They say the third time’s the charm, but G3NNY will be hoping he gets things right at his second time of asking. The talented emcee completed his metamorphosis on August 31, arising in his new image with a two-track EP titled “Not That Nice.” With that mini project and the new music he surely has on the way, G3NNY will be hoping to demonstrate that he has changed much more than just his name and has now equipped himself with the necessary tools to fulfil what has always had the makings of a promising career.
Born Bolaji Olawale Richard, G3NNY’s story is that of a small-town boy with his sights set on taking over the world. He was born in Ogbomoso and completed his primary and secondary school. G3NNY credits his dad for fueling his passion for music by introducing him to the likes of Fela, Lagbaja, Michael Jackson, and Beautiful Nubia. He initially wanted to express that love for music by becoming an instrumentalist and explored recorders, guitars, and harmonicas at an early age. But one can only dodge destiny for so long, and he eventually settled into the role of a rapper that he was born for.
G3NNY took the first steps towards becoming a professional musician during his time at Obafemi Awolowo University, where he studied English and Literary studies. Not one to allow shyness hold him back, G3NNY immediately showcased his gifts at every opportunity – albeit under a different moniker, Genesys. His participation in the 2017 edition of OAU Idol gave him campus-wide popularity, and Genesys leveraged that to score underground hits like “Slow Whine” and “No Lies.” His active presence on cyphers and rap competitions also helped boost his profile, with the biggest appearance coming in last year’s Hennessy VS class.
While far from his peak, there are many reasons why G3NNY has made more than his fair share of waves within the Hip-hop circle of our industry. Top of the checklist is his ability to paint vivid imagery with his lyrics rather than just fill his bars with flashy punchlines and directionless braggadocio. G3NNY is always quick to cite American rapper J. Cole as his biggest influence and certainly adapted the veteran’s smooth storytelling and intricate flows in his verses. But that’s not to say he can go all out with the punchlines when necessary; he has performed excellently in many cyphers, after all. There’s also the small bonus of having a rapping voice that’s instantaneously catchy. All of his best qualities are captured on “Premonition,” his last track under his erstwhile name.
With his first two tracks under the new brand, G3NNY shows he has undergone an improvement as opposed to an overhaul. He retains all the cool qualities that made Genesys pop while adding new ones to help him hit the heights that evaded his old iteration. He tells personal stories on “West Diaries” and “Vainglorious,” like he often does, but the differentiating factor is the increased relatability in this pair of tracks. G3NNY talks his stuff on Afrofusion instrumentals while slightly soft-pedalling his delivery and flow and introducing his mellow singing voice. By applying the ‘Palmwine music’ formula, a wider audience will likely be attracted to his music, which previously felt like it was made exclusively for hardcore Hip-hop heads. It remains to be seen how G3NNY will fair with this new approach, but there’s every reason to be optimistic that this gifted artist is finally about to get his due recognition.