Fire Starter: Chevy Woods
Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang is no one-man army: Meet Pittsburgh spitter Chevy Woods. About eight years ago, back when he went by the name Kev tha Hustla, the MC who hails from the Hazelwood section of the 'Burgh met Wiz at ID Labs studio. Immediately, the two collaborated and hit it off, forming a brotherly bond and a new crew called the Taylor Gang.
Woods developed a passion for rap while he attended Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania, but the street's allure was strong. It wasn't until 2009 when Wiz, who was seeing his star rise, convinced his bud to leave the block alone and focus on music.
"He was like, 'Come on, man. I'm gonna show you a different way. Let's make some money, real money. Leave that sh-- alone,' " Chevy told Mixtape Daily of his decision to switch hustles. "I just cut the street sh-- out."
As Kev tha Hustla, Chevy was buzzing and had already released tapes like The Corner's Correspondent and Animal, but after a name change, Woods scored a breakout tape earlier this year when he dropped Red Cup Music. "I think I found myself when I put that tape out. I really found a style for myself. Some laid back, cool music. Drink a little bit, smoke a little bit," he said.
Now, CW is on the Rolling Papers Tour, where he opens for Big Sean and Khalifa. The crowd has been receptive to his set as he performs songs like the party-starting "Jimmy Fallon" and smoothed-out "Campaign" from Red Cup.
"It be nights where I be with my palms sweating before I go on, and then after I get off I be like, 'Man, I'm ready to shed a tear,' because this shit is crazy to me," he said about the love he's gotten on the road. "It's new, it's fresh, and I'm just trying to take it all in."
Next up for Chevy is his The Cookout mixtape, set to drop in August. On it, Woods promises a soundtrack for those summertime barbeques. And while the tape will be billed as a solo affair, he confirms that his buddy Wiz will appear on about half of the tracks.
"That's where I'm trying to take you: to my backyard with my mom on the grill and my homeys around," he explained. "I just want them to hear where I come from."
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