Photo courtesy of Katherine Kerr Photography
This interview was originally intended to be part of a project that I started late last year but got too busy to complete. Doing a Masters, working full time and taking on client work has taken over my life and is kicking my independent projects in the nuts right now. The project isn’t dead but I’ve finally accepted that I’m only human and can only do so much. That being said, I feel obligated to share this dope interview I did with my man Jaro. He released a crazy mixtape called Cherubim around the time the interview took place that you need to check out. The man has a bright future ahead of him.
How would you describe your music?
A combination of Jesus turning water into wine with H.I.M Haile Selassie I handing out free blunts while Buddah DJ’s at a million angel march in the lower Eastside of heaven, that has a strip club where the 70 virgins that radical muslims get after they kill themselves work. Only at this strip club they take of their clothes in a comfortable mind expanding environment… All that, for your ears. Ha ha jokes. On the real, as far as the type of instrumentations and genres I draw from, I would say at its core is hip hop and reggae, but I draw inspiration from anywhere for production and voicing. I love electronic, rock, dub, dancehall, dubstep, folk and music native to old countries such as China, Australia and India to name a few. I love having a world sound. Lyrical content is just a reflection of life and all aspects of it. I’m a very spiritual person with a real love for mystery so that’s reflected as well. Hope I didn’t offend anybody.
You got your start in music as a rapper/vocalist for a band called The Chronicles. Were you always into genre blending?
Man, I miss The Chronicles. We had some REALLY good times. *sidebar* I won’t say that The Chronicles are done. Our core members are still together for the most part. We have just evolved our whole scope of who we are, so look out for an evolution of ‘The Chronicles’ in the future! As far as the question, that’s hard to say one way or the other. I grew up in Bermuda listening to old school reggae, old school gospel, soul and African songs such as the South African National Anthem. So I have always had an appreciation for different types of music. But I first fell in love with blending music when Busta dropped ‘When Disaster Strikes’. The song ‘Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See’ was huge in Bermy. That instrumental was so deadly. Every major dancehall and reggae artist jumped on it and tore it up. That’s what exposed me to blending music and it being hotter than if each artist stayed on their respective genre’s beats and riddims. When I moved to Canada back in the day, I was exposed to so many other types of music in large part thanks to my band members and close friends. When we came together we just said lets just all play what we bring to the table and don’t call it anything. As long as it grooves together we were happy. So rock, reggae, hip hop, jazz all made into our sound. Good times… That’s where I realized music is music. And I should embrace all types of music for my own sound.
