By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Widely celebrated across Guyana’s urban music scene for his sharp lyricism, social commentary, and Rap, recording artiste Kareem “cKush” Lewis is showing that creative talent reaches its fullest potential when paired with long-term commercial enterprise.
The Lodge native and Central High School alumnus has diversified his professional footprint, expanding into the construction and agro-processing sectors to achieve financial independence and sustainable community development.
Speaking with HGP Nightly News, Lewis shared how he balances fatherhood, recording sessions, and physical business operations, arguing that talent alone can’t guarantee long-term security in the creative industries. Refusing to be boxed into entertainment alone, the 20-something entrepreneur is using his platform to urge young people in underprivileged urban communities to move beyond handouts and build self-sustaining commercial ventures.
Spoken Word and Roots: ‘My Environment Will Not Define Me’
Opening his feature with a poetic narrative chronicling societal pressures on the East Coast of Demerara, Lewis highlighted how early childhood influences in Lodge, Georgetown—an area often stereotyped by socio-economic hardship—channeled his energy into performing arts:
“There was this girl I used to know, a beautiful soul living on the coast of Mon Repos a long time ago. This is how she lost her soul… the friends she thought she had was wicked on the low…”
- Hip-Hop Foundations: Lewis credited his uncle with introducing him to golden-era hip-hop culture, poetry, and disciplined performing arts during his formative years.
- The High School Spark: While attending Central High School, his natural flair for lyrical composition caught the attention of his educators. Teachers, including “Sir Collin” and “Sir Gordon,” urged Lewis and peer Mervin Heywood to write and perform competitive Mashramani songs—a turning point that launched his musical path.
“My uncle was heavy on hip-hop… and I took practice into the performing arts… Sir Collin and Sir Gordon, them man said that, ‘Aye, y’all write a tune for Mash.’ My friends, Mervin Heywood… after that there was no turning back.”
Construction, Agro-Processing, and the Ethics of Fatherhood
Recognizing that music provides emotional resonance and audience connection while enterprise delivers financial stability, Lewis has invested heavily in two of Guyana’s foundational growth pillars: construction and agro-processing:
- Physical Infrastructure: By establishing contracting operations in the domestic building boom, Lewis ensures a diversified income stream independent of streaming algorithms or stage bookings.
- Value-Added Agriculture: Investing in agro-processing aligns his brand with national food security and value-added manufacturing.
- The Demands of Family: As a father, Lewis explained that his daily routine demands a disciplined balance between parenting, on-site project management, and late-night studio work.
“It is never forceful for me, it is always a free-flow love what you are doing… and having a child is an experience in itself,” Lewis reflected on his personal and professional equilibrium.
Critical of Generative AI: ‘It Is a Form of Plagiarism’
Addressing the rapid encroachment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into music production and songwriting, the lyricist delivered an unvarnished critique of automated art:
- Authentic Expression Over Algorithms: Lewis said that while he doesn’t hold animosity toward emerging technologies, he refuses to rely on automated algorithms to articulate human feelings.
- Lyrical Plagiarism: He argued that artists who outsource their storytelling to AI prompts surrender their creative identity, characterizing synthetic compositions as a form of intellectual theft.
“I don’t have an issue with AI… I have never been in a position where I had to use it and I don’t want to ever be dependent on it also… Creativity is an expression and then people gravitate to that. For me, you are no longer a creative; it is a form of plagiarism you are doing.”
The Kushite Heritage: Building Empires from Within
Lewis’s stage name, cKush, draws direct inspiration from the Kingdom of Kush—the powerful ancient Nubian civilization that flourished along the Nile River in modern-day Sudan between 2500 BCE and 350 CE. For Lewis, the moniker serves as a permanent reminder of African historical excellence, intellectual power, and sovereign ambition.
Antonio Dey concluded the broadcast profile by underscoring that Kareem Lewis’s journey serves as a living blueprint for youths growing up in Lodge and across Guyana’s urban wards:
- Sovereign Ambition: Youths do not have to wait for state handouts or institutional patronage to realize their dreams.
- Self-Sustaining Independence: By pairing artistic passion with tangible commercial ventures, young Guyanese can build resilient personal empires and transform the communities they come from.
Watch: cKush – “GUYANESE BADMON (ROTD Saga).”
The visual accompaniment and recent single from Kareem “cKush” Lewis, showcasing his signature flow and urban storytelling, can be viewed below:
- Official Music Video: Watch cKush – GUYANESE BADMON (ROTD Saga)
