As an upcoming female artist coming from the Virgin Islands; can be quite a difficult task for any young individual. From releasing her first EP in 2012, Big Dreams to her 2016 breakthrough where she released her hit song Island Gal.
In the past year Monea has been collaborating with artists and bands such as Rock City, Pressure BussPipe, and the late Kylo from Stylee Band which contributed more to her popularity. Due to these collaborations, she has been booked for quite a few live performances such as Miami’s Carnival 2018, she performed at Daytona Beach Carnival last year and was a major part in the Halloween Masquerade Fete. In 2016 she was featured in the Virgin Islands News Online article as a young professional, where she was interviewed about her music and aspirations and she noted that “I want to see that I affected people’s life positively by doing what I love.”
ALBUM REVIEW
Sequel is a document of the emotional mechanics of an old love flame that continues to haunt her in present day. It’s impeccable that Monea can incorporate old school riddims from legends; this was simply done by using a popular statement used by many West Indians, “Memories don’t live like people do” which derived from the famous Beenie Man song – Stop Live in A De Pass: which is stating that memories whether good or bad, they cannot be changed but accepted. An engaging song which consists of a mix with punkie by Sean Paul and another Beenieman favorite; Who Am I “Sim Simma, who got the keys to the Beamer?” LINK UP got its own twist when the artist added her own little island slang to it “Ah who want me fi dem dinner? True? Well link up.” When we think about a track that has a perfect mix; this would be that song, how the sound of the design is inseparable from the mixing process.
INNA DI WORLD is another song in which she asserts her desires to put it down with a new lover, she speaks about someone who is presently in her life and has been a ride or die or as stated in the song “Ah mi Sniper that.” We all know the feeling of wanting someone who has been quote on quote “sleeping on you;” Wake Up would be every young girl’s motto. Speak of another great collaboration; Lucky One featuring Pressure BussPipe and Rock City, I am sure is on the Virgin Islanders top charts, playing in the clubs on repeat.
“Feel Like” is more of a statement about her music instead of being a freak in the sheets. While Run to You and The Plug reverberates with tenderness, a prevailing theme for an album that documents falling in and out of love. Monea might be speaking about multiple partners but the delivery of her feelings in these songs provide the true feeling of an island love story. Embracing a wide variety of sounds and styles; she has shown great creativity and consummate versatility in this mix tape. There is no doubt that Gypsy would rock mainstream media if it was given the chance.
INTERVIEW WITH MONEA
What is your background; did your upbringing prompt a specific reference point within your work? Is your work informed by certain concepts or themes from your cultural heritage?
I was born on St. Thomas, USVI but I was raised on Tortola, BVI. Where I’m from is heavily driven by soca/calypso and reggae/dance hall. Despite being a British territory, we’re very Americanized. So, I think that my music reflects the fact that I have always been exposed to so many different genres of music.
What drew you to the music industry and the genre of music you’re pursuing?
I joined a rap group in high school during a time on my island when it was popular to do so. At first I just wanted to dance but soon realized that the background wasn’t the place for me. [Side note: This was during the time when a dancer’s career peaked at being a backup dancer for a major artist. Now, dancers are taking the forefront.] Anyways, I have always been versatile. I made Rap/Hip Hop songs, Pop songs, Soca songs; basically, anything that I found appealing regardless of genre. Music has always been more of a feeling to me than anything else. After years of trial and error, I feel like I’ve finally found a sound that’s unique to me. A sound that has a dance hall undertone/foundation but also fuses Pop and Hip-Hop elements in a way that gives it international appeal.
If you weren’t doing music, what would you be doing right now?
I would be in a research lab working towards my PhD.
What is your biggest challenge as an independent artist?
Money. Since I’m not signed to a label, I must invest in my own career or seek sponsorship in some way. A label basically provides a loan upfront to cover the costs of studio, marketing/promotion, etc – everything needed to efficiently package and promote someone as an artist. Not having all the money upfront, just means it’ll take me a little longer, but it doesn’t mean I won’t get there. Eventually my fan base will grant me that financial privilege.
