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Choklate Interview

A Taste of Choklate Interview by Porschia Baker Growing up with what she calls music deprivation disease (meaning she was only raised on good gospel), Seattle native Choklate sings like she was drowned in soulful musical inspirations her entire life. The fact that Choklate’s songs remind listeners that they are powerful and can make it makes the disciplined recording process, singing, and performing all the more enjoyable for her. The singer’s self-titled release out on Kajmere displays a level of maturity and depth that is rarely achieved in modern R&B. In speaking with her it becomes clear why. Choklate is completely centered, down to earth and secure in her faith and beliefs. Nu-Soul was able to speak candidly with this astonishing new talent about her life and her place in the music industry. Who are your musical inspirations? The people in music who have actually created the kind of music that still speaks to the soul of the world today. People like Marvin Gaye and Lalah Hathaway's daddy...her too and others like Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, and Luther Vandross, etcetera. I was told you don't mind exposing your flaws. Why do you feel the need to not put on a mask and front? Is it harder being you or trying to be someone else? I don't want to mask and front because, for me, that takes away my freedom. My freedom is to exist as a real human being. If I tried to be someone or something that I wasn't, I'd be so extremely bound and unhappy. I'd forget the script half of the time and cause great confusion for those who are really watching. I'm sure of it. So I just try to stay calm and not get caught up and be me. It's my freedom. You have a unifying way of singing. It feels like you're singing to me and everybody at the same time. Who do you want to or hope to reach with your songs? Little black kids that feel real lost in their hoods and burrows, little girls, with no daddies at home, that are being 'touched' by grown men and thinking it's love, the young ones that feel [they are] ugly or unimportant, the grown folks raising them, the people who aren't free and walk around 'looking good' for everybody else and don't realize that the rest of the world is walking round 'looking good' for them, the people in the world who forget their power and their potential, the people who aren't truly free to be themselves and be great, the ME’s of the world, and the people that felt like I did when I was growing up. What do you enjoy about being able to express yourself publicly to people who want to listen? The fact that somebody will play a song and remind themselves that they are ok, that they are powerful, and that they can make it. The ones that get the strength to make it one more day. The ones that feel encouraged and inspired. Those are a few things that are really enjoyable for me. What is the hardest part about being a songstress? The amount of work and discipline it takes to keep your voice in tact, stay consistent in the craft, and the bills that come every month. What do you enjoy most about it? The challenge is the new 'ME' that I see inside of the journey, the fact that some people are really touched, the non-musical people who listen and really feel like the music is just for them, and the fact that God is driving this and all I have to do is sit in the passengers seat, take doodle or twiddle my fingers, and he has my back and it's all good. What do you expect of yourself musically? Blessed are they who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed. How do you deal with the expectations of others? Teach them the aforementioned quote. I don't deal with expectations. The minute I acknowledge them is the minute the music will lose its effectiveness. I pray I never get caught up in that. What keeps you going through each day? Prayer and people that support me. Also, the super busy schedule. There's no time to stop and get concerned. Just the constant little day planner that reminds me there's something to do at 9:30a.m, 11a.m, 1:30p.m, 3p.m-8p.m, and 11p.m-7a.m. (That's the schedule of my appointments for today.) What was your inspiration for the song "Bigger than You?" Must've been God because that song came out in a matter of moments. What was the experience of recording the album like? Living life, writing about it, getting in the booth, and singing about it. How do you feel about being on tour in support of your debut album? What is it like for you? I'm happy the opportunity is here for me. I know a lot of people that aren't allowed to or don't know how to make this sort of thing happen. Hell, I don't know how it ended up happening for me really. It's hard because I don't have the money to do it. I'm just doing it on faith that God will keep me. I'm taking time off of work; basically quitting my job and getting out there with one other person to make all of this happen. Her name is Tracy Freeman. She's an angel. She runs this little website called On The Verge (www.onthe-verge.com) She basically, with a little help from a fella named G Rich in NC, put the whole thing together. Prayed everyday and then made the dates happen with sheer perseverance and drive to spread the word. It's hard a little because there are no guarantees in this music stuff but the bills show up faithfully, guaranteed. But I put a donation button on my Myspace (www.myspace.com/listen2chok) and on my website (www.choklatemusic.com) and just pray that one day someone will feel compelled to help out with the journey. Till the game actually starts paying some money, I'll just trust that the message is important enough to be in this vulnerable space. Humbles me anyhow to be in this space and I'm sure that's probably where I need to be. Where do you feel you fit within the genre of soul music? I don’t know if I fit at all in any genre. I'll let the people who busy themselves with that kind of thing tackle that question. I'm sure they have something to say about it. That's their field of expertise or opinion or whatever you want to call it. Mine is living life and being an open book by way of song for those who need it. So I'll just stick to that. What is next for you? Living life, writing about it and hopefully continuing to get in the booth and record songs about it. www.choklatemusic.com www.myspace.com/listen2chok Purchase Choklate's music at Itunes Purchase Choklate's music at Amazon

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