Young, South-Florida based singer, songwriter Gio Mar weaves his lyrical interplay into the title of his debut EP, For Love, Songs, which has multiple meanings. “There are four songs on the EP; and it’s four songs about love,” Gio Mar explains.
He calls the collection a love letter to the concept of love. “The EP is about my experiences so far, as a teenager going through high school, experiencing this level of love,” the 17-year-old producer-lyricist elaborates. Sonically, he pulls from many inspirations, but the artist he most readily compares himself to is Toronto-born rapper Drake. The similarities ring through, Gio Mar croons about love, infatuation and desire, over hypnotic beats that pull from cosmopolitan sources – Arabic instruments, smooth synths, snapping snares, etc.
In the Blood
He has an incredible foundation to build from. Gio Mar is the son of Jamaican recording artist Wayne Mitchell, better known as the inimitable Wayne Marshall, and the stepson of Tami Chin-Mitchell. “It’s an absolute blessing. None of them try to force their style on me,” Gio Mar explains. “I’m able to grab a little bit from each to make my own sound.” His birth mother, former Miss Jamaica Regina Beavers McCallum, with whom he lives with in Florida, acts as his manager.
This unique blended family is one of the many aspects of Gio Mar’s life that he is eternally grateful for. “I’m blessed to have a family that’s supported me, on both sides, equally,” he gushes. “It’s a perfect blend. There’s no other way to describe it; there’s no conflict.” It’s a family structure that feels one-of-a-kind within Jamaican culture.
Keeping Up with Gio Mar
The dynamic is one of the topics that intrigue and astounds many viewers on the hit Youtube reality show, Meet The Mitchells. The show documents the day-to-day life of Wayne and Tami Mitchell and their children, which includes Gio Mar. It’s one of many avenues that we can hope to keep up with the young artist’s career as he continues to develop as an artist.
