Gems Biography
Causing a stir with positive power and relentless rhymes, an artist from birth; endurance installed by New Cross, South East London. From the sentence of life, rap is renewed.
GEMS, born Claude Murray, eldest of three children, was brought up by a God fearing single mother who inaugurated principles of honour and accountability.
With a bright future in football, being sought after by Charlton, Newcastle and Wimbledon football clubs, a sequence of detrimental events, caused GEMS to be fostered by a toxic environment. He abandoned his first love to live a lifestyle he once despised.
In 1995 Claude was kicked out of school and soon became heavily involved in violence and petty crime. Money, drug addiction, gangs, prison, death and destruction dominated the decade that followed.
Shakes, as he was known amongst his peers, spent a number of years in Youth offender prisons for a string of robberies, assault, kidnaps and theft. It was during a four year stay at Her Majesty’s pleasure where he began to write verses. After writing for a significant length of time, he found the courage to share the lyrics with an inmate, who showered him with positive feedback.
Subsequent to his release in 2000, this new past time elevated to another level. In 2002, after years of spitting in rap ciphers and recording sporadically, he became one half of the group Jools & Gems. They were well known in the community for their ‘sick word play’ and ‘slick metaphors’.
Jools & Gems joined an independent underground label, Road Runners and released a free six track mixtape, 'Get Use 2 this'. They also created their own branding 'Concrete Vulchers'.
The group then left Road Runners to join another label Blue Borough Records. The label was responsible for the music group SE14/8 that featured other artistes, Jack Jones, D Logic and Tommy Bones.
Jools & Gems music was played on national radio stations Kiss 100, Choice FM and 1Xtra. They had a two page spread in 'Rewind' magazine, a video on Channel AKA (formally Channel U) playlist and were tipped as ones to watch out for in the future.
Being an ambassador for the streets began to take its toll on young GEMS, then 24. The life he glamorized outside the studio and glorified through his music was very soon getting out of control. With the police on his case, deaths of peers, parting ways with Blue Borough records and the breakdown of former friends, GEMS became very restless and sleepless nights now ruled his being.
It was at this point when GEMS began to question his purpose, motives and destination. He searched deep in his soul and realized that his purpose was not to sell drugs and destroy lives. It became apparent to him, the outcome as it stood, would be bleak with death and prison waiting with open arms. GEMS knew he had to change, but did not know how to.
GEMS turned to the Bible and returned to the church of his childhood. There he received prayer from the ministers and soon it became clear that he could not save himself, only Jesus Christ could. So GEMS asked Christ for forgiveness for all wrongs he had done.
Friday 5th August 2005 marked the day of the new journey to be undertaken by a young man the streets knew as Shakes, the rap game as GEMS and the females called Claude. That night Claude left church knowing that a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. The pain, hurt, depression, suicidal thoughts and lack of identity had been removed by the Lord Jesus Christ at the altar of the Tabernacle Church in Lewisham.
Claude embarked upon the road to transition. For a while, he could be still found on the streets selling drugs, but he would also attend church and slowly he began to stop doing the things that were in contradiction to Christ teachings.
GEMS now works with 16-25 year olds who are not in employment or education and also affected by the social ills of drugs, gangs, depression, mental health, self harm and low esteem.
In 2007 Southwark Borough named Claude 'Community group member of the year' and 'Active Citizen of the year' for his efforts in encouraging others to reject a life of crime.
GEMS is also a husband and has been married to his beautiful wife for four years. He is one of the youth leaders in the Tabernacle Church, where he is a member, under the leadership of Senior Pastor Michael White. He also has an autobiography in the pipeline.
With the mixtape, Road 2 Damascus, hosted by underground mixtape champion Mykal Million, snap shots of the life of GEMS thus far are detailed and the tales of the harsh realities of society alongside the message of Jesus Christ are told.
GEMS, which now stands for God Entered My Soul, is a changed man on a mission to share the love of God to the broken people of the masses.
There are even more great things to come from the young man who lives by the statement "Let's do what we can and let God do what we can't".
His official single, 'Welcome 2 London' and video will be released soon.
You are now marked on my profile visitor map!
