Clinton Sparks (centre) poses with Kamau Georges (left) and Dalan Vanterpool. Photo: VINO

“I want to change up the vibe of being in the typical Boston or LA studios that I’m usually in,” Sparks said in an exclusive interview with Virgin Islands News Online. Sparks is currently on a trip to the Virgin Islands to collaborate on tracks for his debut album, Disco Ball & Chain, with local producer and Jazz musician, Kamau Georges.

Sparks said the concept of his first album consists of a hybrid of different sounds that make up Clinton Sparks. It is expected to be a fusion of elements such as rock, hip hop, funk and R&B among others. Previously, Sparks released a number of mix-tapes and collaborated with a host of artists on various tracks over the years.

Georges said the two have shared a good chemistry over the years and learned a lot from each other. “He’s a real visionary, not just confined to music,” Georges said, “…but a lot of it is me helping [Sparks] to paint some of his great ideas.”

Much like the first single, ‘Gold Rush’, off his new album that was released yesterday, Sparks said there are elements of hip hop, with guitar influences reminiscent of a rock album. The track features 2 Chainz, Macklemore and DA of Chester French; collaborators the artist suggested many would say have no business being together on a track.

“What I want to do is make records that on paper don’t make sense to the average person then when they hear it, it’s like ‘Wow! It sounds awesome,” Sparks explained.

Georges disclosed that his own background in jazz is instrumental in this sense, especially since his work is primarily about freedom. “Jazz has always been a melting pot, pulling stuff from here and there,” he said.

Though he sought out a change in the studio environment to work in the Virgin Islands, Sparks also described Kamau Georges as a magician in recording his vocals and said this was the primary reason for his presence in the Territory. “I’ve recorded with people everywhere, and no one is as good as Kamau, so it’s worth travelling to Tortola, to have him record me,” Sparks said.

As is customary with Sparks, he will once again be playing several roles on the yet to be released album, which include singing, rapping, writing, producing and instrumentals. The album will feature other notable artists such as T.I., Rick Ross, Big Sean, Travie McCoy in addition to the previous artists mentioned on his released track. He revealed that there are also negotiations being done with other artists for more collaborations on the album.

Though he is often compelled to divide his attention between his many ventures such as his long running radio show and mix-tape website, Sparks disclosed that his current focus is very much on his upcoming debut album.

“I have a lot of ideas and a lot of things on hold actually, because my number one priority and focus is this album,” Sparks said. This is all part of the drive to complete the first album of a record deal he signed with Photo Finish/Island/Def Jam Records which he said supersedes everything else for the moment. His goal is to create as much exposure as possible as he turns his agenda to working on a video for the just released track.

The leap towards his debut album came after his success on ‘Favourite DJ’ featuring Jermaine Dupri and DJ Class with previous label, Interscope Records.

Sparks said that he wanted to chart a new course for himself after this success and decided to infuse his rock, hip hop and other influences in doing so. “I’ve always been a big fan of bands like Queen and Muse,” he said while counting producer Teddy Riley among his influences, “I’ve always been somebody that listens to everything.”

He feels that it is a great thing that the world has finally become more tolerant and accepting of all types of music combined from different genres, a place that he stated he has always been. “Before, it was more segregated, like here is the hip hop station, here is the rock station, here’s the rock kids,” he said, “now, everyone goes to festivals and you could be there, I could be there and we’re both raging to the same bands.”

He sees himself as ushering in a new level of tolerance and acceptance of good music, minus the constraint that comes from being a fan of any particular genre or format.

Sparks’ willingness to experiment with concepts similar to those on his upcoming album sets him apart from other artistes and is a testament to his endurance and vision in the music industry.

“I wake up every day and try to be the best me and the next day I try to wake up and try to be better than I was yesterday,” Sparks said.