Written by Anwar Curtis
What
is ones reasoning to pursue a dream, its purpose and even their end result? I
had the opportunity to sit down with Dexter Kendrick, an independent recording
artist, and as we talked about July’s Singer’s Lounge show, we both found out
that we had something in common. Both Dexter and I understand how relationships
and culture are molded and why they are so important especially when one is
living his or her dreams. Sit back and while Dexter Kendrick just reflects on
his past and present musical journey.
Anwar Curtis:
You have been an indie recording artist for over a decade. Seasons have changed
along with technology. Has platforms such as social media helped with your
success when looking at you building your brand and relationships with DJ’s
both nationally and internationally?
Dexter
Kendrick: Right after I released my first big project “Galaxy a Memoir” in 2011,
I started working with a management company in Washington D.C. Delonte Briggs
began booking shows for me in the indie circuit up and down the east coast.
Delonte would push my material to certain people like Bola Sonola, and Lagos,
which is a Caribbean neo-soul movement. He would also submit some of my
material to Deejay Yella, a London DJ. Yella would then hit me up to see if he
could spin my music and for promo drops. Also Neo the Soul based out of London
became part of my network. I found out that most of the dj’s were all connected
and with their help that’s how music gets disseminated.
Anwar Curtis:
Do you believe in the degrees of separation and its theory when it comes to
your career as an indie artist?
Dexter
Kendrick: It is so important and extremely realistic. Now a days you don’t have
to wait on labels. There are mainstream artist who are getting kicked off
labels so there really is no safety nets available anymore. Artists do not have
to wait for someone to give them permission to create, if so they are “waiting
valuable life-time.” The most important part of being an indie artist is giving
yourself power to make your music and then get people to like your music. But
honestly, the first important thing is to like your own music. When I released
“Prelude” May 2016, I did not know the market because I took such a long hiatus.
In 2005 Instagram wasn’t big, as a matter of fact we just got done with
Myspace. So when I released Prelude, it was not for instant success. It was a
pure introduction to this next project Dexterity, which I will begin releasing
music fall 2016.
Dexter
Kendrick: Beautiful’s fist verse and chorus was written in 2003 and then what
thirteen years passes and it is now being released which tells me that
creativity comes in waves. Just because a song is written today doesn’t mean it
needs to be shared today. It’s all about climate, timing, and feeling. I wanted
to make music for this next resurgence to say hey guys I’m still alive. I’m
back and get ready for something big. I wanted those five songs to have a
movement in themselves. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and get in tune
with the sound of the 70’s. Jaren Tucker helped me finish writing Beautiful,
and he explained to me having something slow on this project is something you cannot
forget about. With that he took one day and completed the song.
Anwar Curtis:
With the body of work you have been releasing and your work ethic in the
Harrisburg market, are you happy with your progress as of late? You headlined
your own show back in 2014 at the PM BISTRO & LOUNGE. How was that
experience?
Dexter
Kendrick: We had 180 people at that event. I had not released a project since
2011 and for that crowd to be in attendance I kept saying to myself, all these
people are not here to see me, but I was the headliner lol. I was extremely
humbled and touched by that. I didn’t know that many people knew me. Even when
I perform now, when people are clapping I’m saying to myself who are they
clapping for! I am an internal type of guy, so it takes me a few days to get
the external feeling.
Anwar Curtis:
Ok, so we have to talk about your latest performance. July’s Singer’s Lounge
90’s edition you performed along with other stars that have been helping with
the show. Melissa Wilson went right before you and I noticed you grooving as
always but this time it was different. I assumed because the 90’s era, being
your era had so much to do with it lol. Explain what was going through your
mind during her performance and the emotions during yours.
