Gillie Da Kid

Philadelphia hardcore rapper Gillie da Kid was first thrown into the national spotlight in 2006 from a controversy with Cash Money Records and its star rapper, Lil Wayne, when he claimed to have ghostwritten for some of the label's artists, particularly Wayne. Years before the embroilment, Gillie da Kid, real name Nasir Fard, and his Major Figgas clique were heavyweights in Philadelphia's underground scene from pushing several independent records and mixtapes. The seven-person crew eventually signed to the Houston, TX-based Suave House Records toward the end of the '90s, but when the label lost its distribution with Universal, Gillie went elsewhere to pursue a solo career. The boasting MC crossed paths with Cash Money CEO Bryan "Baby" Williams backstage at a concert in Philadelphia, and almost within a week, he was signed to the New Orleans label. Because of disputes over his publishing, however, a solo record never materialized; instead, he remained behind the scenes as a ghostwriter (though Cash Money still denies it). As did major talents B.G., Juvenile, and Mannie Fresh before him, he departed Cash Money, but still remained on good terms with Lil Wayne -- that is, until 2006 when Wayne put out a set of unwarranted jabs against Gillie on one of his mixtapes. When Gillie let the cat out of the bag, the hip-hop press (both print and Internet) gave him tons of exposure. Mixtape gurus like DJ Kay Slay and DJ Drama were even seeking the rapper out to issue new material. He later inked a deal with rising indie label Babygrande Records, which issued The Best of the GDK Mixtapes compilation in March 2007. ~ Cyril Cordor, Rovi