I'm a Canadian Jamaican. For me, I carry my Jamaican element into my music in my more recent releases.
Jamaica is one of the most musically influential nations in the world. Throughout the entire globe, there are pockets that are constantly in touch with what goes on in the dancehall community, from Germany to Japan, to different parts of Africa like Ghana.
I'm definitely trying to incorporate a Caribbean and reggae element.
I'm inspired by everything that I encounter, from the environment to people to other songs, movies and artists.
I've always felt acting is a part of music.
I would be lying if I didn't say that the most inspirational place for me is Jamaica.
Jamaica is so musical, diverse and so extreme, from people singing in the streets to dancing.
Jamaica is just one of those places that has so many stimulating factors in everyday existence. It definitely feeds me, my creativity and my soul in so many ways.
Dance brings us all together.
[Kingston, Jamaica] is the city, it's not a beautiful beach. But at the same time when I go to Jamaica, that's the only place I want to go. It's where the culture is its richest. Or if you have the opportunity, you can go to the North Coast and go to Montego Bay. That's where you get the beauty of the miles of beaches and beautiful resorts.
Jamaica is an island that is filled with so much culture.
To me, the creative inspiration is endless and coming in all sorts of different directions at all times.
Every place has its own challenges. In Canada, we have blessings like grants, but we also have curses in the sense that when you start to do more urban classified music, we no longer have a single urban radio station left.
When you're given a song, it's my job to record the lyrics, story and emotion, and make everyone who is listening to the song believe that it was my words and experience.
Especially as an artist who has been signed to one of the majors throughout my last ten years, you don't always get to write your own music.
I love to surround myself with people who are the best at what they do. My idea is I want to be a sponge and absorb everything they to teach, experience their energy, view them in their element and have the opportunity to ask them questions.
In the dancehall world, we have crews and they battle. It's part of the entire culture surrounding dancehall.
Because Caribbean music is now coming back into the mainstream, there are so many things that make this the perfect time to educate people on where this music, this vibe, and these dance moves come from.
No matter what class you're from - uptown or downtown - when you're in the dancehall everyone's equal, and it's how you choose to express yourself that makes you stand out.
When you think about the passion that's involved wth Jamaican culture, it's like, they're not sitting around waiting for things to get all pretty: they want it raw and dutty.
When I lived in Jamaican I lived in Kingston, in Spanish Town, and when I go there the only place I want to go is Kingston because that's where the culture is the richest.
