Gunna's Album "a Gift & a Curse" Certified Gold

BYGabriel Bras Nevares1057 Views
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2019 Lollapalooza - Day 3
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 03: Gunna performs at the Lollapalooza Music Festival at Grant Park on August 03, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Josh Brasted/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
With hits like "fukumean" being some of the year's biggest, it's no surprise that the College Park MC's comeback album struck... well, you know.

Many doubted his return, and while that conversation isn't over, it definitely diminished a lot. Gunna just received a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for his newest album, 2023's a Gift & a Curse. Moreover, the album's now officially sold over 500K album-equivalent units, marking a big milestone for the comeback record. Of course, this is off of the strength of massive hits like "fukumean," plus thanks to his die-hard fanbase that continued to support him through it all. The College Park MC also just returned to the live performance space, so this is definitely an exciting time for his career.

For those unaware, the aforementioned narrative around his career concerns his "snitching" in the YSL RICO case. This had Gunna laying low for months, and a Gift & a Curse was his big comeback to the hip-hop release sphere. His relationship with other rappers is still up in the air, but with all this commercial success and fan loyalty, that aversion might shift very soon. Still, the 30-year-old also has a lot bigger things to worry about right now, and might be thinking more as a lone wolf within the industry.

Gunna's a Gift & a Curse Goes Gold

That being said, a lot of that bias and backlash diminished after the release of a Gift & a Curse. Maybe the conversation just died down, but various sources (including Gunna himself, Young Thug's father, and more) shut down beliefs that there was beef as a result of Wunna's plea deal. It's not the red flag it once was, and that came as a timely development as he builds skills in other areas. For example, his upcoming remix of Victor Thompson's Afrobeats hit "This Year" stunned fans at its live debut, with many surprised by his excellent foray into the genre.

Meanwhile, there's a lot of bars to digest on the Drip or Drown MC's latest full-length. Now, though, it seems like people just enjoy the music without feeding into the debate. We'll see what else the year holds for him, and we wouldn't be surprised if he ends it off even stronger. Come back to HNHH for more news and updates on Gunna.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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