Garey , originally born Gare Anighoro is a Nigerian Artist, Digital Media Expert & Author based in Berlin. In this episode, we talk about how his upbringing influenced the artist that he is today, his experience as an independent artist in Germany, and a whole lot more.
Garey , originally born Gare Anighoro is a Nigerian Artist, Digital Media Expert & Author based in Berlin. In this episode, we talk about how his upbringing influenced the artist that he is today, his experience as an independent artist in Germany, and a whole lot more.
Ropa: 0:08
Hi. Welcome to the Africa input cost. This is your host, Ropa, and I'm so excited to have you here. Listen, listen. This is a pod cost where every single episode is an interview with a person of African descent living in Europe. So why don't you come along with me as I get to hear some of the most interesting, inspiring, heartwarming and also funny stories from some really, really, really dope people? Yeah. Okay. Okay. Okay, guys, it's Episode one. We're here. We're alive. I'm excited. Anyone who actually like knows we in person or follows me on Instagram was actually, like, literally sick off hearing me speak of a podcast that technically did not exist. So congratulations, guys were finally here. I appreciate your patients like this is happening. It's really this pod cost was not happening in my imagination. And I'm ready to finally share it with the world. So yeah, this is me coming to you live from my apartment in Berlin, which I have been in for 14 days and counting because hashtag corona virus And listen, I really hope you're staying home. Whoever you are, I really hope like if you can help it. I really hope you're listening to me from the comfort off your home as well, because this thing is a real thing. And if you're one of the people who work in an industry or in an area where you are considered essential service at this time and you can actually take time from work and you're actively, like in the front lines fighting this virus, I just want to say that I salute you. We appreciate you. You inspire us with thankful for you. And yeah, like, keep going, man. Thank you. Heart felt. This is like all the nurses, the doctors, people working in pharmacies and just the medical industry, but also people helping keep supermarket's open, people helping keep drug stores open. And also all of these, you know, like at least in Berlin, you have, like, a lot of restaurants that are continuing to deliver food and everything, like, shout out to you. We appreciate you. We salute you. Thank you. If you are not one of these people, I really hope you're listening to this from home because this is how you volunteer made like this is how you and I volunteer. Like if your job is like your quality assurance Something on the sea at a calm manufacturing company. Please, please stay home. But, um, it's in this time where you know the world, the entire world is going through a pandemic. And literally the world is at a standstill. And we had a dark time that you kind of realized exactly what it is that we turn to in times of need as people. And this is the thing. If you're like in quarantine or self isolating at the moment or social distance, See, What have you been doing? You've been watching Netflix. You have been listening to a lot of music. You've been reading too bought reading books. You've been binge washing things on YouTube. Essentially, what you have been doing is consuming art. So I want to give a big shout out toe artists right now because you are who the world turns to When excuse my French shit hits the fan. So I really want to give a big shout out to artists and particularly artists who even took the decision to stay at home even though, like late, for example, event event organizer Zor DJs who are staying at home, even though the times like that's the entire livelihood and staying at home would be a threat to their source of income. Shout out to you and this brings me to the very, very first guest off the African pope. Cost. This guy is an artist. I'm essentially his name is Gary Got son. I'm excited. Ah, that this is off. This is the first interview I'm ever going to publish because it turns out that his album, his second studio album, was scheduled to drop on Saturday the 28th of March. And he can no longer have like a big launch party because hashtag earned a virus. So it's really awesome that we had already recorded apart cost together, and it's amazing. The timing off it all is that I get to drop this interview that I had with him and you'll get to know him. And if you are fans of Gary God, son, you get to see this other side of him. I do ask him questions about his music in this interview. If you don't know who Gary God son is, then it's an opportunity for you to actually follow him on Instagram and follow him on Spotify, Soundcloud I, iTunes all of these other streaming platforms and check out his second studio album that drops tomorrow. Gary is a Nigerian afra fusion artist. He's based in Berlin. He's lived in Germany for about four years, and we had a lovely conversation about so many different things, starting from like his upbringing and how he discovered his love for music to how his parents has have influenced the man that he is today. Toe. Also like some very key topics that I think irrelevant today, such as why it's important to own your own Masters black ownership, what it takes to make it as an African artist in Germany, all of these different themes. And I'm excited for you guys to hear this episode. This was not the very first episode I recorded, but it's the very first episode that is going to be dropped on this podcast. So, yeah, on remember to stay tuned to the end of this episode because I'm still going toe, give you some insights, a little tidbits on like what's coming next? You know, I'm saying this is a part cost that drops every other Friday so stay tuned. I'm just excited to have you in this. Dude. I'm excited. I'm excited to have you on the parts. I'm going to start with a random question. Okay? How many? How many siblings you have?
Garey: 6:25
Um, I have three. You have two brothers also in Germany, and I have a baby sister back in there. I mean, what's baby? She's a big girl. Knows what number you on the second show,
Ropa: 6:38
its second child. Can you rank you and your brothers in terms of flight? Who you think is cute, like my brothers? They're gonna kill me. But I'm just
Garey: 6:50
gonna be honest and save me. You know,
Ropa: 6:52
just on
Garey: 6:55
my brothers have each, like, very spectacular things about them. You know, that really makes them stand out.
Ropa: 7:06
I don't know. My family like that start with putting other spot, because why should I have? They
Garey: 7:12
have very good looking brothers. Okay, I don't know too many things, but I could tell you that one for
Ropa: 7:17
sure that you know your brother's livin in Germany?
Garey: 7:21
Yeah. I have two brothers in Germany. I moved to Germany, one with my elder brother were Germany the same day. And we went our separate ways at the airport.
