Born and raised in New Orleans, Gudda has been running with Lil Wayne since they were both teens—introduced by a mutual friend, the two instantly bonded during their adolescent years and have remained close ever since. But now with Wayne currently serving time for weapons possession, Gudda must do more than ever to keep the Young Money name alive until his comrade returns home.

“I’m almost finished with my Back To Guddaville mixtape and the first single ‘Willy Wonka’ is killing up top radio right now.” Gudda tells VIBE of his Lil Wayne featured track. “I’ve already worked with Waka Flocka, Beanie Sigel and I just did a joint with Brisco. You’re going to see me on a lot collabs very soon. I’m hoping to have my album out at the beginning of next year.”

Although Weezy’s absence can certainly be felt amongst the Young Money crew, Gudda doesn’t feel any added pressure to keep the label afloat. With Drake and Nicki Minaj on the verge of releasing debut albums, the future only looks bright for the entire camp.

“We’ve got a solid line up, Nicki’s killing it, Drake’s killing it… I think we’re going to hold up strong. [Wayne] hears about everybody’s progress and all the moves we’re making. He’s real happy and excited about everything.”

Gudda’s next mixtape, Back To Guddaville, is set to be released later this month and will feature a collaboration with Waka Flocka Flame called “Lock My CEO Up” that the Third Ward native believes will be the biggest of his career. Gudda tells VIBE that he continues to stay in close contact with Wayne despite his incarceration.