The hype over Gunplay’s deal with Def Jam has died down somewhat, so the up and coming rapper took a moment to reflect on the signing.

The Miami rapper discussed how the signing came about and revealed some of the details of the contract.

In an interview with XXL Magazine, Gunplay claimed that the negotiation process took around a month and that he was approached by several other labels.

“You know we was negotiating about a month or two, you know what I’m saying, just to get everything right. And just to get everything fair to where everybody could leave the table happy,” Gunplay said.

“Everything worked out just fine; we’re ready to move forward so it’s dry now so we’re just ready to make the best music possible. It was a few labels that was interested, but you know I just like to -- I don’t like moving around, I’m not a clique hopper, you know what I’m saying? I like to keep it in house. So that was the move I made and I just wanted to keep it in house.”

The rapper also touched on his past cocaine addiction and revealed that his mother helped him overcome it.

“It got pretty bad. It got bad. I can’t let it get to the point where I steal and shit…I’m back to reality,” he said. “I’m back to life. That shit gives you a fucked-up attitude. It makes you snap on people you love. It’s not you, it’s the chemical imbalance that happens in your brain from snorting up that shit. You don’t even realize it. You think it’s the world against you. ‘Nah nigga, your brain’s about to melt.’ My mama’s a nurse. She tells me about that shit. She knew I got high and she would just pray that I stopped. My mind is clear. I’m thinking way clearer and I’m not thinking on impulse much. I talk about it and acknowledge it.”

- By Fiona Guest