Today we’d like to introduce you to Malik Bannister.
Hi Malik, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
Born in NY, live around Queens Rockaway, Brooklyn until a move to Virginia Beach, VA in ’99. Music made my souling and my body move, it was extremely apparent to myself that this medium would the art form I called home. In addition to jazz, rock, blues, and Baptist church music hip-hop, Baltimore club music, southern hip-hop, church hymn, ballads, concertos, and so many more styles of music were afforded to me, and I used them as steppingstones to shape my path. My childhood flowed into my teens, and I built a reputation for being a dancer; at my local church, my high schools, boys & girls community center, or any party/outing that decent music was playing.
Took that energy into my college years, joining Virginia Commonwealth University’s “Black Ice” dance crew, winning a few trophies, and eventually breaking into my own creative energy.
Fast-forward to Life after college, I’m back in Virginia Beach working as a stock manger and visual Merchandiser for a retail company when I eventually come to the idea to move to Los Angeles to make my dreams of dance and artistic creativity come to life.
Came to LA to audition for a dance team, got the spot, told the staff I live across the country, and they told me when I return the spot is mine. Say Less and BOOM 2016 in Los Angeles, ever since then, my resume has grown to a level beyond my own belief, but the gratitude remains just as strong as the first day I arrived.
I’ve done a lot in these years and my resume continually grows but here are a few tentpoles:
2016- arrival, first major music video project with Nico & Vinz
2017 – Played a lead role in “The Dragonfly” by Darrell “The Friidom” Dunn
2018 – International Adidas Gig that paid me the most money I’d ever seen in my life.
2019 – Left the 9-5 workforce became a Creative Director
2020- Twitch Streamer Gvmby is official
2021 -Worked with Dababy, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Travis Scott
2022 – Lead roles
And did it all without an Agency, hopefully we change that soon!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
MENTALITY: NO ROAD WORTH WALKING IS SMOOTH, or that’s the mentality I thought I had to have on this journey in the entrainment industry. You think you have to come with such a bloodlust for success, almost a “GTFO of my way” energy. Not so much, just a solid foundation in who you are and what you’re pursuing, a trusted network of reliable humans, and to make time to relax after putting 100% into your goals.
FINANCES
I’m… crawling my way out of this one and I must say it’s been a fun journey since covid-19 hit the streets. Like any artistic career, the very nature of your career’s survival is not ONLY based on your consistency and creativity but also your popularity or even this strength of the relationships you have in order to keep you afloat. I’m learning, I’m building, don’t worry baby!!
I often remind myself living in LA is flipping a double-sided coin; All the OPPORTUNITIES are here but so are all the DISTRACTIONS… what’s it gonna be?”
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
– Creative Director
– Choreographer/ Dancer
– Host (Live, Twitch, YouTube)
– Actor/ Performance Artist
– Model
TO be honest I think my hair, cut into the Gumby slant, sets me apart physically. I walk into spaces with a contagious energy that breed anything from positivity to a life-alerting moment of tears to remind you of who you really are. My aim as an artist is to bridge the gap between/connect cultures and generations through the various mediums my mind can put into play. Finally, my stage name “Gvmby” (gum-bee) comes from the hair but also one of my favorite dance styles, waving. I like to slide, slither. creep, flow, and move like water when I find myself in the pure depth of my expressive dancing.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Sheesh, well I’ve watched social media make waves for so many forms of entertainment. with dance at the forefront. I feel there will always be space for choreographers and creative directors because human motion and emotion constantly serve as contemporary reminders to us. Now if the question is “will the world always need creatives?”, I say “Yes, as long as there’s a lie to be told, a secret to unfold or hope to hold” – Gvmby
Pricing:
- Choreography: Depends on Budget
- Dancer: $500 +
- Bts Photography: 200/day or TBA
- Modeling: 50/hr
- Transcribing: 25/hr
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gvmby/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAXMafK-k-yeJFYF2sboK2A
- Other: www.Twitch.tv/Gvmbytv
Image Credits
Malik “Gvmby” Bannister
Darrell “the Friidom” Dunn
Tai Ryan
Malik “Gvmby” Bannister
K. Da Costa
