Geeeko

By Nehria Mariën September 23, 2021

THIS WEEK ON MEET THE FAM: GEEEKOO

The next artist we want to share with you is Geeeko.
Geeeko is one of the most promising musicians of the moment and is working hard
on his career in Brussels. At the age of fourteen he started rapping about genuine
topics, in which he is open about his life and hopes to inspire others who can relate
to his words.
Despite his busy schedule and many days in the studio, we had the opportunity to
get to know him better.

Creating awareness

 

The first question we ask Geeeko is how his weekend has been. It soon becomes clear that in
addition to focusing on music, he also finds it important to stand up for and pay attention to
injustice around the world.
Geeeko tells us he went to a memorial service in memory of Mehdi Bouda, who was hit by a
police car two years ago and passed away. Besides Geeeko, other artists were also present,
such as Frenetik, to pay tribute to Mehdi. The collective 'justice for Mehdi' organized a big
event including a basketball game and an exhibition of Mehdi's drawings. “I thought it was
important to be there and to support the family.” Geeeko says.

''If the message you convey with your music is real and truthful, it will still have an impact 10 years from now''

The fact that Geeeko thinks it is important to make people aware of events in life can also be heard in his lyrics. “I get a lot of inspiration from my own life” he says.

"If the message you convey with your music is real and truthful, it will still have an impact 10 years from now.’’

According to Geeeko it is important to be honest about what you go through in life and not only write and share about the pretentious ‘famous lifestyle’. ‘’In this way, listeners are given the opportunity to feel related to the artist and get inspired’’ he says.

The impact of the lockdown

 

This mindset was partly developed during covid. The lockdown has made Geeeko rediscover himself and look at his music differently.

''I started to focus on my way of thinking and mindset'' he says.

He asked himself questions such as "What type of music do I wanna make?" and "What kind of person do I wanna be?"

Aesthetics and roots

‘’You can have the greatest song or album ever made, but if you don’t put effort in your identity and aesthetic, it will not be as effective.’’

Geeeko is very aware of the aesthetic he conveys. "I think not only should your lyrics be good, but your aesthetic should be able to connect and match with your lyrics as well." Geeeko says.

''Nowadays, people need to be able to understand your appearance. You can have the greatest song or album ever made, but if you don't put effort in your identity and aesthetic, it will not be as effective."

Geeeko describes his own aesthetic as colorful and likes to experiment with different styles, as we can hear in his music. ''I don't like to stay in the comfort zone.''

"My different roots have made me the person I am today."

His different styles are developed by the inspiration and influences from the various places Geeeko grew up in.

''I was born in Burundi Bujumbura, but moved at an early age to Rwanda where I lived for 7 years'' Geeeko says. ''After living in Rwanda I moved to Burkina Faso for another 7 years.''

At the age of fourteen he moved to Brussels, where he was introduced to rap music.

''Although I've always been very involved with music, I was introduced to new styles of music in Brussels, including rap.''

Making moves

 

“I joined the '1-minute rap' movement on Instagram and posted a video where I freestyled for 60 seconds. It was just for fun at the beginning, but a lot of people seemed to like it."

Not much later, Geeeko was invited for a studio session in Liège and discovered a new great talent: rapping.

"It's finally time for the recognition we deserve!"

 

Now with over 102.8K monthly listeners and features with artists like YG Pablo and Yung Mavo, Geeeko has become an integral part of the music industry.

“This is the right time to stand up as a Belgian artist and we need to make ourselves heard.”

Despite the many new talents in Brussels, among other places, there is still too little attention for the musicians in Belgium.

‘’It is often artists from Paris or other major cities that receive recognition’’ Geeeko says.

‘’But with the support of the older generation of Belgian musicians and the mindset the new wave mastered we have had great opportunities. It's finally time for the recognition we deserve!"