Gathigi Gishuru is an artist and contract specialist at the Fred Hutchinsen Cancer Research Center. His distinct sense of style and smooth, methodical raps have garnered a strong following through his group The Physics. Gathigi recently stopped in to check out our Spring collection of menswear and during his visit we discussed his experience growing up in Seattle, the trajectory of his music and the various artistic mediums he uses to communicate.
"I grew up in Seattle in the Rainier Valley which is probably the most diverse part of the city so from an early age I was exposed to different cultures and people. My childhood was mostly a mixture of Kenyan and American culture."
"My parents immigrated to Seattle from Kenya so I’m first generation US born. My dad was adopted when he came to the states and my adopted family was a huge part of my youth. My grandparents had a home on Bainbridge Island where I spent a lot of time during the summer. We would go fishing, crabbing and exploring for hours with my grandpa when we were little. I think that's why I have such a huge affinity for the water and live on Alki now."
"My day job is being a Contract Specialist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center where I help put together and facilitate multi-million dollar contracts for the research that goes on there. It’s mostly administrative and I spend the day in one place on a computer using the left side of my brain. Then there’s The Physics where most of what I do is instinctual. I spend a lot of time writing in my car, at the studio and recording. When I'm performing live, I'm completely stepping out of my comfort zone. Right now we’ve established our place in the Seattle music scene. We’ve played in most venues and festivals locally and appeared in most publications so the next step for us is national exposure. With our next record, we're going to be focused on national exposure and will be touring more, making new connections and creating new fans."
"I went to school with a dress code and that influence is still in my subconscious. I keep my style simple and go for classics with a modern fit. I love denim because of how versatile and durable it is. I probably wear jeans 5 days out of the week. If I do wear more preppier pieces, I'll usually pair them with something casual like tees, jeans or vans. I'm also a fan of patterns like camo, florals, plaid and like to pair them with really simple items."
"My favorite photos are always ones that invoke some sort of emotion so that’s what I look for when I’m shooting. But its not something I consciously think about before every shot. I photograph things and people that are interesting to me and try to capture them in ways that make my audience see what I see."
