Toronto underground rapper Gilla (formerly known as Gillatein) is prepping the release of his new mixtape Stay Solid Part 2, and today he's premiering his new music video "Pray For Me" with The FADER. Set in a junkyard, the clip has a lot of rap video staples: his crew Reps Up mobs behind him, decked out in gold chains, and there's even a high-profile cameo from Raekwon. But any prestige or glamor is washed away by Gilla's stark lyrics, which reveal a life corroded by crime. He's uncompromising in his self-assessment: "Lost my soul to these drugs and these Mac-11s/ You should pray for me/ But stay away from me."
“'Pray For Me' is about me putting in the necessary work to make it big, through all of the trials and tribulations," Gilla told The FADER over email. "A lot of us in Toronto/6ix have to navigate the streets to make our mark, so I want to make sure God doesn't curse my future kids, given the bumpy roads we had to drive over to make it.”