Hodifa Abdalla Elshabli (born 15 June 1997), known professionally as Geko, is a British rapper and singer from

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

. He is best known for singles such as "6:30" (featuring NSG) and "New Money" (with

French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Arabic: æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he emigrated to the United States with his family when he was 13. ...

and Ay Em) which charted on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and were certified by the BPI. Geko was signed to

K Koke Kevin Georgiou (born 22 May 1985), known professionally as K Koke, is an English rapper. He is best known for his "Are You Alone" Diss track and ''Fire in the Booth'' freestyle on Charlie Sloth's show on BBC Radio 1Xtra, which has accumulate ...

U.S.G. Kevin Georgiou (born 22 May 1985), known professionally as K Koke, is an English rapper. He is best known for his "Are You Alone" Diss track and ''Fire in the Booth'' freestyle on Charlie Sloth's show on BBC Radio 1Xtra, which has accumulated ...

at the early age of 13. With them he made the EP ''Heartless'' and several singles, leaving them in 2014 to start his own label, OneTape Records. He released the EP ''Baba'' and several singles under his own label and in 2017 released his debut album ''LionHeart'' with

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

. His breakthrough to the mainstream came in 2018, after signing to 3 Beat Productions, with a series of successful singles including "6:30", "Will Smith", "New Money" and "Link Up", all of which charted on the UK Singles Chart. In 2019 he released his first major album ''22''.

Early life

Geko is of Libyan and Algerian heritage. He was excluded from school but still managed to finish seven

GCSEs The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...

. As his early music influences he lists

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

Jadakiss Jason Terrance Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper from Yonkers, New York. He began his career in the 1990s as a member of the rap trio The Lox, managed by Ruff Ryders and signed with Bad ...

Styles P David R. Styles (born November 28, 1974), better known by his stage name Styles P (also known mononymously as Styles), is an American rapper, best known as a member of hip hop group the Lox, alongside childhood friends Sheek Louch and Jadakiss. ...

and

, which he thought of as his mentor.

Career

2010–2014, early career with USG

Geko began rapping at the age of 8; at 13, he signed to

's UK music collective

, becoming their youngest member. Under USG, he released the single "Mommy" featuring Jay Soul, followed by the

mixtape A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...

''Voice Of The Future'', the EP ''Heartless'' and a single "Crazy Life" (now only available via

SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...

) which garnered him some underground following. He was the youngest rapper to record a session for

Charlie Sloth Charlie Ian Paul Rouillon (born 20 August 1981), known professionally as Charlie Sloth, is a British DJ, hype man, producer and TV presenter. Early life Charlie Ian Paul Rouillon was born on 20 August 1981. He was raised in the London Boroug ...

's ''Fire in the Booth'' on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

. In 2014, at the age of 16, he left USG, a move which K Koke wasn't happy about, calling him a "snake" and an "ungrateful little shit".

2015–2017, independent releases, ''Baba'' and ''LionHeart''

After leaving USG, Geko started his own label, OneTape Records. In October 2015, he released the EP ''Baba'' which he debuted in the

O2 Academy Islington The O2 Academy Islington, formerly known as the Carling Academy Islington, is an indoor music venue situated in the N1 Shopping Centre accessible via Upper Street and Liverpool Road, in the London Borough of Islington. It is run by the Academy ...

. Following that, in 2016 Geko released several singles to digital platforms independently, starting with "Y", featuring

Afro B Ross-Emmanuel Bayeto (born 25 February 1993) better known as Afro B, is a British DJ, singer and songwriter known for his hit song "Drogba (Joanna)", which peaked at number 23 on the US ''Billboard'' R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, was certified Gol ...

, the video of which was shot in Cova da Moura, Portugal. It was followed by "Make You Come", featuring Canadian singer RamRiddlz and "Khalas" featuring Ard Adz. In July, he performed in

Wireless Festival The Wireless Festival is a rap and urban music festival that takes place every year in London, England. It is owned and managed by Live Nation. While it started as primarily a rock and pop festival, in recent years it has focused on hip hop and ...

