Pure Sky feat. Gud (@yg_swe) — The Sad Boys cofounder who helped spawn the genre of our generation. This intro can’t do justice to the sheer surface area that Gud’s influence has reached over the past decade, but if you’ve ever listened to any form of cloud rap, he is at the top of the list of people you should thank. In recent years he’s collaborated with artists like Rx Papi and RealYungPhil, dropped a punk record with Död Mark, and released “Rooster Debut,” one of our favorite EPs of the 20’s, under his solo act “Rooster.” Read on for our Q&A and click here to listen to a playlist curated by Gud.
What should people do while listening to this playlist?
Fall in love, go for a walk, rent a car, get a flight.
You’ve been vocal about the issues you had with Sweden growing up. What’s keeping you around?
At this point I barely remember what my issues were at the time. I imagine something about the rap scene being shit and it being boring here. Nowadays me still being out here is more about being lazy and struggling to see the point in doing most things. I do like it out here tho, boring but its home, you know?
Your influence has trickled into so many different sounds over the past decade. What’s it been like watching it spread through culture so deeply?
I don’t really know about my influence. Or I just don’t think about it. I’m just trying to get to the next thing.
In the past couple years, you’ve worked on music with American guys like RealYungPhil, Rx Papi, and the Surf crew. What about rap’s direction is moving you these days?
Feel like artists and producers that have been popping up in the last 5 or so years think more like me. Musically I feel like have more in common with others now than before. I didn’t like a lot of what was coming out of the ”underground” for a long time.
Do you have any studio rituals?
I burn incense and I dance.
After everything you and Lean have accomplished in hip hop, moving into punk rock territory with Död Mark must feel like a victory lap. Where did the energy for that sound come from? Where do you take it next?
I’ve always been into metal and punk and we were really into Ice Age and Lifelover at the time so we wanted to make some hard shit too. As far as the sound, we never really know where it’s going to go, and we only do Död Mark when there’s a pretty concrete vision. There might be another record, might not.
Sad Boys was born on an Internet that felt so much more prone to exploration and experimentation than what kids get today. It seems like discovery algorithms have really damaged the creative process. Could SBE have happened in 2025?
It’s impossible to say if our shit could’ve happened now. People say things are getting less and less inspired and that it’s all algorithmic and whatever.
That might be true, but I feel like music is better now than it’s been for ages. Only thing might be that a lot of shit kinda references past trends, but we we’re kinda doing that too in the beginning.
The Rooster EP was the first solo project you’ve put out since “Beautiful Wonderful” in 2014. What was different about what you wanted to say this time around?
Honestly the Beautiful Wonderful EP was so long ago that it almost doesn’t feel like I made it. It has very little to do with what I’m on these days. The Rooster project is just about saying things that are true, good, or bad.
Walk us down your most recent YouTube rabbit hole:
I’m mostly watching shit about China and Swedenborg. A lot of live shows too. Guns n Roses Live at The Ritz 1988 is fire.
Will there be another Rooster project in the future?
Rooster CD out soon.
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