YG unbuckles his belt and slides down his jeans to right below his hip joint — just enough to show the oatmeal-colored bandages covering his fresh bullet wounds. On June 12, the Compton, Calif., rapper born Keenon Jackson, 25, was shot after a recording session in Studio City, where he was working on a second album he revealed to Billboard will be named Still Krazy, the follow-up to My Krazy Life(home to the top 20 smash “My Hitta” and widely hailed as one of 2014’s best rap albums). Seven days after the shooting, YG, previewing his new album at a West Hollywood studio, leans down — he’s already able to walk around without crutches — and whispers: “Listen to this track real good. It’s about the situation that happened.”

A new G-Funk-inflected song called “Twist My Fingers” blares, introduced by a female voice warning, “We the ones who run the game. It’s sad to see what these n—as do for pain.” YG, reportedly a member of the Bloods gang, raps about Suge Knight and taking care of “issues on sight.” The hook switches up the lyrics toMalcolm McLaren’s 1982 classic “Buffalo Gals”: “Two mother—-ers want to fight me outside.” He throws his hands in the air and shimmies and shakes around the room. His gold “4 HUNNID” chain dangles back and forth around his neck and lands in the center of his chest as he sways to the song. The eight tracks played represent a promising progression of the ratchet sound he helped pioneer with frequent collaborator DJ Mustard. Some of the beats are spare and jittery, while other songs feature the loping bounce of classic ’90s West Coast rap. Thematically, it’s an eclectic mix of good-time party tracks and moodier ones about surviving in the streets, police brutality and the stupidity of crossing YG.

When asked to elaborate about the shooting in his first interview since the shooting, he’s reticent and vague — which is perhaps unsurprising, as he was reportedly uncooperative with police investigating it. There are frequent interruptions from his entourage, who continuously ask to stop discussing the incident. YG would rather focus on his new album (which he says he’s half finished), and what he calls his blessings: “I’m still here, and I feel lucky.”

Want the full interview? Got the drop at Billboard . . .