Syracuse rapper G.Y. Joey takes personal life into new album ‘Mud Plug II’
Syracuse rapper G.Y. Joey stays true to himself with authentic lyrics so listeners will resonate with his music. He finds musical inspiration from his personal life, specifically from things he sees happening to his family and friends. Courtesy of Trey Boyd
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G.Y. Joey describes the rap scene of his hometown, Syracuse, as something that “doesn’t really have its own sound.” With originality and confidence, Joey is attempting to add to Syracuse’s “bare” sound.
“I can’t force anybody to like my music,” Joey said. Whether they like it or not, I like to keep a deep palette of songs. I never sound the same on the next song.”
G.Y. Joey, whose real name is Calvon Stokes, has made music his entire life. At 4 years old, his mother put him in local music competitions and had him and his brother audition for Sony Music Entertainment. He began rapping a few years later, taking inspiration from his brother, who had already started making mixtapes.
His stage name is short for Joseph. He relates it to the biblical idea that God will bless people named Joseph. Part of his name choice is for marketing purposes — it’s easy to say and pronounce, which’ll hopefully help get his name out there.
It wasn’t until 2019 that Joey began taking his music career seriously. Last year, he had a series of singles that he’d been working on and planned on dropping. After further consideration, he decided to turn it into a full project: his upcoming album, Mud Plug II.
“I fall in love with the process of making a project,” Joey said. “I started putting together songs and everything I basically worked on, I zeroed in on it so I could be 100%.”
Joey prides himself on his authentic lyricism in all the songs he creates, though he doesn’t have a distinct theme throughout his new project. He knows if he stays true to himself, listeners will resonate more with his music.
Much of his inspiration comes from his personal life. He raps about things he sees happening to his family, friends or in the media. Though he prefers not to put his style into a box, he said it’s like “a mix of down South and East Coast flows.”
Joey’s longtime friend, Trey Boyd, acknowledged that his lyricism makes him stand out. He said some rappers in the industry today look to create conflict and tension with lyrics that are often fabricated.
“I feel like with (Joey), he knows that hip-hop is always going to be relevant and having that wordplay and delivery is always going to make him stand above other people,” Boyd said.
G.Y. Joey has been making music almost his entire life. The Syracuse-born rapper grew up performing in local music competitions and began rapping at a young age. Courtesy of Trey Boyd
Another one of Joey’s close friends, Lloyd Simmons, said Joey’s understanding of the industry makes working with him easier. Simmons works as Joey’s photographer and videographer, taking pictures for Joey’s album covers. The two childhood friends have worked together since 2003, bouncing ideas off each other and inspiring one another.
“He’s definitely rooted in his musicianship,” Simmons said. “He’s a very developed fan of the culture and genre. I think he’s an intuitive writer, but he’s also a fan, just knowing the landscape and knowing what the output could definitely make better music.”
Consistency hasn’t always been easy for Joey. He took a three-year hiatus before committing to the rap industry in 2019. He was frustrated with the people he was working with, and felt like he was putting in more work than them. It made him depressed.
Judgment from others brought Joey out of retirement. He knew he wanted to come back when his brother and those close to him questioned his music career and what happened to it. Instead of getting upset, he channeled his emotions into making music.
From Simmons’ perspective, he could tell the mental break helped Joey get back on track. With a fresh mind and new creative ideas flowing, his music improved.
Family is important to Joey, and made him want to make a return to music. He wants to set a good example for his son.
“I want to teach my son that if you want something, you’ll feel better if you go 100%,” Joey said. “Even if you fail, you feel, ‘That’s the best I got.’”
His positive mindset keeps him going. Those around him see his progress, and he hopes over time that other people will see it, too. By staying consistent, Joey said he’s already made connections he didn’t have before.
“I think his work ethic and his music is amazing. He’s constantly working,” Boyd said.
With dedication to his craft and a positive mindset, Joey has turned rapping, which used to be a side hustle, into his full-time job. His brief hiatus only made him stronger.
“It’s something that I love. I feel like it’s my God-given talent,” Joey said. “I feel like I owe it to the universe, myself and my family to make sure I put in 100%.”
