EST Gee

Focusing on the realist side of Southern rap, EST Gee authentically documents day-to-day life in Louisville, Kentucky, incorporating trap and other contemporary variants of the genre. After developing a unique style on several self-released mixtapes, EST Gee signed with Interscope for the release of his gold-certified 2021 project Bigger Than Life or Death, and in 2022 he delivered his debut studio album, I Never Felt Nun, a collection of tense street raps with occasional dips into melody provided by guest rappers like Future and Jack Harlow. The album made it to the Top Ten of the Billboard 200 and R&B/hip-hop charts. That success was followed by a pair of equally tough 2023 projects, Mad and El Toro 2. The Selfpaid Savage collaboration "NEVER NEED" appeared in 2024.

Raised in the Newburg neighborhood of Jefferson County, Gee got a football scholarship to Indiana State University. He was the first in his family to attend college, but his studies were cut short when he went to prison. After getting out, he began making music in 2017, crafting a moniker by joining the acronym EST -- Everybody Shine Together -- with Gee, a reference to his first name, George. His relaxed but relentless lyrical style was often characterized by a signature trail-off in delivery at the end of a track. This is evident on El Toro, one of two albums -- the other being Die Bloody -- that he self-released in 2019. These projects coincided with the birth of his son.

In September 2019, Gee was shot five times after filming a video in Atlanta. He was hospitalized for a short while due to his stomach injuries, but also sustained visual impairment in his left eye. He had already completed sessions for his next album, so his convalescence was punctuated by the release of singles such as "Morals," "Taught Different," and "On the Floor," material that all ultimately appeared on March 2020's Ion Feel Nun. Sadly, early 2020 saw the death of his mother, and his brother, tragedies that solidified his determination to make the most of the platform provided to him by his burgeoning music career. Within weeks, Gee was being interviewed online about his experiences and his growing catalog. In December 2020, he issued I Still Don't Feel Nun, which featured cameos by contemporaries such as Babyface Ray, Yo Gotti, and Jack Harlow.

After signing with Interscope, the rapper's next project was 2021's Bigger Than Life or Death. The 15-song mixtape included appearances from a star-studded list of guest contributors that included Future, Young Thug, and 42 Dugg. It entered the Billboard 200 at number seven (number five R&B/hip-hop) and quickly went gold. EST Gee continued his creative alliance with 42 Dugg in 2022 when the two joined forces for the shared mixtape Last Ones Left. The deep and menacing trap tape included guest spots from Tae Money, BIG30, 42 Cheez, and others, and returned EST to the number seven slot on the Billboard 200. Several months after Last Ones Left, EST delivered his debut studio full-length, I Never Felt Nun. The album debuted again within the Top Ten and featured guest appearances from Future, Machine Gun Kelly, Jeezy, and several other rappers already well acquainted with chart success. Six months later EST Gee returned with the mixtape Mad. The project included 14 tracks and a handful of features from Kada, Young Scooter, and Boosie Badazz. Mad reached number 25 on the Billboard 200 (number nine R&B/hip-hop). Within five months, he was back with El Toro 2, highlighted by the rolling anthem "Turn the Streets Up." He made appearances on the 2023 Collective Music Group compilation Gangsta Art 2, and in 2024 EST Gee released "NEVER NEED" featuring Selfpaid Savage. ~ James Wilkinson, Rovi