On
His Two-Single Project Perspectives,
GR8FUL
Shares His Gratitude with the World
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BELOW!
By
Francis Galang
CAPE
TOWN, South Africa – Upcoming on November 4th,
2022, the South African rapper GR8FUL will be releasing the
two-single project Perspectives.
Following the release of Perspectives,
GR8FUL will be releasing music videos for the singles: “Pop Off”
on November 9th
and “Carry On” on November 23rd.
Both singles can be found on his YouTube.
“I
wanted to set a high bar for myself to keep climbing and climbing,”
says GR8FUL. “I want to showcase versatility and diversity on
Perspectives.
To
showcase the best of Cape Town and South African talent on the music
and visuals.”
GR8FUL
was born in Cape Town, South Africa supported by his family in his
development as a musician. He developed himself as a rapper in his
teens, freestyling in the parks of Cape Town, and making songs about
the city surrounding him. Following his studies at Cape Town’s
International School and the beginning of the COVID pandemic, GR8FUL
committed to pursuing music full-time, adopting his name “GR8FUL”
as a constant reminder to practice gratitude.
“Gratitude
is a practice,” he says. “I want to remind myself to always be
practicing it. The 8 represents infinity – forever. To forever be
grateful.”
Throughout
the pandemic, GR8FUL has been hard at work developing himself. He has
written many songs in the beginning of the 2020s but has spent recent
months stepping back and refining his process. “You have to give
people the quality they want to make this all last in the long term.
I’ve learned that discipline gets you so much further than
inspiration. Inspiration happens in the middle; you can’t wait for
it. Discipline is what actually gets you started in something.”
“I’ve
been studying the engineers and producers here and how they do their
craft. I’ve been going out and finding what makes music click,
listening to the variety of voices that make up the underground in
Cape Town,” he says. “I’m understanding myself more and more
and I am constantly learning. This project I’m releasing is my
perspective on where I’m at in life right now.”
Perspectives
is a project featuring bar-to-bar flows, banging beats, and “stuff
like nothing else out there”. Perspectives
is the culmination of over a year of refinement not just in its
music, but in the development of its message, narrative, and overall
aesthetic.
GR8FUL
says, “I like to base my concepts around what I observe. What I’m
exposed to culturally, musically, physically, emotionally. Anything I
understand or want to understand.” “On Perspectives,
I
wanted to explore the idea of gratitude. That gratitude is a
practice. You can have it in moments or have it forever. It depends
on your perspective.”
Together
with the producer Luke Goliath from the city of Port Elizabeth,
GR8FUL produced the album in a series of sessions full of
spontaneity, teamwork, and blossoming ideas.
“On
the first day, I went to the studio, and we started cooking up beats.
But by the end of the night, two beats stuck with me. The studio was
next to a club, and taking it all in had me writing, writing, and
writing,” he says. “The next day I met the other writers in the
studio, and we spent 12 solid hours just making music together.”
The
single “Pop Off” was born from this collaborative, spontaneous
environment. It was made in the last minutes before the curfews from
lockdowns closed Port Elizabeth for the night. GR8FUL says, “When
Luke cooked up the beat, I was writing along with the other writers.
Sometimes one person was singing, but everyone was writing.
Eventually, we were all in a circle and we put together the chorus,
verse one, verse two. We stood in a line, and it just flowed from one
to another.”
“It’s
crazy how people can come from different backgrounds, different
perspectives on life, and come together to create something. There’s
a certain power in that.”
“Carry
On” is a single backed by a funk-type rhythm. GR8FUL says, “The
melody was there from the beginning. Some songs just flow out of you,
and this was one of them. That feeling is nostalgic. It makes me feel
like a kid.”
Both
singles “Pop Off” and “Carry On” will be accompanied with
music videos releasing on November 9th
and 23rd
respectively. Both videos will showcase a variety of South African
talent, with “Carry On” featuring funk-inspired visuals as well.
GR8FUL
is excited to be releasing Perspectives
on November 4th,
2022, happy about the journey and diverse talent represented on the
album. Perspectives
collects ideas born of deep reflection as well as ideas born
in-the-moment, showcasing the many sides GR8FUL has to offer.
GR8FUL
looks forward to a busy 2023, crafting and releasing more music made
alongside Perspectives
in 2022. He looks forward to showcasing his year of refinement,
continually reaching the high bars he sets for himself.
Be
sure to stay connected with GR8FUL on all platforms for new music,
videos, and social media posts.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1VzD3ESxdi6M58llC6AkrM?si=uam3cBt0RoOd_-JRVYFpWQ
https://music.apple.com/za/artist/gr8ful/1420278943
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClk9_vh020lzEgri3QDQGIw/videos
https://www.instagram.com/gr8fvl/
https://www.facebook.com/imaad.baderoen.3/
Website:
Gr8ful.co.za (Will be relaunched day of Perspective release)
