Gardy Jure has been a staple at the entry point of McMahon Hall for the better part of five years. His job doesn’t require him to do much talking, so it may come as a bit of a surprise that he enjoys rapping in his spare time. As a local kid growing up in Flatbush, Brooklyn, Jure spent a lot of time spitting rhymes with friends.

But as he got older, responsibility and providing for himself became a top priority, which forced him to cut down on the amount of time he spent rapping. Now, at  28 years old, Jure is motivated to re-energize his rap career, while maintaining his professional attitude as McMahon Hall’s overnight security guard.

The Observer interviewed Jure to get his story:

Observer: When did you start rapping?

Jure: I started between eighth and ninth grade. While I was attending Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, me and two other friends did about six to eight talent shows at Murrow and in other schools. Also, towards the end of high school, I was doing a lot of battle rapping, where I’d go against someone else as kind of a competition. I wouldn’t call it having street cred, but there were people in my school who were well known for their talents, and I thought maybe if I beat them, it would get me attention and a name too. I miss those days.

Observer: Since the end of your high school days up until about a year ago, you didn’t really pursue rapping to the extent you did when you were a teenager. What made you rededicate yourself?

Jure:  It’s funny, because I was introduced to a student here at Fordham, J.C. Hall, about a year ago who was pretty into rapping. He knew I’d done some rapping in the past, so he would tell me about how he was doing mixtapes and doing shows. This reminded me a lot of what I used to do. He would tell me that if I really wanted to pursue rapping, I should go for it. I started to concentrate on it a lot more, and even though I saw J.C. only a little over the summer, I was motivated enough to pursue my passion on my own.

Observer: Where do you get your inspiration?

Jure: I usually get my inspiration from a good song or a good beat, which makes me want to get some of my own material going. I like to listen to rappers whether they’re signed or unsigned to see what’s they’re coming up with. I would say the root of my work comes from battle rap, and I like to rap about a variety of topics, including politics and the current state of the economy.

Observer: What has been the most defining moment in your life thus far?

Jure:  I would definitely say having a daughter has made me much more of a hard worker. I wasn’t necessarily slacking before, but her being here now has made me more motivated. Before I would mostly do things for myself, but now I’m always trying to do my best for her. Even if some days I’m tired and don’t feel like going to work, knowing that she’s counting on me makes me determined to do my job and fulfill my obligations as a father.

Observer: Do have a favorite movie? What’s your favorite food?

Jure: That’s a tough one, but a couple movies I really like are “The Hangover” and “Stepbrothers.” My favorite food is cheesecake from Julian’s restaurant in Brooklyn. I also like to play video games on Wii and PS3 to pass the time. I prefer to play two-player games because there’s competition involved, and usually some trash talking too.

Observer: Where can students listen to your music?

Jure: For now, students can check out my videos on YouTube. I plan on being more active with updates on future work and posting new material. I’m also planning on doing a mixtape soon, which I can give copies of to students if they’re interested.