Ropa: 7:31
Where did he go?
Garey: 7:32
Different. Yeah, I went to a different city Way was going to do his master's as well.
Ropa: 7:35
How long ago is this?
Garey: 7:37
Um, arrived Germany around four years already.
Ropa: 7:44
Some village. You didn't arrive in Germany until you came to Berlin way. Want to kick this up? A curio? I was
Garey: 7:57
I was I was studying film enough for my master's degree, media and communication science. That's why I came to Germany to study. And I mean ill now is a very small city. But it was also a great time for me because it gave me the opportunity to learn more about myself. It was a good time for me to kind of, you know, focus more on music, discover new things that I also had passion about and, you know, just ever looked new interest as well. So it was definitely a blessing, you could say. And during the time, I wasn't just in the moment I was moving around your oppa's well, that was trying different cities around Germany performing, you know, making music, connecting with people.
Ropa: 8:36
What were you and your brother to the point we actually decided to move to Germany.
Garey: 8:41
Um, my older brother actually did Tell me immediately after my graduation my bachelor that it's possible to study in Germany. Yeah, and it's not so expensive. It's quite affordable when you compare it with studying in the UK or us. So I thought about the option, and it wasn't so clear to me when I graduated what I was gonna do immediately. I mean, I had the option of moving to Laker, starting up a studio, but like
Ropa: 9:09
you already, you're already doing the music. Absolute that point. Okay, we're going to get into that, but yeah. Okay. So, yes. So you were considering going to legal us or
Garey: 9:22
exactly? Yeah. And I was still very open to the idea of studying cause I graduated at the age of I think it was 21
Ropa: 9:30
with a bachelors degree. Yeah. Oh, wow. When did you start? You need Actually,
Garey: 9:35
I had I had two years of delay back home in Nigeria before I got into the money into the university. So if I actually go to the university when I was supposed to go, I would have graduated at age of 19
Ropa: 9:47
What? When did you see? Oh, like it was ready fast. But I can tell
Garey: 9:53
you that I graduated my bachelors degree at age of 21 because I arrived in Germany when I was 22.
Ropa: 10:00
Okay. And then you went straight into the mosque is likely to do this. And at what point did you decide you wanted to pursue a Korean music?
Garey: 10:09
Music has always been a big part of my life. Growing up, I was very fascinated about, you know, just the whole technology that went behind you, being able to listen to songs on the radio and to be able to watch videos on TV. And I was very inspired by seeing Michael Jackson perform, you know, being singing or dancing or justice. Public appearances. I think that was the first big motivation I had that maybe I kind of feel like, you know, music is something which connects to me on a deeper, more spiritual level On it. Around my teenage hood. When I was 13 a friend of mine introduced me to F l Studio. It's a production software for making beaten for tipping vocals.
Ropa: 10:52
13 You said?
Garey: 10:53
Yeah, so that was like my first official introduction to music production. Soft.
Ropa: 11:00
Well, first you need Thio
Garey: 11:06
Different. Tell you about that. But it became my new fascination that my new obsession. I was spending hours just trying to learn more about music production, how it worked. And I got so deep in it I wasn't really enjoying the basic stuff like hanging out with friends who were my age was. Most of the local producers were way ODed, and I was. So it was like a motivation for me to kind of explore new things, meet new people and since then I just never stopped every house I lived in. When I was at university traveling around, I always had a home studio because it was very important for me. Thio, you know, be handsome to be able to produce music whenever I wanted as well. And just when I saw that already had the basic information on how to produce, there was a neighborhood producer called Robotic Man. He he passed away last year, may so rest in peace. It was very influential in, you know, me learning how to produce and how to take vocals professionally, that was actually like my first Call foundation with music production. So we actually did start from music production before then transferred into no song writing. And then we come into Germany and fun and each is picking up a career person needs to push you. You had a very interesting question, I guess The first The first song You The first song I ever made ISS called the Devil Can't Touch Me
Ropa: 12:21
Oh, a group? Yeah, You're in a gospel group When you were when
Garey: 12:30
I started around
Ropa: 12:31
14 years old Two of my friends somewhere Wade work on something Okay,
Garey: 12:42
Recorded this song together Devil can't touch me. And that was the That was like when I realized that I could actually do this on alone as well, because
Ropa: 12:51
oh, wow. Beyonc? Of the group? No, no, no, no, no, no. It is not that. Yeah, it's
Garey: 12:56
not that thinness. I was working with my friends, you know, making music together with the neighborhood producer on DDE. He just felt like I was more passionate about everything that went around it in terms of the sound in terms of the next steps, like the mixing on the mastering attempts of like, negotiations have seen that we got the record in good time in terms of like ideas of where we could perform it. And of course, the other group members were also interested. But I just felt like
Ropa: 13:24
you were really into Exactly. I was into something that you wanted to do
Garey: 13:28
exactly. That was back in high school, so already had a clear vision about it. And many other folks that were my friends started picking up. You know, the idea off rapping as well and writing songs. So he became like a like a movement. It was actually like a big culture around music and comedy back in my high school.
Ropa: 13:46
This is what I was gonna ask next was like Were you in an environment? It sounds like you were environment that actually likes Celebrated, that you wanted to do something like these because I would imagine at least thinking like about evolving like Shauna culture. Just academics of very important. We want people want you to pursue things like science is odd, so they want you to grow up to be a doctor and an engineer that in some families it's hard or even just communities in general. It's hard to kind of convince at the age of 13 to convince the people around you that this is worth dedicating your time, Thio. And you also don't have those structures in place where it's like, Okay, we have a kid, he wants to be a producer. Who should he hang out with? So did you actually have that kind of support at 13 when you decided to start pursuing music?
