Trying times affected Gilbere Forté in a convoluted industry, where bravado often outweighs talent. Despite this, he remains noticeably humble for someone with the grounds to be bitter.
Forté maintained a zen-like presence during our conversation on PRAY — the only topic that broke his cool.
“I went through a lot of hardship while making this project,” he revealed with a burden-free tone. “I feel like this was my opportunity to show that vulnerability, because I want people to know exactly what artist go through everyday.”
It’s clear that Forte’s is no longer the kid with an affinity for “Black Chukkas” that emerged on the scene in 2010. A newfound clarity has given him a fresh outlook on how to create music in grandiose ways that appeal to the evolving consumer.
“Today bro, we have what I call a new listener,” he explained. “We’re in a time period where people just want to know who you are, and [they] have so many other mediums to identify who you are – through your social media, Instagram, videos, through all of this content.”
