Gary talked about being a big fan of Hip-Hop, especially Southern acts whose music is based in gospel and blues sounds, and sharing it with his dad, who was skeptical at first.
"I love the fact that certain hip hop artists incorporate live music in their records," he told ROCK THE BELLS. "You know, I think it adds another texture. People like Scarface, and UGK...Organized Noize, Dungeon Family — there are a lot of organs, stacking live drums, and guitars. I showed my dad, we were on a trip, he was like, 'I don't know about this rap stuff.' And I showed him that stuff in particular, knowing there's this bridge, this connection of roots music, in their music. If you take away the beats, and you take away the raps, it sounds like blues, it sounds like gospel — it's got those elements in it. And so when I played my dad [the music] he was like, 'I get it now.' You know? I mean, that's why I make the music."
The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the Wild Card round when Gary and Paul —both dynamic live performers— went head-to-head with their top hits. Abraham Alexander, Riders Against the Storm, and Jackie Venson all joined Gary on stage while Paul brought out Houston Hip-Hop stars like Maxo Kream, Lil Keke, Big Pokey, and Slim Thug.
While the competition was tight and of course, entertaining, Gary was ultimately crowned the champion of the SoundClash. Head to Red Bull for more upcoming events.
