G Herbo stands in the wood-paneled control room of a studio in Chicago’s River West neighborhood one afternoon in early May, playing potential tracks for his latest mixtape, Big Swerv (out Sept. 6). He recorded much of it right here in this studio, which served as his second home through the seismic turmoil of the past three years, a period that threatened to upend his career and nearly ended his life.
The mixtape builds on 2018’s Swervo , which takes the name of his alter ego. “One of my friends just gave me that name. It had a lot to do with my lifestyle, like living fast,” Herb, whose given name is Herbert Randall Wright III, tells Rolling Stone .
“I was making a lot of money at a young age, and we used to call it swerves.” “So Big Swerv is me coming into my adulthood,” Herb, 28, adds. But it’s also him doing something he hasn’t previously been able to do: let loose with his music.
“The music is a lot more mature than anything I’ve probably ever put out. It’s me having fun, though, too. Like, I never really did a lot of those party records, club records, like the catchy anthems.
” The party vibes of the music, not to mention Herb’s infectious smile and sincerity, belie a life full of rough moments. Today, he’s dressed in a Barrow white sweatshirt with colorful, graffiti-style artwork splashes; bright, vertically striped loose pants; and his signature Air Force 1 — his fit accented by a diamond-encrusted watch, bracelet, and chains that doub.