"I could do that." Meet Gee.

AmberLee Janel
Nov 14, 2017
3 min read

Instagram: @gregalexander23

Who is Gee?

Greg "Gee" Alexander, 22

Muskegon, MI

Artist

Rapper

Poet

Writer

Vegan

The Beginning

"I didn't draw any better than your average 6 year old".

Greg "Gee" became aware of his artistic ability while "doodling" in evening bible study. "I just started drawing people...with no chins, it was like forehead, nose, lip, lip, neck",he laughed. Gee progressed from using different types of pencil to Prismacolor Premier pencils.

Inspiration

"I really like creating, sets me apart from my peers" Gee makes sure his art in all aspects reflects him and gives off personal energy.

"What motivates you?", I asked.

"The world...Things happening around me"

Gee was also quick to answer which famous artist (dead or alive) he would spend a day with artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

"Basquiat, for sure"

Gee found Basquiat's personality and work to be "interesting", and wanted to know more about it from the artist himself.

"I would take away the mental aspect and approach" Gee stated.

Jean-Michel Basquiat (A FTF favorite) was an American artist whose graffiti-style paintings made him an overnight sensation in the New York art scene. Born in Brooklyn, he was a figure in Punk Art and Neo-Expressionism where the human figure reemerged in art. Many regard him and his works as products of the cultural movement of the 80s.

Music and Poetry

At 16 years old, Gee began writing rhymes for fun. "One of my home girls wrote raps and said I was good, we passed them back and fourth for a few years."

He questioned why she suggested he begin seriously writing raps, but he knew he could.

At 18, spoken word had become Gee's interest. "Blown away" by renowned spoken-word superstar Jasmine Mans. He wanted to make a crowd really feel what he was saying. Gee confidently thought...

"I could do that"

Gee is a fan of rapper Kendrick Lamar and singer and songwriter Frank Ocean. He feels that he can relate to some of Kendrick's subject matters, such as social issues.

However when it comes to Frank, Gee is in awe of his artistry. He believes Frank's music is extremely honest. "He exposes a huge part of himself."

Frank Ocean, was born in Long Beach, California. He grew up in New Orleans, but moved to Los Angeles in his late teens to pursue a career in music. He began ghostwriting tracks for Justin Bieber and Beyoncé, but soon achieved fame as an artist when, in 2011, he released an album of his own music, titled nostalgia, ULTRA. His follow-up album, channel ORANGE, was released in 2012 to both critical and popular acclaim.In 2012 Frank wrote an open letter, initially intended for the liner notes on Channel Orange, that addressed speculation about his attraction in the past to another man. He released his most recent studio album Blonde in 2016.

"His quality of music is out of this world. His writing, voice, all of that. True artist" Gee states.

Gee listens to his favorite artists for inspiration. "It gets me going"

He says.

The process: Bitter Blackberries

Summer 2016, Gee began recording songs which soon formed his first project, Bitter Blackberries.

"I was sitting on a few different things I needed to get out, saw things that would spark words, then I would write it down."

Gee explained that he writes his songs before knowing the beat, and treats his tracks like spoken word. He imagines a sound "in his head" most of the time. The album was originally supposed to only have 7 tracks and ended up with 16.

"Bitterness"is the theme to almost every track. He wanted to flip the meaning of the "blacker the berry the sweeter the juice" line in Tupac Shakur's hit track Keep Your Head Up.

"That isn't always true" He stated about Shakur's lyrics. He wanted to prove that the juice isn't always sweet.

After the release of his project Gee was overwhelmed by the support of the people around him. "Its pretty cool to be able to make your own music and see people enjoying it" he said with a smile.

"Feels good"

Gee wanted to create something for people to relate to and he did.

What's next?

"Im not stopping anything"

Gee plans to continue to play basketball professionally after, drawing, writing and rapping after he graduates in the spring from Mount St Mary's University.

He will continue to inspire others through his art, poetry, music and fashion.

I'm not a real person. I'm a legend. -Jean Michel Basquiat