Crystal Cheatham — Indie from the start

I recently interviewed a friend of mine for an article I’m (knock on wood) writing for Relevant magazine. His name is Victor Latimer and when I asked him about how his career started the story he delivered seemed to be sprinkled with fairy dust. Victor was originally headed towards a degree in law, but after randomly meeting a guy on his college campus and letting one thing lead to anther, Victor Latimer was discovered.

Every Indie artist has dreamed it. From coffee shops and open mics to sitting desperately in front of an instrument pounding out the tune to whatever song is on our hearts, we’ve wanted to be just like Victor. He toured with big names like Brian McKnight, Lincoln Park, and Diddy (back when he was known as Puff Daddy). Victor Latimer had it all. When one tour or contract would end another would always pick up. But one thing he did tell me though was that with all the quick money to be earned in the business, there was very little room for the consideration of passion, artistry, and craft. And so to stand up for what he believed in, he quit.

Last night I went to an event at the World Cafe Live in Philly called the Harvest where spoken word, visual art, and original music were the reasons why the house was packed. During the event a featured performer who happened to be on the spoken word scene from way back when Jill Scott and other now famous floacists were spinning rhymes in peoples basements, said something that hit home for me. She spoke about how blessed a person is to have a poem flowing through them. She spoke about the reasons why people write poems and not the outcome of the poem, and said that people deliver poetry because it is a gift from the one who created them and not a something they should flaunt and deliver in order to receive fame. Just like Victor Latimer, she saw the ugly side of “the business” and urged those who still have a soul form which to transmit the radio waves of their muse to continue to do so with purity and love for the craft. Taking time from her own spoken word set, she wanted artists to see their gifts for more than fortune building and fame. Being an experienced artist, she seems to have come to the same conclusion about “the business” as Victor.

Since his retirement from touring with the big name headliners, Victor has started his own campaign on music. He can’t stop singing because it is who he is. But he can redefine where his music comes from  and where it is going. For those who are looking to “get into the business.” Victor says “Many of us have amazing gifts and blessings currently in our lives that we are taking for granted, abusing, or just not seeing because of the decisions we are making.”

It’s hard not to loose yourself when the talent you have been given has the potential to give so much back to you financially. But taking it from two veterans who have been there, done that, and seen what chasing after the wrong thing does, I think I’m going to think twice about what “making it big” really means.