GMS Talks Hip-Hop & Drops Gems About His Path In Music

Intro:

GMS is making waves in the city of Reading, PA with his traditional boom-bap approach to making quality Hip-Hop. He’s also one of the many talented members of the rising FRENZ collective. In the city alone, GMS has performed in front of many crowds & done tons of community work to help uplift Reading. His recent single “Mature Love” is yet another example of his continuous expertise in the craft. Before reading our full conversation below, you can also follow the artist on Instagram, SoundCloud & YouTube to stay connected.

Meet GMS

Me: How did you first get introduced to making music? What led you to a career in the music industry?

GMS: Two different trajectories. I got into music when I was still in middle school. I played football but tore my ACL & meniscus in junior high. I couldn't play ball anymore so I turned to music as my new passion. With time, it became not only a skill that I continuously sharpened but also an outlet for the feelings I didn't know how to deal with otherwise. I had thoughts to express and rapping was the best way to do it - in fact, the only way to do it in a lot of situations.

As for the music industry, only in the past couple of years did I really start to drop work on all platforms and begin thinking about GMS as an artistic brand - not just a rap name. Since then, I've done limited releases for some basic t-shirt designs, organized and held my first headlining show, and continued to create valuable partnerships the whole time.

Nice! I love your style & approach to the genre. Has your sound changed & evolved since you started?

My style is very much in the essence of what I consider to be the direct lineage of hip-hop. Pac, KRS-One, Nas, GURU, Mos Def (aka Yasiin Bey), Common, Big Pun, MF Doom.. all huge influences on my sound & my life philosophies in general. So, "old school" conscious boom bap would probably describe it well. I chop samples and make my own beats on a Maschine MK3 drum machine.

My sound has changed in some ways, but if I listen back to my first tracks that I recorded back in 2016, I still hear the common thread. I've always been on some rapping ass shit. There were times I branched out into some melodic, 808-type sounds and switched up my flow accordingly. But I always came back to some rapping ass shit, because that's what I love.

Do you remember the first song you've ever made? If so, what was it like & how does it compare to your latest/best releases?

The first songs I wrote and the first song I recorded came years apart. I remember the first song I recorded was to an MF Doom beat called Books of War. I did it on Audacity with a Snowball USB Mic on my mom's computer in the living room. Compared to what I'm cooking today? Not even in the same world.

What does a world without music look like in your imagination?

I can't imagine that actually. There's music in everything. Our hearts beat to a rhythm. Life is largely just rhythms and motion. A world without music is a world devoid of life.

Who are some of your favorite artists/producers/engineers/etc. to work with?

My favorite artists to work with are all in the FRENZ Collective. Solace 888, Jacubb, Vic Severe, J.Voda, Rivers, Warhead, DJ Latino, Bishop, and StrVy are some of the creatives within the Collective. Every one of them brings a unique energy and set of talents to whatever we work together on. HTM Studios, specifically MixedbyTae & Dai Scott, are my favorite engineers to record with.

Wow, you have done a lot around the city! Are there any other artists you would like to work with around your area?

I'd like to work more with local videographers and musicians. As much as I love Reading rappers, I got projects and collabs on the way with a lot of them already. I think it'd be dope to branch out to different forms of art and media.

Where does your stage name originate from? Have you ever changed your name?

I've been GMS since I started rapping. It originally was just my initials, but new meanings for the acronym would come up every now and then. Eventually, I settled on "God Mind & Soul". That's my rap name because that's what I stand on when I rap. Those three concepts are the foundation of my art.

In addition to that, how would you describe your music in ONE word to someone who's never listened before?
Rooted.

What are some other talents & hobbies outside of music that some may not know about you?

I love video games and have been playing them since I was like 3 years old. Video game soundtracks and aesthetics are a big influence in my beats sometimes. I like anime and movies. I like spending time in nature too.

How supportive have your family & friends been over time? Do they influence or shape your career in any ways?

Some do and some don't. For a while when I was younger, I was bitter over lack of support from certain people that I felt should have been more supportive. Unfortunately, at that time I let the negative cloud my view of the positive. In reality, I've come to realize that I've always had at least a few people in my corner rooting for me, even if it was from a distance.

I'd say that the feeling of not being supported by certain people motivated me just as much as the support of others. They have all shaped my journey. Thanks to the ones who didn't show up when I needed them, I built an unshakeable confidence and sense of artistic self-sufficiency that nobody can take from me. And thanks to the ones who did and still do support me to this day, I have a foundation of community for that confidence and self-sufficiency to rest on.

With that all being said, is there any advice you would give to someone that is thinking about getting into music today?

I know a few people that have been "thinking about getting into music" for a long time. Don't let that be a comfortable state for you. You're thinking about it? Just do it. Learn, try, fail, learn, try, succeed. Repeat. That's the formula. Record yourself then play it back over and over.

Study. Study yourself, study the greats, study the game. Love what you do. If you can't show love to the process, the craft, or the culture.. then go exploit another art because this space isn't for you. It's all love. I can give you advice but I can't give you rules.

And last, do you have any immediate or longterm plans for the future you’d feel comfortable sharing with the fans?

Continue to add to my discography with more projects and collabs. Open up the merch store so my supporters can order what they want, when they want. Do more shows with bigger audiences. Most importantly, continue building partnerships and connections with organizations that are doing real work on the ground level in our communities. The music only goes so far without that foundation of civic engagement that is deep in the DNA of hip hop.

If I could hop on an album with Madlib on production.. that would mean more to me than getting 100 Grammy's. I'm manifesting that.