Music has always been a centerpiece of Nigerian entertainment. Since the early days of Nigerian history, music has been a compelling force that drives man, regardless of where he was from. Fela the great Afrobeat legend of Nigeria, was the very first to take Nigerian music past the shores of Nigeria, to Africa, and to the rest of the world. Today this feat hasn’t changed. Artists such as the like of (In no particular order) Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Davido, Tems, and so many more, have continued to put Nigerians on the map through their music. They have propelled the Nigerian people onto international greatness and through their hard work, afrobeat has become an international sensation. It isn’t a lie that Nigerian artists are an embodiment of talent. But many still ask the question: “who is going to be the next big thing”? With the advent of trap music, gimmick rappers, and copycat songwriters in the music industry, many fear that this new generation of Nigerian artists would be unable to live up to the legacy of their predecessors. But there is hope for Nigerians. This Article will be introducing to you an exceptional talent that has found his way to the heart of many Nigerians, through his music. Many have even declared him “The next big thing” Who is this artist you may ask? Well, put on your seatbelts as this article takes you into the life of Moses Philip Fawole popularly known by his stage name Geroks.
EARLY LIFE
Moses Phillip Fawole popularly known by his stage name Geroks was born on the 17th of May 1996, into the Fawole family. He is from the Yoruba ethnic group in the North Central part of Nigeria, Kwara state. In his early years, he attended ECWA primary and secondary school, in Kano State, and later moved to Plateau State where he studied Public Administration at the University of Jos.
In an interview with TUG media, Geroks explained how he first fell in love with the art of singing and songwriting. In his own words, he said; “Music was first introduced to me by an uncle when I was 8 years old. He taught me all I needed to know about singing and songwriting. He taught me to rap, to sing on melody and harmony, and he also taught me the art of songwriting and how to make use of metaphors in my lyrics…there were days when we will all sit in the living room and we all will sing and rap while passing an invisible microphone among each other. I pretty much have been singing ever since then”. According to the artist, he developed much more in music when he joined his church choir group and began performing gospel music in different churches
CAREER
Gerok’s breakthrough single “Bitter Fruit” was released in 2019 and it was an instant hit. The song is composed of guitar riffs, traditional drums, and percussion; it combines harmonic Nigerian sounds that can only be found in African music, coupled with elements of country and soul music. The song “Bitter Fruit” was the best from Abella Records that year, giving the remarkable artist an edge in the music industry. Geroks, in his interview, also talked about his early years of song-making. “My first ever single was worked on by myself, and produced by a friend back in secondary school…He felt I could do more than sing acapella gospel with my friends, and he was right. When I listened to the work I made, I felt…the euphoria, happiness, and contentment that yes I did this, I created this. I still can’t explain the feeling, but I knew on that very day that all I wanted to do was music. Only music can give my life meaning. The extraordinary songwriter also went on to discuss a couple of musical contests he won back in his secondary school, both individually, and in his choir group. He explained that most of those competitions were attributed to different churches. In his words he said. ” Although they were all gospel competitions and awards, those awards mean a lot to me, and they helped in making me the man I am today”.
ARTISTRY
Geroks describes his sound as “Folk-Afrobeat,” and explained that choosing a particular sound was conflicting because he sings comfortably when presented with any genre of music. But he also recognized that there is a defining element in his songs, a feature deeply rooted in his sound, that makes his music whole. He said; ” I do Afrobeat, I write a lot of R’n’B songs, and I can sing almost all genres brought towards me, because of my experience in writing songs and also the diversity in the number of songs I and my group have performed. But I call my style Folk-Afrobeat because in whatever song I sing, there is an impression of Oral literature that lingers in my music. It is a special defining feature…even if I sing a country song to you, you still will be able to deduce that I am Nigerian. That way, I keep the culture alive”. The extraordinary artist is quite confident in his journey and wasn’t scared to talk about his future ambitions. “I am set to be releasing new songs next month September, and an EP is expected to be out at the end of the year. In five years I believe I will be on the major face in the music industry “. He went on to talk about the outstanding work his predecessors in the music industry have done in pioneering Afrobeat and Nigerian music to the world. When asked who he would love to work with in the nearest future, Geroks had this to say: “I have always been a big fan of my fellow Nigerian artists and I look forward to working with giants in the music industry, such as ( In no particular order) Davido, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, and many more “. According to Geroks, this list of Nigerian artists makes up his top biggest influence in pursuing music, and he is confident that someday, his name will be part of a list of artists that deeply influences yet another new artist.
There is no doubt that new and beautiful talents will continue to inject their vibrancy and innovative ability into the music industry. Geroks, like many before him, has in his journey showcased to the world, his creativity, unwavering dedication as well as artistic expression in the music he has created. As we eagerly anticipate the upcoming projects, of this outstanding artist, we should remember Fela’s words when he said; “Music is the weapon. Music is the weapon of the future”. The future of our music should be of utmost importance to us, for as we have seen times before, music has been and will continue to be our weapon. There is no doubt that Geroks will continue to leave an indelible mark on the art world, as he has through his music inspired us all to see the beauty in the world around us.
Follow Geroks on all social media platforms. Instagram: ge_roks, Twitter: ge_roks, TikTok: @ge_roks
