Certified Fresh: Gilbere Forté Lets You Walk A Day In His Black Chukkas

Most aren’t awarded a second chance in the music industry. With this in mind, rising artist Gilbere Forté already defied the odds when he signed a record deal with L.A. Reid’s Epic Records following a stint in Hip-Hop limbo afte leaving Universal Motown.

And that’s without mentioning his music, which those privy to his artistry hold in high regard. In fact, Forté is perhaps the best MC you should have heard of. But it isn’t too late to jump on the bandwagon. The Philly-bred lyricist celebrated the beginning of a new journey in May when he delivered his 10-track project, PRAY.

Who: Gilbere Forté is a 26-year-old rapper, born in Flint, Mi., but bred in Chicago, Ill. and Philadelphia, Pa. He gained his bearings as an MC in the City of Brotherly love while attending Temple University. There he deferred from producing and began penning rhymes. During his freshman year, Forté crossed paths with producer Raak, and together, the two honed an unique sound that’s emotional and vivid.

Credentials: Forté has been a fixture in this game for over three years. 2010 he broke through with a track called “Black Chukkas” that received rotation on MTV Jams. Over the following years, he released numerous mixtapes — including 87 Dreams, Eyes of Veritas, Some Dreams Never Sleep — featuring appearances from artists like Big K.R.I.T., Pusha T, Jim Jones, Joell Ortiz, Emilio Rojas, Bun B, and more.

Fun Fact: Forté has roots in the midwest and east coast, but he has since relocated to the sunny streets of Los Angeles to expand his fan base.

For our latest Certified Fresh feature, HipHopWired conversed with Forté about creating PRAY and what the mixtape symbolizes in his life.

—

Photo: Epic

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.”

Forté believes that fans practice due diligence in the same vein as any respectable journalist. Therefore, transparency and crafting content that’s truthful were points of emphasis on PRAY.

Introspective cuts like “Nolita,” and “Forever Sin” are a testament to his growth.

He also chose to handle this audible endeavor without the help of well-known industry friends. “Earlier in my career, I’ve showed the opportunity of what I would feel like to be on songs with some of my favorite artists. But they’ve paved their way, and I feel like it’s time for me to do that in this new project and open up a new space for myself.

“I wanted to tailor that specifically to me, with the exception of having features of artists that I really appreciate; people that I personally know who I wanted to shed light on.”

He did, however, call in a favor that landed him in Paris for a few months to spend time with renowned house music DJ Bob Sinclair.

“It was interesting to see his interpretation of how music is in our country. And he was just opening me up to certain things about how music is in Paris and all of France; he gave me a different point of view,” said Forté, citing Sinclair for his influence on PRAY‘s genre bending sounds.

Dedication like this can only come come from someone bred by blue collar cities like Chi-Town and Philly. “These environments have molded me as an individual and helped shape my frame of mind when it comes to my artistry,” he admitted. Good fortune and these qualities have taken Forté a long way from home, and we’d bet our bottom dollar that he has much further to go.

The Essentials: