Ask most people to locate Tbilisi on a map, and they would struggle immensely. After all, Georgia isn’t one of the more well-known nations globally. When most people think about Georgia, their mind wanders to the state home to Atlanta, its capital, instead of the country bordering Russia. Atlanta has emerged as a haven for hip-hop and rap musicians in the South, challenging the East and West Coasts. However, Giorgi Okuashvili has a different mission. He wants to put Georgia, the country, on the map.
The life experiences of this musical genius have positioned him for a standout role in hip-hop. While most rappers often come from humble beginnings and have stories to tell about their dope-slinging days, Giorgi’s background is very different. He was born to Zaza Okuashvili and Nato Chkheidze. The former is a prominent businessman in Georgia, while the latter is a parliamentary member. In addition, he attended piano school and obtained a certificate demonstrating his prowess when he was in the sixth grade.
While music doesn’t run in the family, Giorgi’s parents were involved in the entertainment sector. They owned and operated a TV station called TB IBERA, which ran from 1998 to 2004 and then from 2015 to 2018 before being illegally shut down by the Georgian government. His family hopes to restart the channel soon once the dust settles.
It’s not surprising that Giorgi wanted to pursue a musical career considering his family’s roots in the entertainment industry. However, his musical idols might surprise you, especially since he’s pursuing a career as a hip-hop artist. Most rappers would cite iconic MCs like Rakim, Nas, Jay-Z, Eminem, or Andre 3000 when citing their musical influences, but not Giorgi. Instead, he grew up listening to Michael Jackson when he was still young. The King of Pop’s music resonated with him because it was incredibly groovy and timeless. As a result, he hopes to emulate the timelessness of Michael Jackson’s music in his own work.
This talented artist also stresses the role his teacher Marina played in his musical journey. She taught him how to play the piano and hit the right notes. He credits her and believes he wouldn’t be the musician he is today without her assistance. He also fondly remembers her teachings because they helped him land his first live performance in Tbilisi as a nine-year-old.
Giorgi Okuashvili was also fascinated with rap and hip-hop. The genres seemed like the perfect way to tell life stories in a relatable manner to the audience. In addition, he wanted to share his life experiences growing up on the other side of the world and, thus, considered rap the best art form. Giorgi states that his music’s target audience is mostly young adults between 18 to 30 who grew up listening to rap music in their formative years.
His latest album includes seven tracks and features talented artists from all across the globe. Giorgi hopes to share his life experiences, including his journey from Tbilisi to London, in detail with listeners while also helping them discover other talented artists. The latter goal coincides with his overall mission in the music industry – shining the light on talented but undiscovered artists. It’s the primary reason he started his own label, G Squad, in 2016. The record label is an independent music company that aims to help aspiring rappers break through.
Giorgi Okuashvili believes his connections and contacts with large music platforms can help the label grow. Creating a label wasn’t something Giorgi initially intended. However, the idea came about when he visited friends in London who wanted to start a label promoting their music.