Gio Washington facts for kids

Governor Washington Jr. (born May 9, 1983), known as Gio Washington, is an American R&B and soul singer. He was born in Charles City, Virginia. He first signed with T.I.'s Grand Hustle record label. Later, in 2010, he joined G-Note Records. This label is part of 50 Cent's G-Unit Records.

Life and Music Journey

Early Years and First Steps in Music (1983–2004)

Governor Washington Jr. was born on July 25, 1983, in Charles City County, Virginia. His father was a preacher. He had a chance to go to the Berklee College of Music, but he chose not to. Instead, he started an R&B group called Case Closed. He used the stage name Country Boy in the group.

After moving to New York City and then back to Virginia, Washington left the group. He returned to New York to try a solo career. In 2000, Warlock Records signed him. They released his first album, Another State Of Mind.

Around this time, he met important music producers, Trackmasters. He also changed his music style from R&B to hip-hop. 50 Cent was also working with Trackmasters then. Washington and 50 Cent recorded about six songs together. These songs were for an album that was never released.

After leaving Trackmasters in 2002, Washington met Wyclef Jean. Wyclef helped him get a deal with Atlantic Records. He even made many songs with Dr. Dre for his Atlantic debut album. However, these songs were never released due to issues between the record labels.

Joining Grand Hustle and Son of Pain (2005–2006)

In 2005, the American rapper T.I. invited Washington to join his Grand Hustle Records label. Atlantic Records wanted T.I. to guide Washington's career. Atlantic had tried to connect Washington with Dr. Dre and then 50 Cent before. But those plans did not work out.

To help Washington gain more street credibility, Atlantic arranged for him to join T.I.'s label. In 2006, Washington performed with T.I. They sang "Hello" from T.I.'s album King. This performance was for T.I.'s AOL Sessions.

Washington also appeared on several DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz mixtapes. Later, in September 2006, he released his album Son of Pain. This album was released through Grand Hustle and Atlantic. Famous producers like Just Blaze and Wyclef Jean worked on the album. Son of Pain reached number 50 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Signing with G-Unit (2009–Present)

In 2009, Washington signed with G-Unit Records. He then joined their new label, G-Note Records. He released his first single from his upcoming album there. He shared that working with 50 Cent again was an honor. They had grown up together in the music world.

He also mentioned that G-Note is an independent label with strong financial support. This means he does not face the same pressures as with a major label. He can talk directly to the company owner.

The song is called "Here We Go Again" and features 50 Cent. It was released for digital download on December 27, 2010. 50 Cent said that Washington was "extremely talented" and would become very popular. Washington also worked on mixtapes and released new music online to promote his album.

In an interview, Washington announced his upcoming album title, A Touch of Magic. It was released under G-Note Records. He also spoke about more music with 50 Cent on the album. He said their first collaborations helped people get used to their sound. Now, they focus on showing his solo artist sound.

In 2013, Washington started performing as Gio Washington. In March 2015, Washington and 50 Cent worked together again. They recorded a song called "Annie" for the Starz TV series, Power. 50 Cent was an executive producer for the show.

Personal Life

Washington was in a serious vehicle accident on August 8, 2015. He was thrown from his vehicle. He suffered a collapsed lung, broken ribs, and other internal injuries. He has since recovered.

Music Releases

Studio Albums

Singles

Guest Appearances