With a couple of major national and international festival stages and noticeable features on his name, Antwerp-based artist with Congolese roots GR€Y has been writing his musical story for over 8 years in the Belgian scene.
Pukkelpop,Werchter, Les Ardentes: you name it, he did it. With over 20 million streams and 1,5M Youtube views, he released hits alongside artists like Odissee, Blxckie and Darrell Cole.
The accolades and praises were well deserved but growing more into his identity, a radical shift was inevitable. After years of producing and recording he realised that his music can also serve to tell his own personal story of cultural heritage.
This is where GR€Y (formerly known as TheColorGrey) found his way in 2022, on the search for a global recognition based on his talent and current repertoire. Not just a singer, a producer, or songwriter but a voice and personality with limitless potential.
The pandemic allowed me to reflect on my future as an artist. Holding a mirror up to myself I couldn’t longer ignore the disconnect I felt between my sound and my background, my environment and my core as a person. I grew up with a Congolese mother in a vibrant cultural environment so my whole life has literally been about ‘being in the mix’ whether it’s my language, musical influencers or friends. Simplifying TheColorGrey to GR€Y is more than just a name change: it’s a mental shift in how I see my musical career growing internationally while reminding everyone that I’m an European artist with African origins and how this will reflect more in my songs.
Before return to the studio, GR€Y took his very first trip to the DRC in 2022 and decided to document his experience of connecting his inspirational dots in his homeland Congo,Kinshasa, for the first time.. 27 years of life couldn’t prepare him for the mental rollercoaster he went through as he submerged himself even more into the musical history. He also got to work with local talents and was introduced into the country’s entrepreneurial modus operandi.
It’s safe to say that the experience was transformational and will serve as a major inspiration for his future trajectory in music.