Atlanta duo Turbo and Gunna are back with an anthem for the ladies just in time for sundress season.
Known for collaborating on hits like “Drip Too Hard,” “Bread & Butter,” “Richard Millie Plain,” “Bottom,” and others, Turbo says he and Gunna essentially live in the studio.
Making music has always felt second nature to the producer, and for his latest track, “Classy Girl,” alongside his fellow Georgian music maker, the sentiment is the same.
“Me and Gunna, we sleep in the studio for the most part,” Turbo told Blavity ahead of the release of the new single. He shared that his 30th birthday last year marked the first time the duo had gone on vacation to celebrate. Gunna called him early the morning of his birthday, and they reflected on life.
As they chopped it up with the Turks and Caicos beach and waves as their backdrop, the rest was history.
He recalled, “Before I got there, I was making a few beats for, like, Justin Bieber. … I played this beat, you know, and Gunna just reacted to it.”
Turbo said they started freestyling, catching a vibe and doing their thing, especially with the setting.
“We played it maybe 20 times back-to-back, you know? And like as people were waking up, they were listening to it, and just giving us feedback.”
He added, “It was just a vibe, and it just came together. … We’ve been on the kick of just wanting to celebrate women, so this was just like the perfect thing for, you know? It’s getting hot outside. … It just made sense.”
What exactly is a ‘Classy Girl?’
According to the hit producer, who said he grew up around many women he considers classy, like his grandmother, sisters, aunts and cousins, the No. 1 quality of a “Classy Girl” is confidence and a clear outlook on what she wants out of life.
“It’s certain women that come in the room — it don’t matter if they looking dusty — they got a certain demeanor about themselves. … And it just speaks volumes, without them even having to say anything,” Turbo stated.
While he’s known to collaborate with the hottest names in music and help them realize their ideas, the “Classy Girl” track reflects his interest in releasing a full-length album.
How neo-soul helped to shape his sound as a producer
Turbo said he grew up heavily influenced by neo-soul artists like Floetry, Kem, the late Angie Stone, and many others. He has had an ear for music since childhood, and his love for making music has followed him into adulthood. This love plays a massive role in his work as a Grammy-nominated producer today.
“As I got into my teenage years, of course, like Atlanta influenced me.”
Turbo said he listened to Jeezy, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz and T.I.
“All of those guys really like influenced the grit, I guess, you know what I mean? Because it was just like super musical for me. And I think that’s really where I get my sound from, you know, like a mixture of those both. Like music was a big thing in my house. We always listened to music. Missy Elliott, like, I could go on and on, you know? … I just got influenced like at an early age, and now that I’m making music, I always think about that feeling like when I was a kid popping in them CDs, like what am I going to expect?”
On refusing to be boxed in as a producer
As he prepares to release his first full-length album, Turbo says to expect the unexpected. He is determined to make music that stands the test of time. There are no limitations to where he allows the sounds of life to take him, and he’s not afraid to step outside the box because he has no desire to fit into a single mold or subscribe to any restrictions that others may want to place on him.
“It’s coming together more than ever right now,” he said of his upcoming project. “Just like trying to not be in a box, not be in a circle, you know?”
Turbo said he’s aiming for something that will endure and make an impact.
“I take the approach of, OK, if you know me from ‘Drip Too Hard’ or if you know me from Gunna, I’m finna go to Justin Bieber you know what I mean? I’m finna go to, you know, somebody completely different, and show you what it sounds like on, you know, a Turbo beat. … I just worked with Peso Pluma the other day, and like that was interesting, just to do stuff that’s like on his wave; it’s completely different from what we do in Atlanta or whatever.”
“I think, the album, I’ve been super focused on that, making the music timeless and also just making it to where it’s easy to listen to,” he concluded. “It’s something that you can listen to with your mom. It’s something you can listen to with your girls. It’s something you can listen to with your kids, whatever floats your boat; it’s music. Music is the soundtrack of your life.”
Turbo’s latest single with Gunna, “Classy Girl,” is now available on all streaming platforms.