Garey: 14:37
Um, from home, I would say not initially because, like my parents are scholars, you could say my dad is a lawyer. My mom is She's been a teacher for so many years now, heading the school as a chemistry teacher. So I mean, just very educated folks who have the traditional thinking that after, after studying or whatever you study should be something related to medicine. I was actually going to be a doctor. I was saving for so many years that I was going to be a doctor. My dad went to me to be a doctor,
Ropa: 15:12
used to call me
Garey: 15:14
doctor. He used to call me Dr Gary, you know. So I was already just thinking in my mind, like I was definitely gonna do something professional in this sense, but I think the environment in school was more experimental. You know, we had kids who were just free thinkers, you know, you love something, He just went for it. You just tried. It got better and the environment kind of bread. Just competition in the sort of way, competition and creativity in on creativity, but also in a very healthy type of way. Because we used to have, like, rap battles in school. And we used to have guys who used to go like, really hard at each other with, like, jokes they shouldn't have been making,
Ropa: 15:55
you know, at the expense of each other. There was, like, a lot
Garey: 15:58
of crazy back, seen stuff happening, you know, We used to have kids who just, you know, knew how to gamble. And this was all
Ropa: 16:05
happening. It was it was that I tried gambling. I don't know how that's
Garey: 16:10
related, but I just want to give you like a picture of how colorful it was. My high school, you know, there
Ropa: 16:16
was a different
Garey: 16:18
side holds. So host those people had, you know, like selling stuff or like sending CDs too and stuff it's in the city code worry. Yeah, Nigeria. If you no worry, you would know This is actually a city that has produced many comedians from Nigeria, musicians that really successful people in the entertainment industry. But it's also really small and is the oil city where most of the resources which is used to develop the rest of Nigeria has gotten from because
Ropa: 16:51
the main
Garey: 16:52
source of revenue from the injuries oil Okay, so it's a region where this natural resources are gotten. But like there's not so much being done on the part of the government to see that the people reap the benefits off. What's getting from the air
Ropa: 17:07
so other people is like worry like a wealthy city.
Garey: 17:10
It iss a very wealthy city. When you talk about natural resource is. But like does not really bean stabilized way to kind of like let the people have, like, a real taste of what they deserve. Instead, the waters has been polluted from like all of the explosion activities. I need refineries and stuff is that people can fish because like fishing is a very common thing, because this is really surrounded by a lot of water bodies in you know? So just any growing up, I experienced the aftermath off such decisions, which the government was making, like, you know, people picking up arms and becoming, like many towns, not in the city city, but, like, just a couple of kilometers away. So it was something you could feel in a seven type of where you could understand the energy around the open window. You were not necessarily in the midst of it happening. So it was like I had, like, are bringing a flag, being with working class Nigerian parents on experiencing what it meant to be an average Nigeria, but also not being so far from where could, you know, be easily very ghetto. Yeah.
Ropa: 18:15
This is really fascinating. Okay, so you the cities like, pretty small and around it is where, like all these crazy things happening exactly. Just grow up. You're going to school. You went back
Garey: 18:27
home? Yeah, went to school in church. And you could also you could also have a taste off, you know? So back seeds, you
Ropa: 18:35
just never just put it that way because my mom might find this put constant. You never get to over ass will be with you. No, no, no. Let me just behave. So did only my mom used to
Garey: 18:51
tell me If you get to toll, I we still bend you
Ropa: 18:53
break. You couldn't play with my mom because she was raising three
Garey: 19:01
boys. You have to keep that in mind.
Ropa: 19:03
Oh, and boys, er a lot. Exactly. Three older brothers that boys are a lot of energy. A lot of indisciplined. Dare I say that? I know she had to step it up. What is the one characteristic that you think you got from your mom?
Garey: 19:20
Oh, my mom is a go getter. Exactly like something. She's gonna make it happen somehow. Like she's gonna literally, literally knock on your door over and over again to make it happen. And my mom is also very social. She has, like, very strong leader current story stick. She's able to lead people. She has a lot of charisma, like she's being very instrumental in church back home in Nigeria when it
Ropa: 19:47
comes to a total city. Yeah, but it's
Garey: 19:50
a very it's a very big church just outside of church activity. She's been very. She's been very instrumental in helping women in constant them about my rage is about, you know, helping the years when it comes to, like, different activities and stuff like this. So just she's definitely a mentor, like someone who is highly respected in society in terms
Ropa: 20:12
of Yeah. Yeah. So what would you What characteristic would you say you got for me, Dad?
Garey: 20:18
My dad is able to walk alone when it's needed. His amount of values, like he really knows what he believes in and really stands for it on Dhe is a lawyer. So he's been very involved in civil issues around Nigeria. Like fighting for the rights of people who don't have the privilege to, you know, have toe right representation legally. And it's really shipped my ideas off. You know, nine year on politics and the responsibilities we all have us it regards making change in our environment communities.
