| So,
who is Annonymos?
Annonymos is
the name I decided to give myself cos I know peoples are real quick
to tag artists' names to just one sound i.e Lemar - pop, Nathan
- RnB, Craig David - pop/urban, no disrespect to them but I'm nothing
like 'em. I wanted to give the people the true me, not one that
some major record label constructed as a pigeon-hole
What
are you bringing to the game that's so different?
I believe there's
a lot of good singers out there, but no one is doing anything extroadinary,
it's all one-dimensional and somethimes, unbelievable. I wanted
to give music lovers the true me, which is real songs, hunger and
credibility. Everyday male and female issues myself and every other
ghetto child go through, with a twist ofcourse. Ha ha!
There's
a lot of solo artists in the market at the moment, what separates
you from the rest?
If you've heard
any of my songs, 99.9% of the time people are surprised by the lyrical
content, as my music always sounds different and varied. I'm a diverse
individual and so if my music, I've travelled to a lot of countries
and studied people's reaction to my tracks. So to be frank, I'm
a versatile and vibe-person man!...
What
past and present artist has influenced you?
Man, I grew
up listening to Studio 1 (for those who don't know, that's classified
as CLASSIC reggae). As a little bwoy, I drew influencences from
the likes of Dennis Brown, Alton Ellis and Horrace Andy, oh yeah,
I can't forget Slim Smith. When I weren't listening to them, it
had to be soul music. I was constantly mesmerised by Stevie Wonders'
runs and passion, though back then I didn't know what riffs and
runs were. On the other hand, Donnie Hathaway's tone was extra smooth
like Marvin Gaye's. Female singers would have to be Anita Baker,
Chaka Khan and Randy Crawford to name a few
What
era would you say was a major influence on you?
The late eighties
brought a whole new dimension to my influences. You had the Teddy
Rileys' New Jack Swing, with cats like Bel Biv Devoe, Heavy D and,
You Can't Touch This, Mr MC Hammer - had everybody dancing. Then
there was Wham, Phil Collins, Soul II Soul and not to be forgotten,
Loose Endz. I think back then there just seemed to be a ridiculous
amount of hunger and passion in all genres of music (rock, pop,
soul etc). Maybe it was that these wise old heads were working closely
with the new kids on the block
If you
had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
Man, it would
be MUSIC because my diversity, knowledge and understanding of my
craft. People have often said I should be doing big things because
of the large catalogue of music I have within me, ranging from soul,
reggae, rock, jazz, motown and definitely hip hop
Where
have you been?
I always been
doing my thing, writing for other artists, tryna hide away from
having to be the face behing the music. Time after time A&R's,
their executives and my publishers (Sony at the time) would look
at me confused when I rolled up to their offices tryna sell my songs,
they'd say "Why aren't you singing this material yourself,
you sounds great"
What
label would you sign with?
I've had deals
popped at me from EastWest/Atlantic to Def Jam/Mercury, but to me
it was never about the advance. It was always about being around
people who were career builders and team players. So if you influential,
open minded, a career building and visionary company get at me....
What
is your overall goal?
To be closer
to God and become successful person in all ways of life, and to
bless others as God has blessed me
How
long have you been singing?
For as long
as I can remember, I did my first show in Brockwell Park in South
London at the age of nine for a Jamaican soundsystem that were using
a van as their stage!
What
was your first song?
The first song
I ever wrote was called "Romance and Love". Wrote it when
I was 8-9 years old, and yeah, I still remember it. My Dad's friend
wanted to sign me. (Thinking bout that is soooo funny)
What's
your masterplan?
Its simple.
Not to sell my soul for worldly riches and to make music that's
real to me. Let the people hear the music and don't sit on or bury
my jewels
What's
your main focus just now?
To win every
credible award in this game in record time and to give back to my
family and community. My slogan at the minute, is that it's a new
day and once you have breath and God in your life, all is possible
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