A lot of rappers don’t have what it takes to make it, but Guap Taranatino is not one of those rappers. Regardless if Guap was signed to Future’s imprint, Freebandz or not, he was going to find a way to make dope music. In the eyes of Atlanta, Guap Tarantino can do no wrong, and he surely didn’t disappoint his hometown with the release of his new mixtape, 1262.
This project allowed Guap Tarantino the opportunity to showcase his impressive talent on full display. Trap music as a whole prides itself on high-quality production, so it was only right that Guap worked with some of the best in the game for his new release. With big names like DB, DYKrazy, and YungIcey from 808 Mafia lending their talents, everything came together like a perfect recipe. More importantly, Guap created a project that’ll be able to withstand the test of time due to its endless replay value.
Lucky for RemixdMag, we recently got the chance to break bread with my fellow “Atl-ien”, Guap Tarantino, and be able to pick his brain. You can read all about it below.
First I want to say congrats on your new release, I saw you posted that you half a million streams on Spotify, it’s prob way higher now. But how are you feeling so far, two weeks in?
I’m just glad everybody like it right now. The album is the state of mind, that I am in. When people say they like it, that means they like the mindset that I’m in right now.
What is the meaning behind the album title “1262”?
One of my best friends, who passed a couple years, died the day before Future brought me out at Rolling Loud, back in 2018. He passed while I was on the way to RL. So we made “1262”, it was just me and my brothers. It’s like a code. And over the years, it’s always been a code. But also over the years it turned into a planet for me. When i’m at the studio, it feel like I’m on another planet. Like I’m not on earth, even though I’m just in the studio. That’s how I turned it into the name (of the project). That’s why the stars on the (“1262”) mixtape cover, are actually a couple of my cousins who passed. That’s why you see their names, kind of like the Big Dipper. They help create this idea, in a way.
And not to get too negative, you lost a good friend of yours with Lil Keed late last year. And even going back before then, R5 Homixide. Which I just found out from a rewatch, also made a cameo in your legendary “Churches Pepper” MV. So my question for you is how do you stay positive losing so many friends in the industry?
I just stay in the studio and stay working. This is where I’m at. This is my sanctuary. The studio is the best place. Work keeps me distracted. Instead of talking to people, it’s easier for me to talk about it in a song.
I know you from Atlanta,specifically Decatur. what made you take music serious, like was there a certain artist that inspired you?
Growing up I always wanted to be like Michael Jackson. (Especially)seeing n*ggas like Andre 3000, sh*t like that. And then when my cousin, Pluto(Future) made it, I was seeing but it was (more) hands-on. Because I already knew that he was on that type level. He wasn’t finna be no rapper, that was just gonna fall off. I already knew that as a kid. So seeing it hands-on, right there, it’s different than watching it on tv.
I peeped you finna be out in Texas for SXSW with the YSL so I have to ask as an artist what do you fuck with more? Performing or Recording?
Definitely recording and making music. But performing lit though, fasho! I love performing because I like being with the fans and shit. But making a song for the fans, I like that better. Because it’s like a surprise. Performing, they already know what’s finna happen. Mixtape they don’t know what’s gon happen. I could drop one tonight and they gon be surprised they’ll be more happier. But they (still) be happy as hell to see me too. Have you ever thought of it like that?
Nah. To be honest, never. To me, performing always seemed very nerve wrecking.
That shit cool too. When I’m on stage it be lit. Before I was an artist, I used to be watching Michael Jackson. I just wanted to be on stage. Being on stage is lit, (especially) the energy. The way I look at is, I’m putting in all this work to drop this album. Then performing, the job well done. When I’m on stage, that muthaf*cka so packed, and the crowd going crazy. All I can do is just sit there and smile, and have a moment. Those be the best moments out of this shit.
So you never went through a time where you had stage fright?
Hell nah! I been on stage and performing since I was little at church and sh*t. My mom and them shook that stage fright and nervousness out of me early. But I was never type of kid anyway. My mom said they always knew I was gonna be like this.
They could tell that you didn’t have a lowkey personality?
Hell yeah! Fasho.
You got one of the homies/one of my fav producers, DB, to produce a couple of songs on this project. Can you explain to me how you decide and what you look for when it comes to production to your music?
DB that’s lil bro right there. He go crazy. ATLJacob be knowing where to find them. DB go hard. That’s how I met him, through Jacob, in person. I be looking for different vibes. I don’t just look for one type of sound. I just be doing whatever I feel like doing. It don’t matter. It depends on who play the beat, and if they know what to play. I don’t never just look for certain type beats, like drill beats. I wouldn’t even know how to decipher the name of beats. All I know is like south type beat or up north type beat. I know (beats) from an old-school way. I don’t know these new-school genres. (Guap chuckles) I can rap on all genres. My beat selection go off my moods.
My fav track gotta be “No Rest”, especially bc you got two heavy hitters with 1504 Mute Baby & Lil Double 00. Can you speak on how that song came to fruition?
DYKrazy put that together. He had called me up to the studio. And anytime he call me to the studio, I pull up. When I got up there, (Lil) Double 0 and Mute(1504 Mutebaby) was already up there. And Mute from the Eastside. We been knowing each other, since forever. We locked in and did the song. We actually did a couple songs that night. But we end up liking no record. And DY was like that shit hard. Let’s shoot the video. So I was like yeah, we can shoot the video, just call me whenever you’re ready. He was like I’m ready, let’s shoot the video tomorrow. I was like just call me and we’ll pull up to shoot it. ShotsByWolf shot that sh*t so quick. That sh*t crazy.
We going to eventually hear them other songs you did with 1504 Mutebaby, or y’all scrapped them?
Hell nah. I don’t really scrap songs. Because all my sh*ts be hits. I just don’t know when it’s gonna come out. But don’t sh*t get scrapped. Shit get made, I don’t make scraps. (Guap laughs)
Can we expect a deluxe for “1262”?
Fasho. I’ll probably going to drop a deluxe, just cause that’s what the industry doing now. And that sh*t easy, just dropping new songs. I’m definitely dropping a deluxe. I don’t know when, but it’s definitely gonna be ASAP. Because I ain’t finna be dwelling on “1262” mixtape too long. I was just giving y’all my planet. I got other sh*t to show y’all. But I’m def giving y’all a deluxe, in the next couple weeks. I don’t do all that waiting. When I say I’m dropping, I’m dropping.
My last question for you, is what else can fans expect the rest of 2023?
Just expect Guap. It ain’t nothing else to say for real. Just expect Guap. G.U.A.P. That’s why that was was the first song on the mixtape, it’s the capital.
Stream 1263 below:
