You are gaining a musical footing in the United States, how is that coming along?
It’s honestly going extremely well! I’m an independent artist with no budget. But my team and I are very creative and find ways to still get visibility, not to mention the crazy amount of support I get from my fans. Because of their support, ‘EDEN’ landed in the top 40 on the R&B Albums chart on Billboard and No. 3 on iTunes R&B in the US. Even though charts don’t mean everything and do not define my career, it was a big accomplishment and a great indication that we are going about things the right way.
Who has influenced or who are your influences musically as an artist?
For starters, shoutout to my grandmother, may she rest in peace. She was one of my main influences to pursue music. She did countless performances throughout the 1930s and ’40s during a time when the Greenbrook existed and being Black while traveling around the country was extremely dangerous. I was influenced by a lot of hip-hop growing up in Chicago. I gravitate toward artists like Kanye West, Rhymefest, and many other Chicago MCs. I can’t forget to mention Usher and Ne-Yo in the more contemporary R&B space.
Tell me about your role as a voting member for the Grammys and how did that come about?
In my opinion, this is one of the biggest responsibilities and honors you can have in music. The Recording Academy has helped to shape and mold musicians for over 60 years now. I started off as a professional member in 2016 and did my best to be active in my chapter. After putting in years of hard work within my career, The Academy saw the value in me as an artist and felt I was worthy of upgrading my membership to voting status.
