"Life Is Good": A Conversation with Joe Gez

Interview by Imani Dominique Busby

Photography by VISUALDARREL (@visualdarrel)

In this candid and inspiring conversation, we spoke with Joe Gez, an artist whose sound blends his Congolese roots with global influences. From early days singing in church to sharing the stage with R.O.Z and Davido at Scotiabank Arena, Joe Gez opens up about his journey into music, creative process, cultural identity, and future goals.

Can you please tell us a bit about yourself and your introduction to making music?

I first started at church because my dad was a pastor. So I started in a choir, and then when I became a teenager, I started writing songs about heartbreaks and stuff. And then I got into production in 2009. And yeah, I'm here now.

Which artist did you grow up listening to? And how have they influenced your music today?

I'm from Congo, so we have a lot of great artists. But I'll say, so far, Papa Wemba, Fally Ipupa, Koffi, and Werrason. And in American hip hop, I'll say Eminem, 50 Cent for sure, and Lil Wayne. But I feel like it's a cocktail of different influences and parties.

You're based in Canada, but you're also from the Congo. How do your roots or cultural background play into your music and storytelling?

I'll say it defines who I am because that's the sound that my soul vibrates with. That's what I grew up with. I always try to incorporate it into everything I do because I can't see myself making music that doesn't represent where I'm from. I'm trying to gain a part of myself and share it with people here so they can know my story and my influences.

So originally, I thought that you were just featured on Electric, but R.O.Z mentioned that you really brought the whole thing together. Can you share a bit about the process behind creating that track?

I'll say I just had a hook in my head. I love Amapiano, so I was like, “Let me make it an Amapiano vibe.” I produced the beats. I laid down the chorus and the vocals, but I felt like there was something missing. But I didn't know what exactly. So when we sent it to R.O.Z, he added the sauce and then just made it this amazing piece of art.

You just performed with R.O.Z at the Scotiabank Arena opening for Davido. How was that experience for you? How do you feel after?

I feel amazing because this is just a trailer of what's about to come. I feel like God is bringing us closer to where He wants us to be. He wants us to look at it, to see how it looked like, for us to learn from it. And shout out to Davido and his whole team for giving us that opportunity. It was very overwhelming and surreal. And going back home, I'm like, “This is fire.” I got to perform in front of this crowd, this arena. So I'm very grateful, and there's more to come.

Yeah, absolutely. Congratulations. That's a huge milestone. It was a packed, sold-out show.

19,000 people.

I don't know if you're allowed to say, but what was it like backstage?

What was that like? Backstage was hectic because after we performed, we went to the VIP. There was a lot going on there—back and forth between security and dancers. So I was mostly focused on giving a great performance. And we did it.

The Morning Day is such a beautiful song with an empowering message. Is there anything you can share about the process behind creating it?

I'm surprised that you mentioned that. Yeah, The Morning Day. I’ll say that's one of my most spiritual and inspiring songs so far, when it comes to me. I'll say the process was just based on everything that was going on back home. Sometimes you lose hope.

I wanted to remind myself that even if we're going through a dark period, the sun is going to end up rising and shining, so I should always keep hope. I wanted to translate that through music and share it with other people of the Congo so they can also keep that hope and keep on fighting. That was the process.

I'll say I made that song in 30 minutes. In 30 minutes, I had the harmonies, and I just started freestyling. It all came together. That's why I'm saying it's more spiritual, because I felt like someone was singing through me.

What do you hope that listeners take away from your music?

I want them to be happy. I want to share happiness through my music. I want them to dance. I want them to create memories with my music because I always try to be the soundtrack of people's lives. When they go through this, they remember my song. When they go through happiness, they remember my song. So that's why I always try to make songs that people can relate to and attach to those songs. I want them to remember their lives.

If a listener could only hear one song from your catalog, what would you recommend and why?

Life is Good. Life is Good because it was my first Afrobeats song. It was a song that was very… I just looked at the sun. I was like, "It's beautiful, life is good.” It was through the pandemic, too when we were in a lockdown. People were going through a lot of stress and stuff. So when that song came to me, it was like therapy for me. And every time people listen to it, they always tell me, “This song makes me feel happy. I just want to dance. I just want to go crazy.”

What is your creative process? Do you start more with the music or the lyrics? Or does it fluctuate?

I don't play an instrument like that, but I'm learning how to play piano now. So that's what I'm focused on right now. But my creative process…it’s more about however it comes. I can have a word, and then that word can unleash a whole song, a whole verse. But most of the time, when I look back, I always start with the hook. Through the hook, I'll create a melody behind it, and then I'll lay down the top lines, which is like I'm just mumbling. And then I'll use those melodies to write, and then we'll build on top of it.

Are there any upcoming drops or videos or shows that we should watch out for?

We have a lot of massive hits that we're going to drop soon. I'm shooting the next video for my next single Excuse Me. And I have another song, Pop the Balloon, that's going to come soon. But apart from that, I have an EP that's on the way. But there's more, too. I'm just keeping a safe there for that.

Do you have any last lingering thoughts—anything that you feel wasn't covered that you'd want to share?

I'd just say, if you have a dream, just keep going. Keep going, and then put yourself in an environment that helps that dream grow. It's like having a seed, you find the right soil to put that seed in so it can grow. So the problem is never the seed; it's the environment and how you're taking care of it. So that's what I'll say.

That's very good advice. Thank you.

BACK

Your cart is empty

Your cart

Estimated total