By Kristy Ramnarine (Trinidad Guardian)Soca artiste/producer KMC (Ken Marlon Charles), has been signed to American label Ultra Empire Sequence Records.
And although the four-album deal between the Trinidadian soca star and the Manhattan record label was only signed in April this year, KMC is close to releasing his debut album, Soul On Fire, on the label.
In an interview on Tuesday, KMC said former managing director of local label Rituals Records, Jean Michel Gibert, was responsible for his signing.
“Jean Michel gave Ultra Empire my song, Circle Of Love, in France earlier this year,” he said.
“The label called me and said that they were interested in me. Patrick Moxy, who signed Neptunes, Jay Z and Beenie Man at Virgin Records, is the one who pulled me on board.”
Moxy is now the CEO of Ultra Empire Sequence Records, which, in its short existence, has established itself as one of the most progressive hip-hop labels.
The label stands at the forefront of underground hip-hop compilations with its “Sequence Mixtape Sessions” series.
KMC said Soul On Fire was completed in a short space of time because he played a major role in its production.
“The company was overwhelmed when they found out that I could produce my own music,” he said.
The debut album, which is named after the artiste’s popular single Soul On Fire, will be released on October 4 at the Hyatt Hotel, Miami.
KMC will be performing with his band Red, White and Black.
Other local performers, including Maximus Dan, Destra with Atlantic, Shurwayne Winchester, Jungle and Ken Professor Philmore will also be featured.
The album will also be released in Japan in November, but there is no release date for T&T as yet.
“This is not any small thing but a big thing for T&T,” he said.
“We need this album to go platinum to let the world know that soca music is from T&T.
“It is time for Government to get involved in promoting local artistes as well.”
KMC also called on citizens to stay away from piracy and purchase original copies of the album.
Soul On Fire, the single, was the first track released from the album in June this year.
The song’s remix, which featured Jamaican dancehall star Beenie Man and American disc jockey Fat Man Scoop, is currently being played in 22 states in the US.
The second single, Love, which is a new song from KMC, will be released in Trinidad this week and in New York by the end of November.
The remix for that song featured American female hip-hop artiste Lumidee.
KMC’s first hardcore hip-hop song, Arms of My Baby, will be the third single to be released from the album.
The million-dollar budget video for Soul on Fire is presently in the making, with Beenie Man and Fat Man Scoop scheduled to be featured.
KMC will be joining Beenie Man on his US “King of the Dancehall” tour later this month. The tour will span across four major cities.
For more information on KMC and the label, log on to
www.sequencerecords.com.
