After two weeks of unanswered emails, text messages and phone calls, finally Dazzle is speaking to Saint Lucian rapper Kayo, via Skype. He’s based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the 24 year-old has recently become the first Lucian rapper to sign a deal with a major recording label (EMI, recently acquired by Universal). He’s a busy guy! He shows up on camera with a friendly smile, but worry lines etch his forehead. He apologises for being late and for taking so long to confirm our interview request. He says it’s been a, “crazy week”. Getting signed to a big label isn’t all he thought it would be but first, we’re interested in how he got there.
Tell me about growing up in St. Lucia.
I grew up in Ciceron. The street I grew up on was interesting because as soon as you drive in there are the lawyers, doctors and other high class people; a little further down there are the middle class people, where we were; and then further down was like a total ghetto. That was good for me because I got the opportunity to interact with people from different walks of life.
Can you tell us more about your family?
My parents (Gilbert and Venetia Salton) were always very God fearing people. They were extremely protective of me. I have two twin sisters and two brothers who are all significantly older than me. I am the last. So I guess I was the baby and that’s why my parents were so protective. Growing up that way probably caused me to be a little rebellious, while I was growing up. I went to St. Mary’s College and I used to get into a lot of fights over stupid stuff. The first one was because someone stole my chair. I also got picked on a lot because of my name. My real name is Filbert Salton. So they used to call me, “fill my butt with salt on it”. Yeah, I got into a lot of fights over that.
How did you find your way through High School?
You know what, I was never great at sports or anything like that. I did some stuff with the Debate Team, but I found my own niche in music and everyone started knowing me for that. In Form 3, I started recording with a friend named, Corey Raggie. I started sending people my songs over msn and then at school we would have freestyle battles in the lunch room. The ‘SMC Talent Festival’ was the first time I performed publicly. I was part of the school choir and when we did a rendition of ‘The World’s Greatest’ by R. Kelly I did a rap verse on the song. The crowd was pretty receptive.
You released your first single in Saint Lucia and it was at the ‘Saint Lucia Jazz Festival’ that you got the chance to perform for a big crowd for the first time. Tell Dazzle about that time.
It was in 2007, just before I came up to Canada. My barber, Snapper, got me in touch with local Jazz group Sisterhood. They were looking for a rapper and I flew to Trinidad and recorded a song with them. ‘Dear Music’ was my first radio single. It really jump started everything. That’s when people really started taking me seriously. In Saint Lucia it’s difficult for people to take you seriously as a rapper because it’s not a typical Caribbean genre. So they feel you’re faking it. It’s not real to them. I get it…but I don’t agree with it.
How did you end up going to school at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax?
I had originally wanted to go to school in Orlando, Florida to pursue music business. I got accepted but my loan was not being approved because music business was not on the government’s priority list. Recruiter Dr. Harvey Miller told me about Saint Mary’s University in Halifax. I applied with no intention of actually going here but I got accepted. So I ended up enrolling for a degree in marketing, which has turned out great.
When you arrived in Canada in 2008 you had a double task at hand; excel at your academics and find a way to make a name for yourself as a non-Canadian rapper in Canada. You quickly realised, however, that being from Saint Lucia would become a huge advantage. Tell us about this experience.
There are so many people up here trying to get into the industry and being from Saint Lucia helped me to stand out. It was an added value, so I never saw it as a disadvantage, that’s why I will always rep Lucia in my music and anywhere else. I need that support, I need to know people at home are rooting for me you know; it keeps me going.”
How did you juggle school and your music career at the same time?
A lot of sacrifices. During summer, instead of going home, I would stay in Canada and take courses so I would have more time for music during the school year. The support my professors gave me was really key. When I was on tour with Hedley, I had a final exam to take and they let me keep up with my work. While I was on the road, I had to find someone to invigilate my exam and the publicist ended up doing it. I wrote the exam in the back room of a stadium while the sound check was happening on stage!
When did you get your first big break in Canada?
In 2009 Canadian rapper Classified put out a contest on Facebook; looking for one up-and-coming rapper that he would work with.[Classified is a 20-year veteran on the Canadian rap scene, a well respected, award winning artist. His current radio hit is ‘Inner Ninja]. So I entered the contest and I won. We ended up doing an entire album together and he became my mentor and a really good friend. He signed me to his label ‘Half Life’, and I toured with him for a year. During that tour is when we started getting the attention of a lot of labels. My management company (Black Box Management) negotiated one of the best deals for a new artist. We have a lot of creative freedom, and the label is very supportive.
Describe how you felt when you finally signed that record deal; it must have been a big moment for you!
It happened eight months ago and I actually signed the contract on the last day of my university career. I had just finished my last exam. After signing it, I realised that I had completed both of my goals on the very same day, which was crazy! I finished school and I got myself a record deal on the same day.
A lot of people think getting signed to a record label is “making it”. Is being a signed artist what you expected?
I thought the same thing. I thought getting signed was the platform that would propel my career. It’s fallen short of my expectation in terms of timelines but the resources that I have now are amazing. For example, they’ve flown me to Toronto and LA for writing and recording trips. You have to just see the label as an extra tool in your career but everything is still on you. The most frustrating thing is the bureaucracy. For example, we have already completed my entire album and now we just have to wait for feedback. When you’re excited about the project you want it to happen right now, but it takes a lot longer than you think.
What are some of your most memorable career moments so far?
There have been some funny ones and embarrassing ones actually. I am a huge fan of K-os. I saw him at ‘Osheaga’, which is a big outdoor music festival in Montreal. I was performing there and saw him backstage. I was like a groupie when I saw him – so excited. So I extended my hand to him and said heyyy K-os! He just looked at me and gave me a head nod. No hand shake. I just tried to play it off, haha. Another time, I was on the red carpet at the ‘Much Music Video Awards’ and I saw Justin Bieber. I randomly stuck out my hand, he had no clue who I was but he shook my hand and was like, “hey what’s up”.
On a serious note though, one of the most memorable moments was performing at the 2011 ‘Ottawa Blues Fest’. The sun was just setting, and it was a beautiful summer day. People in the crowd were just so receptive of me and it was surreal performing in front of 7000 people, who were all singing along to the words of my song.
Who are the people in your life that you can turn to when things are difficult?
My girlfriend and my mom. I’ve been with my girlfriend for three years now. We met at university; she’s originally from New Brunswick. What I like most about her is that she wears her heart on her sleeve. She is the person I can turn to and completely forget about everything and be in the moment with her.
What advice do you have for young artists?
Never be complacent. You should never feel like you’re doing enough. You always need to push yourself to do more and more. Don’t be arrogant. Over-confidence alienates you from other people. You can’t do this alone. You need a group of people who support you. That’s why I keep good friends around me. I have a lot of Lucian friends up here. They normalise things, and make me feel like nothing has changed.
What is your ultimate goal?
My end goal is to transcend being a rapper. I want to be seen as an artist. Rap is very egotistical; people want to buy into the hype but I want more than that. I want people to dig my music and the message of positivity.
Kayo was recently on tour with Classified; the tour went across Canada and ended on April 2nd. One of his favourite songs he wants to share with his Lucian fans is ‘One Step Away’.
