Gunplay knows how the music industry works. It’s cutthroat, few can be trusted and he only shows love to those who have his back. After years of trying to make a name for himself through Ross’ Triple C’s, Gunplay (Don Logan), has finally found a place where he fits in with the MMG camp. Check out the rest of the interview after the jump.

It’s a perfect match where Rozay utilizes Gunplay’s mix of hype and energy (Rollin’ feat. Waka Flocka) as well as emotional storytelling (“Salt all in my wounds/Hear my tears all in my tunes/Let my life loose in this booth just for you,” –Cartoon & Cereal) as the final piece to fill out this complex MMG puzzle filled with versatile characters such as Wale, Meek Mill, and Omarion. The Miami native, who grew up like many rappers did messing with the drug game, had previously dropped an album with the Carol City Cartel back in ’09 with Custom Cars & Cycles as well as rapped on a fair share of features with the bawse himself. He hadn’t found his niche until recently, he instantly gained nation-wide recognition with the help two verses, the MMG family gathering intro track on Self Made Vol. 2, “Power Circle,” and his finishing verse on Kendrick Lamar’s “Cartoon & Cereal,” in which Complex ranked it as number three on its “Best Guest Verses of 2012.” Listen to that verse, and you’ll hear the story of a man who has gone through enough experiences –good and bad– which will be put on blast on his solo album as he told us it’s currently in the works. KarenCivil.com caught up with Gunplay’s hectic travel schedule to speak with him about loyalty, his rough upbringing in Miami, God Forgives, I don’t, and his thoughts on whom his top three rappers in hip-hop are at the moment.
Interview by Michael Nguyen

You started getting all this hype and fame a few years ago with Triple C’s. Now it seems like you’re on a whole ‘nother level right now with MMG. How does it feel working alongside some of the best rappers in the game right now?
I feels real good. They’re talented artists. It keeps you on your toes and to perfect your craft. It’s not really a competition. It makes you work harder and to hone your skills a bit more. Be sharper. Sort of like a racecar driver, you got to get your own lane.

One of the things you always talk about is loyalty in a cutthroat industry. How much does loyalty play a role with you being in MMG?
You got to be loyal because you see people come before you and if you weren’t a loyal dude, and you were just a flying bucket, that would bother you. You’ll be like the rest of the dudes starting a fuss and all that stupid-ass shit and you just look stupid. Then you’re broke at the end of the day. You have to be loyal and work harder.

With rap groups, there’s a bunch of talent in the room. With MMG, does it get competitive with each other? Like do all you guys try to compete with one another to come up with the best verse, best record?
Nah. There’s no competition because nobody in MMG can do what I do. I can’t do what anybody else does in MMG. We never bump heads. We just see who does their thing on the track. We all got different styles.

And all those styles combined on Power Circle, where everybody jumped on the track. What makes that the perfect record to start off the album?
That’s all Rozay. He’s the brainchild and he heard the vision on it so we did what we did on it. We had the right artists on there all did something that the people want to hear. It’s like food that sticks to your ribs. That’s what we gave them.

Are those fun records to be a part of? Records where you just have the whole family come together and drop verse after verse.
Yeah. Absolutely. At the shows, that’s where it really turns up. That’s when we got the whole squad on deck and we play the record and everybody gets to do their thing and the fans get to see their favorite artist. If it ain’t all of them, they get to see someone they like.

And which verse did you like more? The one you had on Power Circle or the one you did on Cartoon & Cereal?
Hmm, that’s a good one. I like both of them equally. They both did their jobs. They both got me where I needed to go and got me the recognition, exposure, and respect as an artist. I can’t really pick from those two but they were both powerhouse verses.

Although you had some great verses on the album, did you feel like you should’ve been on more songs on Self-Made Vol. 2?
Not really. It don’t matter to me if I’m on it. If you put me on one song, two songs, it doesn’t really matter. [Laughs]

With Rick Ross, what are some things he does to help you get better that the fans don’t get to see?
Tough love. The fans don’t see that. He’ll let you fall on your face. He’ll tell you and let you fall on your face and walk right past you. He’ll tell you to pick yourself up and keep going. He’s not going to hold your hand, but he’ll take you to the bank. It’s like you know how to break in it, then cool. Do your thing. [Laughs] You see the blueprint of success. If you can’t follow the blueprint, then you’re wasting his time and your own time. I’ve been following the blueprint and it works.

What do you think about Ross’ God Forgives, I don’t?
It’s his best body of work. Hands down. Every song, everything shows his growth over the years. The growth is crazy. I’m not saying that because he’s the big dog, I listened to it. Everybody in the MMG family did their thing on it. It’s a well-put together body of work.

What does July 31^st mean to MMG?
We officially number one. We’re officially the number one label in the rap game. It feels real good. To see the big dog on the pedestal like that, he deserved it. He didn’t cut no corners to get there, nobody gave him a hand, you got to respect that.

Is Ross a top-3 rapper in the game right now?
Yeah.

Who’s the other two?
I’d say Jay-Z and [long pause]. I don’t know. Drake’s consistent with his music. He’s up there too.

Do you think the chemistry you have with Ross is a bit stronger since you’ve known him a bit longer than some of the other guys on MMG?
I don’t know. That would be up to him to say. We got our own –that’s my brother. It ain’t going nowhere.

Before all of your success, you talked about how hard life was grinding everyday as well as your past issues with drugs. Did you ever think of giving up on rap at any time?
Yeah. I was just hoping one day it would come true and kept on working towards it.

And right now, you’re one of the most buzzed-about names in hip-hop. Unlike a lot of today’s rappers, you’re a bit older than them. Do you think that in any way gives you an advantage over a 20-year-old rapper, for example?
Not necessarily. It’s a young artist’s game. Just me being a little older does give me a bit more insight and makes me a bit wiser, but it’s still a competition. You got another 13-year-old coming up every day. You have to secure your spot. Some people wake up and I just do what I do. I make sure I go hard in the streets.

Interview by Michael Nguyen