EST Gee
{{short description|American rapper}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = EST Gee
| image =
| alt =
| caption = EST Gee in 2022
| birth_name = George Albert Stone III{{Cite web|url=http://kool.corrections.ky.gov/KOOL/Details/481912|title = Offender Information - Kentucky Department of Corrections - Offender Online Lookup System|website=Kool.corrections.ky.gov}}
| alias = {{hlist|Big Gee|Lamborghini Geeski|Riata Dada |5500 king|El Toro}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|05|11}} Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
| genre = {{hlist|Hip hop|trap}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Rapper|songwriter}}
| years_active = 2017–present
| label = {{hlist|Collective|Interscope|Warlike}}
| associated_acts = {{hlist|42 Dugg|Moneybagg Yo|Yo Gotti}}
| website = {{URL|est-gee.com}}
}}
George Albert Stone III (born May 11, 1994), known professionally as EST Gee, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, he signed with Yo Gotti's Collective Music Group (CMG), an imprint of Interscope Records in a joint venture with Warlike in early 2021.{{Cite web|author=Robby Seabrook III|title=The Break Presents: EST Gee|url=https://www.xxlmag.com/est-gee-interview-the-break/|access-date=July 23, 2021|website=XXL Mag|date=March 3, 2021 |language=en}}{{Cite web|date=July 16, 2021|title=EST Gee Is Having a Breakout Year, So Why Is He So Apathetic?|url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/est-gee-interview/|access-date=July 23, 2021|website=Pitchfork}} His fifth mixtape, Bigger Than Life or Death, released in July of that year and peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200.{{Cite web|last=Sykes|first=Calvin|date=July 21, 2021|title=Louisville's EST Gee learned how to focus on the football field|url=https://andscape.com/features/louisvilles-est-gee-learned-how-to-focus-on-the-football-field/|access-date=July 23, 2021|website=Andscape}}{{Cite web|date=July 22, 2021|title=Jay-Z Told EST Gee Not To Bring His Ghostwriter To The Studio|url=https://uproxx.com/music/jay-z-est-gee-ghostwriter-studio/|access-date=July 23, 2021|website=Uproxx}} It spawned the Billboard Hot 100-charting songs "Lick Back" and "5500 Degrees" (featuring Lil Baby, 42 Dugg, and Rylo Rodriguez). His debut studio album, I Never Felt Nun (2022) was met with similar success, peaking at number eight on the Billboard 200.{{cite web|url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.66163/title.est-gee-bigger-than-life-or-death-part-2-album-no-features|title=EST Gee Announces 'Bigger Than Life Or Death Part 2' Album|work=HipHopDX|last=Walker|first=Joe|date=November 30, 2021|access-date=December 3, 2021}}
Early life
George Albert Stone III was born on May 11, 1994, in Louisville, Kentucky to George and Sheila Stone. He grew up in the now demolished Clarksdale Projects before moving to Tubman Court & Ellington Avenue in the southeastern part of the city.{{Cite web|title=George Stone III - Football|url=https://gosycamores.com/sports/football/roster/george-stone-iii/2870|access-date=July 27, 2021|website=Indiana State University Athletics|language=en}} After graduating St. Xavier High School in 2012, Stone received a football scholarship to Indiana State University and majored in communications. He spent two years there before transferring to Sac City College. After just a year he transferred again to Stephen F. Austin University. Stone dropped out of college in 2016.{{Cite web|title=George III - Football|url=https://sfajacks.com/sports/football/roster/george-iii/332|access-date=July 27, 2021|website=Stephen F. Austin State University Athletics|language=en}} He was arrested for drug trafficking in the same year and was sentenced to four months of house arrest.{{Cite web|title=EST Gee On Quitting Athletic Scholarship For Football To Facing 10 Years For Trafficking Marijuana| date=June 19, 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z73lq_g-rBo|via=YouTube|access-date=July 23, 2021}}
During 2017, he was briefly on the CFL team the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/players/george-stone/163056/|title=George Stone|website=Cfl.ca|accessdate=December 9, 2021}}
Career
During his house arrest, Stone became motivated to pursue a rap career after watching rapper and future collaborator Lil Baby perform on TV.{{Cite web|last=III|first=Robby Seabrook|title=The Break Presents: EST Gee|url=https://www.xxlmag.com/est-gee-interview-the-break/|access-date=2022-01-12|website=XXL Mag|date=March 3, 2021 |language=en}} He initially adopted the name "Big Gee" before switching to "EST Gee", in which EST is an acronym for "Everybody Shines Together".{{Cite web|url=https://www.shazam.com/track/403282394/stains|title=Shazam|website=Shazam|access-date=December 9, 2021}} He released his debut song "Stains" as "Big Gee" on YouTube on December 17, 2017.{{Cite web|title=EST Gee - Stains (Official Video)| date=December 17, 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9rMhV6uK6Q|via=YouTube|access-date=July 23, 2021}} He continued to release consistently through YouTube, gaining himself a local fanbase. He released his first and second mixtapes El Toro and Die Bloody in June and August 2019, respectively.
