Rapper Gio Basha’s Life is Like a Tarantino Film.

As most of us already know, building a successful career in any field will have its fair share of obstacles. If you are Gio Basha though, those obstacles fall like bowling pins in a strike. Even when the odds were stacked against him, he proved that not only could he overcome his trials and tribulations; but also that he would climb higher than most could ever imagine.

Despite encountering what some might call numerous roadblocks in life. From a lengthy prison bid, art-world scandals and often-questionable relationships (with otherwise shady political figures) Basha has managed to shake off the controversies and negative publicity to create a budding career in hip-hop. His music, which collectively has just reached over 1 million streams/views, has attracted a lot of attention in the U.S. and abroad. Basha tends to resonate with the gangster rap genre and the New York drill scene the most though, with many big names praising his unique sound and controversial lyrics.

Basha’s first single, “Mafia” which he says is a tribute to a lost friend, gained international attention and a quarter of a million views in less than a month. This prompted Basha to keep making music, with each song connecting to the last. His second single “Money” which was shared on social media and other platforms by Sony Music, WorldstarHipHop, and Grammy award-winning artist T-pain; ultimately changed Basha’s objective and focus. From there he began to take things more seriously, dropping new music, month after month and quickly gaining a huge fan base seemingly overnight.

Having experienced many hardships in life and managing to come out even stronger is something Basha wants to convey in his music. He has said in the past that each one of his songs is a movie script and he is playing the role of a character on screen. “It is important that rap music be seen as an art form and not criminal.” Recently rappers like Jay-Z and Meek Mill have gotten behind a bill, which was passed in New York Senate on the Legality of Rap Lyrics. Hopefully bills like this can create a safe space for young artists to express themselves without being criminally prosecuted says Basha.

A lot of us find Basha’s story to be inspiring, so we asked him, do you have any advice for anyone trying to reach his or her dreams? His answer was intriguing to say the least: Basha’s advice: there is a law I follow in Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power. Law 25 is RECREATE YOURSELF. “Do not accept the roles that society foists on you. Re-create yourself by forging a new identity. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define it for you.” This has stuck with me from the moment I first read it and I find myself going back; over and over again.

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.