Evolution is a beautiful thing. The evolution of blues to rock, rock fused with hip hop, reggae into crossover dancehall, dancehall into pop. Genres are more intertwined than ever, so why is it so hard for black rock/alternative musicians to break into mainstream?
Meet Kadri Walcott. Born and raised in Barbados, a lush West Indian island that more recently boasts pop sensation Rihanna as its country-child, this singer serves as one of the more talented undiscovered Alternative musicians (think the love child of Bob Marley and Joan Jett) with his sights set on conquering American charts. He's been a teacher, a medical clerk, a police officer, and even an enbalmer...and he wants to be your friend. Won't you give a listen to Kadri Walcott?
We call this (My)Space High, because as we've seen, what's unsigned and "underground hype" today, can easily be #1 on the charts tomorrow. The artists who are so accessible today, can be impossible to reach within a blink of an eye. We salute ALL artists who make an impact doing what they love, whether they have 10, or 1,000,000 fans, but there's something special about artists like Kadri.
JesusHeartsMusic.com: Welcome, Welcome. You're one of the first artists appearing on our site, which until today has been dominated by hip hop and r&b acts. Are hip-hop and/or soul a part of your source of inspiration?
Kadri Walcott: Yes, definitely. I listen to a lot of hip-hop, I grew up in Brooklyn [NY] listening to Wu-Tang. I would not rather say just R&B and Hip-Hop inspire me, but music on a whole with good sound and melody, gives me the boost, but once I got the hip-hop flavour kicking in my studio, I am good to go.
JHM: That's definitely beautiful, seeing hip-hop transcend. You grew up in Brooklyn, but you were born in Barbados. What was it like growing up in a completely different West Indian culture?
KW: Well, I am more liek the type of guy who can adapt to any environment, I love to meet and learn people of different ethnic cultures, so it was not strange but it felt good to be one of the minority, I am very proud to be a Barbadian borned.
JHM: It shows. You seem to have dabbled in almost everything, from different jobs you've held, to the different typed of music you create. If you were to walk into, say Clive Davis's office tomorrow morning and pitch yourself as an artist for him to sign to one specific genre, what would you say?
KW: It would have to be AlternRock with my slight Reggae mix inside. I express myself and feel more free doing my AlternRock creations.
JHM: How old were you when you first wrote your first line, and realized "this could be a lyric.."
KW: I was 14 years old, the song was entitled "Bus Ride", and that song became a big hit for a soca band in the West Indies.
JHM: Wow, your first song penned and it was a hit?
KW: Yeah, actually I started writing poetry from primary level, but poetry got boring, I needed something more exciting, so i started writing songs instead.
JHM: Do you still get any royalties from The Burning Flames as far as songwriting credits go?
KW: Well the band was Double Explojun, i made alot of mistakes in the past, because i was new and knew nothing about copyright and so on, so i just went and try to be known in the music business instead of trying to learn the business first.
JHM: True, sometimes though the experience you get from those first couple of successes are more valuable than a lifetime of royalties. Jump ten years ahead... if this world were your oyster, where would you be career-wise?
KW: Right now i am thinking, more like the next John Bon Jovi.
JHM: Not too bad... owning a football team, minus the well-coiffed locks, huh? haha. You'd sure have an interesting success story... kind of how Rod Stewart is a former grave-digger, now sittin on millions, and a worldwide icon. What was it like being an embalmer????
KW: Well, I can tell you, that was the coolest job I ever had, I loved it, especially when i worked alone in the morgue late at night, and had the small radio playing some nice tunes, I would say, that job was the bomb.
JHM: Wow, and you didn't mind the dead folk??
KW: I looked at the dead bodies like how you look at a raw piece of chicken taken from the freezer, you gotta prepare it before showing it off, haha.
JHM: Damn, I know I couldn't do it! haha.. but I guess one advantage would be they're some pretty silent critics!
KW: Hell yea i sang almost every tune i knew to them while i was working.
JHM: Speaking of critics... how are you prepared to keep your mind focused in the right direction once your dreams start being reached? You know just like everyone else out there, critics are VICIOUS... and since black alternative musicians haven't exactly broken many mainstream barriers since Lenny Kravitz, they'll be commenting, no?
KW: From my experience as a former Police Officer, i can handle any type of critic, plus there are three sides to the words from the critics mouths, 1. think about what they say and do homework, 2. forget about them and move on, and 3. ask yourself what the hell are they living for if they dont know good music, music is the food of life
JHM: Is there a story behind the scar on your chin?
KW: Haha! Thats no scar, thats the way i shave my beard! I just leav one line of hair from the bottom lip to the chin down the center.
JHM: oh... um... i know a reallllly fresh barber uptown. Hah, jus' playin. Ok, real quick... give me one artist you'd love to collaborate with.. dead or alive.
KW: I love the dead, they keep my secrets.
JHM: Hmm...Any secrets you want to.... dis-embalm on our site?
KW: Well, yea, right now I am having alot of haters about my upcoming debut album in 2007, entitled "Away", and I am releasing the album no matter what!
JHM: Oooooh.. nice transition into a plug! I was getting there, I swear!
KW: At this time I am planning to shop my stuff to labels via an inside screening, by inviting some execs to Barbados so they will have no excuse in terms of hearing me, if that dont work, take a plane to the USA, and sell my music on the streets
JHM: No doubt, and as always you can expect only ONE site to hold you down throughout your journey! What site loves you Kadri????
