When GASHI named his new album Brooklyn Cowboy, the rapper/singer/songwriter stepped into a character both larger-than-life and completely true to his own incredible story. Born in Libya as the son of Kosovo refugees, he lived a nomadic childhood and journeyed through 24 countries before settling in Brooklyn at the age of 11—an experience that forged the unshakable sense of self-reliance he brings to everything he touches. Before creating his latest body of work, GASHI doubled down on his fiercely independent spirit by making a series of game-changing moves: founding a full-service label with Orca Sound Records, returning to Brooklyn after over a decade in Los Angeles, and dreaming up a gritty yet soulful sound largely inspired by outlaw-country legends like Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash. The most adventurous turn yet in a genre-defying career with no shortage of triumphs—including emerging as the first-ever male Albanian artist to score a Billboard #1 hit—Brooklyn Cowboy finds GASHI blazing his own bold trail to long-lasting stardom.
GASHI’s fifth full-length and first release for Orca Sound, Brooklyn Cowboy expands on the intense emotionality and potent vocal command he’s showcased throughout his wildly eclectic catalog (including, most recently, the introspective trap-pop of 2022’s Elevators and synth-driven grandeur of 2020’s 1984). Partly recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio (the historic Alabama spot where icons like Aretha Franklin and The Rolling Stones cut records in the ’60s), the 18-track powerhouse encompasses everything from the moody guitar tones and galloping rhythms of its soul-searching title track to the shimmering textures and feel-good melodies of “Love Right Now.” Meanwhile, on “Better” feat. Wiz Khalifa, GASHI offers up an exhilarating anthem for taking control of your fate, amplifying the track’s galvanizing impact with a shout-along-ready chorus and barrage of hard-hitting beats. “That song’s dedicated to someone very close to me who passed away from cancer after being told that nothing could be done to help her,” GASHI explains. “After that I knew I had to make a record that would help people out when they’re going through a hard time, something to motivate them to fight instead of being told to just give up.”
An album four years in the making, Brooklyn Cowboy began taking shape soon after GASHI shared his widely celebrated cover of Johnny Cash’s rendition of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” (released in 2019 and met with praise from Cash’s family). But as he reveals, the LP represents a lifetime of experience and inspiration. Born Labinot Gashi, he spent his earliest years busking with his siblings to earn money for their struggling family. “When I was younger we lived in refugee camps or stayed in people’s basements or lived on the streets,” he recalls. “My brother and I would put the hat out and sing and dance to Michael Jackson songs, trying to get some coins so we could maybe buy some food.” After moving to Brooklyn, GASHI learned to speak English by watching classic movies on a TV set he and his father had salvaged from the sidewalk. “It only got four channels and one of them just played black-and-white cowboy movies all the time,” he says. “That’s when I first started to fall in love with American culture, and lot of it had to do with those old cowboy movies.”
Although the breakout success of his smash single “Disrespectful” led to his signing with RCA Records (who released his self-titled debut studio album in 2019), GASHI ultimately decided to strike out on his own with the launch of Orca Sound—an artist-first label whose inaugural signing is ALEXSUCKS, an L.A.-based garage-punk band whose 2023 single shot to #34 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart. “My whole goal with the label is to work with artists who live in their own dimension and aren’t afraid to do their own thing,” he says. “It feels really good to work for myself, to follow my heart and soul instead of having to answer to 50 people before I make a decision. That’s called freedom, and it’s what makes a true artist.”
Now gearing up for a headlining U.S. tour—after making waves with his crowd-thrilling sets at major festivals like Coachella and CMA Fest 2024—GASHI points out that leaving L.A. for Brooklyn played a vital part in reconnecting with the raw authenticity that permeates all of Brooklyn Cowboy. “I feel like I lost a part of myself when I moved to L.A., so finally I decided to go back home to my family and my community, which is what gave me the energy I needed to make this record,” he says. “Usually when I put something out, I want the next project to be a huge departure from what came before. After this album, I want to keep growing and evolving but still stay in the same world. I think I’m going to be known as the Brooklyn Cowboy for a very long time.”