GodKing Lotto is riding a wave of success that doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down any time soon. His newest release – a single called ‘3 Kings’ featuring Yella Beezy and Jefe Rey – is the latest in a line of hot tracks that are blowing up the West Coast. But his fame isn’t limited to just the California coastline. Fans all over the U.S. are clamoring for more of his music. And for a humble convenience store owner from Compton, all that attention is humbling.
“I’m just a guy who’s trying to be real,” said the West Coast rapper whose journey has seen him climb from obscurity on the streets of Compton to jail, and eventually as a successful small business owner. “A lot of people are about hype and money, but I think money makes you more of the person you already are. If you’re already an asshole, you’ll be a bigger one if you have a bunch of bread. Some people in the music industry rap about things they don’t really live by, but I’m about everything I say in my songs. It’s real. It’s not a game. It’s not super extravagant what I’m saying. I’m just putting it together to make it sound fly. I really am about that life that I rap about. And I respect the real and the people in this world who keep it real and don’t lean on the next man’s flow or understanding. Just do your own thing and be yourself.”
Though part of his journey has been rocky, he never looked back and said he’s proud of the strides he’s made in building a stable life for himself. A big step forward in his life came when he purchased Shop Right in Compton on Long Beach Boulevard. The convenience store was previously owned by an elder gentleman who had struggled to make the business successful.
“I came in and made him an offer because I had a little bit of dough saved up,” GodKing said. “It was kind of rundown when I got it, and the guy who had owned it didn’t know anything about marketing or advertising or even having a balance sheet. Everybody needs money – it’s a necessity in life. I believe in striving to be financially free so you can live a less stressful life. I’ve been able to do that with this business.”
As GodKing got his business underway, he needed help and decided to reach out to one of his longtime friends, Jefe Rey. While working together in the store for a few weeks – Jefe serving as a kind of jack-of-all trades working security or running the cash register at times – the two of them started conversations about music. Those conversations turned into freestyle sessions which turned into collaborative writing. And pretty soon, Jefe had talked GodKing into pursuing his dream of being a successful recording artist.
The two have continued to work together over the years, and so it was a no-brainer for GodKing to seek out Jefe’s help with this most recent single, “3 Kings.” Hot off the success of his previous single, “Extra Fly,” GodKing’s new single is a rapid-fire hip hop jam that is sure to have fans bouncing. GodKing’s unique delivery is fast-paced and crisp with an edge that cannot be ignored. That delivery pairs perfectly with the notorious bars of Yella Beezy, and when Jefe Rey’s smooth lyrics drop, it makes for the perfect trio. Ultimately, the song is about the duality of good and evil. This is something that is elaborated upon in GodKing’s music video which is shot both in front of his convenience store in Compton and inside a church with a choir providing background vocals.
GodKing said the foundation for the single started with a verse he wrote many years ago at the beginning of his journey in music. Though he’d written off music as a career some years ago, now that he’s back and actively chasing after the opportunities before him, he said making a song that nods to his origins is something extremely fulfilling.
