Lil Gnar is a rapper from Atlanta, Georgia, who is well-known for establishing his popular brand Gnarcotic, which he established about three years ago. Born in California and raised in Atlanta, Lil Gnar was able to absorb the culture of skating and music, essentially making it in the word that he was meant to be in. We recently interviewed Lil Gnar and were able to talk to him about Gnarcotic, his new music, his friendships with Lil Skies, Germ, Pouya, his tattoos, and more.
Brain Bakery Mag: “Where are you from and how’d you get into skating?”
Lil Gnar: I’m from Atlanta, you know, I claim Atlanta. I grew up there. But I was actually born in California as a kid and shit. And I got into skating when my step brother stole someone’s board and we just started doing it. It was lit and we got into it with the homies and we started doing tricks and shit. We just kept doing it till we got good.
Brain Bakery Mag: “What came first, the music or the clothes? And how’d you get into it?”
Lil Gnar: I made clothes for myself, like clothes that I wanted to wear. Gnarly shit you know, I like to skate so I wanted it to be like a street brand. It’s like a G(narcotic) addiction to the streets and it’s fly cause it’s clothes I actually fuck with.
And the music, I started that four-five months ago. I dropped “Rihanna Thick” and after that I dropped that one song with my bro Germ that’s really poppin’ off. I’ve been really busy doing clothes all by myself. I got a big following from clothes and I just knew what I wanted to do. A couple months from now, in April I’m gonna be big.
I’m one song away from being done. That Big Bad Gnar shit. I really had no help at all in the clothes though. All of the Gnarcotic pieces were me. Even the shipping was me. I would have meltdowns from that, it caused me stress every single day. 1,000 orders a day… it was just overwhelming, I wouldn’t know what to do”
Brain Bakery Mag: “I seriously can’t believe you did all of that yourself. What made you keep going?“
Lil Gnar: After I got the distribution deal for Gnarcotic it was easier for me to do music. I been wanting to do music and then I had the free time to do “Rihanna Thick”. I already got a really big following from clothes and I just knew what I wanted to do. A couple months from now, like in April, I’m gonna be big. I’m basically one song away from being done with Big Bad Gnar Shit and I never had help at all. It was just me.
Brain Bakery Mag: “So you really had no help… just you, website and everything. And you have over 50 thousand followers on your clothing and over a million plays on a song you released MONTHS ago. Some people don’t even have that big of a following after they’ve been making music for years. That’s great. What inspired you?”
Lil Gnar: Yeah like, that was really all me. I wanted to be on some Pharell and Tyler The Creator shit. In a few months Gnarcotic will have chairs, furniture, skateboards, all that. And then I’m gonna drop a solo EP in like two months.
Brain Bakery Mag: “You never went to school to learn any of this?”
Lil Gnar: Nah, fuck school. I went to college for a semester for my mom, I got into one school. I never really paid attention in high school or anything I never really cared for it. I just smoked weed and looked shit up on Youtube if I had to. After that one semester I was like fuck this shit, I’ma get my own shit.
Brain Bakery Mag: “That’s amazing, you deadass taught your self basically everything and now you’re an entrepreneur. What was the hardest part about your clothes?”
Lil Gnar: Yeah the hardest part about my clothes was getting it out there, getting a name for the clothing. It took like three years to do that. I’m still learning how to do shit, meditating, power in the human mind, focusing, dedicating my time on it. I really did it myself. I never had any investors I didn’t really know about doing clothes until Germ. Germ did merch and I was like you can make money off of clothes? I wanted to make skateboards, but clothes were easy and more accessible and when you start something new it levels up and opens up doors eventually. I never doubted where I would be.
Brain Bakery Mag: “I’m glad you had that much faith in yourself, it’s not easy, really. I think pushing yourself is the hardest part, but you had some help along the way right? With some supportive friends? Like Germ, Pouya, etc. How’d you meet them all?”
Lil Gnar: Germ’s mom lives down the street from my mom and it was basically all through skating and at the skate park. Through that he was with Pouya and I knew Fat Nick through Twitter. I always fucked with them hard and recently I linked with Lil Skies and he’s my brother now. He’s the man, he was like “Yo I fuck with you” and I gave him clothes and we just started kicking shit.
Brain Bakery Mag: “You can really incorporate your friends with your brand that’s’ awesome. How about your music though, do you get nervous in the studio?”
Lil Gnar: Hell no, it’s always been bugging me. I wanted to grow the Gnarcotic movement and the music’s the fun part. After running a full clothing brand for a whole year, anything past that is fun. People have been asking me to perform and shit and I did the California Rolling Loud. All my homies seemed nervous and shit but I was real relaxed.
Brain Bakery Mag: “Do you freestyle, or do you write these things down?”
Lil Gnar: I mostly freestyle, my memory is bad. I go in the studio, play the beat, freestyle shit. I have to make it catchy and make it bounce to the music and April is when it’s all going to come together. I have shit dropping with Germ, Skies, Madeintyo, DJ Carnage. The next three months it’s gonna be it.
