Since breaking into music in 2016, Lil Pump has become one of the most prominent members of the SoundCloud rap scene. What was Pump’s first song?
Lil Pump’s first song was the self-titled single “Lil Pump”, uploaded to SoundCloud in 2016. His first major-studio single was “Boss”, originally posted on SoundCloud but later released as part of his debut album, “Lil Pump”, on June 6, 2017.
For more on Lil Pump and his music career, read on.
Background
Gazzy Garcia was born in Miami, Florida on August 17, 2000. Garcia’s parents are Colombian and divorced when he was six years old.
At thirteen years old, Garcia’s cousin, who recorded music under the name Lil Ominous, introduced him to another rapper, Smokepurpp. Smokepurpp, real name Omar Pineiro, and Garcia became friends and would later work together.
Both Garcia and Pineiro had tumultuous school lives, both getting expelled multiple times. With few education opportunities still open to him, Garcia enrolled in an opportunity high school but continued getting into fights. He was ultimately expelled again in the tenth grade after inciting a riot on the school premises.
Despite his eventual profession, Garcia had little interest in becoming a musician in his youth and only began embracing his musical side when Pineiro asked him to try.
Music
Smokepurpp recorded a track and asked Garcia to perform a freestyle rap over it. He recorded the results and the single, named “Lil Pump”, was uploaded to SoundCloud in 2016.
The duo continued producing more songs together, including “Elementary”, “Ignorant” and “Drum$tick”. Each of these songs was streamed more than three million times on the platform.
With his popularity quickly growing thanks to his strong online presence, Lil Pump became well known in South Florida’s underground rap scene. He became synonymous with the term “SoundCloud rap”, as one of the most prominent proponents of the genre.
He first toured in 2016, co-headlining the No Jumper tour, and also performed at festivals.
2017 would see Pump exploding in popularity. His singles “D Rose” and “Boss” combined to earn him more than 70 million streams.
A music video was produced for “D Rose” and has gained more than 190 million views on YouTube. Pump’s staggering online popularity led to him being signed by Warner Records on June 9, 2017, two months before his 17th birthday.
While working on his debut album with Warner Records, Pump released “Gucci Gang”, his first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching as high as number 2. The song would go on to be certified triple platinum by the RIAA.
Pump’s self-titled debut album, “Lil Pump” was released on October 6, 2017, and features collaborations with his friend Smokepurpp, as well as Gucci Mane, Chief Keef, Rick Ross, and 2 Chainz. The album debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Career and Controversy
In January 2018, Pump’s contract with Warner Records was voided due to his being a minor when the deal was signed. There was significant interest in signing him, with fellow artists such as Gucci Mane and DJ Khaled reportedly making Pump significant offers.
In February, Pump was arrested for discharging a firearm in an inhabited place. His manager claimed that three men had attempted to break into Pump’s home and that they had fired the weapon. His mother was later investigated for having an unsecured firearm in their home.
Ultimately, Pump signed a new contract with his previous labels in March 2018, for a reported $8 million.
In August of that year, Pump was arrested for driving without a license and stated that he would be spending a few months in jail. He appeared on “Saturday Night Live” exactly a month later, with his manager stating that he had served some prison time.
Pump was arrested again following a performance in Copenhagen, Denmark on December 4, 2018. He was fined between $700 and $800 for possession of marijuana and banned from visiting the country for two years.
About a week later, Pump was involved in an airport incident in Miami for disorderly conduct after airport security wanted to search his bag for marijuana. No drugs were found but his behavior saw him taken into custody.
In February 2020, Pump claimed to have quit the music industry on his Instagram story. He returned days later to post a new song preview from his upcoming album, “Lil Pump 2.