Choklate

Singer, songwriter and all-round lovely person Choklate talks to V about working a job and making great music.

You’re listening to the sounds of The Soul Kitchen with me DJ V and it’s my pleasure to welcome someone very special to the studio... Choklate is here, hi how u doing?

I’m doing really good thank you for having me

Well thank you for being here. Now we’re gonna play some of your records, and were also gonna put our very own listeners questions to you. Now a couple of years after the album dropped you finally made it over here for what I suppose we can call your solo debut it’s been a long time coming hasn’t it?

Pretty much, it took about two years to even figure out who would be even interested here so it’s nice to finally get over here.

Well believe me they are interested, now the album has taken you around the US and around the world indeed now so how did it all begin?

Well Vitamin D basically handpicked me and decided we should make some music together so we recorded a record and toward the end of the record, his manager at the time, John Moore decided to react out to an indie label in southern Cali and strike up talks about distribution and such. So they did what do, they distributed the record. It sort of turned out that I never made any money of the record; never saw a dime or any support or anything so I sort of got nervous about it. The record was out, people were responding to it, either I meet them or I wont so, I pummelled around MySpace a while and ran into OTV and we just got creating ideas in ways in which I could go and meet the people that liked the music and from then on it turned into a bit of a lifestyle at this point.

You were just a girl with a great voice, at what point do you think like, you know what, I’ve got to put a collection of songs out, I got to put this out to the public? What was the realisation point?

I never decided that. Someone else decided it for me, I think Vitamin D and I really started making music together ‘cos it seemed fun and it was a common ground a mutual sort of attraction to the same sort of sound and such. Then the music took over, at that point the music decided I want to meet the fans - I want to be out, sort of anthropomorphism I say a lot of times - the music has more of a role in my life and my career than even I do, so it was more like, I don’t know I think the music took hold, sort of reached who it wanted to.

What about your creative process? I mean does it just enter your head and you just think, it stays in there or is it a case of going to the studio and it just happens, how does it work for you?

It’s pretty random. There’s no 1-2-3 A-B-C about it. Vitamin D always makes sure to give me music as I’m leaving and a lot of producers in the same way Bean One and Jake One and such. They give me music or ill hear something and say ill like that, and often times when I’m out of the country or I’m out of the city somewhere in a hotel or something I’ll write a song or an idea will strike my head, or a situation will provoke an idea and turn itself into a song.

Ok let’s talk about “Waiting”; how did it come about? Tell us about the song; tell us about the collaboration as well.

Waiting was the second song that I ever recorded with Vitamin. The song sort of spilt out of me in a matter of moments; it didn’t take much for me to write it. Then our manager at the time decided that Chali 2na would be a good feature for it, cos we knew it needed a feature but it needed a strong feature. At first I was like “I don’t know if Chali”... you know ... But at some point we were convinced that he was a good fit so it just spilt out of me. It wasn’t based on anything it was just at that time I hadn’t even gone out of the country before so I don’t know so the song wrote itself for now.. The lyrics of the song are more appropriate for what’s going on in my life now than then.

The partnership there and obviously the collaboration fits really well, it seems like a partnership that could carry on, you think you could do more bits with him?

I hope so he’s like a big brother

Ok let’s play a track from the album, we’ll get Choklate’s selection soon, but I’m gonna pick the first one, from “Choklate”, this is Choklate and “Waiting”.

[[V PLAYS CHOKLATE – WAITING]]

Were talking to Choklate here in London, to promote and also to perform, a lucky handful of people witnessed an acoustic set on Thursday night, how did it go?

By far one of the best parties ever

Wow praise indeed, we did send some people down there. They said it was an amazing set. Is it a different thing, do you do acoustic a lot in the US as well or is it almost always a full live band.

It’s been pretty typically a full band, but as of late my first acoustic set was in New York, at a real small establishment - my first performance there - it went so well I decided that “I like this, I could do this more often”. So I got to open for Bilal at New York, and they said “We only want you to do an acoustic set” and that was the first time I really decided ‘This is lovely’. You can express and tell the stories than with the full band, so there’s a lot more freedom, and I don’t get to do it often but I hope to incorporate it more.

The small venues lend themselves to those intimate vibes and as I suppose you feel like you’re talking to the people a little more closely. The track “Waiting” which was so live with instrumentation and horns and stuff, how did that come across with just a guitar?

The guitarist Kiaran Fahi put a bit of Spanish spin on it. The good thing about a lot of musicians and myself is that we don’t mind improvisation or recreating a song so, for me, it always comes over well if I can tell a story so when there is that much room it’s easy to tell what’s going on or to be expressive about the story. It’s challenging to do that song with no assistance. It’s really hard, especially the bridge and coming into the chorus and what not, or going into verses out of the bridge. It’s really hard but the people seemed to know it and they were singing along, and I thought it was fine for me; it was a fun moment in the show.

People certainly do know your record over here. Am I correct in saying you also did a small tour to Paris for a quick gig? How was that, how did it compare to the UK crowd?

