Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your latest album, and what themes or
stories you aimed to convey through your music?

My inspiration and themes come from 90s jazz hop and neo soul era. The stories come from true and wanted emotions. There was a need at one point to get some things off my chest with how I felt about my life, my surroundings and society. There are things I wanted in my life, how I wanted to feel and envision. This next EP is conveying a page of that.

Music often has the power to transport people to different places and times. Can you
describe a moment in your life when a particular song or album had a profound impact
on you?

So much music has given me a changed point of view. 2008 Chocolate Legs by Eric Benet was one of those. A time I wasn’t seeing myself in the best of light with my color and ethnicity. On top of this, I have always been a person of love and sharing my love with someone. When Chocolate legs came out, the delivery of appreciation he had for her and pointing out the main trait he needed to get through the days was inspiring. Another one…

Many artists have rituals or routines they follow before performing or recording. Do you
have any unique or quirky pre-show or pre-recording rituals that you find help you get in
the zone?

I mainly do breathing and mouth exercises and sometimes warm-up noises. Another thing I have done for years is before I sing, the songs that resemble my set or performance play in my ears and it helps me to get into that mode I’m trying to convey to you when on stage.

Your lyrics often tell a story or convey a message. Can you share the story behind one
of your songs and the inspiration that led to its creation?

Let’s Play currently is not out, however it is a song that is reminiscing on your childhood or a more innocent era of your life as an adult. As we may have heard and seen from others, adulting can be hard. So this song is giving you a moment to go back and remember those days. It also sends a reminder to yourself you can still have fun and be a kid at heart. For a long time I had a hard time growing up and accepting getting older even though I naturally fit into taking care of responsibilities. So this song was made in a light and fun way inspired from bits of my struggles adulting.

If you could curate a music festival with a lineup of your dream artists, who would be the
headliners, and what would the theme of the festival be?

Love this question! Jill Scott, Amarie, Cleo Soul, H.E.R., Bruno Mars, Joe, Brian McKnight, Jazmin Sullivan, Lainey Wilson, Dan +Shay, Tamia, John Mayer, Ciara, Giveon, Ludacris, Rapsody, Musiq Soulchild, Beenie Man, D’Angelo, T.I. , Romeo Santos. This festival would be called Mix & Match Flame!
Music can be a powerful tool for advocacy and change. Are there any social or politicalcauses that you’re passionate about, and how does your music play a role in promotingthese issues?

Currently my music does not acknowledge my political stance. There is a line in « Remembering All The Lives (Covid Tribute) » and that’s it. Outside of my personal experiences, socially I advocate love. Our society took a shift with anti-love and I want to advocate the opposite. Men need women and women need men. Let’s appreciate each other and recognize our strengths within each other and make it work. This upcoming EP will only be my 2nd full project release so I am far from being quiet on that and will be addressing more issues that I am passionate about.

The music industry has evolved significantly with technology. How do you see artificial intelligence and emerging technologies impacting the creation and distribution of music in the future?

Not a fan. AI is ok in some areas, but when it comes to taking human beings’ livelihood, replacing organic talent and compromising against will, it’s a problem. AI is new to us and is already doing too much and causing disruption. It will only get worse if we don’t stand against it to get it under control and to let the creators know what we will and will not allow for our own security. Social media already dented the entertainment industry because becoming noticed was now in everyone’s hands and became oversaturated. It has its pros and cons so it’s not necessarily a completely bad thing. 

Many recording artists evolve over time. How do you see your musical journey changing
and growing in the next decade?

Wow, 2034! What a time that will be to see the growth in my craft. Not sure because who knows if I will be still singing. So much has changed even today with my priorities shifting for what’s really important in my life. But if I am still singing, my music will be filled with so much depth and substance. More conscious from experiences and gained knowledge but still knowing how to add a good time in my songs.