We cannot change where we came from. The best we can do is learn from our experiences and try to live every day to the fullest.
This simple belief is at the very root of Gescha's continuous attempts to tell his story. Born of Romanian-Asian descent and calling home to Saskatoon, SK, 24 year-old hip-hop raconteur Gescha is determined to tell this story through Crayon Politics, his debut full-length album.
13 tracks of buoyant energy and experimental (but always redeeming) sampling, Crayon Politics is the kind of album which hip-hop fans will find endearing and memorable for many reasons, not the least of which being the honesty that the album is laden with.
"Crayon Politics is solid from beginning to end" - Beats, Breaks & Big Smiles
Raised in an immigrant family, Gescha`s father escaped from Romania during Nicolae Ceausescu�s reign of oppression in the 1970's. Perhaps it's in the blood; struggle passed from father to son, and when nothing else made sense music was the solace.
Gescha spent years losing himself in a world of drugs and chaos, and has been able to take the scars of those turbulent times and create memorable art.
He also began mentoring at risk youth in an attempt to support and offer guidance to young men walking similar paths. Crayon Politics is a reflection of his journey to personal truth and self-discovery. A unique and distinguished inflection, there is a rawness within the record as it lacks any and all pretence.
"Gescha takes the listener down that dark alley where monsters sleep and nightmares are lived, opens your eyes to the hustle on the streets and the lengths people will go just to survive" -Tiffology, Crayon Beats
With the albums lead single 'Love Pirates,' a trippy, beat-laced track that features sunny harmonies, it becomes clear that Crayon Politics is an enigmatic album full of as much grace as visceral power. 'One Summer' provides the meat of the album; it's a subtle, unsuspecting track that couples lazy afternoon rhythms with Gescha baring his soul for listeners to hear.
'Slow Build' features one of many guests, Moka Only. Dealing with the omnipresent themes of self-improvement and personal growth, Gescha establishes himself as a purveyor of consistently engaging rhythms. Finally, 'Sirens' harkens back to the sound of the forceful days of early-90's hip-hop, when the message was of utmost importance.
With a dream-like chorus courtesy of Gregory Pepper, he speaks to years of being disenfranchised with life but ultimately becoming a better person because of his struggles.
Gescha sheds more light on the reasoning behind the name Crayon Politics: I thought it spoke to the range of the album as the songs cover everything from fun loving care free pop, to deep and introspective. It covers the dark and the light and covers love, family, relationships, community and reflections on society. The album was a representation of life in all its colors."
Having shared stages with acclaimed hip hop acts including Tech9, Classified, and Sweatshop Union his music pushes the envelope of the often cookie-cutter cadence of urban music with 'Love Pirates' hitting the Canadian singles sales charts at #8 the week it debuted.
Hear his past delivered in a way that breaks new ground through experimental instrumentation and unique vocals. Forging a unique sound to call his own, Gescha breathes life into the world of hip-hop, doing so with a sense of class but unmitigated personal discovery, his world is one that is not without pain but also not without possibility.
