Gillian

Singer, songwriter, poetess...Born in Barbados, raised in Boston, Gillian's first introduction to music was listening to her mother's operatic voice. Starting out as a rapper, she would not find her singing voice until much later in life. "Believe it or not I was known first as an MC. I was in this group called Buj Wa Z with three other girls, two of us could rap and sing and the other two were strictly rappers. We were all hella sexy and could spit fire--no joke," she says. Additionally, she was a background singer in a Calypso/Dancehall/R&B group called Euphoria, who performed throughout Boston. Learning harmonies is what propelled Gillian's voice to maturity.Though she loved to sing, it was never really her passion. That was reserved for her love of the written word. She began writing complete sentences at age four and by the time she was in junior high she had already penned poems and raps. While singing a hook for a local Boston rapper, the producer noticed one of her poems and encouraged her to turn it into a song. Gillian tapped into a hidden skill--songwriting.In 1991 fate moved her to Los Angeles, California where she sang and wrote hooks on up and coming rap artists' tracks. Unfortunately, the doors within the entertainment capital were not readily opened for this singer/songwriter. Deciding that it wasn't time to leave her mark she returned to her first love, writing and reciting poetry, having been invited to recite at various networking events throughout the city.Then in 1998 she found herself in Houston, Texas, working with the promoters of the biggest black event--Kappafest/Beach Party Weekend 2000. This annual event proved different than previous years, bringing live artists to the stage. Gillian was the glue that held it all together. That same year she linked up with a producer in California--his slamming tracks, her lyrical style created a three song demo, consisting of an up-tempo track, a ballad, and a rap, that she hopes to launch as a songwriter.A recent graduate of Emerson College, where she majored in writing, literature and publishing, Gillian hopes her degree helps to solidify her career as a writer, whether it's music, movies or books.If one had to define Gillian's style, lyrically, she's as deep as Lauryn Hill, as playful as Erykah Badu, and as raw as Alicia Keys. Musically she's an "old hip hop head" and loves the beats of Dr. Dre, and the lyrics of Tupac, Rakim, BDP, Busta Rhymes, Game, Fiddy (50 Cent) and she's currently "feelin" Lil Wayne.She sums it up in her own words: "Lyrics don't have to be deep and thought provoking, but they do have to move you. If at the end of day I’ve written a dope lyric that resonates with someone, then I know I’ve arrived.”