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When Gumbo (a.k.a. Jeremy Christian) found himself as the last man
standing at the BET Rap City 2005 College Tour Freestyle Championship
last October, he found the victory to be bittersweet. Several weeks
prior, he never fathomed he’d be in Atlanta. The plan was
to continue promoting his recently released independent album, The
Louisiana Purchase, throughout his home state of Louisiana. The
first single off the album, “Welcome to Louisiana,”
had been featured on Louisiana urban radio stations Max 94.1 (Baton
Rouge), The Beat 101.1 (Monroe), and Hot 104.5 (New Orleans) sparking
buzz from listeners. But when Hurricane Katrina made landfall on
August 29th, Gumbo’s plans were drastically changed in a matter
of hours. Forced to retreat from the flood waters engulfing his
New Orleans residence, he eventually made it to Atlanta—the
city where his music career began. So as he stood on stage, having
just defeated 10 worthy MCs from across the country, he appreciated
the loud cheers he got from the A-Town audience. But Gumbo couldn’t
help realize that he would have been performing in front of a Louisiana
crowd if not for the wrath of Katrina. “Hurricane Katrina
could have kept me down, but as an artist, I felt that I had do
my part in not letting New Orleans’ rich history of music
float away with the flood waters destroying the city,” concludes
Gumbo.
As his name implies, Gumbo brings a new flavor to the Dirty South.
“He has refused to use the rap template that seems to constrain
many artists on the radio today, and has branched out and open his
ears to a wide range of styles and topics,” writes Atlanta’s
AUC magazine. Gumbo’s infectious hooks enhanced by sharp lyrics
and a smooth delivery have created an attractive appeal. Furthermore,
his skills have led to him performing at Atlanta’s biggest
club venues such as Club Vision and The Atrium to being one of only
a handful of artists featured at the 2004 Sony Urban Music Showcase
in New Orleans. Moreover, Gumbo has had three songs debut on Atlanta’s
107.9 radio station’s popular segment “Dig It or Diss
It,” with all impressively receiving great approval from listeners.
Consequently, that has led to Gumbo also being the station’s
On-Air Freestyle Champ for three consecutive weeks before retiring
during November 2005. Gumbo has consistently put on great performances
in front of large crowds from being the Freestyle champion at BET’s
2003 Spring Bling to opening up for Kanye West at the sold out 2004
Homecoming Concert for Clark Atlanta University.
In early 2004, Gumbo released his first project entitled, The Street
Album, on his own label Fire Squad Records. His follow up The Louisiana
Purchase, released May 2005, has sold thousands of copies throughout
Louisiana and Atlanta. The album features production from young
beat makers from Philly, New Orleans, and Atlanta and has appearances
from several up-and-coming artists from the south. Each track has
its own sound, exhibiting Gumbo’s great versatility and creativity.
This spring he will follow up the success of The Louisiana Purchase
by releasing The Kitchen Mixtape Vol. 1, hosted by Atlanta’s
hottest up and coming DJ crew—The Untouchables. Featuring
his raw talent, today’s hottest remixes and exclusive new
original tracks, Gumbo’s The Kitchen Mixtape Vol. 1 is destined
to become a street classic.
Gumbo has come a long way from his humble beginnings in the impoverished
areas of Monroe and New Orleans but acknowledges that to succeed
it will take earning the respect of many more music fans from around
the world. “No matter what bit of success I might receive,
I still remain humble but aggressive until I reach my goal of making
my mark in this industry. Fans are the key to reaching that goal
so what’s important for me is to continue to hold Louisiana
down and keep making real music that caters to a diverse audience.”
For all media inquiries contact:
Roberto P. Farrad, Manager
Tel: (504) 722-3240
Fax: (504) 324-8813
rp@firesquadrecords.com
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