Ropa: 20:50
Both your parents have this whole this theme off, like they wanna live outside of themselves. So you mom is, like, mentoring and like, what did you say? Counseling women involved in the church. And your dad is doing things for the like civil rights movement in Nigeria. Do you see this? Like shaping who you are becoming even like as an artist. You know, the fact that you have you grew up in a home where it was important to do things outside of yourself. So it wasn't just like what's best for me, huh? You have these parents that are out there, you know? Yeah,
Garey: 21:22
I think I've always had, like, a greater sense of purpose about what I want to do with myself. Right on. For me, music is is just a stepping stone for me too. I have a bigger voice to speak on. Issues that concern us is a people. Music is the two that I can use to express myself. And I also believe music is on opportunity. Thio is an opportunity to open doors to, you know, reach places are otherwise wouldn't have been able to reach
Ropa: 21:48
that absolutely loved that. And you also said something interesting about your dad, which is that he's not afraid to walk alone. If he needs to do something, he's gonna do it, even if it means doing it alone. Is this something that you found yourself in similar situations? Especially now that you live here and you know you're tryingto break in tow Dare I say break into you already in the music industry and establish yourself as an artist? Have you found yourself in situations where, like, I've had to walk alone?
Garey: 22:17
Of course. Yeah. I mean, the more you go, the more you get to learn about yourself. The more you get to learn about, you know what, The music industry with ian tails and just the approach I have together with my partner, his camp can This would be working together since I started. His German is trying to do things in a very untraditional type of way because first of all, I'm not German, and I've only been here for, like, a couple of years. So my approach to the music industry is just not the traditional way. German artists would try to do things, you know, we tried to bring some Always we can create our own movement, you know, try to create community around it, so it definitely sometimes involves. You walk in alone on being able to say, this is what I want to do over. And though everyone doesn't company, understand that we're gonna go ahead to do it. But I also have like, a very big sense of, you know, allowing people who want to support us to come in and join us much forces as possible because as much as you might wanna walk alone is always necessary to have people in your team who you can trust and who you compute with
Ropa: 23:22
in establishing yourself as an artist in Germany. So you said you're not German, right? And I'm guessing I mean, you're basically a minority in this. Like there's not many Nigerian artists that are making music or, like African even making music in Germany. Do you feel like you being different is a bonus or a disadvantage? So how do you mean different? Different, like being a minority. So being the one of the few black African artists that is trying to do what hundreds of thousands of German artists are doing, do you think that has been like a disadvantage or an advantage?
Garey: 24:02
Um, first of all, I think there are also some exceptional great artists who are also black or people of color from Africa are doing pretty well. Yeah, right now, like upcoming artists, and I think this is a community of us, we just haven't found the way to really connect, and we just haven't really seen that we could do a lot more if we collaborate together.
Ropa: 24:22
Okay. Okay, s so So. You have different. A lot of different black artists doing a lot of hard work is trying to move forward. There's not much synergy. I
Garey: 24:32
wouldn't say love, but, like, there's a couple of really dopers, but we just we just need to work on this energy.
Ropa: 24:37
Yeah, okay. Why synergy Important?
Garey: 24:40
Because we were up against multinational companies or international record labels on they spend, like hundreds of thousands of dollars millions into production and promotion and everything around the marketing. I've been on the professional side of things to buy doing an internship at Universal Music. So I really know what it means when I talk about the capacity dis labels, you know, involved into making the project happen. And I just think that we could do a lot more as a society. Whereas minorities if already join forces together to create, you know, not just create, but also strategized ways we can support ourselves, come out and, you know, show some love for each other's events. You know, just anything we can do it to support each other makes it possible for us to create our own community of people who can really relate. And, you know, which is what we're doing come off for for events, on shows and stuff.
Ropa: 25:37
I think one thing that just resonates with me as a young, black entrepreneurs well, myself is that it already takes a lot to get out of bed and do whatever it is that you're trying to do. And then you have all these systemic and systematic things that you're working with. Like, um, I allowed to be a freelance. Do I, speaking of German, to go to the office where I'm supposed to register this and I think it does make a huge difference. If there's a community of people who have either gone through it as well before we support you, or if often you've jumped over all these hurdles, these other things, getting yourself out of bed, getting the paperwork, uh, you get the support that you need for the product that you're trying to build or the music that you're making. So I took That really resonates with me. Only thing is also you said that you know, good to get support from each other as a community of that, um, I find this. I struggle with this a lot, even in the context of my like, my part caused my photography when it comes to defining the target audience, not defining it, but like at least deciding, you know who exactly what you're creating. You want to resonate with the most, and I just have a question for you, like What do you do you think your target audience is? Does it matter? Do you have a lot of like Africans that are listening to your music? People from all over the world is Germans with the That's
Garey: 27:05
a very brilliant question. Actually. I think with music it's way different, Like just comparing how music landscape has shifted and changed in the last couple of years, it really shows you that music is becoming a lot more global and a lot more fluid than ever before. I mean, 10 years ago, music was always bean defined by general. Now we see now we experience different artists touching different generals around the world. You know beyonc? Just had The Lion King are bone feature in like artist from Nigeria, Ghana
Ropa: 27:36
and Kenyans were mad, by the way, is on the album and Kenyans were like Excuse because I think like the some of the names and Lion King on. So he lied. So there was like all these barrels, but yes can keep good talking. Yeah, I was saying so It's a lot
Garey: 28:01
more global like when I just when I look up my audience demographics in terms of data also seen my music is traveling around the world pieces I've never been to before, you know, Brazil, China feeling pains. You know, many places
Ropa: 28:16
in the United States UK friends. So
Garey: 28:19
it was like, you kind of wonder, how is this really possible? Is just music and making my room, but is really from the production and also from promotion because, like how you push the music also effects. How why did spreads So I don't really focus so much on thinking. I just wanna have like African audiences or German audiences is like What's important for me is to create music that really comes from my heart, and I feel like in time people are just gonna resonate to what's it
Ropa: 28:45
what about audiences live. So if you are having a life show, what do you have more off? So
Garey: 28:54
far, I've been having, like, mix from white sand from from blacks,
Ropa: 29:00
and you feel like you're embracing both in whatever. No matter
Garey: 29:03
what you tell me,
Ropa: 29:04
I live show of yours, Gary. Okay, Waiting. But yeah. Okay. Now, I think that was one of the questions that I had is like, Okay, so you are doing You're creating music you're doing in Germany. How supportive are the natives, the locals off this country? How willing are they to come out and show their love and enjoy the music and all of that? That was
Garey: 29:27
okay. So I've performed in over way smaller cities where you would think no one would know me and stuff like this on. People come out and people buy tickets to support us well, and is like among my team members. They're also Germans who have bean very instrumental in making this whole thing work. You know, from honey's to the photograph for I've brought a one, Mr Martin. And like everyone just on the team in the
Ropa: 29:53
room of understanding you're not doing this on your
Garey: 29:55
I'm not doing this on my own. I have a team on. Many of them are Germans. And you know, I also have, like Nigerians, my brothers as well, supporting me with everything and Africans who see the vision and supporting some sort of way. So it's definitely support from both sides. You know, I have friends in Nigeria who also support with things that I need them to help me do. Or, you know, just showing the music and stuff like this.
