GIZMO876: A LYRICAL SENSATION

Gizmo876 (Shakielle Powell) is a Jamaican lyrical sensation born and raised in St. Ann. His style and flows are what set him apart from his peers in a saturated Dancehall space.  

​the following interview highlights gizmo876's story.
islandgalting presents: gizmo876

Photo taken by: Joshua Hayles

What was your first introduction to music? 
My first introduction to music was church. I have a lot of aunts and uncles who are great vocalists, some of whom entered a national gospel competition as a group. My dad and his brothers played instruments. Being around them, coupled with having friends with the same interest made it impossible for me not to be drawn to music. I started writing my own music early in high school to participate in break time clashes, and then later moved into producing music when I was introduced to a popular Digital Audio Workstation by fellow producers in school at the time.
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What does music, especially dancehall, mean to you?
Music to me is therapy. I wouldn't say it is solely what got me through some of the darkest and lowest points in my life but it certainly made the journey a bit more bearable. Dancehall music is Jamaica, past, present and future. For me, it is an avenue to share my experiences, ideas and thoughts. At the same time, writing and listening to dancehall music helps me understand myself and my history as a Jamaican and as a citizen of this world because I conduct a lot of research in the process. 

Photo taken by: Joshua Hayles

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How has music changed your life? 
Music has been the second greatest contributor to my recent mindset shift, the first being my son. I started conducting some serious business research a year prior to my first commercial release last summer. Since then, I have been studying the game (of music and life) and this changed my entire outlook on, well, everything. I can say if I hadn't decided to pursue music, I probably would never have attained this level of mental and psychological maturity.

How did you feel when people started to respond positively to your music? 
When I started uploading my music online (on SoundCloud, then later YouTube), I only did it so I wouldn't lose them. The mere fact that I have reached a point where I have people like my art enough to purchase it or to stay up waiting for a release from me is still surreal. I have always been, and will forever remain grateful for any support I receive. I still try my best to respond to everyone, so they know that.

Photo taken by: Joshua Hayles

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What/Who inspires your style? 
Even though I spend a lot of time planning before I execute anything or show the world, my style has always been driven most by my mood. How I feel is what you get, most of the time, through the music just as much as how I look. It's all a part of the art, and that's just me finding ways to show the world my mind. There are a lot of inspirations in the game that shaped how I think though, but I think the single most impactful has been the Worl' Boss himself, Vybz Kartel.
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How has your community reacted to your music? 
Members of my community always knew I had a passion for music, and I performed at a few small events there in the past. However, since I rebranded and started releasing music commercially, I have been MIA. In the back of my head I kept wondering what it would be like to go back. All this time, I had been keeping in touch with a few close friends and my brother who told me my music was being played heavily there. It didn't hit me until I actually went back there in December how much they love my music. I shot a scene for my latest music video (Devious) there and they knew the lyrics, I was shocked. I also performed at a show Christmas night that featured acts like Fanton Mojah and Turbulance, and the feedback for my set was unbelievable.

​View clips of the performance here: https://www.instagram.com/p/B6ld7qVpdKU

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You worked with an international producer on your latest single Wild, how does it feel to have such connections in this industry?
The many connections I have made showed me the power of a few things: positive energy, social media/the internet, and using what you have instead of waiting. It feels amazing to work with producers from all the way in the Netherlands, UK and Canada at such an early stage in my career. I get more freedom to experiment with my sound and get 'the crazies' out. I actually released a single after Wild - Urban Mode produced by Dev from the UK: https://ffm.to/UrbanMode.
We have a lot more coming.

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Who is one artist that you really want to work with? 
I have a long list of artists I hope to work with, but I think the collaboration that would mean the most to me whether it blows up or not, would be one with Vybz Kartel - my biggest inspiration to date. A lot of my friends told me a collab with me and Kartel would probably be overkill, but I'm here for it.

What can we expect next from Gizmo876? 
After visuals for Devious, we work on visuals for a collaboration with a new talent that drops very soon and should make a significant impact.
I will start recording my first project this month. It will be a vibe most have never heard from me. We have been planning it for a few months and I'm very excited about it. Before we release that project though, just look out for more singles and vibes from Gizmo876.

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Photo taken by: Joshua Hayles

CHECK OUT GIZMO876'S OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR HIS HIT SINGLE DEVIOUS 

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