Malachi Lezema aka Gksell 12K is a young up and coming artist emerging from the community of Maloney Gardens. The name Gskell 12K was inspired by his physique and he was born on the 10th of January 2003 (CAPRICORN).

Asked about his childhood, Malachi shared that stories about growing up in the ghetto aren’t much different from each other in terms of having to endure hardships. He painfully recaps how he didn’t have a close relationship with his mother or father and every interaction between either of them were brief. He also shared that he lived with his mother for a period of time after writing S.E.A. exams and his father has been absent almost his whole life, occasionally and briefly popping in and out. (Can you imagine the pain as a child to have that kind of relationship with the persons who brought you into the world????We love you Gkskell!!!)

Malachi attended Maloney Government primary school and credited the institution for the time spent there, it being one of the highlights of his life and also contributed to shaping him into the person he is today. After S.E.A. he attended Eldorado West Secondary School where he really settled down and developed self discipline. That discipline didn’t come without challenges though as prior to that, due to his personal problems, one of them being anger issues, he got into a lot of fights with students.

Even though growing up was a struggle it was not all bad as he grew up under the care of an exceptional woman, his great grandmother, who took care of him his entire life up until recently. He credits all the love and guidance from her which helped to shape him. Those of us who know what it’s like living with our grandparents, we know it’s a crazy rollercoaster sometimes and of course we get the “back in my day” comparisons lol but to all the grannies, great grannies and great great grannies…thank you for your resilience and thank you for tirelessly taking on the added responsibility of caring for your generations…we may not always understand your ways, but we thank you anyways! Let’s read on and get to know more about this talented artiste.

Some persons are lucky enough as children to know exactly what they want to be and manage to accomplish just that, but for the majority of people, much like Gskell 12K, they’re unsure of exactly who or what they want to become. Malachi considered many occupations, at one point he wanted to be a footballer, a policeman, a wrestler etc. he said his dreams would change regularly due to inspirational impact by individuals, however one thing he was certain about is that no matter what the profession, he wants to be able to inspire others whilst doing it. Talk about having a big heart!

But it doesn’t stop there, read on as Malachi takes us deeper into his life and his experiences thus far as an artiste.

Q-When did you decide to do music professionally?

The moment I decided to take music professionally was when I realized I was having a positive impact and becoming an inspiration to others. Seeing all the love being showed to me in my own community and from total strangers on social media, even the times when people would recognize me in public, it impacted me in such a way I decided to dedicate everything in my power to become and achieve my goals professionally and uplift others.

Q-What is the most challenging part about being an artist?

The most challenging part for me is having to deal with my mental problems, depression, anxiety, family life etc. and do it in such a way as not to concern others in my community, my supporters and even the people around me.

Q-What is the most rewarding part of being an artist?

Uplifting others around me who lacked the confidence to even attempt taking a shot at making their dreams a reality. I can relate to anyone who struggles with this issue as I was once in their shoes.

Q-Who/What is your biggest inspiration?

My biggest inspiration right now is my beautiful baby girls. I want to one day be able to fully provide for them and ensure they live and experience the happiest life ever.

Q-What advice would you give to someone considering becoming an artiste?

No matter what, don’t let anything or anyone stop you from achieving and moving forward with whatever your goal is. Nothing is impossible…reach for the stars!!!

Q-What is the most memorable moment for you to date   as an artiste?

After I recorded Anybody Gets It, the 1st person I eagerly ran to to let them hear it was my life long friend Kern who sadly passed away a few months later. He told me this was the one to put me on the map, part of me doubted it and had no confidence in the song, I knew it was a good song, but I never thought it was enough to reach where he said it was going…two months after Kern’s passing, James of Extraterrestrial Films shot the music video for the song and I dropped it on my YouTube channel…and from that day forward my career skyrocketed! Kern knew what he was telling me before he passed away.

Q- What is your favourite song from yourself?

At the time of this article, it was an unreleased song from a project he was working on entitled Perseverance but lucky for us, (in a way lol)so much time has passed since then, that the song is now available on youtube. Better than that, you can check it out here- https://youtu.be/xrsRUZPa3Z4

Q-Who is your favourite dancehall artist?

My favourite dancehall artist is Alkaline (somebody say vendetta!!)

Q- Who do you dream of working wit h?

I dream of working and collaborating with Alkaline because he is my biggest artist and inspiration.

Q-What is your creative process to come up with a song?

It’s simple, I listen to the instrumentals before I attempt writing, whatever vibe it gives me I tell a story along the line of the vibe and the song is born.

Q-What was your first song?

My first song was entitled My team

Q-What does success look like to you?

Success to me looks like having all my goals marked as completed. I could look back and admire how far I’ve come from.

Q-How many songs have you recorded to date?

I can’t provide an accurate number, but approximately 50 songs

Q-What are your hobbies?

My hobbies are playing video games and watching YouTube videos.

Q-What is your favourite meal?

My favourite meal is baked chicken and macaroni pie (yummy!)

At Dissecting Dancehall we see so much of love, talent, potential, and perseverance in you Gskell! and we want to take a moment to commend you for not giving up, for not using your unfortunate circumstances as a reason not to be great! Because you are great and will continue to do great things!!!!! Keep up the good work!

I know, it sucks we’ve come to end of this article, but do not be dismayed, for more on Gskell check out our directory and be sure to support his greatness on social medai

BLESSINGS! BIG UP