GWEN BUNN: Nothings into Somethings

Image Source: Gwen Bunn Twitter

Grammy-nominated producer, singer, and songwriter Gwen Bunn had no clue what would be in store for her when she left Berklee College of Music in Boston after only a year. A Decatur, Georgia native, Bunn felt as though school was weighing down her musical creative potential, so she left school to truly focus on her artistry.

Upon leaving, Bunn released her eight-track EP The Verdict in 2009, which was followed by a single titled “Do It For Me (No Autotune)” in 2010. In July of 2012, she appeared on BET’s 106 & Park program as part of its Wild Out Wednesday talent showcase and won the contest, which gained her some traction.

Image Source: Gwen Bunn Website

Soon after dropping out of school, Gwen Bunn was contacted by a few fellow producers, and they invited her to come to Los Angeles to work on some music together. This was Bunn’s first real trip by herself and way from her home in Georgia. In Los Angeles, Bunn and producer THC were jamming, and created a unique track. Feeling frustrated, THC almost threw out the track, but Gwen Bunn insisted they keep the distinct drum piece, and after she added her own flare through bass line and melody, the beginnings of SchoolBoy Q’s infamous bop “Collard Greens” came into existence.

Gwen Bunn’s name stuck out in Schoolboy Q’s credit list for his label debut album Oxymoron. Most of those credited on the album were Top Dog Entertainment’s trusted in-house producers, and almost all were male. Meanwhile, Gwen Bunn had made that iconic beat with no intention of it being used by such a popular artist, on such an important album, for such a massive record label.

Bunn, in an interview with LA Weekly, spoke to the spontaneity of it all:  “When I made that beat, there was no real vision for it to be a single on a popular artist’s album. We were just out to make a stupid dope beat. It’s amazing too because that stay was my first time ever coming out to Los Angeles and it produced the first single for a number one selling album. That wasn’t in my plans at all. I just wanted to go out there and do my best on whatever I happened to work on. I hope that more female hip-hop producers can experience something like that.”

Image Source: Vice Videos

After “Collard Greens” gained popularity and became one of the greatest rap songs of this generation, Bunn was offered a deal with BMG, a music publisher and record label. BMG wanted to sign her as a singer once the record label heard her mesmerizing sound, but Bunn was adamant to being signed as a producer. Now, she is signed as a producer and songwriter for BMG, which leaves Bunn in an interesting, powerful, and freeing space: she is paid to write and produce for names such as Childish Gambino, Syd, Ty Dolla $ign, Sean Paul and more, but she also retains full creative freedom and control over her own music.

Working independently is sacred to Gwen Bunn. She explains in a Vice video: “Yeah I wanna make whatever, whenever, and I wanna put it out whenever and that’s why staying independent is very important.”

Give a brief listen to her most recent release Safe Travels, which was released in February of 2018, and you can immediately feel the passion with which Gwen Bunn creates her music. Her voice is electric and smooth, and it coasts and vibes above funky, percussion-centered beats. She gives off Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and H.E.R. vibes, yet remains individual and unique in every way possible. Her music transcends genres, interweaving and mixing jazz, hip hop, neo-soul, and R&B.

Follow Gwen Bunn, listen to her music, and stay up to date with her new work here: Bandcamp / Twitter / Instagram / Spotify / SoundCloud / Website