This week for our Instagram Live interview we spoke with GNZS, an 18-year-old self-made Chicago rapper. He produces his own lyrics and is an artist who stands up for everything that he believes in. We were thrilled to hear his journey on how he decided to pursue music and here is what he had to say:
How long have you been writing music?
GNZS has been writing poetry since he was about six or seven years old and this is due to having other poets in the family. It wasn’t until two years ago that he started to create his own music and it quickly became a passion for him. It was a hobby that has really helped him express feelings and emotions that he’s held within.
What’s your music creating process?
He has a producer who helps create his own beats. He first listens to the beats and then he writes the lyrics to it. The reason for this is that the beat tells its own story and he wants to add to that story.
How long does it take you to write a song?
GNZS is sometimes insecure when it comes to how long it takes him to write songs because sometimes he can write a song in 30 minutes but if it’s a song that he is really struggling with it could take him months. One of his most recent song called “Paradime” took him two months to write.
How does music help you?
What music does for him is that it gives him an opportunity to put his mindsets and feelings into his songs. Teens today tend to not know where to put their feelings and insecurities and music gives him a space to do this. It’s an opportunity for him to get his voice out to the world and heals his feeling. Music gives him an opportunity to shed a light on issues that others could be going through and let them know that they are not alone and they’re not the only ones going through hardships.
What message would you like others to take from your music?
The message he’d like to get out is to not be afraid or ashamed of the most realistic things in life. Struggles, hardships, challenges, everything good and bad because they help mold and define you in the long run. So be true to yourself and keep moving forward.
We thank GNZS for joining us today to talk about his music and providing us with his story on what inspires his work. If you’d like to check out his work you can find him on Spotify, Sound Cloud and YouTube by searching GNZS. Also, check out his Instagram page @GNZS. Make sure to tune in next week to our next Instagram Live!