Dexter
Kendrick: Honestly ever since February I have been the biggest fan of he
Singer’s Lounge and my colleagues. I’ve gotten on stage every month not for
people to look at me, but because I don’t want the event itself to die. This
city has not had a showcase for individuals to perform soul music, not to an
instrumental but live. For the entire house to be busting out of the scene in
population, it means the city has been hungry for that for a while. So for the
90’s show lol, for me to get on stage during the second verse of Jodeci’s
“forever my lady” and the words stop coming to me for those ten seconds and my
background singers to be looking at me like deer’s in headlights, I just used
my teleprompter which was my phone and kept rocking. A lot of singers use
teleprompters during their performances and you never know.
Anwar Curtis:
What were your thoughts the next day?
Dexter
Kendrick: Funny because I didn’t want to talk about the performance the next
day. Keya Wilson who has real love for me put up a video and tagged me which
was the best 50 seconds of my performance so unless you were actually there,
would never know the hiccup that occurred.
Anwar Curtis:
Being a musical activist in your hometown, do you feel like Harrisburg is
finally catching on and people are ready to support their hometown musicians?
Dexter
Kendrick: I think the people and artists from Harrisburg are reclaiming their
power and saying we are here. Socially that’s a conversation many different
communities are having. I do also see the roadblocks to claiming your
expression and freedom, which is also socially happening in a number of
communities and Harrisburg, is not exempt from those movements and struggles,
with the singer’s lounge included.
Anwar Curtis:
Agreed. Now I wanted to talk a little bit about Dexter Kendrick the person and
Dexter Kendrick the artist. Before social media hit, people could only imagine
who their favorite entertainer was outside of lyrically content and movie
roles. Is there a difference between you as an artist and a person?
Dexter
Kendrick: Of course there’s always a personal touch when creating something and
that would be Dexter Kendrick the person. I am an artist and a storyteller so
there is some embellishment always because you have to fill up three minutes of
space lol. From past experiences I have learned a lot about marketing. I use to
go to photo shoots and the photographer would ask me what type of shots I would
like and my response would be what do you think I should. That’s when I
realized as an artist I had no direction. In 2015 I got a new manager and the
first thing he asked me was, if I could be any type of character who would it
be. Meaning I needed to embody something for the public to reference. So the
character I’ve embodied is James Bond. He doesn’t break a sweat, he has swag,
appeals to the ladies, and high class. My music is still my music. For instance
the Marvin Gaye cover “what’s going on” I released; an online magazine used the
song to give more love to Orlando right after the shooting. I recorded that
song originally because of the tension both social, community wide, and
globally posing questions to our civilization as human beings and that song
ended up being used to call awareness that musicians are also concerned because
we are human beings. Also situations like Sandra Bland and Freddie Gray ETC,
impact me directly, maybe not today but who is to say one day I wont end up on
the six o’clock news because of the type of shoe I’m walking in that day.
Anwar Curtis:
Do you see yourself being more political with your music moving forward?
Dexter:
Kendrick: If it is needed. If it is warranted than that is a conversation
anybody with a platform is obliged to cover even if it’s minimum. Rather it be
an interlude, outro, poem, or what it is that illustrates the artistic climate
of the culture. Yes, if you want your audience to patronize you or bend their
ear in your direction. People were coming for Beyonce for her Freedom and
Formation song. One blog said she was leaving her “white girl status” for her
“black girl status” in regards to her black girl problems. That conversation
was warranted. She has many male family members that are affected by these
issues. She’s a businesswoman and she used her platform to discuss the current
topics.
Anwar Curtis:
You touched on a lot and I don’t see you slowing down with your music career
to say the least and you actually care about your music’s stigma. Now I like to
end my interviews with this last question. If you could give one characteristic
of you to the world through your music what would it be?
Dexter
Kendrick: I want people to feel like it’s Saturday morning in 1979. Their
parents cleaning and them watching Soul Train, turning the volume up and just
letting it rock. Every album of mine, I want it to be a production and not just
putting songs together. It’s telling you a story with the attempt to move the listener’s
body even if they do not know the words. The stories I tell are all our stories
and that’s what I want people to take from all of my projects.
Like What You See? Well Follow Dexter Kendrick Here
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