Geoffrey, known by his stage name Geoxpress, embodies the fusion of genuine expression and musical innovation. The name itself, a creative blend of his birth name and the essence of being expressive, reflects his journey from a young rapper to a prominent figure in the Afrobeats scene.
Growing up with an innate passion for music, Geoxpress has always seen music as more than just a hobby. It’s his lifeblood, his career, and his way of connecting with the world. In his own words, “Music takes a very center stage in my life. Every other thing I do on the side is to nurture and facilitate the furtherance and success of the music.” His approach to music is as fluid and dynamic as his personality, transcending genre constraints to create a sound uniquely his own.
In this interview with MusicUntamed, Geoxpress delves into the origins of his name, his artistic inspirations, and the journey behind his latest projects. Readers can expect to uncover the layers of his creative process, the challenges he has faced in the music industry, and his vision for the future. Whether discussing the upcoming release of “Xpress Riddim II“ or his dream collaborations, Geoxpress offers an insightful and candid look into his world, making this an interview you won’t want to miss
1. Can you share the story behind the name “Geoxpress” and how it came about?
Geoxpress is basically a mix of my birth name Geoffrey and my personality of being genuinely expressive through the music, hence Geoxpress. I actually got the Xpress part from my cousin who already went by Samxpress, when we were still coming up as rappers.
2. How would you describe the significance of music in your life?
Music takes a very center stage in my life. Every other thing I do on the side is to nurture and facilitate the furtherance and success of the music. It’s my passion, career and my life. I don’t take it for granted.
3. What genre or style of music do you primarily create?
I don’t necessarily pay attention to the genre construct while I create, although most of the music I make is Afrobeats-inspired since being an African is a major component. I’ve come to see genres as a clutch to easily categorize the music as a way to put it maybe out there, but creatively I get inspired on a more general or sometimes specific level and then just put it down.
4. Describe the last time you felt strongly inspired by art, music, or fashion.
Not sure I can recall a particular time I was strongly inspired by any of those art forms you mentioned, but I believe I’m inspired every day in different doses, especially by the people I surround myself with. I’m around a lot of insanely talented and art-driven people, so I try to stay tapped in. Although it’s honestly so hard to stay inspired, especially with the realities of the country we found ourselves in, so I’m not just inspired by art but by our every day realities cuz that plays a major role in our perception of the art that surrounds us. But regardless, art is important, and we love the art.
5. Are there any new projects you are currently working on?
Well, the official release campaign for Xpress Riddim II is already ongoing, that’s what I’m majorly working on at the moment. There are a lot of exciting things we’re unlocking alongside the musical piece this time. It drops officially in August but before then, amongst other things, I’ve got this merch pop-up and release party happening soon for my people.
6. Could you walk us through your creative process in crafting your latest tape or body of work?
I can’t pinpoint a coherent creative process for making the project, because it’s a project I created at different intervals in my life over the past year or two, but I’m always particular about relaxation, ease and clear-mindedness whenever I’m in the studio, coupled with a stimulating instrumental before every other thing comes into play. So that easily seeps into the mood and theme for most of the songs, like you can see with the recently released lead single Lavida loca, which is a song about enjoying the finer things of life.
7. What message do you aim to convey to your audience through your music?
The message is mostly song-specific but generally, I like to create music that the listener can find parts of themselves in, stories that are rich, relatable, and that they can also make theirs as much as it is mine. And that is what Xpress Riddim II is to a large extent, I believe I created it with my listeners in mind, which is kind of unlike me.
8. Summarize your music journey using just five words.
Five words to describe my musical journey so far, now that’s crazy. I’d say Expressions, Gratitude, Abundance, Exploration, Star.
9. Can you tell us about what unique challenge(s) you’ve faced in the music industry as an artist building from the ground up, how you overcame the challenge, and how that has changed your outlook on the industry?
That’s a serious question, but one thing that comes to mind that I’ve struggled with as a challenge is having access. Access to information, access to people, access to resources, all of that. But I’ve kind of bridged that gap with the quality of people I have as my team. Building and figuring out the business together with them has really helped me to overcome that challenge. On how it’s changed my outlook, it just made me turn kind of inward, trusting God, trusting myself, trusting my team, and doing our best and letting things take their natural course.
10. If you could collaborate with any artist, who would be your dream collaborators? Name 5
Collaboration is cool and all but I’m a bit reserved and organic about the people I’d love to work with, but just for the record, I’d love to do a song with Seyi Vibez, Young Thug, Burna Boy, Tems, and Drake.