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'The Voice': Who is Gabriel Goes? Chance the Rapper slammed over 'cultural appropriation' of Hawaii contestant

'The Voice' Season 25 fans slam Chance the Rapper as he turns for singer 'giving colonizer moves to Hawaii'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Gabriel Goes sang 'Sublime's What I Got' on night 2 of the Blind Audition for 'The Voice' Season 2 and received only one chair turn. Soon after, the internet flocked to social media to criticize Chance the Rapper for his unusual choices when the Honolulu native joined his team.

Before Gabriel began his performance, the 21-year-old Honolulu native stated that he was "super ready to bring the Aloha spirit to the Voice." And, while only one of the Coaches turned their chair around for him, it's safe to say that Gabriel achieved his mission, as all five of the Coaches were laughing and enamored with his surfing ways.

Gabriel stated to Dan + Shay that he began performing music when he was a "super baby." The enthusiastic surfer and free diver defined his approach as "surfer boy reggae rock music."

Gabriel sang 'What I Got,' a 1997 song by Long Beach ska punk band Sublime, whom he regarded as a major influence. Gabriel's version of the song was a touch silly, remaining in a somewhat narrower, higher register than Bradley Nowell's original vocals, but there were plenty of moments when his personality and ability shined through with small flourishes.

It was enough to persuade Chance to press the button. Although the other Coaches did not move their seats for Gabriel, they were amused by his Hawaiian lingo and mannerisms.

On X, however, fans reacted to the pick, as they write, "Lmao I'm sorry but this episode has not been good." Another user chimed in, "Chance always has weird takes. I mean he actually turned for Gabriel Goes so..." 

One user asked, "Was that even a pitch, Chance?" A fourth user sighed, "Yikes." 

Another person added, "I hope gabriel goes home in the first round. I get terrible cultural appropriation vibes from him." One criticized, "You'd think more of the contestants would be conscientious of choosing songs to demonstrate some range and some vocal nuances but... nope." 

One user wrote, "I’d love to watch him surf. I just don’t need to hear him sing." "Gabriel goes is giving colonizer moves to hawaii and makes it their personality. Cultural appropriation isn’t cute…" wrote another. 

'The Voice' Season 25 coaches react to Gabriel Goes' vocals

When John Legend inquired how he felt after the Blind, Gabriel enthusiastically replied, "I'm cruising, brah." "You're, like, from a movie," an amused John commented, but he didn't turn his chair because he didn't hear enough range in Gabriel's performance, despite "loving his energy."

Coach Reba McEntire, a country star, stated Gabriel's voice was wonderful, but his manner was "something that I didn't think I'd be able to help [him] with." Chance did, however, turn his chair for Gabriel.

“Gabriel is hilarious. He’s just got a crazy energy to him,” Chance revealed after the Audition. “As we go through the competition, I can find a little bit more dynamics and a little bit more movement in some of the songs that he’s doing. The other Coaches, I don’t know how they let him get away with a one-chair turn, but I think he’s going to surprise in the competition.”

Gabriel Goes dedicates 'The Voice' Blind Audition to dead father

Gabriel dedicated his performance to his dad, who died in a free-diving accident when he was only six. "He’s been gone for so long I’ve come to peace with it, and it's made me so much more grateful for exerting, and whenever I am free diving, it definitely connects me to him," Gabriel said in reference to his dad.

'The Voice' Season 25 star Gabriel Goes tours with his band Backset

Gabriel is the lead vocalist and composer for the Honolulu, Hawaii-based band Backset. According to its Instagram feed, the band is quite active with tour dates. Backset's music thus far spans pop, rock, and reggae. That already-released music includes a 2018 single named "This Ocean" and a five-song 2021 EP titled 'Hi.'

Backset claims on Spotify that it draws "influence from groups like Sticky Fingers and adds their Jawaiian soul." "This Ocean" is a very appropriate song title for Gabriel. According to his personal Instagram feed, he is an ardent surfer. He also visited Portugal and Brazil last spring, including Rio de Janeiro, where he first experienced Carnival.

His passion for music stems naturally. Growing up, his family ran NextDoor, a nightclub and performance facility that was a cornerstone of Honolulu's arts sector.

'The Voice' Season 25 airs on NBC at 8 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays. The episodes will be available on Peacock on demand the next day. The streaming site also includes entire episodes from the show's prior seasons.