Cashin' Out

Fulton County, Georgia native John "Ca$h Out" Gibson started hustling in the streets at the age of 13 and within a few years he'd accumulated enough money to be able to pay for his own apartment. However, that home turned into a drug haven where narcotics were sold and at 18-years-old, Gibson found himself facing a variety of charges and a decade in jail if convicted. Luckily, he was found innocent and the teenage hustler decided to turn his life around and concentrate on honing his rapping skills. He dropped his debut mixtape It's My Time on October 31, 2011 on Bases Loaded Records and generated a buzz with this infectious club track. After attracting the interest of the major labels, Gibson elected to sign with Antonio "LA" Reid's Epic records. "My [Bases Loaded] CEO called me and I thought he was playing," Gibson recalled to Billboard magazine, "He was like, 'LA Reid wants to fly us up,' and I was like, 'Whoa!' It happened so fast because we had just gotten the single bubbling and we actually had it on the charts ourselves."

Gibson explained his performing name: "I was playing around in the studio," he said. "I wasn't into the rappin' like that back then. I always used to make it my hobby when it was nothing to do. When the trapping was going slow, I'd go to the studio. I was freestyling a verse and in one of the lines I said 'I'm cashing out.' One of my friends told me 'that's your name right there.'"

"Cashing Out" is a phrase Gibson came up with for spending money without discretion and he utilized the term for the title of this DJ Spinz produced joint. "I just started humming the melody to the hook immediately," he explained. "A few minutes later, I concocted the words and decided to run with it since Ca$h Out is my name. And the vibe of the record is so universal because everybody is cashing out on something whether it is with luxuries such as jewelry, cars or cribs or a necessity like a light bill or student loan. This record makes you want to go and make that money."