UP CLOSE :GABBO

After hearing “Street’s of Jupiter”, and his buzz on the streets, Ryan Lyons catches up with Baltimore emcee Gabbo, and discusses his roots, his city, and his plans.

Give us a brief history of yourself, and how you got into Hip-Hop?

I was around 8 or 9 just being a fan of the music; I went to a LL Cool J concert with my sister Rachel. There was a spirit bigger than churches there. I remember feeling something different. People were dancing, people were fighting, but most of all people were having a good time. As I quoted LL's raps I felt like people were there to see me. I started writing my own raps shortly after that. People started telling me I was nice when I turned 13. By 15 people were calling me Gift Of Gab, Gab for short. 

How would you describe your sound? And how do you want your audience to feel when they hear your music?

I describe my sound as Hard. Not gangsta rap, not bookbag rap, but street, street flavor. I want it to be big whenever you hear Gabbo rhyme. I want you to stop what you’re doing, and say "Hold up for a minute Cuz the homie Gab is rhymin'." I want fans to like my music but more importantly love me! 

                                                

What has been your experience in Baltimore, and how do we as a city fit into Hip-Hop?

Everything I know about life I learned from Baltimore. Hip Hop is life you feel me? I listen to the big name rappers and studied them while the 90's Baltimore rap scene started to bubble. I was young and learned from rap legends here. Labtekwon, PenPals, One Speaker Supereme, and my big homie Millameter. We have culture with no real outlet. It's like we have a bunch of race cars and no race track to drive on. We need more support from our folks, our radio stations, and out of town record company's to check our music coming from the streets that they love so much. (Hint, Hint...The Wire)

You can definitely hear the Baltimore sound in your voice. How else has Baltimore culture had an influence on your sound?

I'm from the streets of East Baltimore, still live in the hood. Learning life's lessons, I soaked up game, used my brain, and can talk about anything. I mean there's some good things here, there's some great families that come from bad neighborhoods. I try to put it all in my music.

On your project "Streets of Jupiter” what are your favorite joints, and why?

My favorite joint is “Black Clouds”. It's like that period of hip hop I love is cursed. There will never be another Tupac or Biggie. For that matter there will never be the 90's again, it can't be recreated. I tried to give you that for just one song. The rhyme I already had written when Millameter first produced that track. He told me he could see Nas on the roof top. We had to take it back.

“We have culture with no real outlet.” - Gabbo

Talk about the production on the "Streets of Jupiter" album?

The “Streets of Jupiter” marked my return to rap music. I had quit for four years. Millameter had been calling me everyday playing tracks for the last two years, got me back in the studio. The first day we did three tracks when I realized I was ready I reached out to my home girl Ms.Tris beats got four bangers, got two ill tracks from Overlor, but Millameter did the bulk of the work. We knew it was special the moment it was finished; I doubt I could ever recreate this album. Classic shit.

My Favorite joint on the album is Black Cloud's, seems influenced by early Nas, even without the sample. How has Nas influenced you?

I only listen to two rappers Nas and Tupac. I love a lot of today's and yesterday's rap but Illmatic and All Eyes on Me was and still is the theme music to my life. They are more than artist, probably the two most important rappers in history. Tupac's charm and intelligence, Nas's poetic brilliance mixed with their self knowledge of Black History can't be matched, you are what you eat, I just gotta eat the right shit.

The lead single "Fly away with me" also has a 90's era feel, are you’re trying to bring that feel back?

Of course, I miss that vibe, I carry that vibe in my soul. Can't you feel that vibe when you listen to my music? You could feel the magic when Grand Puba had the mic, or when Rakim or KRS-One, or Jay-Z for that matter, I want you to feel the magic when Gab got the mic!

What are you working on now?

I can't give the title...nigga's is bitten me hard these days. But the new album is almost done. We got about 4 more tracks left on it; look out for the new single next week on allhiphop.com, thisis50.com, and several other big websites. If you think we gonna give you another Jupiter you’re in for a real surprise! I let Millameter produce this whole album...INCREDIBLE!

Thanks for your time brother, anybody you’d like to shout-out, or any up coming events?

You can check Gabbo out in April's addition in The Source Magazine, on Facebook become a fan today, Twitter under Gabbo201, myspace.com, or google Gabbo black clouds. You can buy "Black Clouds" and "Fly Away" on iTunes, or the whole album Streets of Jupiter in a hood near you, or leave a message on Facebook and someone will get at you. Shout-Outs to my whole New Tribe Family, The Godfather, Bear, Hollywood, Millameter, Que, Poetic Justice, and all the other MC's gettin' busy, to my beautiful family, and to all who support me, I love you and won't let you down. Nice talking' to you.

 Listen to some tracks on  " Street's of Jupiter"

Knockin' by RyanLyons                                                             

Black Clouds by RyanLyons