. On 10 March 2017, Geko released his debut album ''LionHeart'' with

, although it was leaked earlier. It was led by the single "Drunk on You", released on 10 February. The album was described by

Jon Caramanica Jon Caramanica (born 1975) is an American journalist and pop music critic who writes for ''The New York Times''. He is also known for writing about hip hop music. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York, Caramanica received his ba ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' as "sweet pop music with an international bent". After releasing the album, Geko went on a ''The LionHeart Tour'' in England. He went on to release multiple singles to digital platforms, including "Bipolar" with

Sneakbo Agassi Babatunde Odusina (born 25 July 1992), better known by his stage name Sneakbo, is a British rapper. His first song, " The Wave", peaked at number 48 on the UK Singles Chart and he has since released a number of top 40 hits, such as "Zim ...

, "Diamond" with Team Salute and "Ronaldo", in which he pays homage to

Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest p ...

and compares Ronaldo's touch to his own. In June, he was featured on NSG's "Yo Darlin'" and he brought them up to perform it in Wireless Festival that July. The single would later be certified Silver by the BPI in 2019 and Gold in 2022. His last single for 2017 was "Lock The Door", which was described as "an afrobeats inspired groover, with hints of

J Hus Momodou Lamin Jallow (born 27 May 1995), known professionally as J Hus, is a British rapper and singer who has been credited with pioneering the genre afroswing. He is currently signed to Black Butter Records. He gained popularity in 2015 follo ...

2018–2019, mainstream breakthrough and ''22''

Geko started 2018 with "Likes That", his first release with 3 Beat Productions. In April, he was featured with Afro B on Ay Em's "Come to Me". However, his breakthrough to the mainstream came in May 2018 with "6:30" (featuring NSG), his first single to make the

, peaking at number 56, and later being certified silver in 2019 and gold in 2020 by the BPI. In September 2018, he was signed by 3 Beat Productions for exclusive worldwide publishing of all his songs and future EPs and records, after already being signed to them earlier for records. The next single, "Will Smith" featuring

Not3s Lukman Olanrewaju Odunaike (born 17 April 1998), better known by his stage name Not3s (pronounced Notes), is a British singer-songwriter, rapper and actor from Hackney, London. His songs include "My Lover" and "Fine Line", both of which are colla ...

, barely made the UK chart, peaking at number 100, but both "Will Smith" and "6:30" were featured in

Capital XTRA Capital XTRA (formerly Choice FM) is a Global Media & Entertainment, Global-owned radio station that broadcasts on 96.9 FM broadcasting, FM and 107.1 FM in Greater London. Nationally, it is heard on Digital Audio Broadcasting, DAB Digital Ra ...

's "Best Grime & UK Hip Hop Songs Of 2018". The first single of 2019, "Don Daddy", with a video shot in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, did not make the UK chart but "New Money" that followed it, in collaboration with

and Ay Em, made it to number 49, Geko's highest peak. To end 2019, Geko released two more collaborations, "Hey Mama", featuring

Maleek Berry Maleek Shoyebi (born 11 August 1987), professionally known as Maleek Berry, is a British-Nigerian record producer and recording artist. After his break into the spotlight in 2012, Maleek Berry was nominated as "Music Producer of the Year" at the ...

and Latifah, and "Link Up", with

Stefflon Don Stephanie Victoria Allen (born 14 December 1991), better known by her stage name Stefflon Don, is a British rapper and singer. She rose to fame after her 2017 single " Hurtin' Me" featuring French Montana peaked at number 7 on UK Singles Chart ...

, Deno and

Dappy Costadinos Contostavlos (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Κοντόσταυλος; born 11 June 1987), better known by his stage name Dappy, is a British rapper and singer. He is the lead singer of the Camden-based hip hop and grime trio N- ...

, which samples

Ja Rule Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in New York City, he debuted in 1999 with ''Venni Vetti Vecci'' and its lead single "Holla Holla". Durin ...

and Ashanti's "

Always on Time "Always on Time" is a song by American rapper Ja Rule from his third studio album, '' Pain Is Love'' (2001). Produced by Irv Gotti, it was written by Rule, 7 Aurelius, and Irv Gotti and features guest vocals from Ashanti. Originally set to fea ...

", peaking at number 84 on the UK chart. Lastly, in December 2019, Geko released his first major album ''22'', including the six singles from "6:30" to "Link Up" and an additional seven tracks, including "Literally", featuring

Mr Eazi Oluwatosin Ajibade (born 19 July 1991), better known by his stage name Mr Eazi, is a Nigerian-born, Ghana-based singer. He is a pioneer of Banku music, a fusion of sound he describes as a mixture of Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian chord progressio ...

