G-Vo (Rajeev Nandakumaran) – singer / rapper / songwriter / producer / founder and owner of John Baptist Records

G-Vo was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka – the war-torn region in Sri Lanka on February 23, 1984. His family was forced to flee their native country amidst the ethnic war that has plagued Sri Lanka for over 5 decades. They landed in the Unites States when G-Vo was almost 2 years of age. Pasadena, CA became the launching pad of the John Baptist movement. G-Vo grew up singing in the choir and writing simple tunes on the piano. He saw music as a primary way to relate to his Creator, and fell in love with music as far back as he can remember. His primary influences are Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Jay-Z, Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest, Coldplay, John Legend, and Lupe Fiasco. After attending UCLA and graduating with a political science degree at the age of 20, G-Vo would take the Los Angeles and international music scenes by storm.

G-Vo’s music transcends the conventional boxes that have been placed in contemporary, popular music. His music rests on the foundations of soul, hip-hop, and soft rock, while drawing from eastern influences. The industry showed resistance as he came out as one of the first singer/rapper combinations since Lauryn Hill. He is a champion of creating his own lane in the music industry. Battling critics at his inception, G-Vo has maintained that he will not conform to the desires of the marketplace. His vision is to be the voice of the voiceless, the presence of light and peace in a world growing in its love for darkness, violence and hatred. His music speaks directly into the things that people care about: sex, relationships, significance, God, and love. He is a ray of hope in a society and industry that longs for much more than surface-level entertainment.

G-Vo released his first solo album in January of 2008. IT was entitled “Wasn’t Supposed to Be This Way.” The album has revolutionized the entertainment industry in Sri Lanka before it even came out, as selected songs from the album have been played on radio stations that only broadcast in their respective language. This is the first time in the history of Sri Lanka where one artist has been played in radio stations of all three languages – Tamil, Sinhalese, and English. This is huge in the racial reconciliation of his native country, where ethnic conflict has brought devastation in the lives of thousands. In the summer of 2009, G-Vo released his highly anticipated 2nd album entitled "Zer0 & 1ne." It was during heightened tensions in Sri Lanka. His album release concert served as a benefit fundraiser, where $25,000 was raised to help the internally displaced people in Sri Lanka. G-Vo will be going on a peace tour to Sri Lanka, London, Australia, Canada, New York, and Washington, D.C. In addition, he will be performing at various venues in the greater Los Angeles area.