Gunna Officially Parts Ways With YSL and Launches His Own Record Label

Atlanta rapper Gunna has entered a new chapter of his music career, moving forward independently from Young Stoner Life Records (YSL) and establishing his own record label, marking a significant change in his longtime association with Young Thug’s music empire.

The move represents more than a change in business affiliation for the Grammy-nominated artist, whose rise to mainstream success was closely connected to Young Thug and the YSL collective. After years of speculation about his relationship with the label following the high-profile Georgia racketeering case, Gunna is now building a separate business identity around his own music and future artists.

The transition comes as Gunna continues to establish himself as an international hip-hop star, with a career that has survived legal controversy, public criticism and one of the most closely watched disputes in Atlanta rap history.

His decision to pursue his own label also raises questions about what comes next for his recording career, including potential new artist signings, distribution partnerships and the extent of his future involvement with the YSL brand.

Gunna’s Rise Through Young Thug’s YSL Empire

Gunna, born Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, became one of the defining artists of Atlanta’s melodic trap movement after signing with Young Thug’s YSL Records in 2016.

The partnership helped introduce Gunna to a national audience, with Young Thug serving as both an influential collaborator and an early supporter of his career.

Gunna steadily developed his own sound through the Drip Season mixtape series before reaching a broader audience with his 2018 collaborative project Drip Harder alongside Lil Baby.

The project produced the hit single “Drip Too Hard,” which became one of the most recognizable songs of both artists’ careers.

His commercial success continued with albums including Drip or Drown 2, Wunna and DS4Ever, establishing him as one of YSL’s most successful recording artists.

By the early 2020s, Gunna had become a central figure in the label’s identity, regularly collaborating with Young Thug and other members of the Atlanta music scene.

That close association made the eventual breakdown in their relationship especially consequential.

The YSL Criminal Case Changed Everything

Gunna’s relationship with YSL came under intense scrutiny in May 2022, when he and Young Thug were among those charged in a sweeping Georgia racketeering case.

Fulton County prosecutors alleged that YSL was not simply a record label but also operated as a criminal street gang.

The defendants and their legal representatives challenged various aspects of the prosecution’s allegations.

Gunna spent several months in custody before resolving his case in December 2022 through an Alford plea to a racketeering-conspiracy charge.

An Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors possess enough evidence to potentially secure a conviction.

Gunna received a five-year sentence, with one year commuted to time served and the remaining four years suspended subject to conditions.

He was released from custody shortly afterward.

Although Gunna maintained that he had not cooperated with prosecutors against Young Thug or agreed to testify against anyone, his plea became the subject of intense criticism within parts of the hip-hop community.

Some artists and fans interpreted his courtroom statements as a betrayal of YSL, while others argued that his legal resolution did not establish that he had provided testimony against Young Thug.

Gunna publicly rejected the accusations that he had informed on his former associates.

The controversy created a lasting divide between the rapper and parts of the Atlanta music industry, even as he continued releasing successful records.

Gunna Announces SB THE LABEL With Atlantic Music Group

On October 9, 2026, Gunna formally announced the launch of SB THE LABEL, his new record imprint established in partnership with Atlantic Music Group.

The rapper will serve as the company’s chief executive officer, taking direct responsibility for building its roster and developing emerging talent.

The announcement also confirmed that the label has already signed three Atlanta artists: Casper Bluff, Nechie and Dracc.

In a statement accompanying the launch, Gunna described the company as the beginning of a new phase of his career.

“SB THE LABEL represents the beginning of a new chapter for me,” he said.

He explained that bringing Casper Bluff, Nechie and Dracc into the company was important because of their personal relationships and shared musical background.

“For me, this is about stepping into a new role, expanding what I can create, and building something that represents where I’m headed next.”

The decision represents a significant professional transition. Rather than operating exclusively as a recording artist within another rapper’s label, Gunna now has a company through which he can develop artists and expand his influence behind the scenes.

