Oakland rapper Vell has teamed up with fellow local wordsmith G-Eazy for a new, masterfully turned-up version of his Gusto-featuring single "Out The Way." G-Eazy comes on strong in his love for his city: Always remember where you from and stay true/ …Reppin' every time I do a verse/ Bay to the universe. There's no mistaking that these two artists are proud of their roots, and it’s the very thing that lies at the heart of this collaboration: Rappers want a favor/ I need money, nothings free/ Unless your name is Vell, I don't even charge a fee/ Being real ain't really that hard to be, continues G. This love letter to The Bay follows in the footsteps of Vell's "Oakland," a track he did with DJ Mustard, which became an anthem for his hometown and was one of the Warriors' theme songs during their Championship Playoff run.
"When I made the I'm really from Oakland record, I never envisioned it touching one of the most versatile artists blowing up out of The Bay,” said Vell in an email to the FADER. “But when [G-Eazy] first reached out and had me perform it at his sold-out show at the Fox Oakland Theater it truly inspired me. Coming from where I’m from and going thru the shit that be poppin' off in the Oakland I live in, I never could have imagined experiencing that. It really pushed me to go hard on the new project GONE TOO FAR. I really wanted to put something out that said 'I really do this music shit and I'm really here to stay'. A couple days after I dropped the project I got a text from G sayin' 'check your email,' it was a verse to 'Out The Way.'"
