Interview with Tim Jackson


Q: You've started singing and playing in the church choir. When did you start listening to secular music? And who or what situation influenced you to pursue a professional career as musician?

Tim Jackson: I was introduced to secular music when I was a baby. Man, my house was full of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, the Motown Sound. I was influenced the most by Stevie Wonder as a kid. The texture of his vocals and the movement of his chords were timeless to me. To top it off his lyrical content was always on point. The political side of me was into Curtis Mayfield's focus on societies issues. I mean I felt what he was speaking about because he was talking about where I lived and the people that I saw everyday on the corners and at the store, at the park etc.

Q: How would you describe your music to someone who haven't heard it yet?

Tim Jackson: It's my life. I only write about my thoughts and desires. It's from my heart. Conscious music that speaks of family and my hood. The ghetto, our purpose and what we can do to change it. It's feel good music. Chocolate Paradise is not only my family and neighborhood, but it's about every ghetto across the America.

Q: Your album is available for some time now. How content are you with the responses and the sales?

Tim Jackson: The responses have been incredible. The negative things we have heard were technical and such. Some even suggested that I couldn't write because I used the word Shit in next of kin. I laughed out loud. If and when I do curse it's to put lines underneath the statement. No different than an author writing a book and added texture and color to his metaphors or the director that shows us violence. When you have money you can correct the technical. If people knew how we put this together, they would be totally shocked. As far as sales go, me and my business partner Jeremy just wanted to really get a buzz going and see where it would take us and the result of that has been positive.

Q: Next Of Kin is released by the Nu Music Group. Please tell me how you hooked up with them. Or is this your own company?

Tim Jackson: Nu Music is a label started by Jeremy Hodges, which has since been changed to 1999 Music Group. I met him about 5 years ago when he was interning at 35th Street Studios, I Chicago. I felt that he had an ear for music and he believed in what I was doing right away. Ever since that time we have been putting together business ventures.

Q: You were a part of the group N2Soul who has been close to a deal with Polygram. How did it feel when you finally knew that it wouldn't happen and in which way has this changed your opinion towards major labels?

Tim Jackson: I'm a realist. So to tell you the truth, I knew it wasn't going to happen. It wasn't just Polygram, it was the person that the group was hooked up with. I won't mention his name or his companies name but the day we met with Polygram at a huge radio convention in Chicago, people recognized who we were and approached us. They let us know that labels like RCA and MCA had deals waiting on the table for us and they never heard back from the guy we were dealing with. The whole thing was a selfish move on his part. The majors were very interested in the group but not his label therefore he chose not to take the offers. My feeling towards major labels are as follows: I believe that the old school executives got it. The Clive Davis' of the world, etc. They were looking for talent back in the day, not gimmicks or quick money. Nowadays no one is looking for talent, they are content with beauty alone. The excuse is always that it takes more to break a R&B Soul singer than a hip hop artist and I don't buy it. Marketing and planning makes anything more successful. Would I love a major deal? Absolutely! Will I sale my soul for that opportunity? HELL NO!!!

Q: Major labels these days always lament about a loss in sales and blame private copies and p2p. Personally I think their releases just lack originality and innovation. What's your opinion about this situation?

Tim Jackson: I would have to agree. The radio is saturated with the same old thing. I've listened to radio across the globe and everyone flocks to be the next R. Kelly, the next Usher and there are countless artist trying to be the next Beyonce. Where is D'Angelo, Jill Scott, Eryka Badu, Angie Stone. Thanks God for Mos Def, Twalieb, Common, Kanye. I don't here them on the radio anymore. Why is that?

Q: Why did you choose Bobby Womack's A Woman's Gotta Have It as cover version?

Tim Jackson: My boy Van Duan thought that it would be a great cover tune. They really had to talk me into it because I have so much respect for Mr. Womack and his work, I didn't want to taint it in anyway. But in the end me and my boy M-Doc got together and laid it down and it came out rather nicely.

Q: The song Chocolate Paradise is obviously influenced by your own biography. How much of Tim Jackson is in the other songs and is there a particular song that's your favourite?

Tim Jackson: Let's keep it in order:
Inseparable - is about me and my friends. It seemed as though we were going through joy, pain and death, all by ourselves dealing with life and our journey with this business. So when N2 Soul hit a dry spot in 97 we all felt the pain of lost jobs and emotional trauma.
A Rose to Concrete - This song is about my wife directly. Being a woman growing up in the ghetto and dealing with ghetto things and the world being on your back and you can't see a way out. I wrote it about her when I was away in Chicago at the studio for weeks at a time. I realized then how much she had sacrificed to make sure that my sons were okay and so I could pursue my dreams and aspirations. She is my Rose without question.
The Hustle - This is about my crew and Jeremy grinding to make something out of nothing. It talked about people who were in a position to help this jump off but never really pitched in to help. We always had the mentality to pop the truck if no one else was listening or supporting us. It's the same today.
Rainbows - Again I'm a realist and I know that life is the dash between when you are born and when you die. I wanted to make sure that I left something for my sons to reflect back on. It's important to me to connect with them and let them know the truth about life. I see them growing up and I want them to be well informed.
Miss U - This song is about people I lost in my life time. I really don't deal with death well. So, when my father died it hit me deep. I felt that life had cheated me out of getting to know him better. As a kid I knew what he looked like but never really knew where to get in contact with him. It wasn't until I was older that we finally connected and he started to explain to me some of the circumstances he was going through when I was younger. So, the song is definitely inspired by him and dedicated to him, my Aunt Delorse, my cousin Kevin Smith, my uncle Buba, my boys Darnell Bailey, Marvin Ware and Ronald Hutcheson.

Q: What can we expect from Tim Jackson in the future and how would you like to see your music evolve in the future?

Tim Jackson: Well I'm working on my sophomore album now, tentatively called "Stop Searching". This album will showcase some new sounds and a new direction. It will still be soul but even more so than the Next of Kin album. As far as my music, it evolves daily. The things, in life, to me that matter the most is what I will speak, write and sing about. My family is important to me. My community is important to me. My people are important to me. My God is most important to me. I'm the most under rated dude out here. All I want people to say about me is, this dude is serious and the essence of his soul can be seen. He's Classic.

For more infos visit cdbaby.com, soulcolloquy.com and read my review of Next Of Kin.