When did you start writing about music—and what or who were your early passions and influences?
I think I was about 13 years old. Rihanna and R. City were and still are two of my main influences.
What are your main impulses to write about music?
Sometimes I have topics that I’ve thought about beforehand. Most times, I have no idea until I start listening to the beat and start adding words. It all depends on how the beat makes me feel.
How would you describe and rate the music scene of the city you are currently living in and how important is it in terms of what you’re writing about?
The VI music industry lacks structure and is behind in comparison to America and other parts of the world. A lot of entertainers have become complacent. However, there is a handful that is trying to push the culture forward.
It is remarkable, in a way,that we have arrived in the 21st century with the basic concept of music still intact. Do you have a vision of music, an idea of what music could be beyond its current form?
The bottom line is that music is a universal language. It brings people together and will continue to do so forever. In my opinion, I believe that eventually we won’t be able to label music by genres anymore since so much new music pulls from many genres.
Music-sharing sites and blogs as well as a flood of releases in general are presenting both listeners and artists with challenging questions. What’s your view on the value of music today?
The industry is so fast paced now. There is a pressure to release songs at a fast pace to remain relevant since the industry is so saturated with artists. Albums are shorter in length now since people’s attention spans seem to be shorter and people aren’t valuing full bodies of work like in the past. A lot of the music out now, especially in Rap/Hip Hop sound the same because people are following a formula that works. Despite this, I still don’t want to say that music itself has lessened in value. To me, the idea of artistry has lost its value. These days, you just need to have a big social media following to transition over into music even if you have no talent.
What were your main composition and production-challenges in the beginning and how have they changed over time?
In the beginning, I had a hard time getting beats. I used to download free beats that still had the tags in them because I didn’t have access to producers that were willing to work with me. Now I have three producers: Nova Elite Audio, Jay Alexander and Marvelus Production Team that I get to work closely with. It’s because of them I was finally able to create a sound that was consistent and unique to me.
Could you take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work? Do you have a fixed schedule? How do music and other aspects of your life feed back into each other – do you separate them or instead try to make them blend seamlessly?
Some days are busier than others. In between traveling for shows, I would work out, write a song if inspiration hits me that day, do some research, dance, etc. It’s very flexible and all depends on what is demanded of me. However, overall, I’m always strategizing. Music has become my life though, so I don’t have anything to separate anymore. When I was in graduate school I felt like I was living a double life: school during the day, music at night. However, now I get to put all my focus on my plan.
There are many descriptions of the ideal state of mind for being creative. What is it like for you? What supports this ideal state of mind and what are distractions? Are there strategies to enter this state more easily?
I won’t say there is an ideal state of mind. People are multidimensional, and I believe that being able to tap into different states of being is what allows an artist’s content to evolve.
How do you see the relationship between the ‘sound’ aspects of music and the ‘composition’ aspects? How do you work with sound and timber to meet certain production ideas and in which way can certain sounds already take on composition qualities?
Some people prefer to create the sound first – meaning they voice a Capella and get a producer to add music to it. For me, I work best when I start out with a beat that sets the tone and gives me the inspiration to write. Earlier on, I had no understanding of the compositional aspect of music. It’s only when I started working closely with my producers that I began to understand what really went into production and how you can manipulate vocals and incorporate them into the beat itself etc.
There seem to be two fundamental tendencies in music today: On one hand, a move towards complete virtualization, where tracks and albums are merely released as digital files. And, on the other, an even closer union between music, artwork, packaging and physical presentation. Where do you stand between these poles?
I believe that music is more on the digital side now due to technological advancement. I don’t see us going back to a time where CDs are more popular. People don’t even have CD players any more. With how often artists are releasing music now, digital releases allow it to be readily available and more cost effective.
ALBUM LINK: Tropikana-Vol 1
Monea LIVE!! Performance
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