BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – “IT'S not exactly a name change. It's more like me discovering myself and having a different state of mind and the reality to accept that all I do musically is me, and I don't need a persona to represent me.”
These are the words of 28-year-old national Dancehall artiste Collin Wyatt, formerly known as C-Money.
Wyatt expressed those sentiments about his independent choice to use his birth name in the music industry and also gave the ‘411’ on the latest happenings with him during an exclusive interview with SKNVibes.
Collin Wyatt, who hails from Sandy Point, has been residing in Toronto, Canada for the past two years. While there, he has been busy networking in keeping his music alive as he views the music world from “another perspective”.
Currently, he does not have a manager but continues to operate his 2009-formed Good Company Music Group of which he has a few upcoming St. Kitts-Nevis national artistes whom he “guides” from long distance.
He explained that his decision to go by Collin Wyatt includes misconceptions associated with the ‘C-Money’ name and also out of respect and honour of his late mother, Slyvia Elaine Wyatt.
“I’ve decided to stop using C-Money and just use my own name Collin Wyatt - wishing it was something African though [laughing]- which I’ve been wanting to do for sometime due to a few misconceptions among other things. Like for instance, when I first started people used to call me a rapper and I came to realise the name didn't suit the type of music I was creating. And after discovering the army of other C-Moneys, also that the name has been trademarked, I decided it was time to put it to rest.”
“It's also in respect for my mother. When I decided to do it I had dreams about her for a whole week and I thought that was a sign,” Wyatt added.
He shared that he has been busy despite notions that he seemed dormant.
“I’ve been up to a lot although it might not seem like it back home, because that's the kind of person I am. I like working with my mouth closed. I have been networking, meeting new people and getting to see the music world from another perspective.”
Asked whether or not he intends returning to St. Kitts, Wyatt gave a patriotic response and made lyrical reference to one of his soon-to-be releases.
“I do intend on coming back to the Federation. Like one of my new songs (‘Es-K-En’) states, ‘You can take me outta St. Kitts but you can't take St. Kitts outta me. St. Kitts a wey me heart beat dey wey me navel string bury’.”
“I just gotta do what I’m doing and try to make things happen,” he added.
Notably, ‘Es-K-En’ is a pronunciation pun on the abbreviation of St. Kitts-Nevis; that is, ‘SKN’.
Commenting on what type of musical genre(s) he is currently into, Wyatt said, “It's still a little bit of everything but I wanna narrow it down to a more and do a fusion of Reggae Dancehall and sort of Hip Hop. Not the lyrics though with the Hip Hop part, but more of a fusion in sounds. I think those kinds of sounds brings out a better quality in my music.”
He shared with this media house what the experience is like working on his music outside of the Federation.
“The experience is a great one, although some things still remain music. It's like a genetic kind of thing where things that go on home goes on here, but its more eye opening. Like I think back home we're more focused on music and not music business.”
Asked when the public could expect to hear some fresh material from him, Wyatt outlined that he has already released a song called ‘Hit Dat’, which was produced by Dj Rinch (from St. Kitts) on the High Grade Aroma Riddim.
“Hit Dat”, he said, “is not about drug use but referring to the way music makes me feel to being high.”
He said there is a remix to that song featuring Bouseky of Unstoppable Chalice Sounds and “my artiste Best Boii (both from St. Kitts), but it might not be pushing as much because I am not there”.
Additionally, in a few days Wyatt is expected to release a single called ‘My Time’ on the Soul Deep Riddim produced by the UK-based Tommy Waddington of Nice up Productions.
Wyatt said the ‘riddim’ features a wide range of artistes from Barbados, Jamaica, France, United States of America, Gambia and Botswana, and it should be released within a week’s time.
“I got a few more tracks for my own project and with other producers here, but after ‘My Time’ should be ‘Es-K-En’ produced by Joel ‘Young J’ Heyliger, then I will see what's next as I got a whole catalog of music lined up.”
Asked about his purpose of being involved in music, he explained that such “is to spread the word to let people from where I come from, know they don't have to remain in the shadows and to let their talent shine.
“ I always tell people I wanna help if I ever reach a position where I can make a change off this music. I wanna do a lot of good because, for me, I’d rather see people have it and be better off. That's my real mission! I was given this talent to multiply off of and give back.”
Wyatt first emerged on the musical scene as a calypsonian in 2000 and was crowned SPHS (Sandy Point High School, now Charles E. Mills Secondary) Calypso King.
He was a member of the 2003-started group called F.T Boys and had produced a song called ‘Ladies in the Club’ which he re-did by himself. The group had a demo in the following year.
Wyatt said in 2005 “I did my solo thing and got noticed for my song ‘Country above Self’, then ‘My Wish’ took it to another level”.
Many people know him from his nationalistic hit song called ‘SK Sweet’.
As it pertains to his influences in music, he highlighted that “I always say my older brother and sister, Elvis and Shelbe, and the radio, because that was what we had for our entertainment. And my ‘bro’ loved music and he would sing just for singing sake and I would be around when they would tape songs on cassette, write them out in books and learn them”.
Like his mother, his father, William George Frazer, is deceased. “Both thought they were the best singers in the world too and I just wanted to better them,” he said laughingly.
He also mentioned that Sizzla, Buju Banton and his friend Cog-Z are the artistes who had inspired him.
Wyatt admires “artistes who make music I can relate to and anybody taking the love for the craft seriously and putting the love first”.
According to him, “My future for music is to take it as far as it can go. The sky ain't the limit for me, so I am gonna push it beyond.”
He extended his gratitude to the “people who believe in me and wanna see me do good in life”.
These individuals include Sashe, friends Koban and Bal-G, his family, his Good Company Music Group crew (Ghetto, Best Boii, Lil Barzey, JY Shawtty and Zarena) and graphic designer Jow of Jow Designz.
“And my other supporters and even the ones that wish me the worst, because they give me stuff to sing about…so thanks to you. And to you Precious and SKNVibes, thanks for the opportunity to share this story.”
For more information on Collin Wyatt, you can go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheCollinwyatt and https://www.facebook.com/CollinWyattsose. And to get the featured song, you can go to: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?baas953ts9t8med
