Q&A with City
In Too Deep
It’s February 26, 2019 and City awakes on an island 2,000 miles from his New York home. The familiar breeze kicks up memories of his childhood when he would visit family and friends and connect with a place that was as much a part of him as his LI roots. This is no ordinary island to City, and this is certainly no ordinary time. This is Carnival in Trinidad.
“Trinidad is more than a place to me; to say it’s a big part of my life and who I am is an understatement,” City says as he leans back in his chair and glances out of his office window. “There’s just something about it, an aura, that serves as a real driving force and sense of creativity for me.”
While he danced and celebrated his successes from the previous year both personally and professionally, the magic of Trinidad began to call out for more. It was there and then he began to plan his next move. One that would require the trademark hustle he had come to be known for.
Fast forward a year later. The music industry, much like the rest of the world, had been turned upside down. With shows being canceled around the globe, City knew he was approaching a make-or-break grind that would push him tremendously and put his years of experience to the test.
So grind he did, and the culmination of that work during the hardest year of his professional life is about to come to fruition.
What was your inspiration for In Too Deep and what do you remember about that moment when you realized this was the next step in your career?
My inspiration for In Too Deep was the moment I wanted more for my career. Often, artists would play me their unreleased or unheard music and ask for my opinion. Sometimes we may disagree and that sparks a respectful debate about the current state of music. So I decided to offer the world my expression on how I hear music, how I view a dance song or a relationship song. Instead of trying to get others to make music the way I thought it should be, why not make it myself? Ultimately it will also allow me to express myself on stage with my performance. So in essence making music and creating music is just my way of offering my feelings and emotions to the world.
Was this move to making your own music always a part of your plans and who or what inspired you to go this route?
I’ve always wanted to create my own music and manage and develop my own artists, but it came to a point where the best route is to do it myself under my own name and likeness. I still want to help aspiring artists and creatives and by no means am I doing this creation by myself. There is a team of people that I work with, the difference is I get to have the final say of what is going out under my name and that is rewarding yet heavy at the same time.
As far as my inspirations go I have to say a big one has been Diplo and the entire Major Lazer crew. I think he is out of this world. His sounds and production are second to none and I truly thank him for inspiring me. DJ Khaled is a force. He has set the bar so high for DJs and producers as artists. Lastly, I would say Calvin Harris. The guy makes anthems and I love how smart he is about which songs he lends his own vocals too.
What led you to this style of music when you were planning this record and how did it evolve over time?
Growing up in a Trinidadian household, calypso music was on constantly. My uncle is a famous bandleader so naturally, his music was on throughout my childhood. Calypso evolved into Soca music and I always had a deep respect for it. When creating my own music, it only felt natural that I would tap into my roots with my own spin. I am a child of Hip Hop culture. Rap music is everything, so infusing that as well with soulful lyrics was only fitting.
Who is City the artist and how is he different than earlier in your career?
City the artist is a person that loves to entertain and make people happy. Some of my greatest memories are when complete strangers come up to me and say thank you for helping them enjoy their time. I love to make people happy and smile and there is no better language to communicate with people other than music. As far as personal growth. I believe I’m much more mature now than I was. I used to think it was all about hype and craziness, now I realize it is a journey. A marathon if you will.
What did you learn most about yourself during the making of the record and specifically the last 12 months?
I learned the value of patience, persistence, and quality. Quality over quantity any day of the week and twice on Sunday. There were deals I could have taken, situations I could have been a part of but I just had to bide my time. We assembled a great team of creatives and business minds and we went to work.
What’s next?
MORE MUSIC. Now that we have the label and the proper resources I want to release quality content on a regular basis. We have a two and five-year plan for my career and I am looking forward to creating opportunities for myself and the team as well as bringing people joy around the world.