Meet the EmCEO – C-Real nominated for 40 under 40 Awards

If you’re a Ghanaian Hip-Hop fan, then the name C-Real is no mystery to you. What might be news to you is the fact that C-Real like many international talents engages his talents and wits off the mic.

C-Real’s music persona ”The EmCEO” which he terms a hybrid between a Hip-Hop Emcee & a business CEO has been most recently validated with a nomination in the Ghana 40 under 40 awards. Specifically, the marketing & sales category.

In the mind of Cyril Gockel, it is not enough to just be one thing; to be confined within career spaces. You aren’t just an artist or an entrepreneur or a farmer or doctor – you can truly be as many realizations of yourself as you set your mind and heart to. That’s why Cyril ‘C-Real’ Gockel resume reads like the wish list of a wide spectrum of young and ambitious creatives today. He is currently founder & CEO of Pulse Creatives, Mixdown Music, SafeTrip Transport, Gokem Investments as well as Marketing Manager for OG Farms.

SafeTrip Transport is a domestic transportation firm servicing inter-regional travel. Established in 2015, SafeTrip services extend to the Volta Region, Eastern and Ashanti Regions.

OG Farms is a commercial mixed-use farm located in Asutuare off the Accra–Akosombo road. Here Cyril serves as a Marketing and Sales Manager where his role involves the marketing of farm produce to both local and international consumers.

He first appeared on the public scene with the commencement of his artistic career as C-Real. After emerging second in Channel O’s Emcee Africa in circa 2010, he returned home to solidify his hold in the industry as one of the best rappers in the country. The transition from music to business has been a never ending one as Gockel’s Hip-Hop persona is still present and active as can be seen in the catalogue of songs and music videos to his name. Including collaborations with artists such as E.L, M.anifest, Wanlov the Kubolor, Efya, Ko-Jo Cue, Sarkodie, and many others.

But it wasn’t all poetry and music in the beginning. Post national service at Origin 8 Saatchi & Saatchi, Gockel with two partners started up his first official company Adage? Adage would later morph into Creative 3rst; which was a creative hub.

On another front, it seemed Gockel had just found his gift for Poetry. He is nothing short of a mastermind weaving the brilliance of words & emotions into his poems. There are presently at least 300 poems to his name across his various social media platforms that he put out for free to inspire other writers and aspiring poets.

He has been more recently recognized by both the ALEWA Society & P.O.E.T.S Society as an honorary member. Owning a recording studio also gave him the opportunity to discover his talent for voice-overs. As we speak Cyril Gockel has to his credit well over 250 voice appearances on IVR Systems, Radio Commercials, TV Commercials, Social Media Content & TV Programming. The studio regularly recruits new voice-over talent growing the industry as well as giving opportunity to many youth to learn & earn.

Unfortunately, like any successful businessman would acknowledge, career climbs will definitely be met with their set of challenges. Especially for a man with so much going on at the same time.

In early 2011, Gockel parted ways from his colleagues to run his own setup. Four years later after a promising growth, in the midst of the infamous dumsor crisis, Gockel’s Osu production studio would go up in flames from an electrical problem. Very little was retrieved.

As tragic as that was, it didn’t deter him. He was already in the process of setting up a boutique-advertising agency, Pulse Communications and it seemed the tough times weren’t enough to deter the vision. Pulse Communications jumped in at the deep-end serving clients like the Ministry Of Gender, Electromod, Hisense, MTN, Odessa Apartmento amongst others.

The studio was soon after relocated and re-equipped. It’s now one of the foremost audio production facilities in Accra. Serving a variety of clients from both the corporate and creative industries. Mixdown Studios is located in Osu, 300mtrs from Okera Inn/Asanka Locals. (www.mixdowngh.com).

Late 2015, Pulse Communications grew into Pulse Creatives. (www.pulsecreatives.solutions). A locally owned full-service advertising firm responsible for groundbreaking productions, events & campaigns by brands such as Fidelity Bank, Laundry Chief, Dr. Water, UT Bank, Wienco Ghana, Ghana Home Loans, Busy4G and most recently Organizing Agency Partner for Social Media Week, Accra. A first-of-a-kind event Headlined by Echo House, Powered by Vodafone. H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo applauded the event via Twitter for its originality and execution.

It’s clear Gockel has his sights set on a wide range of business interests across various industries. We look forward to his next milestone and even more achievements.