Kristen McGregor known in the music industry as Kris Kelli
KINGSTON, Jamaica – KRISTEN MCGREGOR, known in the music industry as Kris Kelli, recently told SKNVibes in an exclusive interview that she has learnt and has grown in the music industry since she first started in 2003.
McGregor was born at the Nuttall Hospital in Kingston, said that when she first started out in the industry she was a young naïve artiste who did not know much about the music business and music itself.
“I didn’t have much of an understanding of it at the time, but I’ve grown so much as an artiste and as a person now,” she said. “I’ve learnt a lot, I’ve evolved as a song writer and performer onstage and I think I’ve learnt a lot about the industry itself, which has helped me to grow a lot more as an artiste.”
The artiste, who will be 24 next month, released ‘Hideaway’ in 2003 as her first single.
Since then she had worked steadily in preparing herself to release her debut album ‘My World’ in 2006, which featured a whopping 15 track including ‘Live Forever’ (Fame), which also featured Vybz Kartel, and ‘Deep within your eyes’ featuring the self-proclaimed king of Dancehall, Beenie Man.
The album is said to have represented various genres of Reggae music and also captures the essence, journey and versatility of the artiste, and was released in Japan by Pony Canyon Int.
McGregor said that her first album, although great, cannot compare to what she has to offer with her sophomore album titled ‘Journey to the Present’, which is scheduled to be released in 2009.
“It shows how I’ve grown as an artist and as a writer. It’s about the experiences around me and about me growing and learning more about myself, as I’m much more mature and I’m able to express myself better now. So, it’s all about learning and growing for me from strength to strength,” she said.
She described 2007 and 2008 as hectic years for her musically as she produced three videos in 2007, including ‘We’re missing you’ which was nominated for The Best Video Award among three other videos at The Reggae Academy Awards.
She has also been doing several travelling and touring and preparing herself for more tours at the end of the year, as well as completing tracks for her upcoming album.
She was signed to the London-based Westbury music in January 2008 and recently released her new single ‘Kotch Around’.
McGregor brings a unique style and flavor to the industry that which she has spent some years perfecting as she takes her craft seriously.
“Basically, I’m unique in my own way. Each of us has a lot to offer this industry. I’m an entertainer and I love performing onstage and bringing out my inner self; I love connecting with the audience.
“I make sure I bring my own twist and style to it, whether I’m performing or doing an interview, I try to stand out; I make sure I bring a Kris Kelli flare to it. I think as a female artiste I have a lot to bring, as well as all the other female artistes.
“You can listen a Kris Kelli song and say, ‘Yeah that’s definitely Kris Kelli’, or you can listen Alaine and say that’s Alaine. Each of us has our own unique style to bring to the industry where we each can stand out,” she said.
McGregor admitted that making it in the industry was not easy as an artiste, and especially as a female artiste which makes them work a little harder as the industry is dominated by males.
“There’s competition for everyone in general, but it’s a good thing. It keeps you on your game, keeps you focus and keeps the standard high, and I’m always about keeping the standard of music high,” she said. “At the end of the day, we tend to face our ups and downs, but in whatever negativity we go through as female artistes it’s about how we bounce back. The good thing about it, there’s a lot more female artistes emerging in the music industry so it makes everyone take the industry seriously.”
Some of McGregor’s singles includes, ‘Step Up’, ‘Uptown Top Ranking’, ‘Sweet Intro’, ‘Flip up’ and ‘Can’t let go’.
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