Interview: Charmaine talks black music, starting out in Toronto and her new EP, ‘Hood Avant-Garde’
Nearly a decade ago to this day, Charmaine took the stage at Lee's Palace, a Toronto rock concert and nightclub often frequented by college students from within and outside the city. During her set, she performed covers of hits from Beyonce and Alicia Keys to a roaring response from the crowd. She didn't realise it until she climbed off the stage at Lee's Palace that night, but one of the people in that adoring audience was Ron Lopata, Warner Music Canada’s VP of A&R.
The organiser of the showcase introduced Ron and Charmaine after the performance, they exchanged contacts, and well, a star was born. Or at least, so you would have expected; but that post-Lee's Palace era sort of became a bit of a false start for Charmaine. She ended up quitting music for four years altogether, working as a freelance make-up artist at Sephora until she had a son.
Having a child was the real turning point. She didn't want her son coming up in a world where he ignored his talents. So in 2019 she returned to Warner Music, switched from R&B to rap, and began working on her newly released debut EP, Hood Avant-Garde with a new team. Producers, Lantz and David Ariza the craftsmen behind Charmaine's feel-good bop from last year, "BOLD” are also behind-the-boards on her new 5-track EP. Charmaine is also now a part of SoundCloud's ‘First on SoundCloud’ Accelerator program and looks to work with Rico Nasty in the coming months. In this interview with ARTISH, the rapper talks about growing up on black music, breaking out of Toronto and her new project Hood Avant-Garde:
Hi Charmaine, how are you?
I’m good. How are you?
We heard that before you moved to Nashville, Tennessee, you were born in Harare and lived there till you were about five. Do you have any memories of Zimbabwe?
I do have memories from being back home mainly getting in a lot of trouble because I’d always sneak outside to go play with my brothers when I wasn’t supposed to and it never ended well for us.
What really nostalgic memories do you still hold on to from growing up in Nashville?
In terms of nostalgic memories in Nashville, I would say just it being a place I fell in love with southern rap music, hip-hop, all of that. I did come (to the States) when I was really young so when I started listening to music, that’s what I was really exposed to first. So, I’d definitely say just learning more about the southern culture and their music and things like that. Oh, and the food.
What's your favourite time of the year in Toronto and why?
My favourite time of the year in Toronto is summertime. I cannot stand the cold. I like it when it’s nice and hot outside where you know the sun is out and the skies are blue and the trees are green and there are a lot of different festivals that happen in that time too so I’d definitely say spring/summertime.
Tell us your "hip-hop" origin story in three acts, starting with rappers or voices you grew up listening to.
My hip-hop origin in three acts… let me see… definitely Missy Elliot, Lil Kim and Foxy Brown (laughs)
Do you listen to contemporary Afropop? Who are your current faves or African artists you'd like to collab with given the chance?
Oh, I definitely listen to Afropop. I would say the top artists I listen to on the regular would be Davido, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, Kizz Daniel, Maleek Berry. I think those are my top artists on my list. I would definitely love to do something with Davido one day. Either Davido or Burna Boy. Those are my top two. I really need to have something with them. Either one or both of them (laughs)
With Afropop gaining global prominence as we've seen from Drake and Wizkid's “One Dance” collab, and more recently Burna Boy winning a Grammy, What's your take on black music being a vehicle for unifying black cultures?
My take on black music being a vehicle for unifying black cultures… I love it. I think it’s amazing its beautiful to see how people from different cultures coming together and making such beautiful music. And I hope it becomes even more popularized. I think that needs to happen a lot more so it’s definitely amazing to see that bridge gap being closed between.
What really happened after that first showcase at Lee's Palace?
After that first showcase at Lee’s Palace, that’s where I connected with my A&R. He was in the crowd. They already said he was going to be there that night, so I was hoping to grab his attention which I did. After that, we worked together for a couple of years but I was really young so I didn’t feel like I was prepared for the music business not only lyrically in terms of the music I was making and writing but just mentally confidence-wise like I was really lacking in those areas so I decided to take some years of which was exactly four years and after that, I got back into it after I had my son because I just wanted to show him that any gift God has given you, it is your right to exploit it and I have to practice what I preach so I definitely wanted him to see that so I started doing music again and now I’m here.
Coming from 2020, a year marred by a global pandemic, what headspace are you in now in 2021 with your face plastered on big billboards and Warner Music behind you?
I would say I am just anxious. Anxious about what’s coming, what is going on presently, curious to see what the future holds. Hopefully, when things open back up, I can get to travelling and doing live shows. Everything like that which I’ve been missing out on. I’ve never done a live show and I’m really just anxious to get out there and see in real-time how the world feels about me and my music.
Tell us a bit about your debut EP, Hood Avant-Garde
My debut EP is called Hood Avant-Garde and, in a nutshell, it is just to redefine what it is to be a modern-day renaissance woman. Often, you see men in the forefront in the centre as the heroes, the royalty and you see all the women around them like being objectified and pretty much worshipping them and I don’t like that so we thought it’d be a really good idea to switch the narrative and show the world that women can be front and centre. We can be the heroes. We can be royalty. We are and you need to see that and respect that so that’s pretty much what that entire EP is supposed to convey hopefully it comes across that way but I’m extremely proud of it.
When can fans expect an album?
There’s a certain level of my career I would love to get to first before I put out an entire album, but I will say you never know. I don’t really know. I still have a lot I need to do first before I put out an album, but I will say I definitely plan on putting one out. Just not sure when yet.
What are you most optimistic about for the rest of 2021?
What I’m most optimistic about in 2021 is again just seeing my growth. I’m a new artist, I’m just scratching the surface and I’m new to this game so everything right now is so exciting, and I feel like it always will be for me but it’s super-duper exciting right now cos I’m a rookie. So, I’m just looking forward to seeing how my music translates into the world and how people receive it and what other things and opportunities that I’ll find myself in this year but what I’ll say is I am going to grind my ass off and Imma make it happen. Y’all gonna see about me. Trust that.
Stream Hood Avant-Garde via Apple Music and Spotify