. The album was described by

GRM Daily GRM Daily (Grime & Rap Music Daily), formerly Grime Daily, is a British urban music outlet and entertainment platform. As the name suggests, the platform is an outlet for UK rap and its various genres, such as UK drill, afroswing, trap, and Briti ...

's Jack Lynch as "mature and versatile". "Bad & Boujie", a single by AJ which featured Geko, Ard Adz and Koomz, and also charted in the UK chart, was nominated for the 17th

Urban Music Awards The Urban Music Awards (UMA) is a hip-hop, R&B, dance, and soul music awards ceremony which was launched by Jordan Kensington in 2003 and is now held in several countries. The US version of the award ceremony, the Urban Music Awards USA, was ...

in 2020.

2020–present

After releasing ''22'', Geko announced he will go on ''The 22 Tour'' in 2020, however, this tour was rescheduled due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Geko released only two major singles in 2020, the

afrobeat Afrobeat is a Nigerian music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife) and American funk, jazz, and soul influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting ...

influenced "Tantrum" and "Ride Or Die", a collaboration with

Paigey Cakey Paige Meade (born 18 January 1993) better known by her stage name Paigey Cakey is an English MC, singer and actress, from Hackney, London. In an interview with the MOBOs she revealed that "Cakey" was a childhood nickname, that referred to her p ...

. He was also featured on several singles, including Jorday's "Closer Part II" and "Plan Tonight" by

Nafe Smallz Nathan Adams (born 16 July 1996), known professionally as Nafe Smallz, is a British rapper, singer and songwriter from Luton, Bedfordshire. He took the UK trap scene by storm with the song "What Do You Mean" on Link Up TV. He’s also signed to ...

, but none of those singles charted. 2021 brought more singles including "Woi Oi", in collaboration with

Ms Banks Thyra Kigho Deshaun Oji, better known by her stage name Ms Banks, is a British rapper, singer and songwriter from Camberwell, London. Oji has released three mixtapes as Ms Banks. In 2014, she released her first mixtape titled ''Once Upon a Grind ...

and BackRoad Gee, and being featured by other artists such as KD Blockmoney's "No Calling", but none of those singles have charted as well.

Personal life

Geko was a childhood friend of Salman Abedi, the assailant of the

Manchester Arena bombing On 22 May 2017, an Islamist extremist suicide bomber detonated a shrapnel-laden homemade bomb as people were leaving the Manchester Arena following a concert by American pop singer Ariana Grande. Twenty-three people were killed, including ...

in May 2017. He said that when he heard about the bombing he wept. Referring to the bomber he said "he's an idiot and he's dead". Later in 2017, he falsely announced on Twitter that he had cancer. Two years later he revealed that the tweet was made while on medication in a mental health unit. In 2019, he modeled for

Napapijri Napapijri is an Italian premium clothing brand owned by VF Corporation. Originally a producer of alpine travel bags, Napapijri now markets apparel, as well as fashion accessories, footwear and bags. The Napapijri brand is most widely associate ...

at Scotts Menswear.

Discography

Studio albums

Mixtapes

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

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, rowspan=2 , 2015 , — , , ''In2 (Remixes)'' , - !scope="row", "NaNa"
, — , , ''Red'' , - !scope="row", "Yo Darlin'"
, rowspan = 2 , 2017 , — , *BPI: Gold , rowspan=7 , - !scope="row", "Southside"
, — , , - !scope="row", "Come To Me"
, rowspan=3 , 2018 , — , , - !scope="row", "No Make Up"
, — , , - !scope="row", "Again"
, — , , - !scope="row", "Wondering" (Remix)
, rowspan=6 , 2019 , — , , - !scope="row", "Bally" (Remix)
, — , , - !scope="row", "Go Time"
, — , , ''The BLUPRiNT'' , - !scope="row", "Bad & Boujie"
, 71 , , , - !scope="row", "Back It Up"
, — , , ''The Coldest Winter Ever, Pt. 2'' , - !scope="row", "Likin"
, — , , rowspan=5 , - !scope="row", "Confidence"
, rowspan=3 , 2020 , — , , - !scope="row", "Closer Part II"
, — , , - !scope="row", "Plan Tonight"
, — , , - !scope="row", "No Calling"
, rowspan=1 , 2021 , — , , - , colspan="6" style="font-size:90%", "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Other guest appearances

References

External link

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Geko English male rappers Rappers from Manchester Living people 1997 births British people of Algerian descent British people of Libyan descent