We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gehrig Kniffen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Gehrig thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
My journey into hip-hop was a gradual one. Back in high school, I would freestyle with friends—definitely not with any real skill, but it was a fun way to pass the time. After that, while I was attending junior college and focused on my basketball career, I released music under the name “Gehrighashellabars” as a bit of a joke. But it wasn’t until the pandemic hit that things started to shift. That’s when I reconnected with my childhood friends, Tommy and Steven, who had been making beats. We started making music together, and even though I was far from being a skilled rapper at that point, I was having an amazing time, so we kept going.
Over the course of the next year, I could feel my skills improving. At the same time, I was dealing with some personal challenges that pushed me to get away for a while, so I moved to Oregon. But even there, I kept making music with the boys. They’d send me beats, I’d record vocals in my closet, and then I’d send them back to Tommy for finishing touches. In 2021, we dropped a mixtape and a few singles on SoundCloud.
In 2022, I moved back to San Luis Obispo and did my first live performance in April. That was a turning point for me—I knew from that moment on that I wanted to pursue music full-time. Since then, we’ve been putting singles and projects out on all streaming platforms, creating content, and performing live as much as we can. Although we’re not yet making a living from it, we feel like we’re taking the right steps. And no matter where this journey goes, the most important thing is that we truly love this.
Gehrig, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Here’s a refined version of your answer that’s cohesive and compelling:
For those who may not know me, I’m from Cambria, California—a small, coastal town that’s had a huge influence on who I am as an artist. I was born and raised there, living in the same house from the moment I came home from the hospital until I left for college. My hometown has shaped my perspective, and I carry that with me in my music. Growing up in a place where things move a little slower has allowed me to approach songwriting with a unique lens, especially in an industry that often repeats the same messages. I think that authenticity, combined with my focus on punchlines and clever lyricism, is what sets me apart.
I love creating bars that make people hit the rewind button—those moments where a line or reference might fly under the radar on the first listen, but when it hits, it makes the lyric that much better. My aim is to make music that rewards listeners who pay attention. What I’m most proud of, though, is how much I’ve grown as an artist and how much further I still plan to go. I like to think my lyrics have always had depth, but I’m currently focusing even more on making sure the audience enjoys the actual sound of those words in terms of the tone, cadence and overall delivery. I know I’m still evolving in this area, but I’m excited about the journey and the music I’m creating along the way.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
As much as I love performing and sharing my music with anyone who’s ready to listen, the most rewarding moments for me always happen in the studio. It’s in those moments when everything comes together—when a sample transforms into a full beat, or when I start writing to an original instrumental crafted by one of my closest friends. There’s something magical about finding the perfect melody for a hook or coming up with the concept for an entire song. The feeling when we hit that perfect take where the vocals just sound crisp, or when we’re bouncing ideas back and forth, all with the goal of making the track better. But the most special moment is when you step back, listen to what you’ve created, and think, “Wow that’s dope,” and then share that moment with your homie with a dap or knuckle bump. Those moments are what make it all worth it for me.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Other artists. Over the last few years I’ve met tons of high level rappers and musicians who are also the coolest, nicest people. They’ve been willing to help in a variety of ways from helping us book shows to getting us studio time to featuring on tracks to providing live instrumentation for our original songs. To me one of the greatest resources is the community you build with the other artists in your area.
Contact Info:
- Website: greenroomboys.com
- Instagram: @gehrigkniffen
- Facebook: Gehrig Kniffen
- Twitter: @gehrigkniffen
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gehrigkniffen
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/gehrigkniffen
- Other: All things Gehrig Kniffen and Green Room (new albums, live show dates, music videos, etc): https://linktr.ee/gehrigkniffen
Image Credits
Gunnar Velten Xander Bissell