Vince Hankins aka Vinnie Van Go is a Instrumental/Vocal performer & composer. With an appreciation for music spanning over many genres and his goal is making nothing but good music.
Vinnie plays several instruments showing favoritism towards the bass guitar but also playing trombone, baritone, lead guitar, drums and keyboards. All of which along with vocal talent were regularly exercised beginning at a very early age.
Baby boy
In his pre-grade school years, Vinnie constantly showed interest in expanding his understanding of music. His mother was a musician in her childhood, and always keeps a guitar around. She had an upright grand piano in their first home, where Vinnie learned to play "A Whole New World", from one of his favorite Disney movies, "Alladin". At the moment he couldn't read music, but was firmiliar with the melody from watching the movie, and read the words off of a copy of sheet music his mother bought .
Throughout Vinnie’s childhood his father managed a jazz band named "Quiet Storm", built a studio named "Numunee" studios with a group of peers and is a collector of music throughout many genres. Vinnie's grandfather (on his father's side) was the pastor at Mt Saini Missionary Baptist Church, where Vinnie was active in the choir and would eventually grow to play drums, trombone and bass guitar for the church choir. With all this exposure to instruments Vinnie learned a lot about music as a toddler, and by the first grade he would join the concert band and take up the baritone horn.
Music Appreciation
Throughout his life Vinnie built an appreciation for music of both classic and current styles. He always had a special love for good R&B! Throughout elementary, he had a cassette tape with all his favorite Michael Jackson songs on it , and after school Vinnie would faithfully go to his grandparents house and listen to it on the boombox radio they kept in their basement. One of his favorite things to do growing up was lay in the bed next to his boombox and sing along to his favorite artists until he fell asleep. Since he was an only child there were many nights where those sing alongs would happen uninterrupted since his parents didnt mind.
School Daze
By high school Vinnie was in his school marching and concert band, a jazz band sponsored by the "NAACP Act-So" program, and had formed a jazz band with family members who were also heavily involved with their music education programs and the Act-So program, that band was named "Brother to Brother". Members of Brother to Brother went on to win an entire season of the popular televised talent show "Showtime At The Apollo" in New York.
Vinnie won the talent show his junior year of high school performing Usher's "Can you Handle It". He also stayed active with the schools choir program, even though the class wasn't on his official class schedule.
Vinnie and his best friend since 1st grade, Ben Childress formed a hip hop and r&b music group amongst themselves, classmates, and neighborhood peers. which they named "Yung Hustle Global".
After high school Vinnie was accepted into Alabama state where he spent one and a half years studying as a music major and marching in the marching band.
Self Employed
After a short college experience Vinnie moved to Atlanta where he worked around the local music scene and church community as freelance bass guitar player. For a while, Vinnie was an employee of Alexis studios in Riverdale, GA where he was an intern/apprentice of Haran Griffin. He also formed an urban jazz band with Chris Belcher, David Smith III, Markeith Black and Frank Huston called "The Band Nemesis".
Right now
Aside from producing his own music. Vinnie currently plays bass guitar in the music ministry at "The Love Center" in southwest Atlanta. He can also often be found with "Erica Dawson's Exclusive Band". He also works as a freelance bassist, producer and writer.