I would compare it, it’s almost like a bowl of fruit, you have apples and oranges but it’s still fruit, it’s still good and it’s still good for you. But the London crowd were very loving and very supportive and they sang all the lyrics and I mean literally they sang nearly every song at some point, which really blew me away, I didn’t expect that, I wasn’t ready for it, it made me nervous. It was sort of the first time I realised that there are some people who in every city I go to I really trip out when people know the words; I don’t expect the music is good enough for someone to learn it or whatever. That was the difference between Paris and London, London sang every song, they knew the songs, in Paris they were more attentive, and they watched and listened, but overall both parties were literally the best parties I’ve ever done. The best parties I’ve ever had have been overseas.

It think there’s a big soul base here in Europe, they recognise good music and they love good music and will actively seek it out, and they won’t take what’s fed to them. Have you got any plans to come to Europe with a full live band? Is that in the pipeline?

I would love to but we haven’t connected with the right people to make it happen as of yet, but if I could I would come back next month. I had such a good time, and meeting the people, and to be honest it wasn’t extremely financially rewarding at all, but what I got out of it, from meeting the fans and seeing the people, it was worth more than any dollar amount or any pound amount I should say! I hope to come back very soon.

Let’s go into another track from the album, If you’ll permit me I’ll ask you to pick one, don’t think about it too much, maybe something that’s personal to you, what are you gonna play for us?

The first song that pops into my head is “Bigger Than You”, it’s one of my favourites.

Would you kindly introduce it for us?

Alright ladies and gentleman please prepare your ears for Choklate and “Bigger Than You”

[[[V PLAYS CHOKLATE – BIGGER THAN YOU]]]

It’s your boy DJV right here and this is The Soul Kitchen, the track you can hear behind me right now is Choklate and “Bigger Thank You” as chosen by Choklate herself and she joins me right now. Let’s get into some listeners questions right now.

Emma from North London here says Hey V - could you ask Choklate how her recent performance in London compared to sets she's done in the US? We’ve already asked you about Paris, but what about the US, how does it compare?

I think the difference between them is that the UK people seem to be completely immersed in every lyric, there’s not a lot of jaw-jacking in the set. You can’t look into the audience and see people having conversations and such, and maybe that’s different from artist to artist but for me. I realised that I keep looking into the audience expecting for someone not to be tuned in because I’m used to seeing that you know; people will have side conversations or they’ll be at the bar or whatever but everyone was at the front of the stage but they were all reaching forward and the energy they were giving towards the stage was really big and attentive. I think the difference is like in the States people enjoy the music yes but they are more laid back with regards their perception of the show.

Anonymous question here; It is very hard to receive recognition as a British soul artist; do you face the same battle in the US?

I don’t really think about it. I think I make the music for the people that like the music so as far as recognition; I’m not looking for recognition or anything so I don’t quite know how to answer it. Only because for me if I find someone who likes my music and they have access to it, that’s all need. I don’t really need anyone on a commercial platform or a famous person to acknowledge me or the music.

Let’s talk about recognition and fame for a second then, yeah it’s not important for you, music is the key, but presumably at some point there has to be financial reward for it. You need to live, so, are you ever gonna be influenced by that, I mean how does it work in your head?

I take my ass home and I go to work. I have a job! I go home and I work a job, and you have to be clever in ways to sustain yourself, so I think for me, recognition is temperamental. It can come and then the people that give it to you can take it from you so I don’t want something that can only be mine for a time, or can only be mine so long as I’m doing what you want or can only be mine so long as you like me. ‘Cos I’m a human person, so I’m probably going to disappointed you or something so I want what is pure. Like if you like the music, you like the music cos it comes from a pure place and then if you stay on the journey with me as a fan or media support or whatever then good, but if not then ok, I’ll go home and work my job in order to pay my bills, and I know how to make shows, so if I can have enough shows so the music can pay for itself; then enough work to pay my bills.

I find that really refreshing indeed... From Dan in East London now... How would you define your music style? Would you say you are in the Neo-Soul camp, or are you an RnB girl? I think I know the answer to this, but let’s hear what you got to say about it.

As far as categories, there’s only two labels that I like, two labels that are more accurate at this point. I often times say that my music is hip-hop making whoopee with RnB. For me in my head I see Hip-Hop sort of saying “Hey yo whattup!” and you know swooning the RnB and taking the RnB home and like getting down with it. It’s like Hip-Hop in a very mad passionate love affair with RnB. That’s most times what you’ll hear. There’s another writer his name is Charles Mudede, he said at one point that when I first started; in the 90s there was a marriage between Hip-Hop and RnB and I’ve successfully managed to be the official offspring of that marriage. So for me my favourite (if we’ve got to categorise, which it seems like we have to do) I would say it’s a seamless marriage of Hip-Hop and RnB.

