Genesis the Greykid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Genesis the Greykid
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Genesis in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Russell McGee Jr. |
| Also known as | Genesis the Greykid |
| Occupation(s) | Poet • Fine Art • Creative • Ghost Writer |
| Associated acts | Creative Control TV, Words In Grey, Through The Grey |
Russell McGee Jr, known as Genesis the Greykid, is a talented fine artist, poet, and creative director. He is also an underground hip-hop artist. The media company Creative Control TV supported his early work. This company was founded by the filming team Coodie & Chike.
One of Genesis's paintings, called 'Computer Love', sold for a huge amount of money. On July 13, 2021, it sold for $87,000 at an auction in London. This was almost ten times more than what people expected it to sell for! In 2016, Genesis became known as a "Fine Art Poet." He sold over $12,000 worth of poems at his first art show. This show was in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and was called "Through the Grey." He also created a large painting for the song "Brothers" by Kanye West.
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
Genesis was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His dad was in the military, so his family moved often. He spent a lot of time growing up in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He went to First Colonial High School and then Frank W. Cox High School.
Genesis became interested in poetry at a young age. He was inspired by the famous poet T. S. Eliot. He later said that poetry was why he got into hip-hop music and fine art.
Creative Journey
Music and Early Career
Genesis started his music career by writing songs for other artists. This is called ghost writing. In the early 2010s, he began releasing his own music. His first mixtape was called "Grey Skies" in 2010. Later that year, he released "Grey Skies 2" which included a song for the artist Pharrell Williams.
In late 2010, Genesis met Coodie & Chike. They welcomed him to their company, Creative Control TV. They even filmed his music video for the song "Here We Are" in 2011. Genesis performed at the African American Festival in Baltimore in 2011. He told XXL Magazine that he wants to use everyday talks and turn them into poetry. He hopes his music can reach people in a special way.
Fine Art: PoAnguardia
In 2016, Genesis traveled over 5,800 miles across the country. He went by train and on foot. This trip inspired him to turn his poems into large art pieces. He used oil paints to create 12 big artworks. These were shown in his traveling art show, "Through the Grey." His goal was to make poetry more than just words on a page.
Genesis has a special name for his art style: PoAnguardia. He explained that it's a poetic way to show new ideas and feelings through fine art. It combines the words "Poem" or "Poesia" (poetry) and "Avanguardia" (avant-garde, meaning new and experimental).
His art has attracted many different people. Famous individuals like Chance the Rapper's manager and Scottie Pippen have supported his work. Genesis continues to have art shows across the country. He has met many well-known people, including Elon Musk, Halle Berry, and Scottie Pippen.
His "Through The Grey" exhibition is now an annual event in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It happens every year on December 1st. Genesis says he finds poetry in almost everything, from talking to friends to his mother's laugh. He often creates his paintings by listening to jazz music and letting his ideas flow. He has also created special art pieces for clients. This includes coffee tables he painted for basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal.
Creative Director and Workshops
After a project called "Grey Matter" in New York City, Genesis wanted to help artists in Chattanooga and Virginia. He wanted to highlight artists who create music, art, and poetry about important social topics. He started leading poetry and creative workshops. He worked with non-profit groups and art communities in Chattanooga.
Genesis sees himself as a creator in many ways. He enjoys making music and poetry, but also loves creating ideas for marketing or writing short stories. He likes being part of projects that value creative people. In 2015, Genesis was nominated for an award for his community work. He mentored young artists and poets through his "Build Me A World" project.
In 2021, Genesis and WMWA Landscape Architects won an award for urban design. Genesis was the Creative and Art director for this project. He led creative sessions to gather ideas from people for the Market + Georgia project. These ideas helped guide the artwork and design.
Genesis also worked with Shaquille O'Neal to create special coffee tables. These "Genesis x Shaq" tables sold out quickly. His art connects with people from all walks of life. Genesis believes that honesty and truth are key to good poetry and art. He says that when you share truth, it moves people deeply.
Poetry and Creative Workshops
For Genesis, being a poet feels natural. Poetry is not just something he creates; it's how he sees the world. He offers his poetic ideas as a service to companies and startups. They look for new ways to think about their work or their audience.
In 2015, Genesis released a book of his poems called "Words In Grey." He explains that he started a poetic workshop in 2014. People in the community called it "Words In Grey." In these workshops, he helped artists think differently about their creativity and writing. This book is a collection of his poems, with exercises for readers to try.
Genesis is always creating and encouraging others to do the same. He spent time in the Hamptons creating new art with artist Audrey Schilt. He was also a featured artist at the Aspen Institute Socrates Program. This workshop brought together many bright minds from different fields.
During a two-day session, Genesis had people write poems about their shoes. He also showed them a powerful video of a courtroom scene. He then asked them to write about it from any point of view they chose.
Stratton Tingle, a director from Soundcorp, attended one of Genesis's workshops. He said Genesis helped him write and recite a poem in front of people, which was new for him. Tingle was very impressed by Genesis's creativity. In 2017, Genesis's "Words In Grey" workshop worked with Mark Making. Teens explored neighborhood issues like poverty and racism through poetry. They then expressed solutions in graffiti-inspired murals.
Music Videos
- 2014 retroGREY aka Dark Matter (shot by Genesis Elijah)
- 2012 Do you Know (shot by Coodie & Chike)
- 2012 A thought (shot by Coodie & Chike)
- 2011 Here We Are (shot by Coodie & Chike)
- 2011 Music / Braille & Sign Language (shot by Brenner Va)
- 2010 note to Pharrell aka I just wanna be a writer (shot by Brenner Vas)
Discography
- 2010 Grey Skies
- 2010 Grey Skies 2
- 2013 Grey Skies 3
Poems
- Words In Grey (the book)
- I Wrote This In Class
- Seeing the Invisible
- flower
- I left the front door open
