Inspired by the world around him, Horace Gaither makes music with versatility and authenticity. Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, Gaither has been creating music for almost three years now. An Art major at the University of Kentucky, Gaither spends most of his time creating.
“I like to express myself in different ways,” says Gaither.
Whether it be writing, drawing, or creating music, Gaither finds plenty of creative outlets. Growing up with a family that listens to a wide variety of music, Gaither has found his own niche as a rapper. He believes that his “human qualities” are really what sets him apart from other artists.
“A lot of rappers don’t take advantage of being experimental,” said Gaither. “Through my music, I want to show people how much they should value being authentic and real.”
As a Black man in America, he likes to write about every experience he goes through in life to convey not only his emotions towards them, but the lessons he’s learned from every situation. He says that the key to creating good music is all about, “being honest about yourself and telling your truth in every song you make.”
In 2018, Gaither dropped his first song “Family Ties” which he says, “really started things,” for him. A year later, Gaither put out his second song called, “They Ain’t Got It.” Averaging over thirty-five hundred views, he has gotten most of his audience’s attention through his remixes that he’s released on his Instagram. Instead of releasing songs back to back, he decided to take his talents to social media by posting his freestyles and remixes. He says he’s trying to, “build an authentic fanbase” and, “keep people occupied,” while he works on putting out new songs. Gaither’s goal is to release quality music that shows his artistry, and he doesn’t plan on rushing the process.
“As a kid, I used to love songs that’ll tell stories,” said Gaither. Drawing inspiration from Kendrick Lamar and J Cole being Gaither says he thinks of himself as a, “lyrical rapper.” He believes this gives him the opportunity to really show who he truly is in creating raw music.
When the Coronavirus hit the United States and everyone had to go into a lockdown, Gaither believes that this experience, in particular, has both hindered and helped him grow as an artist. Although he wasn’t able to get into a place where he could record any songs, he was able to spend more time alone and began, “introspective thinking.”
“When you spend more time alone, that’s when you learn more about yourself to write what you think is real”, Gaither says.
Using the time at home during the pandemic to his advantage and learning about his flaws along the way, Gaither has been working on an EP that’s around seven or eight songs to be released soon. He says his new music is going to surprise people and be different from what he normally makes.
“Sometimes you want to do something, and your parents might be the ones holding you back,” said Gaither. This is why he believes it’s important to, “not expect anything from anybody.” Following much self-reflection and introspective thinking, he has developed a strong mindset to help him grow within the music industry and hopes for others to do the same.
You can keep up with Louisville rapper Horace Gaither on Instagram @HoraceGaither.