Serving as recent guests on REVOLT’s “Drink Champs,” Philadelphia natives Gillie Da King and Wallo have proven to be entertaining personalities. Gillie, formerly known as Gillie Da Kid, emerged in the game via North Philly rap group Major Figgas, who are cited as inspirations to rappers like Meek Mill and AR-Ab. As the time went by, he molded himself into a solo artist with a formidable catalog, inking a deal with Cash Money. Due to him completely owning his publishing, Gillie’s music never surfaced, which caused him to leave the label and go independent.
In recent years, his career propelled to new heights upon his new podcast “Million Dollaz Worth of Game.” Alongside his co-host and cousin Wallo267, the two have amassed millions of YouTube views and streams across platforms as they discuss music, real-life events, and more.
Similarly, Wallo grew up in North Philadelphia taking a different approach to life. As an adolescent, he spent time in and out of the juvenile system. At age 17, he was incarcerated for 20 years in the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Within a year of his release from prison, Wallo became an internet sensation, amassing a whopping 7 million social media impressions on a weekly basis to date. His signature humor and drive for educating the youth has landed Wallo partnerships with the NFL, PUMA, and Footlocker, amongst others.
In honor of Gillie and Wallo being featured in REVOLT Summit x AT&T’s “Gift of Gab” discussion on Oct. 3, we’ve listed seven things you may not know about them. Peep below.
1. Gillie Da King and Wallo were both born and raised in Philadelphia
Gillie Da King was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He represents his city with a passion, and has released several full-length projects like 2009’s I Am Philly, 2015’s Welcome to Gilladelphia, and his King Of Philly installments.
Likewise, Wallo once said in an interview: “Growing up in the 80s in Philly, everyday I stepped outside of the house, I seen people that were my heroes. Some kids, they play with toys, they go in Toys “R” Us and see their heroes. My heroes was on the street corner. They had designer clothes on, jewelry, and luxury cars.”
2. Wallo is a published author and orator
Amongst several achievements, Wallo is a proud orator and published author. A few months back, he released his biography, “The Mind of Wallo267.” He’s also been featured on many panels giving motivation to the youth such as TED Talk, his YouTube channel and more.
3. They both started their own podcast, “Million Dollaz Worth of Game”
Last year, Gillie Da King and Wallo unveiled their admirably successful podcast “Million Dollaz of Game” via streaming services. The first episode aired on April 22, 2019, and since then; they’ve released over eighty episodes. Some of their previous special guests include, but are not limited to, Pinky, Freeway, and Deion Sanders.
4. Gillie was a part of the Cash Money Records roster at one point in time.
In 2006, Gillie Da King left Cash Money Records after a series of label troubles. Upon leaving, he made claims of ghostwriting for Lil Wayne on his 2004 studio album, Tha Carter, which sparked a plethora of controversy between the two. “As far as me tutoring this young cat, he really just sat down and soaked up game,” Gillie told XXL at the time. “Do you know how many people have been asking me this for three years and I never ever exposed shorty because we were cool?”
5. Wallo went from serving time in prison to becoming a marketing guru.
At 17, Wallo served twenty years in prison for multiple armed robberies and firearm violations. However, upon his sentence, the Philadelphia native grew an interest for marketing and education.
“When I was in jail, I always studied marketing. I studied colors, I studied attention span. I understood that when I saw a commercial on TV… I used to love watching commercials in jail. You might watch and look at a commercial like that. I’m watching it like, I wonder what advertising agent made this,” Wallo told Earn Your Leisure. “I’m looking at the colors, I’m looking at the time frame, I’m looking at the excitement.”
6. They’re first cousins.
It should come as no surprise that Wallo and Gillie are first cousins. From their podcast to being very influential through their social platforms, these two North Philadelphia natives are inseparable. It’s unlikely that you won’t find Gillie’s name mentioned in a conversation about Wallo and vice versa.
7. Gillie served as a member of rap group Major Figgas before his solo efforts surfaced.
Before releasing his own solo material, Gillie was a founding member of rap group Major Figgas. The group’s primary members consist of Ab Liva, Bumpy J, Dutch, Spade-O, and Bianca. Upon establishing themselves through a string of mixtapes and singles, Major Figgas unveiled their debut album, Figgas 4 Life, in 2000. The project’s pre-release single “Yeah That’s Us” charted at No. 2 on the U.S. Rap Singles charts and received an ASCAP Song of the Year nearly a year later.