Brain Bakery Mag: “You definitely have an image of a rapper, definitely not one of a CEO though. You would never know if you never promoted Gnarcotic’s that you make clothing. What do you think about all your tattoos and what do some of them mean?”
Lil Gnar: I have a lot of neck tattoos, a bunch on my body and ribs, a bunch on my arm. I got a traditional Japanese phoenix and that went to my ass and that hurt, I don’t know how strippers do that shit. I have Gnar life and I have flowers for my grandma on my neck. I have a Tibetan bat and crosses. I really like American traditional styles and the big bold ones. Only like 50%-60% of them have meaning, the rest only I know or I just like the way it looks. I know where I want it and whatever pops out to me first is what I get. Whatever appeals to me, it’s the energy calling.
Brain Bakery Mag: “I love tattoos, I’m getting tatted too. You don’t care about the pain? And what about a face tattoo?”
Lil Gnar: The pain doesn’t really bother me, it’s kind of calming in like a weird way. But nah. I told my mom I wouldn’t get a face tatt and I won’t out of respect for her. The face tatt doesn’t make you stand out anymore and I was never really one to play into trends, I personally feel like I don’t need that for clout.
Brain Bakery Mag: “Maaaad people have face tattoos, you’re right.”
Lil Gnar: Yeah, and I’m a pretty nigga too. A$Ap Rocky doesn’t have any, I don’t need any either.
Brain Bakery Mag: “Your mom is probably happy lowkey that you’re not getting a face tatt. How does she feel about everything else going on? The music, the clothes, etc “
Lil Gnar: She ain’t fuck with it at first. I left to New York and was hustling trying to get my money up, working on Gnarcotics and shit. After that basically when I got the Porsche she didn’t say anything. She used to care but now she sees me actually doing something and she’s proud.
Brain Bakery Mag: “She sees you working good and you doing shit for her and your family, I wouldn’t be upset either! How do you handle the pressure from the Instagram haters and all of that?”
Lil Gnar: These people are just pussy. They care too much about what other people are doing. They all look from the outside. I’m not a dickhead, I’m not a scammer. These motherfuckers n the gram are just racist, on some wild sit. Like one time someone commented “Get this monkey out of here.
Brain Bakery Mag:“No way, deadass? That’s so nasty and rude.”
Lil Gnar: If they don’t know the brand, they don’t know that I’m legally a CEO. These motherfuckers think I’m stupid, I keep it separate. I did graduate high school with like a 1.8 GPA or something, I just got the highest test scores in the county so I went to college and eventually dropped out.
Brain Bakery Mag: “So, it seems like you’re pretty busy. What do you do when you have some free time? And how do you eventually wanna grow?”
Lil Gnar: I just really skate and chill. I don’t fuck with too many new people. Homies of my other homies. I just eventually wanna come out with a Gnarcotic records. I’m just chilling, you know? I been chilling with niggas who rap for years. I kinda got the cheat codes for that.
Brain Bakery Mag: “Do you party a lot?”
Lil Gnar: Not really. I just get relaxed when I make music so I do that. I don’t really like people. I used to be 17-18 getting fucked up all day, now I kick it with my niggas, getting money, skating, and making clothes.
Brain Bakery Mag: “Which ones do you love the best out of your clothes?”
Lil Gnar: I really like the regular logo hoodie, and probably the track camo pants, the ones I did the collab with $uicide Boys. I fuck with my chain heavy, but that’s not for sale, cause that’d be racks.
Brain Bakery Mag: “Do you design things yourself, like you’re an artist?”
Lil Gnar: Nah nah.. I did it myself, I wrote it down in my iPhone notes, sit down with the graphic designer, and yeah. I really worked hard I’m real happy with how far I’ve come.
Brain Bakery Mag:“Besides your brand, obviously, what other brands do you fuck with?”
Lil Gnar: My shit really fly and I truly fuck with my shit, but old Bape, Fucking Awesome, FTP, shoutout to Zac, that’s my nigga. Gucci, and a lot of skate brands really, like Vans. I fuck with Revenge, Garrett work’s real hard. I’ve done a lot of collabs too.
Brain Bakery Mag: How do you think of yourself of a person and what is some advice for people who want to make clothes, and make music?
Lil Gnar: Honestly, years of hard work for the clothes. There’s no secrets or cheat clothes, it’s just hard work. And being consistent. I became a rapper in September or October and I’m already popping with it. Clothes I started in 2014 Fall. There’s no cheat codes. I love what I do. I love the kids supporting me, I never wanted to quit. I’m really not the type to brag.
I just want the people following me to have fun. All the videos I do it naturally. I haven’t stolen anything, I don’t hurt anyone, I don’t promote kids breaking the law. I like the attention a lot but I really have social anxiety. I only like being around the supporters who fuck with me. I like to be on my own and be humble with everything.
Make sure to check out Lil Gnar’s brand Gnarcotic and Lil Gnar’s new music on Soundcloud.