Three Atlanta Artists Become the Label’s First Signings

SB THE LABEL is launching with a roster centered on Atlanta, the city that helped shape Gunna’s musical identity.

Casper Bluff is among the first artists signed to the new company, alongside Nechie, a longtime Gunna collaborator who has previously appeared on projects associated with the rapper.

The third artist, Dracc, has attracted attention within Atlanta’s underground music scene, including through his track “P Star.”

The three signings establish an early direction for the label: developing emerging talent from the same regional music community that produced Gunna, Young Thug and numerous other influential hip-hop artists.

Although Gunna has not announced a full release schedule for the roster, the initial signings suggest the company is intended to operate as an active record label rather than simply a business name attached to his solo recordings.

Atlantic Music Group Chairman and CEO Elliot Grainge welcomed the partnership, describing Gunna as an influential figure in contemporary hip-hop.

The arrangement gives Gunna an established industry partner while allowing him to build a distinct label identity.

Gunna Releases “Pop It” Featuring Coco Gauff in the Music Video

Gunna celebrated the announcement by releasing a new single, “pop it,” accompanied by an official music video directed by Spike Jordan.

The visual features professional tennis star Coco Gauff, who appears alongside the rapper in scenes involving a tennis court.

Gauff’s appearance adds an unexpected sports crossover to the rollout, connecting one of hip-hop’s most recognizable Atlanta artists with one of tennis’s biggest American stars.

The video also features Gunna’s newly signed artists, introducing the SB THE LABEL roster to a wider audience.

“pop it” is expected to appear on Gunna’s upcoming album, Splurge.

The release marks an important milestone because it is being presented as the first single of his new independent chapter.

His Final YSL Album Was The Last Wun

Gunna’s departure follows the release of his sixth studio album, The Last Wun, in August 2025.

The project debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and served as his final album under YSL Records.

The album’s title now carries additional significance, marking the conclusion of the recording agreement that helped establish his career.

Despite the public controversy surrounding his legal case and relationship with former associates, Gunna maintained substantial commercial success during his final years with the label.

His post-incarceration albums A Gift & a Curse and One of Wun demonstrated his ability to sustain an audience without relying on frequent collaborations with other major Atlanta rappers.

That continued success positioned him to pursue a more independent business arrangement.

The creation of SB THE LABEL formalizes that transition.

What Gunna’s Departure Means for Young Thug and YSL

Gunna’s exit is a notable development for YSL because he was one of the label’s most commercially successful artists.

His relationship with Young Thug helped define an influential era of Atlanta hip-hop, producing records that shaped the melodic trap sound of the late 2010s and early 2020s.

Their collaborations included “Pushin P,” “Ski” and several songs across their respective albums and YSL compilation projects.

Although Gunna and Young Thug have been the subject of public speculation about their relationship since the 2022 criminal case, the announcement of SB THE LABEL is fundamentally a business development.

Neither the label announcement nor the available statements establish the precise private circumstances surrounding Gunna’s departure.

It would therefore be premature to describe the move as the result of a newly confirmed personal confrontation between the two artists.

Young Thug continues to operate within the YSL brand, while Gunna is pursuing a separate executive and recording career.

Gunna Enters a New Era as a Label Executive

For Gunna, the formation of SB THE LABEL represents an opportunity to expand beyond his established role as a hitmaking rapper.

He now faces a different set of responsibilities, including artist development, marketing, creative direction and the long-term commercial performance of the musicians signed to his company.

The partnership with Atlantic Music Group provides industry infrastructure, but the success of the new imprint will depend on whether Gunna can translate his own popularity into sustainable careers for other artists.

With Casper Bluff, Nechie and Dracc already signed, the label has begun that process.

Meanwhile, the release of “pop it” and preparations for Splurge indicate that Gunna has no intention of slowing down his own recording career.

After a decade associated with Young Thug’s YSL Records, the Atlanta rapper is officially entering a new phase—this time as the head of his own label.

And with SB THE LABEL now established, Gunna is betting that the next generation of Atlanta hip-hop can become part of his legacy.