EST Gee gained mainstream attention with his third mixtape Ion Feel Nun on March 6, 2020, following it up with his fourth mixtape I Still Don't Feel Nun on December 18, 2020.{{Cite web|last=Vigil|first=Dom|title=EST Gee Shares New Project, "I Still Don't Feel Nun" |website=Preludepress.com|date=December 18, 2020 |url=https://preludepress.com/news/2020/12/18/est-gee-shares-new-project-i-still-dont-feel-nun/|access-date=July 23, 2021}} In January 2021, EST Gee signed a deal with Yo Gotti's Collective Music Group (CMG), Interscope Records and Warlike. He featured on Lil Baby's single "Real as It Gets", which became his first Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at number 34.{{Cite magazine|title=Lil Baby Chart History (Hot 100)|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/lil-baby/chart-history/hsi/|access-date=August 4, 2021|magazine=Billboard}}
His fifth mixtape Bigger Than Life or Death was released on July 21, 2021. It features guest appearances from Future, Young Thug, Pooh Shiesty, and Lil Durk.{{Cite web|title=Listen to EST Gee's new mixtape Bigger Than Life Or Death|url=https://www.thefader.com/2021/07/21/listen-to-est-gees-new-mixtape-bigger-than-life-or-death|access-date=July 23, 2021|website=The Fader}} He explained the meaning of the project to Audiomack: "It's just telling you what's going on. And what I got going on right now is bigger than life or death. Can't nothing affect me or stop me. Even if I die, that ain't gonna do nothing but make me bigger. I'm not dying until I make a hundred million, make that two hundred million". The mixtape debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200 with roughly 30,000 units.
It was followed by the release of a deluxe edition, Bigger Than Life or Death, Pt. 2, on December 3, 2021, containing no features, as well as an additional three tracks on December 17 with features from Yo Gotti, Future, and Moneybagg Yo.
Personal life
EST Gee's mother died in March 2020 due to leukemia and his brother died a week later in a shooting in Louisville.{{Cite web|via=YouTube|title=EST Gee Talks About Getting Shot 5 Times, Louisville Police Not Wanting Him To Perform In The City|date=March 13, 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiKVd0aaRno|access-date=July 23, 2021}}
EST Gee was shot five times in September 2019 following a music video shoot for his song "Taught Different", getting hit in the stomach four times and once on his left eye.{{Cite web|via=YouTube|title=EST Gee On Linking With Yo Gotti, Repping Kentucky, Getting Shot, New Project + More|date=July 21, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfVZeQARstU|access-date=July 23, 2021}} His brother was hit in the leg. They were transported to a hospital and Stone was discharged after two weeks. Following surgery, Stone has retained most vision in his eye.
Discography
=Studio albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of studio albums, with selected details ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:19em;" | Album details ! scope="col" colspan="2" | Peak chart positions |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | US {{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2022-10-01/|title=The Billboard 200: Week of October 1, 2022|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 27, 2022}}
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | US
|
|---|
| scope="row" | I Never Felt Nun
|
| 8 | 3 |
| scope="row" | I Aint Feeling You
|
| 97 | - |
= Compilation albums =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Title ! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Details ! colspan="1" scope="col" |Peak chart positions |
| scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;" |US |
|---|
| scope="row" |Gangsta Art {{Small|(with CMG the Label)}} |
|
=Mixtapes=
= Singles =
== As lead artist ==
== As featured artist ==
= Other charted songs =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+List of other charted songs, with year released, and album name shown ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="4"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Certifications ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| CAN ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NZ |
|---|
| scope="row"| "5500 Degrees" {{small|(featuring Lil Baby, 42 Dugg and Rylo Rodriguez)}} | rowspan="2"| 2021 | 92 || 34 || — || — | | Bigger Than Life or Death |
| scope="row"| "Switches & Dracs" {{small|(Moneybagg Yo featuring Lil Durk and EST Gee)}} | 69 || 25 || — || — | |
| scope="row"| "Ice Talk" {{small|(with 42 Dugg)}} | rowspan="3"| 2022 | —{{efn-ua|"Ice Talk" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 21 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.}} || — || — || — | | Last Ones Left |
| scope="row"| "Chickens" {{small|(Future featuring EST Gee)}} | 26 || 15 || 62 || — | |
| scope="row"| "Back and Forth" {{small|(with Lil Baby)}} | 68 || 30 || — || — | |
| scope="row"| "Ball Like Me Too"
| 2023 | — || 49 || — || — | | Mad |
Notes
{{notelist-ua}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{EST Gee}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gee, EST}}
Category:Interscope Records artists
Category:21st-century American male musicians
Category:21st-century American rappers
Category:Rappers from Kentucky
Category:Musicians from Louisville, Kentucky
Category:African-American male rappers
Category:21st-century American male rappers
Category:American trap musicians