Late last month, in a loft downtown bustling with artists, Gio Dee received a video call. The Boston rapper swiveled in his chair, positioning his phone so his peers could hear the person on the other end as the room suddenly quieted.
“My name is Andrew Gould, and I’m the president of Roc Nation Music Publishing,” the voice said. “Massachusetts people, we’ve got some fire, we’ve got some spice, and now we’re repping the city with our boy Gio.”
It was the informal — but official nonetheless — announcement that Gio Dee had secured a publishing deal with Jay-Z’s legendary label and entertainment company. The achievement comes nearly a decade after the emcee’s first viral freestyle, “Mind Yo Business,” and propels him into a new chapter with his summer EP HARDBODY. The 10-track project took form when Gio Dee began processing previously glossed-over trauma, a topic that the rapper discussed openly at last month’s private event.
The cover of HARDBODY., which depicts Gio Dee’s son aiming a water gun at the camera, references a particular incident that shaped the rapper’s childhood. Facing relentless harassment in middle school, Gio Dee decided to paint a cap gun black and bring it to school as a means of deterring bullies. The plan backfired quickly; he pulled it out on the bus in the face of a trash-talker, prompting a visit from the police — and expulsion from school.
“Once you get bullied, you’re gonna figure out a way to retaliate,” Gio Dee shared at the event. HARDBODY. exists because the rapper retraced his steps to similar moments, pausing to heal as needed along the way, namely for the sake of his son. “I’m trying to figure out a way to explain to [my son] to not go on the same path.”
The new EP commences a trio of releases for Gio Dee, with another EP and full-length project in the works for later this year. In the meantime, tap in to HARDBODY. below.