Life is full of ups and downs, and for the average human person, one would experience life in both good and bad times, while for some in equal proportion, others will have it so bad that they would have forgotten what good feels like. However, few individuals are outliers and are born with a never say die attitude that keeps them going no matter the challenges or how impossible success seems. Ogee1523 is an inspiration for the next generation, but more importantly, he is an inspiration to his immediate family, society and the New York Bronx project where he came from.
Born in Harlem, the Bronx-raised father of four and grandfather to ten, Gerard “Ogee1523” Allen symbolizes “Never too old.” And for all his life, he has been able to reinvent himself and adapt to every situation he’s found himself in and, even more importantly, not let any of his situations bring him down or stop him from pursuing the beliefs he has.
Challenges for Ogee1523 began even before his teenage years, as is the case for many kids who grew up in the Bronx—becoming a father at 16, meeting his daughter when she was 17, and losing her mother a few months later. Finding out the mother of his first son passed away unexpectedly and losing his wife and mother of two of his children in 2016 are some of the blows life has dealt Ogee1523. Yet, still standing today and actively pursuing his passion for music, says so much about the man. Ogee1523 is pro-life and living life to the fullest is one of his watchwords.
Ogee1523 ventured into music early, as a pioneer hip-hop artist alongside a group of friends with whom he formed the legendary Talented Rascals (also known as T.R. Nation), where he was able to hone his skills and retain every element of hip-hop culture, DJing, rap, beatboxing and break dancing. Following the group’s disbandment, he formed Funky Fresh Duo with a friend, and the duo recorded multiple songs and scored performances throughout the New York tri-state area. A few years later, Ogee1523 joined forces with one of his cousins and continued recording and performing under the name ‘Da Cuzinz.’
Describing his core beliefs and values, “I am humble, a go-getter, and a hard worker. I stay focused on the things that matter most to me. I don’t let anyone or anything get my way. I may go through obstacles (life makes that impossible to avoid); however, I avoid negativity at all costs. I always try to take the negative and turn it into the positive in all situations. I just want to do nothing but live my life and show love to everyone.” He shared.
Ogee1523’s lifelong passion for music, his never say die attitude, and his pro-life personality kept him grounded in the hip-hip culture, that after many years for a printing company, a recording studio, and at Madison square garden and most recently, New York City Housing Authority, all amounting to over 27 years, he retired on January 1, 2022, and decided to pick up music one more time and drive a change wherever he can.
“In my era, music was fun, and I’m trying to bring that fun back into today’s music. But, if the youth continue to listen to the negativity in today’s rap music, they will continue with the negative thoughts and do negative things. I was born and raised in the Bronx, so I know first-hand what negativity can do to the way people think.”
Since his comeback, Ogee1523 has collaborated on a project with his two oldest sons, Ty-Trackz and Oun-P, on a track titled “A Father and 2 Sons” and his most recent endeavor, “Never 2 Old,” an E.P which included the chart-climbing single and video “More Weed” captures the story of Ogee1523 and his contribution to the music space. He also has more projects on the way.
