first tour, My bandleader had a habit of calling me, “Keith Grooves” as did the rest of the band, so it stuck.
How do you feel about being an independent music artist / producer in 2016? Blessed, Empowered and privileged. Now that the music business paradigm has shifted, the chances of an artist succeeding are far greater.
What are the major differences between having your own record label vs. being signed to a major label? Like owning your own business, YOU are the Boss! You have to work harder and cultivate more resources, where as being signed many of those resources are already in place. Another advantage of ownership is you oversee the entire process and can move things along quicker or at a pace that you believe to be most productive. There are pluses and minuses, but I believe with having ownership, the rewards are far greater.
Would you ever consider going back to a major label if the opportunity came around? Well ironically, we are distributed by a major label; however our current deal is a straightforward no strings, win-win deal… But if I was offered a direct, Major recording contract, I may consider it, if the deal was EXTREMELY well structured.
When you initially started in the business, it seemed as though your focus was R&B. When did you decide to go outside of the genre and why? I didn’t actually “decide.” When I started out I was trying to see where I fit. As time passed, I just to began to evolve as an artist. My prime objective is to make music that sounds and feels REALLY great with contemporary elements, sounds and lyrics that will evoke, compel or inspire anyone at any age.
Was it easy to crossover to another style of music? I don’t concentrate on creating within a particular musical genre or crossing over,