Take your average eighteen-year-old and ask him his priorities or most important interests in life – what would he say? Would it be college? Would it be money? Clothes? Women? Unlike many young adult males, Caribbean sensation Jaicko Lawrence, or Jaicko, hailing from St. James, Barbados is all about his music. And his most important priorities are to establish himself as one of the top names in R & B while continuing to make hits. Parlé recently caught up with Jaicko in an interview to learn more about him.
Parlé: How old were you when you started singing and writing music?
Jaicko: I was twelve years old when I started to develop my voice and write some music.
Parlé: Who were some of your earlier musical influences growing up?
Jaicko: I have so many. Of course, I love the Reggae artists such as Beres Hammond and Bob Marley. I also enjoyed listening to the R & B and pop legends like Stevie Wonder and the late great Michael Jackson. These were all amazing artists in my eyes.
Parlé: What actually pushed you to want to make music into a career?
Jaicko: There were so many great people in the industry that inspired me, at the time I really liked Lil’ Bow Wow because I was young around the time he came out and he was rapping and doing his thing so I found that pretty cool. My Dad was also a major influence to me in so many ways just because he supported me the whole way and knew that this was what I wanted for my life. He was musically talented so I got a lot of ideas and creativity from him.
Parlé: How did you go about putting yourself out there in the music industry and getting a record deal?
Jaicko: Again growing up my dad was a major musical influence in my life. At the time he had his own band in a nightclub in Barbados so he encouraged me with my music and got me a manager to help me build my craft. Along this journey, I also created a big fan base at youth events just to get my music as much exposure as possible, especially over in Barbados and in the U.S. My manager worked really hard with me booking me gigs and he finally spoke to an A&R representative at Capitol Records and they signed me. All my networking finally paid off.
Parlé: What kind of sound or music are you trying to create? What category or genre of music do you fit in?
Jaicko: I don’t exactly fit into an exact category, I want my music to be broad; my music will have a “Barbados Swag” to it and be like “Caribbean Infused Pop.”
Parlé: Name three of your favorite songs on your album.
Jaicko: Damn!! Just three I get to pick. (Laughs). 1. “Oh Yeah”… 2. “Can I”… 3. “Will You Be There”
Parlé: What are those songs about and why are they special to you?
Jaicko: Well I like “Oh Yeah” because it’s my single and I’ve heard it a million times. “Can I” is also my favorite because it shows my drive and passion and how all I wanted was just a chance to achieve and overcome all of my challenges and live my dream. “Will You” is my last favorite song on the album because it differentiates the phony from the fake people and lets me know who will be there when I’m truly down and out.
Parlé: I know it’s going to be a self-titled album; any anticipated release date?
Jaicko: My album is expected to drop in early March all over the U.S. and certainly in the Carribean region.
Parlé: Any future goals you want to pursue in the future besides singing?
Jaicko: Yes. I want to branch my empire into many projects like acting, fashion, charity projects, and my own “Jaicko Empire.”
Parlé: I certainly enjoyed doing this interview with you Jaicko and I wish you plenty of luck and success on your album and future goals.
Jaicko: Thank you for your support.
Jaicko interview accompanying image credit: Joey L.
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