist.^[3] In 2023, Holladay released two singles, "Spin the Block" and "Certified Stepper" which gained significant online attention. Shortly afterward, in December, he was signed to OTR Records, an independent label based in Los Angeles. A few months later, in February 2024, he released his debut album, Rookie of the Year.^[1] Throughout the year, he released three more albums: Famous Gangbanger, PreSeason, and Most Valuable Gangster.^[4][5][6]

In November 2024, Holladay was featured on "TV Off" by Kendrick Lamar, a single from Lamar's album GNX. The song charted in numerous countries and peaked in second place on the Billboard Hot 100.^[7] It was reported that the feature made streaming numbers for Holladay's entire catalog increase by 84%.^[4] In an interview, Holladay stated that he recorded a few other songs with Lamar during their studio sessions and stated that a deluxe version of GNX was coming.^[8] He additionally pushed back on Drake's decision to pursue legal action against Universal Music Group for proceeding with the release of Lamar's "Not Like Us" diss track.^[9]

Discography

Studio albums

• Rookie of the Year (2024)
• Famous Gangbanger (2024)
• PreSeason (2024)
• Most Valuable Gangbanger (2024)

References

1. "Baldwin Park Rapper Lefty Gunplay is Playin' for Keeps". L.A. Taco. 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
2. "An Interview With Lefty Gunplay". Passion of the Weiss. 2024-06-24. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
3. "LEFTY GUNPLAY". UNDRGRND. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
4. Blake, Cole (2024-12-05). "Kendrick Lamar's "GNX" Collaborators Enjoy Massive Uptick In Streaming Numbers". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
5. Saponara, Michael (2024-11-27). "Meet the Emerging California Rappers Who Appeared on Kendrick Lamar's 'GNX' Album". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
6. Horvath, Zachary (2024-12-04). "Lefty Gunplay & Hitta J3 Capitalize On Their Nods From Kendrick Lamar With "Stoopid"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
7. "Kendrick Lamar Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
8. Moore, Sam (2024-11-28). "Kendrick Lamar Doubling Back With 'GNX' Deluxe, Says 'TV Off' Rapper Lefty Gunplay". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
9. Andrews, Elias (2024-11-30). "Lefty Gunplay Bashes Drake For Taking Legal Action Against "Not Like Us"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2024-12-09.