Artist Introduction
What’s your stage name and where are you from?
My name is Chris Gauge. I’m originally from the 845 in New York but living in Daytona Beach, Florida currently.
What’s the story behind your stage name?
My stage name is a combination of my first name, Chris, and a nickname a friend gave me in high school, Gage. I added the U to it so both names would have five letters.
Describe your musical journey in three sentences.
My dad was a rapper, and I thought he was dope as fuck, but he just never popped off. I started writing and battle rapping for fun in high school and just got better and better, so I released my first song and got positive feedback. Eventually, I made a collective with my best friends called ECT (Encourage Create Triumph), and we really started releasing music seriously around 2019 and have been grinding since.
Fan Engagement
Share an interesting experience you had while creating your latest track.
I was in the middle of a verse and the power in the studio just cut out. That was crazy; there I was just sitting there in darkness with headphones on, rapping into a mic.
What message do you want to convey through your music?
That no matter where you’re from or what you’ve gone through, you can still make something out of yourself with enough blood, sweat, and tears.
Behind the Music
Tell us about a challenge you faced during production and how you overcame it.
I was having a hard time getting a song done in the way that I wanted. It just didn’t sound right to me, and I couldn’t nail it. So, I took a step back and tried to approach it in a completely different way, and it ended up better than I originally thought. I just learned that sometimes shit won’t always work how you want it to, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing; it just means you might have to refocus and try again.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
J. Cole would probably be my #1. He inspires a lot of the creative process, and I would really like to see how his creative process works. Also, I would have loved to work with Mac Miller. A lot of his songs really helped me at different points in my life to work through some personal things.
Future Aspirations
Where do you see your music taking you in the next year?
Hopefully traveling more. More shows, more features—just doing more as an artist overall.
What’s the next big step for you as an artist?
Just nailing down consistency and really getting my fanbase where it needs to be. Working with more people and just generally growing more in size and as an artist.
Recent Work & Contact Info
Where can we hear/watch your most recent work?
I’m on all streaming services as Chris Gauge and my collective’s YouTube page, ECT Forever, for all music videos, vlogs, and all other content.
What is the best way to contact you if fans want to give feedback or if other artists/producers want to collaborate?
Hit me on any social media @Chris_Gauge. I’m pretty good at getting back to people for collabs or just to chop it up. I’m always open to feedback too if you got something to say.