Unfortunately it’s the way the industry is. We do have to categorise it, personally I would just like to call it good music, we don’t even have to call it Soul.. .A final question ... Hey V, tell Choklate I was at Ruby Lo on Thursday and was blown away by her performance, and her Album got me through college! Please ask her if there is any inspirational music that helps her get motivated or creative? (That’s from Alison)

Hi Alison! As far as things that motivate me - really abstract 70s Jazz I love. The producer that I work with is always putting fresh music into my ear, and a lot of times, its funk jazz or fusion funk jazz from the 70s. It makes my heart beat fast and it makes me want to write things. I love lyrics that breathe passion so a lot of times like Marvin Gaye, or Sam Cooke or Curtis Mayfield or just the artists the sort of growled through their lives - you know; Donny Hathaway. You can hear the passion it’s almost palpable; it’s a tangible thing with some musicians, so that music drives me mad like. If I can hear that you’re emulating another artist, that’s good. If its sincere and its pure and you can hear the sincerity and you can hear the transmission of the song, that’s the kind of stuff that gets me going

Ok I also read somewhere (that made me smile) that - I believe it might have been on your website - A certain affinity to Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s “Parents Just Don’t Understand”. Now, it was a part of my growing up but I’ve never heard anyone refer to it as inspiration... is this from a link with your parents or was it just that song happened to be about at that time?

Really honestly its both, because my mother raised us in a Pentecostal home, very religious, so I couldn’t listen to any worldly music, she would say “Don’t listen to that ‘worldly’ music” and if we got caught listening to it we would get in trouble. So for a lot of years in my life I didn’t have any foundation for music, no soul, no funk, no hip-hop, no nothing, my brother was older so he could sneak and get his fix. But I never could so; the first song she ever let us play in the house was “Parents Just Don’t Understand”. My brother (of course) already knew about it. Him and his buddies would sneak off and do whatever. But that was the first time I could sit down in the house and turn on MTV and see that play it on the radio if it came on and so...

Honestly it did inspire me cos I know she didn’t get it - to have kept me from music in that way i knew she didn’t get it. I love the truth of that record, me and my brother had screwed up as monumental as the situations in that song so it resonated with me in a way that..... You know I expected music like that to resonate with me, but that one particularly because she allowed me to listen to it and because of the nature of the content; she knew we were talking about her, but um... It’s a little more special than that. A lot of people would say it’s a corny record, but I was introduced to Hip-Hop through that record.

It’s good to hear that Will Smith’s music has invoked some emotion I suppose.

Let’s leave it at Jazzy Jeff...!!!

Yeah alright! Let’s get into another track from the album, and I’m gonna play “Dedicated To Music”. Tell us just a little bit about that before I play it.

When I wrote this record I was trying to write a love song but I wasn’t free in my love at the time, so I couldn’t. It was almost writers block; I would think “I want to make a mushy love song” and I couldn’t do it. So I wrote a love song to music basically. The first love song I ever wrote I could only get it out about music so, yeah; it’s my love song... to music.

[[PLAYS CHOKLATE – DEDICATED TO MUSIC]]

It’s The Soul Kitchen with me; DJV and we are talking to Choklate and I’d like to talk about the new album if I may. Now we assume you’ve been busy on the creative process for the last year or so, tell us, how’s it all going?

It’s been a very honest process in the same way the first record was. Life has really been dictating the record. I tried to rush it at first because I wanted to follow up quickly after we had toured the US but the music was like “You can’t rush me, you have to let me take my time, it’s my thing here, you're just a bystander here, an honest victim” so I had to keep living my life. So for about a year or so now... we’ve actually only been at it seven months honestly. But we're about 75% of the way through and its stronger production wise, and its stronger vocally. I would say and the lyrical content is what I’ve become known for.

What can we expect from it?

I would say, ‘blessed are they that expect nothing for the shall not be disappointed’ but if you have to have something to look forward to; I would say look forward to very passionate vocals and the same lyrical attack - maybe a stronger delivery of it - but same lyrical attack.

And as ever I suppose you’ll leak a few snippets into MySpace, let your people have a little bit of something before it actually comes out, will you do that for us?

I will. I think “The Moon” song (that was on MySpace) actually ended up being a track that will be on the record and as time progresses I’m going to replace all the songs that are there with new songs. So before the record comes out you’ll have at least four ideas of what the record will be like.

Fantastic, so after the album goes out, another tour I suspect in the US and hopefully you’ll come and see us again over here

If I can help it I’ll be over here before that even; but yeah I’m going to do a city wide celebration of the record in the US then in the UK too.

Of course we’re gonna have the new album when it arrives here on “The Soul Kitchen” as you would expect us to. I’m gonna play one more track form the current Choklate album if you like. Just before I do, let us know how the listeners can get more choklate. There’s a MySpace address give us that.

The MySpace address is myspace.com/listen2chok

And you’ve also got a web address yeah?

Yeah.... it’s choklatemusic.com

Choklate it’s been a real pleasure. Thank you for coming to see us today and giving us your real honest words; we do feel we’ve really got to know you today. I cannot wait for the new album, we’ll be keeping our eyes and ears open for that. I’m gonna play one more track from the album - one of my personal favourites so I’ve left it 'til the end, as featured on many DJV mixtapes this is Choklate and “Getting Is Good”. Choklate once again, thank you for coming to see us today and make sure the next time you’re in London you come to see us at The Soul Kitchen.

Thank you all so much i'll see you soon

[[V PLAYS CHOKLATE – GETTING IS GOOD]]

FULL DOWNLOADABLE AUDIO INTERVIEW COMING SOON ON THIS PAGE