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"This s—- is not random," rapper G-Eazy boldly declares in the hook to one of his hit songs from the 2015 album "When It's Dark Out." It's a frequently found theme among his newest songs.

Oakland, Calif., native Gerald Gillum may have finally broken into the public consciousness with his 2014 major-label debut, "These Things Happen," and entered the hip-hop stratosphere with his sophomore smash, but as G-Eazy prepares to headline Sunday's "Endless Summer Tour" show at West Valley's Usana Amphitheatre, he wants it made known that he is not some instant sensation, that his status is not a fluke, not some momentarily trending topic soon to be forgotten.

"I worked my ass off for years before anything started to pop off. I mean, there were years when nobody was watching or paying attention. I was super-slept-on at that time. So now that it's finally working, I kinda think some people get the impression that I just popped up out of nowhere overnight," he said in an email interview. "But there were years where I saved up all the money we were making, bouncing around friends' houses, sleeping on couches and staying with my mom, only to spend the money I had on recording 'These Things Happen' and shooting those music videos. There was no label at the time, so I had to fund it myself."

If his path to the top (which began in 2008) was long and arduous, his final ascent to the summit, at least, has come quickly enough that he's still coming to grips with it.

"It's kinda surreal, because on one hand, I always had the confidence that it would eventually work out," he said. "But on the other hand, it used to feel like these dreams were a million miles away, so to finally be in this spot is kinda strange now."

But then, "kinda strange" is nothing new for G-Eazy. His lyrics touch upon a childhood that saw his parents separate when he was in the first grade, and his mother's subsequent lesbian relationship with a woman who ultimately committed suicide by overdosing on the drugs she was taking to treat her manic-depressive disorder.

His path has also been shaped by the far less tragic but no less unconventional (for a rapper) experience of graduating from Loyola University in New Orleans.

These days, many of G-Eazy's raps display an uncommonly wizened weariness toward the double-edged nature of fame. On one song, he's espousing the virtues of a stereotypical accumulation of goods made possible by en engorged bank account ("I need one of them" being the constant refrain); meanwhile, on another track, he's circumspectly tearing down the mythology that achieving your dreams of prominence and earning the spoils that go with it automatically engender a sense of well-being.

The 27-year-old rattles off lyrics touching on everything from potentially drinking himself to death to the disintegration of personal relationships due to travel schedules and infidelity born out of loneliness on the road.

"I mean, it's a crazy over-the-top lifestyle, and it can eventually start to take a toll on you if you're not careful," he said. "It's just about trying to find a balance and finding moderation in everything, even though that can be hard because everything is almost always available to you, every night."

What'll be available to fans at Usana on Sunday is a lineup that also includes Yo Gotti, YG and freestyle phenom Logic. Given that G-Eazy has gone from opener to headliner over the past few years — "from overlooked to overbooked," he likes to rhyme — he has a definite appreciation for his newfound standing.

So what can fans in Utah expect from G-Eazy?

"The biggest show I've ever put on. This tour is the culmination of so much work; I've always wanted to headline a summer amphitheater tour like this," he said. "Three years ago, I was opening up on a similar tour. I was the first act onstage every night when barely anybody was in the venue, and every night after my set, I would go watch the headliner [Lil Wayne] perform from the crowd. … I would soak up as much as I could by watching him. I'm a student of the game, and I've always wanted to be here, so I feel blessed."

Just don't confuse being blessed with being undeserving. After all, this was not random.

Twitter: @esotericwalden —

The Endless Summer Tour

G-Eazy with Logic, YG and Yo Gotti

When • Sunday, July 10; doors at 5 p.m., show at 6:30

Where • Usana Amphitheatre, 5200 S. 6200 West, West Valley City

Tickets • $25-$69.50; Smith's Tix; Usana Amphitheatre box office