We first became familiar with Lefty Gunplay after the West Coast rapper was released from prison in April 2023. Following his release, he signed with QTR Records and Jason Martin’s Diamond Lane Music Group. While in prison, Lefty Gunplay, whose real name is Franklin Scott Holladay, was inspired by a fellow inmate to pursue a career in music once he was out. He served nine years of a thirteen-year sentence following a conviction for a shooting.

Holladay famously collaborated with Kendrick Lamar on the 2025 single “TV Off”. The single earned Lamar and Gunplay a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song at the 68th Grammy Awards in 2026. It peaked at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Videos by VICE

Aside from his career taking off, Lefty Gunplay has experienced a few hiccups since his prison release. In February 2025, the rapper was arrested during a traffic stop for possession of a controlled substance and for bringing that substance into a correctional facility.…