How Did Gab3 Shape the SoundCloud Generation?

TL;DR

Gab3 built a multidisciplinary career by combining music, VHS-styled direction, editing, production, and clothing design. After moving to Los Angeles with Mike and very little money, he gained crucial support from A$AP Yams, toured with Wiz Khalifa, collaborated with prominent artists, retired the Uzi name in 2016, and moved toward a more pop-punk-influenced sound.

Transcript

what if i told you there's someone that has directed a drake music video produced for playboy cardi and has a collab with disney well gabe has done all of that and those are just a few of the rare feats he's accomplished so far if you're familiar with gabe you probably know he makes music or that he shoots videos and if you've just heard of him you... Read More

Key Insights

• Gab3 is a multidisciplinary artist who directs and edits music videos, performs and produces music, and designs clothing. The documentary introduces his work with Drake, Playboi Carti, and Disney as evidence that his career extends beyond his association with Playboi Carti's Opium label.
• Uzi began as a four-person band founded by Mike and Tone, with Gab3 and keyboard player Abby joining later. After Gab3 and Mike learned that the other members were behaving improperly toward girls, the group became a duo centered on Gab3's vocals and visuals and Mike's production.
• Gab3 and Mike moved from Ohio to Los Angeles in 2011 with ten dollars and initially couchsurfed while holding regular jobs. Gab3 bused tables, and the pair gradually earned recognition by meeting people at parties, photographing famous attendees, and cultivating relationships through the local scene.
• Uzi's sound combined electronic rap, pop, hip-hop, and pop-punk elements rather than following one conventional genre. The duo released many singles instead of an album, promoted them heavily on Twitter, and frequently paired loud 808s with themes involving money, nightlife, romance, intoxication, and unreliable friends.
• Uzi's VHS visual style became a defining feature of the duo's identity. A video loop of Kreayshawn led to their direction of her "Summertime" music video, which showcased that aesthetic and caught A$AP Yams's attention, creating opportunities with A$AP Ferg and the wider A$AP circle.
• A$AP Yams was the central catalyst in Gab3's directing career, according to Gab3's own account. Yams recognized the duo, contacted Gab3 about filming A$AP Ferg in a studio, and continued providing opportunities while Gab3 was still working as a busser.
• Uzi gained industry exposure through Wiz Khalifa, who invited the duo onto the Big Secret Tour after Ian Connor introduced them. The tour was difficult because audiences barely knew Uzi and sometimes booed their unfamiliar sound, but the relationship also led to a song on Wiz Khalifa's "28 Grams" mixtape.
• Gab3 officially retired the Uzi name on October 13, 2016, after his partnership with Mike ended. He subsequently worked with GothBoiClique-associated artists, made five songs with Lil Peep, released "Hollywood Dreaming," and began moving from rave-oriented electronic trap toward a more pop-punk-influenced style.

Questions & Answers

Q: Who is Gab3 and what creative work does he do?

Gab3 is the artistic name of Gabriel Rousseau, a Los Angeles-born musician and visual creator. His work includes rapping, singing, producing, directing and editing music videos, and designing clothing. He first gained attention as part of Uzi, then continued under the Gab3 name. The documentary also credits him with directing for Drake, producing for Playboi Carti, and collaborating with Disney.

Q: How did Gab3 become a member of the band Uzi?

Gab3 joined Uzi after meeting Tone in the back of a bar and beginning to jam with him. Mike and Tone had originally founded the band, while Abby joined after they advertised for someone who could play keyboards. The resulting four-person lineup featured Abby on synthesizer, Mike on beats and guitar, and Gab3 as an increasingly visible performer and creative contributor.

Q: Why did Uzi change from a four-person band to a duo?

Uzi became a duo after Gab3 and Mike learned that Tone and Abby were behaving in ways the documentary describes as sketchy or doing mean things to girls. They removed those members and continued together. Gab3 primarily handled the visuals, vocals, writing, and melodies, while Mike focused on production, instrumentation, engineering, and coordinating beats, although both contributed across their projects.

Q: How did moving to Los Angeles affect Gab3 and Uzi?

Moving to Los Angeles placed Gab3 and Mike near the artists, parties, and professional relationships that advanced their work. They arrived in 2011 with ten dollars, couchsurfed, were effectively homeless, and took regular jobs. By attending parties, photographing recognizable people, releasing songs, and building friendships, they slowly gained respect and created the connections that supported Gab3's directing career.

Q: How did A$AP Yams help launch Gab3's directing career?

A$AP Yams discovered Uzi after Gab3 and Mike directed Kreayshawn's "Summertime" video using their signature VHS style. Yams showed them support, recognized them at a party, and later called Gab3 to film A$AP Ferg working in a studio. He continued providing opportunities, and Gab3 said his career blossomed from working with Yams while he was still bussing tables.

Q: What made Uzi's music and videos distinctive?

Uzi combined electronic rap, pop, hip-hop, and pop-punk influences with loud 808s and a distorted VHS visual style. Their songs focused on Hollywood parties, money, intoxication, romance, distrust, and fake friends. Rather than releasing an album, they issued numerous singles and promoted each heavily on Twitter, creating a genre-blending identity that did not always fit established rap audiences.

Q: What major opportunities did Uzi receive before the duo ended?

Uzi opened Ohio shows for LMFAO, Big Sean, and Mike Posner, then gained important support from Wiz Khalifa after an introduction by Ian Connor. Wiz invited them onto the Big Secret Tour and included their song "Different So Fast" on his "28 Grams" mixtape. Uzi also appeared on Fall Out Boy's "Novocaine" remix and signed Kanye's "The Life of Pablo" tracklist notepad.

Q: Why did Uzi split up and become Gab3?

Gab3 said the age difference between him and Mike created tension because Mike was considerably older than many people in Gab3's social circle and began questioning his place in that environment. The pair eventually had a falling-out, and although they briefly became friendly again, Uzi was already over. Gab3 formally announced his name change on October 13, 2016, and continued releasing music under his new identity.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Gabriel Rousseau, known as Gab3, was born in Los Angeles on October 20, 1989, attended high school and college in Ohio, and left college to pursue music. He joined Mike, Tone, and Abby in the band Uzi before problems involving two members reduced the original four-person group to a duo with Mike.

• Gab3 and Mike moved to Los Angeles in 2011 with ten dollars, couchsurfed, worked regular jobs, and built connections through the party scene. Their electronic rap and pop singles received heavy Twitter promotion, while their distorted VHS visuals created a recognizable identity that eventually attracted A$AP Yams and opened professional directing opportunities.

• After Uzi gained support from Wiz Khalifa and collaborated with Fall Out Boy, differences between Gab3 and the older Mike contributed to the duo's breakup. Gab3 officially changed his name in 2016, collaborated with Lil Peep, Lil Tracy, Mackned, and Smokepurpp, and gradually shifted from electronic trap toward pop-punk-influenced music.