A longtime associate of Rick Ross and his Maybach Music label, rapper Gunplay was born in El Paso, Texas and raised in Carol City, Florida. Dealing drugs in his teens brought gangsta rap into his life, and in 1997 he joined Torch and Young Breed in the Rick Ross-associated group Triple C's. The trio landed on Ross' albums Port of Miami (2006) and Trilla (2008), then in 2009 they released their own Maybach LP Custom Cars & Cycles. In 2012, Gunplay signed a solo contract with the Def Jam label and released the 601 & Snort mixtape with special guest Kendrick Lamar. ~ David Jeffries