Ropa: 30:18
If you had, like, whatever magic lamp or what is the like, what are the two things didn't say that you could get right now that would make this journey easier for you, especially in the context of being on African trying Thio. Just be Gary. Just put yourself out there. Put yourself on. What are the 23? One thing that you think if you got it, would make this so much easier,
Garey: 30:45
differently, more support from from Africans in Germany. OK, yeah, because I don't think they realize how great this could all be for us. You know, as a people here, because every single one of us who's doing something, you know, in terms of creativity or art, which is a kind of way to reshape the African story. It could be something great. It could be something that can challenge thinking of people, give you something I could challenge stereotypes as well. And I feel like if we all came together to support each other's projects, not just me. Yeah. I mean also what you're doing, for instance, and other blacks in Germany doing, you know, stuffs in the creative business. I think it's gonna help us go a long way.
Ropa: 31:27
Yeah. Yeah. Okay, so that's the one thing that you would absolutely make. And when you say support, you mean collaborations also mean whatever listening to my podcasts,
Garey: 31:37
you're listening to listen to the music, streaming it, telling people about it, you know, sharing it, you know, coming out and actually spending money on tickets, too, You know, buying the merchandise that we create, you know, sending the text off encouragement or, you know, just to say I see what you sometimes it goes a long way and you know, all of those little things together Makes a big difference.
Ropa: 32:02
Following my pod cuts in instagram page. You guys different someone that's not necessary. All right. Okay. So, Gary, a fine boy like you way Africa way to go way toll. You know, Dad being connecting in That also successful Because I think you're doing great. Like what? What has your dating experience like you? What exactly do you know? I just I'm just curious to know. Like, what? What's the experience been like for you just since you moved here? I don't know. Going from Nigeria to hear, starting to see things differently or whatever. Just tell me what you,
Garey: 32:58
um Well, it's been good. Okay, I'm trying to be careful not to say it's been fun.
Ropa: 33:04
Todo I mean, it's been good. Good. You've never have you ever had a, like, super negative experiences, but actually in general, like negative dating experiences,
Garey: 33:22
negative dating experiences in general. Yes. Yes, I
Ropa: 33:26
give me an example. Just
Garey: 33:29
sometimes you meet people you think you kind of have, like, a real vibe with them. You kind of like, just find out. Like I
Ropa: 33:36
think I know what you get If you okay, I get a lot. Waas. It could get a little worse. Tell me about the time you got beaten up because you found out the woman was married the whole time. You know, that's how bad it gets. It
Garey: 33:51
could get It could get really
Ropa: 33:52
bad that you, uh no, no. Terrible dating. It's really When? How old were you when you had your for his girlfriend?
Garey: 34:04
Wow. We're going really way back. E. I probably must have bean Swinney.
Ropa: 34:13
Uh,
Garey: 34:14
yeah, I think I think I was I was 1920 like my really first relationship
Ropa: 34:25
relationship. And have you grown since?
Garey: 34:28
Absolutely. Like being with a couple of beautiful women since then, Like people that have a lot of respect for you. And I think relationships is always a great way for you to learn more about yourself if you're with the right person
Ropa: 34:41
and the wrong person to the wrong person.
Garey: 34:44
Green. I couldn't agree more on being with the right person. Really makes it possible for you to develop yourself a lot. Like you guys feed off each other's energy. You kind of learn new things, new cultures and stuff like this. So, um, that's one thing I like about, you know, haven't bean to Germany or being right now in Germany's like I've been in Algeria for most of my life. You know you most especially around. Just the people who look like you and Tim stuff, like tribe or
Ropa: 35:15
Yeah. Which tribe are you from? Robo. You don't know it. You wouldn't
Garey: 35:21
know this from the south. South of Danger is called robo robo. Got to say it right.
Ropa: 35:28
This is coming from your name or Guinea. That's what does it mean?
Garey: 35:36
It means go too strong,
Ropa: 35:37
Jerry. Names always wear like means grace. Or is that the name
Garey: 35:46
is so long? I'll get that guy ran. My parents don't have a calm. You're gonna go
Ropa: 35:51
Tonto time. Why? Didn't make the names so they just kind of focused. Okay, It's been fun.
Garey: 36:02
It's been good. Is being great. You know, Dayton learning about people. Yeah. You know, it's just
Ropa: 36:08
super vague, but I'll take it. But I'm gonna accept it and ask again. Different question. Have you ever had your heart broken?
