Localized: Micon Guru

It’s time to welcome summer back into our lives by taking the opportunity to shed layers and sweat it out on the dancefloor to the afrobeat styles of local musicians Young Spit, Micon Guru and Gavanni at this month’s SLUG Localized. Check them out on May 19 at 7 p.m. at Urban Lounge (tickets are $5). SLUG Localized is sponsored by Uinta Brewing and Riso Geist.

There is a pristine sound developed as the product of long hours and quality work, trying to satisfy the hunger of a performer and their fans. About two and a half years ago, Micon Guru came to Salt Lake City from Nigeria to bring that energy to our music scene. He has taken the jack-of-all-trades approach by owning his full record label, Lord House, which is inclusive to multiple media platforms, allowing artists to showcase their work, and of course, his own music. “I’m an entertainer, and music is my tool to express my identity to the world,” says Guru. He operates his own full-time business from his home office space and has a greater vision of expanding with a bigger team. “I’m hoping to have an increase of collaborations, partnerships and investors. I can’t do everything all by myself, but I have to start it,” says Guru.

“Expect a lot of content, lots of music, lots of documentaries and a lot of funny stuff, because I like to make people laugh and I like to make people happy.”

Guru’s passion and love for music came from church—he cites countless memories of begging his parents to take him to choir rehearsals. Inspired to learn to play instruments, his creation of music began with his uncle teaching him to play the piano. Starting with styles of R&B, he can now generate multi-styled content with anything from a beat to an experience. “People don’t see what you have in mind until you do it,” Guru says. His upbringing initiated his career as a musician and founder and the mind behind it all. He approaches his music as an artist, music producer, songwriter, mixing engineer, creator and game-changer.  

His debut release in 2021 was the afrobeat-styled “Vampaya,” made with local producer ThatboyJimmy to recognize those girls that are so beautiful that they just might suck your blood and kill you like a vampire would. This song is a prime example of how collaboration further motivates Guru to create from any start. He and ThatboyJimmy did a sketch of the beat that night, then Guru started flowing with the sound and recording. The driving motivation behind his recent content push has been a positive mental attitude that came from years of perfecting his old processes. “This is the time that the world needs to hear what I’ve got to offer,” says Guru. He is also not limiting himself to afrobeat styles, as he values expressing his curiosity and playfulness with a multitude of styles that inspire him.

“I’m hoping to have an increase of collaborations, partnerships and investors. I can’t do everything all by myself, but I have to start it.”

The latest single, “GBESE,” is just the beginning of what to expect from Guru this year. His intentions are to not only push more content and live shows but to drop a full album. With over 100 songs on deck, he will continue to use his gut as his guide for when to release. “Expect a lot of content, lots of music, lots of documentaries and a lot of funny stuff, because I like to make people laugh and I like to make people happy,” he says. Guru’s ambitions include more collaborations with local and global musicians, not limited to Justin Bieber, Wizkid, Burna Boy and Post Malone. When Guru isn’t making music, you can find him on the grind to learn everything he can about business, production, music engineering and video production. “I’m still hungry so [that] when I become a billionaire I can spend my time watching movies. I hope to give out all I got,” says Guru. He is currently listening to a lot of electronic dance music sounds. You can find his music on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, iTunes, YouTube, Audiomack, Soundcloud, Youtube Music and TikTok.

Read more on similar artists:
Local Music Single Roundup: April 2021 
Review: Los Pao Paos – Los Pao Paos