Brooklyn, NY — Gibril “Gibrilville” Mansaray is not only a multi-Award winning recording artist — He’s too an immortal being trapped inside a mortal frame, on an unwavering mission to add value and distinctiveness to the game of hip hop.
Gibrilville brings together some of New York City’s finest musicians to play on stage with him, and on his albums. Live music production that includes piano, electric guitar, drums, horns, flute, and bass — Gibrilville and members tornado a stage and shut venues down leaving awed spectators with indelible memories. As well as working in studio with Grammy winning, platinum producers … Gibril is candidly setting his own mark in the music world and enforcing it beautifully.
In this WAZZUP Tonight: EXCLUSIVE Interview, we sit down with Gibrilville and discuss his life’s highs & lows, weird habits he possesses, even how he was once expelled from school (well, almost!) Read the stories below, and next vibe out to some of Gibrilville’s tunes!
WAZZUP Tonight Exclusive Interview: Gibrilville
Wazzup Tonight (WT): Thanks for joining us Gibrilville!
Gibrilville: Hey no, thank you for having me! I really enjoyed the interview you guys did with Mysterious (from Making The Band) … was deep.
WT: We appreciate that! Let’s jump into it. Gibrilville there are thousands, perhaps millions of aspiring / upcoming musicians in the world … what would you say separates you from the pack? More so, what’s something unique that you offer to your fans or/& potential fans?
Gibrilville: Hmm, well personally I have so many styles and am too a very versatile songwriter / performer; I write in English, French, Pidgin and Patois. My love for music, my passion, my dedication, and my consistency are just several key factors that separate me from the pack. My band mates, too, are awesome (I started out solo, and over time recruited band members). Faton helps out a lot with production and he’s super talented with his gunfight. Anthony is killing the bass, and Graham is one of the best drummers I’ve ever played with. When we step on stage, we shut sh*t down … ALL the way down! Our energy is on a whole ‘nother level.
WT: You spent 9 months in prison and was almost departed back to Ghana (your homeland). Scary stuff! What happened? Are you able to even speak on the matter?
Gibrilville: My immigration issues are still unresolved, therefore it’s tough to speak on the subject freely. However, I learned a lot within that 9 months of captivity … it was the period that changed my life. I used those 9 months of confinement to seek enlightenment and evolve spiritually. Spiritual growth, is one thing I would have never experienced had it not been for those 9 months. Not sure how this sounds but, my imprisonment was truly a blessing in disguise.
WT: If you had only 1 choice of a major producer you’d like to work with, who would it be? On that same note, what major artist would you collab with if you were only given 1 choice?
Gibrilville: Oh wow, there are SO many musicians that I’d like to work with that I don’t even know where to begin with this question! As far as artists goes, I’d love to collaborate with Rihanna—I think we’d make super dope music together; I am a big fan of her style and body of work. Producer wise, hmm.. (Jeopardy theme) I’d have to go with either DJ Khaled or DJ Pain 1, and me and Pain are bros already so guess it’s Khaled lol
WT: Tell us something interesting about you … like, do you have any peculiar hobbies or/and habits? If so, what are they?
Gibrilville: Ha ha, umm well I have this funny thing I do with my neck if I don’t drink water when I eat … yes it’s super weird and a ‘peculiar’ habit as you put it. Also, I almost got expelled once from school (in Ghana) for smoking some Mary Jane … hence, my favorite hobby ;D
WT: People love happy endings! Give us a major dilemma in your life that you overcame and stood tall as the victor in the end..
Gibrilville: I sat 9 months in detention fighting my immigration case. Day after day, I watched all my friends get deported. It actually got to a point where I just wanted them to deport me and get it over with—I didn’t want to go home as a deportee mind you, it’s not a good look. I prayed and asked God to come into my life and take control of my actions. And after 9 months, rather than being thrown on a plane, I was given a supervision release. It was probably the greatest day of my life! Now, I can move back to Ghana for a year or longer and go home the right way. In addition, my music is finally reaching the masses and my happy ending lies within upcoming album Black Cadillac: Season 3. The project is phenomenal I feel, definitely my best work; it’s dope, it’s different, it’s 110% Hip Hop, Soul, it’s Rock, Acoustic, it’s Reggae, it’s Afrobeat, and it’s gangster.
WT: Thanks Gibrilville for your time! Before you go, kindly leave us with all of your personal sites & social media pages so we can stay in tune with you.
Gibrilville: Sure thing, and I just want to say this interview was tight! Thanks again for having me, and everybody else check me out at gibrilville.net or/and on IG / Twitter @gibrilville
