Hailing from the West Coast, King Lil G is easily one of the hardest rappers, with no signs of stopping or slowing down. King Lil G, real name Alex Gonzalez, is a Mexican-American artist who has made it in the music industry with nothing but hard work and dedication.
To help in his rise to fame is his music which he bases heavily on his family, community, gang, and people. This makes King Lil G different from the other rappers; there is no masking the truth- divulging to his audience the harsh reality of his life before he made it in the music industry.
From selling weed on the streets and hustling for money to becoming an artist with a dedicated fandom, King Lil G has garnered about half a billion views on his YouTube channel with one million subscribers and more than 3 million followers on social media. Even his Spotify account boasts more than 100 million streams.
To think King Lil G achieved all this on his own, without the help of major record labels, marketing agencies, or any official help in money and machine, is remarkable. It’s rare to see anyone come up like this. It’s a once in a lifetime type of deal. Unless… you have the right talent and shine like a star.
All he had was his passion for music, hard work, dedication to his art, and immaculate work ethic that brought him the fame he enjoys right now.
If that is not independent hustle life, what is?
What started as a handyman for an aircon technician brought him to the world of music when he first heard hip-hop. OGs in the industry like Tupac and Snoop Dogg are some of his inspirations that pushed him to a career in music.
Making his mark in the world with his 90s Kid album, he skyrocketed to fame through his songs, touching upon very personal and relatable topics. Almost five years later, he released 90s Kid Vol. 2, which felt like a trip down memory lane for him and his fans but obviously with a new twist to the tracks on the album, which gave it a fresh listen.
Looking back on some of his famous tracks, you can see how he has used his experiences and some obvious unfortunate circumstances to create music relatable to the fans. For example, the track “Unemployed” clearly talked about his days on the streets without a stable income, living on a daily wage.
But now, when asked about his current situation and if the old Alex Gonzalez with the food stamps would have ever imagined living a life like this, he stays humble and says that all he needs is to be loyal to his fans and vice versa. King Lil G says there should always be growth; whether it be social media or other sources, the key is never to stop working.
What’s great about King Lil G is that he has all your textbook gangster vibes, whether it be his songs, his lyrics, or his lifestyle, but at the same time, he is a family-oriented man. He is strongly connected to his family, community, and roots. This is reflected in the type of music he makes.
He also likes giving back to the community, but the recent COVID pandemic was a massive barrier for him, as there was no way of safely interacting with fans. He also had a newborn and expressed difficulties coping with such a situation. However, whenever the situation allows, he always does giveaways for the community, specifically his old hood.
His success story is truly motivational to all the independent artists out there because, like everyone else, King Lil G wanted to get signed by some of the most significant records. Because that’s what the world knew how to do; however, when he got rejected multiple times, he never gave up.
He made better of his situation by posting his songs and videos on YouTube while simultaneously trying to get a record deal. Still, his hard work and perseverance ultimately paid off when his YouTube fame grew more prominent than he ever expected.
This was when he was hit with the realization that he didn’t need anyone. He could be his manager, record label, produce everything independently, and still make his dreams come true.
Hence, his advice to aspiring artists is to use YouTube as a medium to create content and share it so that their fanbase can grow.
