A decade of rap

RhyMinister has a passion for people. So when he writes and delivers his rap he is hoping to connect with someone who identifies with the words in his song. He desires to inspire and influence. Ultimately, he wants to help people along the way as he “ministers” through rap and rhymes.

The artiste whose real name is Keoma Mallett started his musical journey in 2008. His first public performance was at a show called Talk Hard at then Bump N’ Wine, now Marina Bar & Restaurant in Cavans Lane, Bridgetown.

It was after hearing a song called You Know My Steez by American group Gang Starr that he decided he would try his own hand at something he had always loved.

“When I write, I draw my influences from my life and experiences in general. I was always good with my imagination and expression. There are some local artistes too who are inspirations to me – people like DJ Symmonds, Adrian Green, Sun Rock, Mahalia, a lot of different things and people… Tupac, Wu-Tang Clang. Although I am not a huge fan, Eminem’s wordplay inspires me too,” he told Bajan Vibes recently.

He was a part of the League of Extra Ordinary poets. He has also been in NIFCA and is seriously considering performing on that national stage again. “I love music. I love artistic vibes. I do enjoy creating. I love Tony Morrison. I read a lot of her work.”

Explaining how he came up with the name RhyMinister, the rapper said it was not his first choice but the name he seemed destined to be known by.

“Initially my name was Cloud Nine but there was another artist from Barbados whose name was Cloud Nine. We were both at Mahalia’s Corner, we spoke and I decided since it was his already, I would change mine. I heard a rapper from the US say he ‘raps like the prime minister, no one else is so sinister’ and that stuck in my mind for a while. I love to play with rhymes so I call myself RhyMinister.”

The former student of Harrison College and graduate of UWI with a double major in Computer Science, who also dabbled a bit in marketing, said the general belief is that you can’t be a successful rapper here in Barbados.

“People say rapping in Barbados – you are not going to go anywhere with it. But I am not only trying to be on stage performing if I can do talks.” But RhyMinister is determined that the naysayers aren’t stopping him. He says his love of people and his need to get his message across will keep him in the game.

“I have a strong love for people. Be mindful of how you treat people, there is much more to this life than money. My goal in life is to be happy. I want to establish myself as a prominent performer. I want my name to be at a point when people hear it [and] they know it will be excellent. People would say – I want this man to host my show, I want this man to talk at my school. What I have to share is something I want people to hear…”

RhyMinister is speaking with first-hand knowledge since he admits facing some of the darkest years of his life recently. The 37-year-old who once worked at Chefette and made a living from computer coding said he was in a deep depression which he found hard to work his way out of.

“I was depressed around 2015, 2016. Part of it was because I was not at the level I wanted to be as an artist. I had to go through a lot. I had to relearn stuff. I learned to be patient with myself.

“Everything was happening. My grandmum died, I lost my job. But I realize now all those bad things were leading me to where I was supposed to be. My spirit had been guiding me here. I wanted to take the step to focus solely on rap but I was too afraid.”

He continued: “This is the worst time in my life based on financial backing but fortunately, it is the most fulfilling. I don’t feel my spirit screaming at me like it used to. There is no safety net, but I felt I had to do it. My spirit was just screaming at me – you need to do it. I feel I am under-equipped. It really is a frightening period but I am living my dream and passion.

“I know there are people who are going through depression now who might feel like everything is going against them. With mental health, like physical health, it takes you a while to get back to yourself.

“Things can get difficult but you really have to take a chance to do what you want to do. Cause if you don’t do it, you may always feel down. Do what you love, eat right, exercise regularly, get sleep and be patient. Although this may be considered the worst time to be RhyMinister, I feel happy. I feel good. It’s a beautiful thing to know that you can experience happiness.”

The artist recalls growing up and how the arts formed an integral part of his home life. “When I was younger, my parents would rearrange the house and we would do some dancing together. We would read poetry together. My dad was really humorous. He would imitate Bill Cosby. My mum would take me to the Daphne Joseph Hackett Theatre to watch plays. We didn’t have a lot of money but those things brought happiness.”

RhyMinster also credits his 79-year-old great uncle with whom he lives for being a huge source of encouragement during his tough periods. “My uncle would say: ‘You in a phase. Don’t worry about it, we will get through.’” (IMC)