Ladybrille Magazine introduced you to Chris Akinyemi (CA) January 2011 and we promised a follow up interview with the emerging artist. Check out our interview with him below and keep him on your radar as one of Ladybrille’s Artist to Watch!
LADYBRILLEmag.com: What drives Chris Akinyemi to do music?
CA: I have the passion for it, which is always going to make me create music regardless of what the situation is.
LADYBRILLEmag.com:Tell us about your personal background? We know you are from Nigeria but where were you raised?
CA: Well I was born in the States and then I moved to Nigeria with my mother, then when I was 6 I moved back to the States and didn’t like it too well. So, I went back to Nigeria again for another four years and at 11 years I lived in Newark, New Jersey and mostly around the North Jersey Area until I was 17, then I moved to Pennsylvania. Being in all these places and areas is what made my background very diverse and it made me listen to different types of music.
LADYBRILLEmag.com: Speaking of “different,” what do you think is different about your sound? What sets you apart?
CA: I make music about my past experiences and my emotions and the fact that I like all different types of genres and I fuse them together a lot. It’s all music to me.
LADYBRILLEmag.com: What kind of investment have you made so far in developing your sound and refining your music?
CA: When I was 16 I used to practice for at least 6 hours a day and it never felt like I was learning because it was fun to me. When I’m in the studio, Ican record a 3 minute record for days and weeks at times. That is the dedication that I have to make great music and garner respect.
LADYBRILLEmag.com: What was the song or album, in trying to find your niche, you first listened to that made you think, this is how you wanted to sound or the type of music you wanted to do?”
CA: John Mayer’s “No Such Thing” was a song that inspired me to be a singer-songwriter, it was true, pure and himself and people loved it.
LADYBRILLEmag.com: The media reception has been great for you so far but what kind of success do you anticipate? What steps are you taking to turn buzz into money so you can earn a living from your passion?
CA: As long as I keep on doing what I’m doing, I know something really good is going to come out of it. Day by day things are getting better for me so I think I’m headed off to a good start.
LADYBRILLEmag.com: Yes indeed, you are! Success brings amazing collaborations. What kinds of collaborations have you fantasized about and with whom? (laughs)
CA: Jay Z, Quincy Jones because he is a genius, Lauryn hill.
LADYBRILLEmag.com: Wow! The best of the best. You do not play! Do you write your own songs? What inspires your songwriting process?
CA: I write songs about things I’ve gone through in life or simply about just the way I feel at the time. It’s fun and I love doing it because I feel like people can also relate to it.
LADYBRILLEmag.com: Your hit single “Radio” takes the music industry on. Who are you expecting to sign you after radio? (Laughs) Anti-conformist?
CA: (Laughs) Ha, ha, ha. Well I was just expressing the way I feel in a song about the redundancy of pop music sometimes; and a lot of people feel the same way so it works out, I guess.
LADYBRILLEmag.com: Most artists start out like you wanting to keep it real and then they are signed and it is a different story. How much creative input do you think you will have once signed to a label?
CA: I think I will have a lot of creative control just because it’s what will make them have interest in me. I will obviously go for a label that likes my style and my approach to music.
LADYBRILLEmag.com: The Ladybrille audience is made up of music executives and other influential people in the industry. They will read this interview. Make your pitch. Why should a record label executive in Hollywood or overseas sign you?
CA: I’m a person who likes to speak his mind in his music and I work hard to make sure its perfect.
LADYBRILLEmag.com: Straight to the point pitch. Okeedokee. So, you launch your EP. What next?
CA: (I will) play more and more shows and look forward to what will come in the future.
LADYBRILLEmag.com: What do you hope your fans take away from your music when they listen?
CA: Every song I make has a message to it so I hope my fans can relate to it and also ultimately enjoy it.
LADYBRILLEmag.com: Thank you for the interview.
CA: Thanks for the feature.
Connect on Social Media Networks:
www.chrisakinyemi.com
Myspace.com/ChrisAkinyemi
Facebook.com/ChrisAkinyemiFB
Twitter.com/ChrisAkinyemi
Chris Akinyemi
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Teenage Love
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Aya Mi
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-Uduak Oduok
Founded in 2007, Ladybrille® Magazine is a California based pioneer digital publication demystifying the image of Africans in the west through contemporary African fashion and celebrating the brilliant woman in business and leadership, with an emphasis on the African woman in the diaspora. Our coverage includes stories on capital, access to markets, expertise, hiring and retention, sales, marketing, and promotions.
