Gems - Road To Damascus

Gems is an music artists from South East London who released his debut album 'Road To Damascus’ last year, which has accumulated immense support on and off line. Overall, he uses his craft to illustrate his life and the things he’s been through, which initially started as a hobby when he was in prison in 1999.

Outside of music Gems works as an outreach & development worker for the Princes Trust, where he works with 16-25 year old helping them into employment and education. He has worked with young people for 6 years were he has acted as a holistic mentor, facilitating music workshops and life skills sessions.

I thought I’d catch up with him to find out more about his audience, sacrifices, collaborations and more.

What do you do and where did it start?

That’s a great question. To be honest it is really hard to pinpoint and single out one specific thing but if we are talking in regards to what I do musically, I would say I am a rapper and a song writer. I initially started rapping or free-styling in 1999 as a hobby and just to pass time whilst incarcerated in prison.

Who are your audience and how do you appeal to them?

I have never been one to pigeon hole myself so I would say my music has and does currently appeal to individuals that possess a diverse musical taste.   In addition to that the audiences that I have performed to and that have given me feedback have all hailed from different walks of life and different countries with rap not necessarily being there first love. But ultimately one thing that they do all have in common is that they share a genuine appreciation for music that is honest, transparent and depicts real life.

How has the scene changed and what impact has this had on you as artists?

The scene has changed immensely from when I first started out in a number of ways.  Not to sound too much like an old man (laughs) back then when I started rapping there was no Youtube, Twitter, Facebook or any of the other social networking tools to help you promote your gifting’s. So the power of the internet has given the music industry a massive facelift.  At present from one click of a button the whole world can be exposed to your music in the matter of seconds as before it was a much more hands on practical approach which involved more leg work.

Back then you also relied more on the radio stations, DJs and video channels to help promote you – though those components of the game have not lost their value they are no longer the only ways to market yourself as the mediums and outlets for music have grown.  Also there were only a handful of artists doing rap music in comparison to now were we have seen a massive influx and rise in the UK with so many up and coming artists’ grafting on the underground as well as the mainstream  ones taking the charts by storm.

In summary I would say the artistry levels have progressed and evolved as well as the public’s appreciation and acceptance for the art form expanding immensely.

When did you make the transition from music as career in comparison to it being a hobby and what does it mean to you?

It’s crazy because I work full time, been married for nearly 6 years as well as do music – so it’s a massive balancing act. I would say though I started taking music seriously in 2004. After taking some time out in 2005 my seriousness kicked back in around 2007. To me music is a way to express thoughts, feelings and capture emotions and convey them in your own creative style. I now realise the importance much more as what you say can have a massive effect on your listeners whether it be good or bad. For me I see music as a way to promote Jesus and highlight how great he is.

Have you made any sacrifices to pursue your career, if so what where they and has it been worth it, any regrets?

Many sacrifices have to be made in life especially if you have a goal or dream that you would like to see transition into a reality. I have had to make quite a few on my musical journey with two coming to mind. First sacrifice as mentioned above was when I took some out from music mid 2005 which in hindsight proved to be a defining moment for me as I was going through loads of internal changes which then began to have a massive positive impact on my outlook on life.  At the time I was so focused on music that if I had not nipped it in the bud it could have become a huge hindrance in my change process, as music took up a lot of my time and required extreme focus and attention.

I became a Christian in late 2005 and realised that God was more concerned with my soul and character than my musical gifting’s.  So in taking time out I learned that you should ‘’never let your gift take you where your character can’t keep you’’.  To some it may seem like I took a step back when in fact at times I did think that as well but now when I look at it I have seen the great impact that it has had on me as a person and writer to this present day.  But it was actually a sacrifice that has helped my music career.

Also when it comes to money (laughs) I have gone without buying certain things that I may need/want to be able to invest into my career.

Regrets – can’t say I have any – everything has been one massive class room experience as I have learned some priceless truths on my travels and picked up some valuable nuggets.

Where is the best place music has taken you?

Music has allowed me to perform in a vast amount of diverse arenas in and out of the country. Some of these places include -universities, schools, night clubs, churches and Notting hill & Manchester carnivals.  I have been overly fortunate to perform in Germany at a massive youth conference which was an experience of a lifetime as well as gig in Wales. The most diverse setting I have performed in would be when I performed at a massive conference in Bournemouth which was full of politicians, judges, dignitaries and professional practitioners from all over the country.

Who have you collaborated with and who do you plan to work with in the future?

I have collaborated with Mobo award winner Jahaziel, Dwayne Tryumf and Linslee Campbell who is a great musician that has worked with likes of the Light House Family. I have also worked with a few British underground gospel artists as well as working with a rapper from Michigan (USA) by the name of Colt Sack and not to mention SLR (Street Light Rimes) and songstress Shivon Bailey.

Who do I plan to work with in the future? (Laughs) loose lips sink ships we’ll see what the future has in store.

What can we expect from you in 2012?

I am still promoting my mix tape - Road 2 Damascus- which came out in 2011. This is still available for download at www.gems-music.com. You can also be kept up to date with all my latest songs and videos via my site as well. I will be releasing a compilation CD which will be a collaborative effort from myself and my partner in rhyme SLR which is titled ‘’The Great Invitation’’. You can also expect more videos & features as well as a few exclusive treats.

For more of Gems, log on to his Official Site.