Ralo, a hero in Tha Bluff, is one of the hottest and hungriest new artists in Atlanta. Due to his passion and work ethic, he recently became the first artist to sign to Gucci Mane since Wop's return from prison last summer. Looking back, Ralo is somewhat surprised at how the partnership came into fruition, as he had been a longtime fan of not Gucci but his rival, Jeezy. But that all changed when Ralo left the streets to become a rapper.
Throughout middle school, high school, and beyond, Ralo listened to Jeezy every morning. "Big, big fan," he recalls. Once he got his name buzzing as an artist -- collaborating with artists like Future, Young Scooter, and Young Dolph -- Ralo wanted to work with Jeezy, before he got word that The Snowman wasn't one to associate himself with up-and-coming artists in Atlanta.
Some time before the release of 2015's Church in These Streets, Jeezy held a video shoot that was down the road from Ralo's mansion. That's where Ralo finally met Jeezy, and that's when his perception of the trap veteran forever changed.
"When I started talkin' to the dude, you know how you be around a person, and you just be like, 'Shorty ain't right,'" explains Ralo.
"It ain't about what color you is, or where you come from," he continues, making an example of the man interviewing him. "It just be them type of dudes, know what I'm sayin'. You be like, 'Damn, he a fuck n*gga.'"
Ralo's new mixtape, Famerican Gangster 2, featuring Future, Young Thug, 21 Savage, and more, is available here. He and Gucci are currently working on a joint project called Ralo La Flare. Ralo will speak on that and much more in forthcoming segments taken from our recent in-depth interview.