Garey: 36:16
Oh, yes.
Ropa: 36:17
Oh, absolutely. Are any songs that you've written about heartbreak like a specific one?
Garey: 36:24
Yeah. You should listen to all I ever all I did hear that before now. Yeah. Keep that. Okay. You say that when I was actually talking about a relationship which was like toxic for me. And I was able to get myself out of it and moved on to something which was better for me, like mentally and spiritually. And, you know, it was kind of like a situation where the person who I was no longer with was trying to come back in the picture when I was trying to say, I don't want no drama I
Ropa: 36:55
e o ever alright ever was Thio. Check it out, people. Okay? I love that. Something just came into my mind like as a strong Nigerian man. How easy is it for you to be vulnerable like especially in your music, expressing emotion.
Garey: 37:16
It's something I have kind of embedded more slowly. You know, with time you get Thio challenge. You're thinking off the Soviets of masculinity. We really indeed brought up in environments where I mean, I'm not trying to throw any shades at Nigeria being in Europe. I know many European men also have the same issue where we feel like we have to be very strongest man and it's from childhood. Socialization is every waits on the TV. It's on media in general, sometimes you get those type of confirmations are informations from families will. Now you think you have to be strong as a man always. You know, always That's the problem, always in part of faces. But like the older you get, the more I realize that you're able to break down the strongholds of those social constructs and you become a lot more strong and powerful when he able Teoh know how to use your vulnerability on how important it is for your most especially for something like music.
Ropa: 38:14
Yeah, a little that just I think it's already an accomplishment to know that it's okay to,
Garey: 38:21
like, is like since I started being vulnerable. Hey, I could tell you I've been going on and love more dates.
Ropa: 38:30
Let's just leave it at that so you can decide for yourself follow up questions. But if you want to be hard brothers, you could stay hard all day. I'm a bit sweet as a chuckle. I will be sweetest pink a za matter. Yeah, I
Garey: 38:48
could be that sweet so tight,
Ropa: 38:49
I I'm just gonna ask follow up questions because I have too many on that one of my questions. When I was saying to music was a spy thing like Virtual love, you're talking way visual
Garey: 39:09
of Was was differently, more lyrical and takes up like the subject matter. And it was talking about something. We all I feel like most of us in attitude I've had to deal with, you know, distance relationship where you really love someone. And they're so far away from you. And the only way you can reach them is on social media or, you know, whatever face the virtual world. And just how visual reality off visual it in terms of like communication cannot really replace actual real life face to face communication. That's basically what I was talking about the song and how difficult it is for me to really get in the zone where I can really express myself over the phone or on the text message. Okay, so do you know what I mean?
Ropa: 39:57
Theo? Me, this These are the questions that I get. I'm like, Okay, so what? What exactly would inspire someone to write something like this? Because clearly, yeah, you're right. It's something we can all relate Thio. And it's something that a lot of people have gone through and Yes. So I was like people. What inspires you? What about a song? Which is very I think it's Cairo, for example. One even low key. Very specific. Very descriptive. You really picture you telling me this is just the O? Yeah. Just inspired. Your imagination is running wild, huh? I told you clearly. Ritual of was business. Virtual love. Right? Cool. And then what about these cheese on,
Garey: 40:47
um, Cairo Waas? It was a story. I was telling the story in Cairo, and I think it's kind of inspired from real life experience. Wait, Females most I've had in the past. I
Ropa: 41:01
just kind of on the concept of car. I was
Garey: 41:05
talking about a girl I met in Cairo and Carlos the place that signifies where we met. You know, it's like the romantic A ll city off the whole story and is like, I kind of developed a feeling for her in a very short time, but she wasn't on that vibe
Ropa: 41:26
thing was no same page. So, like, I
Garey: 41:32
was spinning out a lot of emotions and trying to reach out for her, like showing a lot of vulnerability. But she was like
Ropa: 41:39
she got what she wanted just
Garey: 41:42
Yeah, she she flicked out of my reach really quickly.
Ropa: 41:46
Early said vulnerability works, but I guess it doesn't always work. Doesn't you know? It's like it's a flip
Garey: 41:54
side of what you would have about a guy meeting a girl on a short holiday, you know, making our feelings. Seven type of wearing them, and then the guy leaving this time she was, you know, very powerful, very independent, very strong willed. She wasn't gonna be in a relationship. She just wanted to have what she wanted. And, you know, she
Ropa: 42:11
just stepped out. Exactly. So I'm
Garey: 42:14
not kind of saying you're my medicine, You know, I need you back is like, I really want you to be around. For me, it was more than just a holiday. Like stuff like this is that she's like, you can never reach me on the phone. Somebody I get
Ropa: 42:29
ringing on the telephone. You should pick up on I. What about? Okay. So, actually, before I ask this next question, let me take it back. Like your hip hop influences. Actually me take it back even further than that. What genre is your music? According to you,
Garey: 42:48
it is definately effusion
Ropa: 42:50
after fusion at Refused with White.
Garey: 42:53
It's a combination of African sounds and Western influences from hip hop and R and B. Right So you would hear like me singing sometimes on me rapping sometimes or, you know, just a combination of everything you know. A touch of Afro beads or heap of trap is like the music is very rich in terms of like, how Why disable to touch different elements.
Ropa: 43:17
And now, with that in mind, who are your who? Your inspirations like
Garey: 43:24
I listened to a lot of stuff, but like most especially when I wanted to start taking music more seriously or like just me, join inspiration from music in general. Jay Z was someone I was listening to a lot going on Still today.
