Gilbere Forte'

Born in Flint, Michigan on July 14, 1987 rapper/producer Gilbere Forte’ began his journey. Following his parents separation at an early age, Gilbere headed to Chicago with his mother for several years before landing back in Flint for a short stint with his father. In 1999, Gilbere found a home in Philadelphia, where he remains today with his brother, DeNiro. Music has played a central roll in Gilbere’s life since birth. Learning from his parents taste, and healthy vinyl collections Gilbere was introduced to the likes of Issac Hayes, Roy Ayers, Phil Colins, and Sade as a youth. By age 9 he was reciting raps from likes of 2Pac, B.I.G. and Outkast, which inevitably led to Gilbere penning his own songs by age 12. In 2000, songwriting gave way to production and an initial foray into beat-making with Fruity Loops and Reason. His sound captured the attention of the neighborhood, where Gilbere soon became known for his mixtapes and for supplying local singers and rappers with the soundtrack to their dreams. The inspiration to take music seriously led Gilbere to pursue a degree in Entrepreneurship & Business Management at Temple University, where he enrolled in the fall of 2006. As Gilbere progressed as a musician, he was aided by his brother DeNiro’s own growth in the industry. Working in radio, brand management, and through his own production efforts, DeNiro provided Gilbere a trusted guide through the challenges of selling and working in music. Through him, Gilbere was introduced to the Junior Music Executive Program which lead to an internship with Studio 609 and award winning production duo Dre & Vidal. The experience and experimentation with Reason and Logic, along with live instrumentation, presented a true opportunity for Gilbere to carve out his own sonic identity. Staying close to the business while building his musical foundation he took another step in his progression as an artist – teaming up with fellow producer from Temple, Rakib “Raak” Uddin. In 2009, Gilbere formalized his relationship with Raak. The two busily began preparing Gilbere’s debut. This February, in conjunction with streetwear brand Black Scale, their work made its debut in the form of a widely recognized mixtape sampler Gilbere Forte is BLVCK. The release has successfully solidified Gilbere as a strong voice not to be ignored. With his forthcoming 87 Dreams ahead and momentum buzzing, Gilbere is promising to “change lives, moods, and vibes.” Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.