About Me
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Like a Class 5 hurricane, Why G has recently started to storm through
NYC's Hip Hop scene. Why G was born Yogi Guyadin to two hardworking and
loving Guyanese immigrants who settled in Jamaica, Queens. Why G's
early
years were troubling times for him. "We were poor" the MC quotes.
"Velcro Payless shoes and hand-me-down clothes was my style. My brother
and I never knew that we were broke. The people I was raised around
were
in the same ship as me. It wasn't till I went to school that I became
aware that I didn't have name-brand clothes and shoes." Yogi didn't let
his hardships in school effect his studies. He was a great student in
elementry and junior high finishing at the top of his class. It wasn't
until high school, like most teenagers that Yogi started to have
difficulties.Why G's high school years became a rebellious time. He questioned
authority figures and the world's way of life. Yogi started abusing
drugs and alcohol and also betraying his parents. "I was a shadow of my
former self" Why G says. He got kicked out of public school and was
transferred to an alternative school. Even though Why G was still using
drugs and causing chaos, he still managed to graduate high school.At this same period of time in high school was when Why G started to
focus and create music. He would make mixtapes for his friends then he
decided to join the Universal Zulu nation in 1997. By being apart of
Zulu, he had the chance to meet the founding fathers of Hip Hop Culture
& Music, including the legendary Afrika Bambatta, along with many other
legends who started this form of music and way of life we live today.
"This sparked something in me. I started to freestyle and I was
reminded
of the earlier fun days of hip-hop other than rapping, like
break-dancing, djing, and graffiti art." Freestyling and doing music
was
used as his therapy and motivation.After graduating high school, he attended the Institute of Audio
Research (I.A.R.). During this time he was caught hustling drugs and
due
to some tragic events, all would force him change his ways sooner or
later. Events such as his friend and fellow Zulu Nation member, Matthew
"Optimus Rhyme" Hall, being murdered on Sept. 25th, 2003 in Harlem.
Then
in 2004, Why G was stabbed several times in an attempted robbery.
Laying
in Jamaica Queens Hospital, Why G had a vision of meeting the Most
High.
He saw all the negative things he had experienced and the results of
his
own actions. This spiritual journey awaken Why G's true calling. He
left
the crooked society alone to focus on his true treasure,
making music.
He graduated from I.A.R. in 2004 and began working at Sam Ash Music
store in Queens. Immediately afterwards, Why G entered the NYC
Underground scene, which influenced his writing, recording techniques
and also helped him develop a stage presence when performing in front
of
a crowd.A group of MC's from Queens known as Splintah Cell welcomed Why G to
their team in 2005. Splintah Cell consisted of G.S. Advance, Jus P,
Skramble, Spence Boogie and Spot. This is where Yogi became Why G. Why
G
- stands for his initials to his name and also his desire to be
truthful
in all ways of life. Splintah Cell showed him how to format songs,
count
bars and also make beats in pre-production.Why G decided to leave Sam Ash and intern at the world famous Electric
Lady Studios (Jimi Hendrix's studio) to utilize his musical abilities
and further his career in engineering. He then started his first
independent project while forming "The Optimus Foundation" in 2005,
along with four serious and supportive friends of the late Matthew Hall
(who was an MC, Graf Writer, Break Dancer, Student & Activist) - Edmund
Tam, Ben Abel, Islam Mahmoud and Michael "DJ Emmo" Ogunmoyin of
CajoCommunications.com.Optimus was formed to keep the spirit of Matthew Hall present in all
communities. Since Matt's mission was to educate and give back,
Optimus'
goal as a team would be the same. Soon Optimus began throwing monthly
open forums at
the 5 Spot in Brooklyn, where Why G hosted and performed on a monthly
basis for 2 years (2005-present). For a year Optimus also provided a
free weekly G.E.D. Program in Woodside, Queens, where Why G
participated
as a mentor.The Optimus Foundation still hosts monthly open forums in Brooklyn and
educational/social programs in Queens. Why G currently tutors high
school students at a MC/Song writing after school program with
UrbanArtBeat.Org in the South Bronx and The Optimus MC Academy in Long
Island City, Queens.Under the guidance of DJ Emmo of Cajo Communications.com, Why G
released
his first solo project entitled "The Beginning of the End" and is
currently working on a second CD release called "Transition."Why G has had the privilege to do shows, tour and open for: Rah Digga
(formerly of Flipmode Squad), Young Zee (The Outsiders), PoisonPen
(StrongHold), YZ, Poor RighteousTeachers &
X-Clan just to name a few. In 2007, he also gained a household name as
the go to crowd motivator and event host for various shows here in the
New York Underground scene.Why G has performed at various venues such as:
The 5 Spot (Bklyn, NY), Zulu Nation's 33rd Anniversary in 2006 (NYC),
S.O.B's (NYC), End Of Week/EOW @ The Pyramid (NYC), Guerilla Words @
Nightingdales (NYC), Sin Sin Mondays (NYC), SOBE Live in Miami Beach
(FL), Court Tavern, World Music Wednesdays @ Sputnik (Bklyn), Bowery
Poetry Club (NYC) and many others places with much more to come.Why G is also working/studying with his mentor,
musician/pianist/producer Professor KB. He also just completed studying
at Five Towns College this past Fall 2007 to continue his study in
engineering, production, music theory and
composition.When asked about the future Why G responds, "I'm going to continue to
make the best music and study my craft while supporting & improving the
communities we live in by being a living example of the changes I
desire...Peace & Love."Look out for this Rising MC/Engineer/Producer.