Ropa: 43:38
Can you believe our only settle this easy? Jay Z like 2020 You see, I know I think young
Garey: 43:47
people never manages to make it sound like you Super. You know,
Ropa: 43:50
I think a
Garey: 43:51
lot of young people, like right now in our generation, are not really introduced to Jesus music, because if you're like Jesus, like is his weight Old
Ropa: 44:01
jelly was there when like pocket exactly so is Israel has been old in the industry. And then to make matches was like young people like myself. I roll, but we listen to music and I listen to music on Spotify on Apple music and Jay Z's music was only on title like three. This is a
Garey: 44:21
very you have to kind of like seek out for it to reach it.
Ropa: 44:26
But you know what? I was listening to Joe Budget's podcast on dhe. One of the things that they were talking about in one of the episodes was about how you have these young kids who just grew up in the eye, and I realized that was me. Is that me? So before then,
Garey: 44:46
I was already listening to Jay Z. I was listening to Park. I was listening to be he, but, like also DMX and the rest of them by connected very, very heavily with Jay Z because it was for me, depart on Justin. Music, like his personality and how he carried himself, was so much more different from the other rappers.
Ropa: 45:03
Is this now where songs like which one can I use? This example? I feel like blame me or the juice. You have some songs which are big more. It's less emotional. Gary, if you're asking me that, it's more we have this. I don't want to say arrogant. I can come up with Wood Hite. Rapper Gary like, Very like the lyrical content is very like I'm here. Yeah, You want me? Oh, yeah. So that side, if it is, like, really people, that's from hip hop. Yeah, I love that. Absolutely. And which side are you both? Which side are you More? You know you more. It depends on the records. Okay, Depend on the beat. It depends tonight
Garey: 45:47
on the record. Like what? I'm really trying to tell from the record of what's being told to me because, like with many of these records, I really don't really know how it comes about. I think it's it's fragments off thoughts off fragments of emotions. Or, you know, just how I was socialized, what I least into people that have around me that inspired the music. So you can't really pinpoint it to something, particularly eso when the record comes in and I feel like there's a special story that could come out of it. It kind of just buttes based on already collected absolved information. You could say
Ropa: 46:24
I love that on. And when it comes to okay, Especially because we were just talking about Jay Z right? We talked a lot about what inspired you to start doing music. Talked a lot about the lyrical content and how you're building a song. What about everything around the music like Weird.
Garey: 46:40
That's also a big part of what? Like like being paying so much attention to from watching Jay Z. You know, the business side of things and those subjects like ownership, black pride, being able to navigate the industry and, you know, to create your own thing yourself on your own masters and stuff like this. Those are things I've learned from listening to Jay Z. Most especially, you know, he's really inspired me to believe so much myself.
Ropa: 47:06
I'm such a young kid because I learned about only Masters from Chance, the rapper who's been here for all of two minutes. Jay Z's everybody Yes, and I already started
Garey: 47:17
listening to Jason talking about only your masters like to tell 2004. I'm so you know, so is like when you already have so stop of material around you. Somehow you kind of like, just shaped to think in the seven. Top of what? Of course. I also listen to Kanye West a lot. When I was growing up,
Ropa: 47:34
I was gonna ask away your producer. Inspiration comes
Garey: 47:38
from old Kanye to be more
Ropa: 47:41
specific. I still trust you. Yeah, I was about to say, Wait, is this the timeline of news? You Can you start for you wasted find to see, or something like this? How do you feel as an artist, as you grow, your responsibility is to service your O G fans onto service. Like to stick to the sound that you're creating right now. You know, the sound that you're creating in your debut albums in your first singles. How important is it for youto kind of continue to keep some of that essence and to service your defense?
Garey: 48:21
Wow, that's a very deep question. I think you learn how to do with the older you get, you know, and the older you get, the more confidence you get in your voice, and the more you understand your position and the more you have a greater sense of purpose and what you want to do. I think it's important to be able to draw inspiration from what the fans expect. But as an artist you also have to be able to drive the wheel. And it would also be like brave enough to take chances because that's the only way you're able to create something which is like gonna last the test of time. It's important to be, you know, I wouldn't use the word careful, but I feel like it's important to still have your fans in mind. Most especially the core audience, right. But it's also nice to be able Thio free yourself from the box from the thinking that they like you only because you made a record or because you rabble because you sing. And I can really relate to this question very much because I started music off as a rapper, you know? Wow. Okay. Like back in Nigeria, I was mostly doing heap up mostly records where I was like just doing 16 bars, you know, in three verses and just like a very simple But because of the love I had for musical, I still have for music. I've always been very experimental with sounds, you know, also, because of the background of having production, sometimes I wantto rap. Sometimes I want to make a Nairobi beat sometimes something a bit more Afro. So it was like just defending to want to touch everything. I think my core audience knows that I can really do a bit of everything. So people who we didn't listen to it are not so surprised if I wrap on the song or if I just sink throughout the song,
Ropa: 50:09
okay? And now this brings me to another layer of the question, which is how important is it to be mainstream? So how important is it for you to be palatable to different audiences? And again, you go back to, like my example, J. Cole? His decision to not have features kind of pulls him from servicing the mainstream. Um, whatever music to now, it's more about the core audience that really just wants to listen to the lyrics. Yeah. Yeah. So how important is it for you to be mainstream and to be almost popped like almost, you know, I don't
Garey: 50:52
think I don't really think my music is ever really gonna be that mainstream on that level because I feel like it's serving very niche audience that just enjoys music in general. So is that my motivation when I go in the studio is not to make a hit record or, you know, get on the charts is like it really just comes from how I feel And that's how I just everything I do is like, How do I really feel about it? Am I really confident about the record? Is this something I'm gonna listen to over and over and over again? If it record pumps and it goes mainstream, that's great for me. Like, of course, that's like the dream of every artist. Have record playing clubs DJs. You don't have to beg them or try to patronize them to play a record over your friends are D.
