REASON
Image via HotNewHipHop
If you have been paying any attention to music over the last few years, you are well aware that TDE has yet to miss with a signee. They have not only put together a roster full of some of the most talented rappers in the game, but have also started to build a rather impressive list of R&B artists too. Their 2018 signee, Carson, California’s REASON aka Robert Gill is just as exciting as his fellow labelmates were when they first signed to the label. TDE announced REASON’s signing on August 8, 2018, with the release of his single, “The Soul.”
On the song, REASON raps about being from Del Almo Blvd. in Carson, California, the same street that Ab-Soul is from. He points out, “Never asked Soul for help ’cause I didn’t need it//Want him to be proud, I still respect him as a leader.” He also throws bars in like “Came from the bottom, so of course, I’m apprehensive of Top//Grew up with Crips, of course, I’m apprehensive of Rock//Feel I’m the greatest, of course, I’m apprehensive of Dot” referencing Top Dawg, Jay Rock, and Kendrick Lamar. A few months later, REASON would go on to re-release his 2017 mixtape, There You Have It as his TDE debut. He closed 2018 appearing with Casanova, Phora, and Shawn Smith on a BET Cypher.
After opening up for Jay Rock on his Redemption Tour in 2018, REASON went on to open up for Dreamville’s J.I.D on his Catch Me If You Can Tour in 2019 along with Lou The Human. In March of the same year, he dropped a remix to J. Cole’s “Middle Child” which he not only delivered bars on, but also used the song as an opportunity to shoot his shot at Summer Walker; “Somebody tell Summer Walker that I don't need a date or a like baby, I just need a follow//Say she just need dick, we could trade off//I'ma shoot my shot, hope it pay off,” he rapped then continued to Tweet about.
REASON was also one of the many young rappers invited to Dreamville’s Revenge of the Dreamers III sessions in Atlanta. When the album released in July 2019, REASON appeared on one of the standout tracks, “LamboTruck” with Childish Major and Dreamville's Cozz, where he and Cozz rap about sitting on the bench behind other stars on their label and eventually decide to rob each other's label heads.
REASON closed off 2019 with 2 singles, “Same Ol Shit” and “Flick It Up” featuring Ab-Soul. He finished the year by creating a contest, offering his fans the opportunity to hop on a remix to “Flick It Up.” REASON released the remix in the first week of 2020, surprising listeners by throwing a Bas verse on the song. He once again took the opportunity to shoot his shot at an artist, this time with Doja Cat, rapping “I just might shoot my shot at Doja Cat (Yes, yes, sit on my face).”
When Revenge of the Dreamers III: Director's Cut was released in January 2020, REASON fans were blessed with another 2 features, on “Still Up” with Earthgang and “Revenge” with Ari Lennox, Earthgang, Childish Major, Lute, and Omen. REASON continued the hot streak in March, releasing “Show Stop” at the end of January and “Trapped In” with Ab-Soul and Boogie in March. As part of TDE Fan Appreciation week in April, he released, “Might Not Make It,” where he name drops everyone from his TDE labelmates to Donald Trump.
In October 2020, REASON released his debut album, New Beginnings with a star-studded list of features - ScHoolboy Q, Rapsody, Alemeda, Ab-Soul, Vince Staples, Isaiah Rashad, J.I.D, and Mereba. The project sees heights on “Stories I Forgot,” the Q assisted, “Pop Shit,” the lead single, “Flick It Up” with Ab-Soul, “Favorite N***a,” and “Extinct” which sees a surprising power trio of REASON, Isaiah Rashad, and J.I.D. REASON ended the year by dropping a surprise extended version of the song on December 31 featuring additional verses from Joey Bada$$, Westside Boogie, Denzel Curry, and Jack Harlow.
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