#MCM Man Crush Monday

picture caputured by Ethan Hobgood

Geo (Finesse) Geo is a senior at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, majoring in Music Business and Entrepreneurship. His goal is to learn as much about the music industry as possible to help manage his own career and eventually become a CEO at a label. He wants to put on other talented artists that will add value to the hip hop culture and genre but who lack the connections or exposure. Born and raised in Alcoa, Tennessee. Geo has been rapping since the age of 10. He said he first got inspired to become a hip hop artist when his brother brought home a CD of himself freestyling. “I must have played it back a million times straight…I felt it so much because it was so real and transparent; everything he was spitting I witnessed firsthand,” said Geo. As a person who doesn’t talk much, music seemed like an outlet for his brother to express himself and relieve the stresses of watching their mother struggle to feed and provide for her family. He remembers his mother pawning her jewelry just to provide them with school supplies. Seeing her sacrifice motivated Geo to take his education more serious. “Where I’m from you either rapped, played ball, or hustled; I did all of the above,” Geo said. He began battle rapping and freestyling with other local spitters in middle school and at local parties. It did not take long for him to realize that rapping just came naturally for him. In 7th grade Geo entered a talent show but did not place. It discouraged him so much that he said he stopped rapping for a while and didn’t start focusing on music again until high school.

After almost getting locked up, it took him getting locked up and watching a friend of his get gunned down to make him realize there was no future in the streets, so he began to really focus again on music and developing his craft. I hustled and worked at a local grocery store in the 9th grade to help my mom pay bills and to purchase a home recording studio where I recorded mixtapes to sell. If Geo had to describe his musical style, he would call it southern lyricism. It consists of jazzy beats, witty lines and some harmonization. “My motto is bars over bullshit...My father, who is a singer and songwriter, always stresses the importance of putting out music with meaning and substance,” said Geo. He says he tries to make sure he says something worth mentioning. “Creating punchlines and metaphors comes natural to me; because I grew up listening to lyrical artists like Tupac, Nas, Biggie, Jay Z, Outkast, UGK, and TI,” Geo said. Geo says he feels that his lyrics are hard and relevant; they touch the people because he raps about reality.

Contact : Youtube: Wae2Geo Facebook.com/finesse.geo Reverbnation.com/thisisgeo Instagram:Thisisgeo865 Twitter: Thisisgeo865