Ropa: 51:38
J s. So there you have to let me just get
Garey: 51:42
my 90 grandmama attitude somewhere, first of all on, you know. So it was like I think the motivation for me is to really just focused on making records that I really, genuinely feel I can connect with, and that's the way people can also resonate with with the records.
Ropa: 51:58
I love it so we're getting to the end of this. I know. Having so much fun, I also
Garey: 52:05
didn't get to talk about mind your own musicians who inspired.
Ropa: 52:08
Okay, Sorry.
Garey: 52:09
No men. And under
Ropa: 52:10
these go ahead
Garey: 52:14
to face. You probably know to face
Ropa: 52:17
you my African. Exactly. And that's the only
Garey: 52:24
musically, um, fella, of course, born a boy. I've also been listening a lot to like new artists from Nigeria. Like, Oh, don't see the n gene on tur Santy. You know, I think that really doing exceptionally great stuff with the music. I'm just really proud of when And your music is right now, you know, on the global, since
Ropa: 52:48
one picture that I had, how important is it for you to be embraced by Nigerians, like like in Nigeria? For your music to be great, I think
Garey: 52:57
it takes time. I think it's just very important to be clear about what the focus is, which is, you know, creating quality stuff.
Ropa: 53:03
Yeah,
Garey: 53:03
being consistent with time, people are going to cash it, you know, it's not so easy promoting music from Nigeria and from Germany at the same time, you know, it's two totally different things at the same time, I feel like there are lots of connecting factors. You know, the music where it's coming from, the person behind it. I feel like with time it's gonna get a lot begin, Nigeria. I'm like people are gonna cash upon it so far, like the people in Algeria who already listen to the music the extreme made to share with friends and stuff. And I really believe in time on process with everything. You
Ropa: 53:40
love it. Okay, so we've got to wrap up first thing. Anything you want to shamelessly plug, just plug yourself. Definitely. Listen, Thio Gary's music on Spotify Jerry gods Yeah. Yes, everywhere. Every Okay, I listen to Spotify only. Yes, every
Garey: 53:56
every streaming platform. Really easy to find eye to eye. Whatever. Yeah, Amazon lot Everything Soundcloud is will allow you to teach you also in social media. Gary Godson,
Ropa: 54:10
follow him on Instagram. Exactly. Facebook. Facebook place books were Yeah, tick tock. You know, Gary G a r e y God, son on all of these. Exactly. Definitely.
Garey: 54:26
Go go for the rope as well And go for the part.
Ropa: 54:28
I think this will be nice. I would really appreciate that. Are you following the podcast. Scary. Well, after after after this podcast meat and I definitely will be that and lost question. Lost question, General, please. Okay, Way. We had to write a Someone was writing a biography about you. Yeah. Today. Right now.
Garey: 54:56
Okay. What would you call? Wow, the life in times of Mr Godsey?
Ropa: 55:05
Okay, wait. Someone get the pepper spray on this boy, But it sounded recognized. You gotta bring Thio. Okay, Final answer. The life and times of Gary. Yeah, okay. That's
Garey: 55:31
the real name. Or gonna Gary, by the way,
Ropa: 55:32
do I say it right? Organic. You know your name everywhere for me as organic. Very good. None of my business becoming a consummate Girls be like, What's your real name? I was especially African girls go, like, once
Garey: 55:48
your real name. I'm like, Okay, guy
Ropa: 55:54
type of a long name
Garey: 55:55
is that I'm like you asked for the real name. Yeah, I just want to say on a closing notes, you know, to everyone chasing the dream doing something, you know, just starting something which is a passion. You're not gonna have all the answers to everything once you just start doing it. You know, just like Europa. I mean, we talked about this a couple of times about your podcast and is really happening today. Um, just keep doing what you do. Believe in yourself. Always be willing to seek advice from people who have information which might be helpful And don't and don't allow anyone discourage you from chasing your dreams and, you know, doing what you believe. That's all I got to say.
Ropa: 56:32
So beautiful suite. They haven't folks. Be sure to check out Gary Got Sons Second studio album that dropped Saturday 28 March and the project is titled Still I rise and it's inspired by my Angelou. You can find them on all streaming platforms. I think he mentioned this song Cloud Spotify I choose and so on Amazon prime, you name it. And also you can follow him on Instagram and Twitter. Gary Godson, G a r E Y space God, Son, this is the part cost of shameless plugging. I encourage you to go listen to his music. And also now that we've come to the end of this amazing episode the first ever I want to let you know that I do this like old time like. So two weeks from now, another episode drops. I have an amazing guest. Her name is Mo Maureen. And listen, if you thought Iron Man had charisma, wait until you meet Mo Maureen. She's an event curator extraordinaire here in Berlin and she's all types off. Amazing. But anyway, babes, you've made it all the way to the lost the final seconds off this episode. Clearly you're feeling the way I'm feeling about this relationship that we started to build. So why don't you just lean into this chemistry in? Just subscribe. You subscribe to this podcast and also follow me on Instagram. I'm not yelling like I'm just I'm not even insisting I'm a lady, you know? So I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I'm just saying, Clearly there's something going on here that neither of us can deny soul subscribe to the right thing. And hopefully I get to see you again in exactly two weeks. When the next episode drops by E