Reasoning with Quan De Artist

Coretta Joe  Quan De Artist, real name Jaquan Headley is as real as they come; no frills and no pretences, unapologetically Bajan in his speech and mannerisms. The 21-year-old singer/songwriter recently sat down with Crop Over Pulse to discuss his wildly popular hit Waistline and his plans for Crop Over 2023.  As successful as Waistline has been this season, Quan De Artist is no stranger to the music industry. He has been a recording artiste for nearly a decade, releasing songs such as Do The Ish, Zag and collaborating with Rico Maserati on 4 am Feelings.   His crossover to Soca, however, was not a random occurrence. He had been studying the music of artistes such as Lil Rick, Timmy and WCK, citing them as major influences on his sound.  “‘30 seconds of Wukking Up’, ‘Woman in Front and Man Behind,’ . . . all of that old school vibe, everybody into ‘zess’ and slow beats. My music is supposed to make you not want to take drugs . . . my music is already a drug. If you hear my music, it’s supposed to make your blood rush,” he said with a laugh.  The young singer told Crop Over Pulse that he has already learned a lot from being in the music industry, and he acknowledges that he still has a lot more to learn. The most important lesson that he has been taught is to set boundaries. “Although you have respect for certain people, there’s boundaries to everything,” he said.  He is grateful to his record label, Cloud Music, for believing in his talent. He explained that his first contract with the label was in distribution, but that didn’t last long.  “They ended up upgrading it and giving me a budget so they could actually push me. They see the potential, and they work with it,” he disclosed.  With a record label in tow, the talented artiste’s work ethic is impeccable. A typical day includes WhatsApp calls with his manager and studio time.  “Every day I does be working. I don’t even got time to sleep. When I go in my bed and lay down and I don’t feel sleepy, I call the taxi and go in the studio. I went overseas, and all they [the managers] do is work, so it rubbed off on me. I don’t like to be idle.”  Relationships are extremely important to Quan De Artist. He believes in the bigger picture and works with promoters and various service providers to ensure that the relationship is mutually beneficial. “Everything don’t be money. I could go and do a show today, and the show could have this body and that body, and I tell myself I want four grand, not knowing I could do it for $2,500 and get to meet this body and that body and they wanna do this song with me because of how I performed,” he reasoned.  Family also means everything to the young performer. He shares a home with his mother and grandmother and made no qualms about declaring that they could “get whatever they want”.  “When it all boils down, them is the only people that [are] there for me. I’m there for them regardless.”  As Quan De Artist reflects on the success and attention he’s been getting this season, he also acknowledges the discipline that comes with it.  “My mother does tell me I have a strong brain. You gotta be focused and have an understanding and know when and where. Sometimes you gotta be able to take disrespect. I went through a lot of things in life. A lot of people failed me. I just try to do everything on my end. I can’t get all done, but you need a positive team behind you. You just need guidance and people to keep you focused.”   ]]>