Gunplay

Richard Welton Morales Jr., known professionally as Gunplay, was born on July 18, 1979, in Texas. He spent his early childhood in Opa-locka, Florida, before his parents divorced at age 10, leading him and his mother to settle in Carol City, Miami-Dade County. Morales left high school at 15 and began engaging in drug use and sales. In 1997, he connected with Rick Ross, and their shared musical interest led to the formation of the hip-hop group Triple C’s (Carol City Cartel) with Torch and Young Breed. The group released their debut album, “Custom Cars & Cycles,” in 2009, which reached position 44 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Gunplay began his solo career appearing on Rick Ross’s 2009 album “Deeper Than Rap” with the track titled “Gunplay.” He continued to release mixtapes under Maybach Music Group and featured on various collaborative tracks. In July 2012, he secured a solo recording contract with Def Jam Recordings. His mixtape, “601 & Snort,” released in September 2012, received critical acclaim and was recognized as the tenth best album of 2012 by Spin magazine. The track “Cartoon & Cereal” with Kendrick Lamar was ranked second on Complex’s Best 50 Songs of 2012 list. He released another mixtape, “Cops & Robbers,” in January 2013, and also contributed to Lil Wayne’s 2013 album “I Am Not a Human Being II” on the song “Beat The Shit.”

His debut studio album, “Living Legend,” was released on July 31, 2015. The album, which Gunplay described as a “real street album,” featured collaborations with artists such as Rick Ross, Yo Gotti, YG, and Currensy. Despite initial plans for features with Big Sean and a Pharrell Williams-produced track, these did not appear on the final release. The album was supported by four singles: “Tell ‘Em,” “Wuzhanindoe,” “Be Like Me,” and “Blood on the Dope,” and it charted on the Billboard 200. In 2019, he released the collaborative album “Chop Stixx and Banana Clips” with Mozzy, which was praised for its storytelling.