Fresh off of a whirlwind club tour in the U.S., Chynn kicks it with VIBE.com about her musical family, her new album, and about being compared to other Caribbean female artists.
Vibe: Tell me about your musical background.
Tami Chynn: My mother was a vocalist and she played the trumpet. My father was also a musician, he played the drums and the bass guitar. When I was growing up, they were both in a band called The Carnations, so I was always around music.
Do you play any instruments yourself?
Tami Chynn:I dabble a little every now and then with the guitar, but I’m not really a musician. I’m more of a singer and performer.
What made you first realize singing was your caling?
Tami Chynn: I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember. But I started seriously pursuing a musical career when I was 17. That was the first time I ever recorded a song.
How would you describe your sound?
Tami Chynn:I’d call it eclectic dancehall. I take every type of music like, jazz, hip hop, reggae, everything and serve it on the plate of dancehall, and then some.
It sounds like you have a diverse musical palate. Who's inspired you musical?
Tami Chynn:I listen to everyone from Andrea Bocelli to Sean Paul, Alanis Morissette, the Beatles… everything.
The name of your album is “Out of Many… One.” What inspired that title and what does it mean?
Tami Chynn:It means a lot of things, actually. My ethnicity is a mix of Caucasian, Chinese, Cherokee and African-American. So, it’s like out of many different heritages, I am one. I’ve also taken so many different types of music and put them into one. And in Jamaica, our national motto is “Out of Many One People,” so I drew from that.
right In the past, you’ve appeared on tracks with artists like Sean Paul, Beenie Man, and Lady Saw. Are there any collaborations on this particular project?
Tami Chynn:The only person I did a collaboration with on the new album was Assassin, who is such a vibrant person and is huge in Jamaica. But other than that, I didn’t want to clutter the album with too many collaborations because I’m trying to establish myself as an artist right now.
How about on the production side, who did you work with?
Tami Chynn:I mainly worked with Jamaican producers, like South Soul the same producers that I recorded with back when I was 17.
Did you share any of the writing credits?
Tami Chynn:Yeah, man. I wrote on every single track. My sister, Tessanne, helped write a lot on the album too.
Rhianna’s “S.O.S.” is really hot right now. How do you feel about any comparisons that people might make between the two of you?
Tami Chynn:I mean, people are gonna wanna compare me and Rhianna, just because we’re both from the Caribbean. But essentially, when you look at our music and our style, you’ll see that there's nothing similar there.
You’re relatively well known back in Jamaica, but when you perform in the United States, you’re starting from scratch. Is it easier to perform back home where more people know you?
Tami Chynn:Performing in Jamaica is a lot more difficult because there’s the pressure of performing in front of your family in friends. In Jamaica, you can’t get away with being less than good. Here, it’s challenging, too, because you have the pressure to rep your home and do a good job and do it well.
What’s the most difficult thing about being a new artist in the industry?
Tami Chynn:The hardest part is trying to find people who want to work with you. It’s hard for upcoming artists. You have to prove yourself time and time again. I’ve just been lucky to come across producers who wanted to develop artists.
Ever thought about relocating to the United States?
Tami Chynn:I don’t plan on leaving Jamaica just yet. But I’ve been traveling in the U.S. for many years and I really love it here.<> Your album drops soon. After you garner all the success you hope for, what’s next for Tami Chynn?
Tami Chynn:Oh, I plan to do it all. Of course, I’m going to continue touring here and promoting the album. But I also want to one day venture into acting or do Broadway, have a clothing line, shoe line, restaurant, everything! I’m also going to continue doing a lot of work in Jamaica, do what I can to make it a better place.
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