There is something different about Jaicko.
“My parents, especially my dad, weren’t too sure about it. It was his idea of the image with the hair, but it has been 10 years now I have been growing it”, he explains about the shorn locks. “Music has always been my expression and I am growing up so the change was more for me. This isn’t a marketing strategy.”
My first question was did fans still recognize him? “I was nervous at first because I thought they wouldn’t but they did. And everybody liked it so it feels good”, he said, shaking the hand of a fan who told him to keep making beautiful music.
Jaicko has been in the music industry since age nine, performing with his father Phillip Forrester’s popular group 4-D People.
By 13 he was writing and performing his own songs and promoting them on the Internet through MySpace.
Now at age 20 he has “accomplished a record deal, toured the United States with such names as Sean Kingston, performed at a slew of festivals and been interviewed by major magazines and radio personalities. But he is not where he wants to be right now, yet he is not complaining.
“I am not where I want to be in my career, but I’ve realized it’s not really so much about where I want to be when I want, but more about taking the necessary steps I need to ensure that I’m fully prepared for when it’s the right time for me to be there.”
Jaicko elaborated he was all about perfecting his craft and looking towards more songwriting and producing. A big part of his passion that has suffered, has even been working with a few up-and-coming artistes. But for right now he is trying to focus on himself.
“My songwriting skills have improved tremendously. I’ve been spending a lot of time practising my craft, gaining knowledge from experiences shared by many different kinds of people and also from my own personal experiences.”
He is all about the fans and it is for them that he trods on in a music industry that he says is not easy work.
He says the true test was really when you actually have to do it.
“It was difficult to adjust, but I’m doing fine!” He tells newcomers to “expect the unexpected”.
He is on a “working vacation” because “work never stops”, but he likes to be back home in Barbados chilling and relaxing. When he goes back to Jersey tomorrow, it is straight into the studio.
He is in the process of switching from his label of two years Capitol, but he is still working on a new album. Not only that, he is also producing a mixtape. “With an album you have boundaries . . . this mixtape is to connect with the fans and to express my creativity without the boundaries.”
Jaicko is big on social media and spends a lot of time on Twitter (“best way to connect with the fans”) Ustream and Youtube. On the latter he has many videos of himself, especially two of him doing a cover of We Try (Frank Ocean) and Chris Brown‘s Fools With You. Someone on Youtube said “If you can’t get Chris Brown, get Jaicko.” How does that compliment feel I asked?
“The Chris Brown and Frank Ocean covers weren’t anything more than me just sharing my love for the songs with my fans! I’m actually always really flattered by Chris Brown comparisons and compliments. I’m a big fan and it’s great to be compared to someone as great as him.”
Throughout the interview the word “fan” keeps cropping up. “I don’t care if I play to two people or 2 000. Once I can convert them into believers of me and my craft. I must say thanks to the fans for being so supportive of me.
“Look out for more videos and more music. There will be bigger and better things coming from me.”
One of those things could be going on tour with someone unexpected, maybe a huge rock act like U2 or a mega superstar like Jay-Z. For Jaicko, the only limit is himself as he figures out how to conquer the world.
