Able to pack a room like no other, Pluto the 9th Wonder is set to show off what it is that’s got so many movers and shakers in the Toronto entertainment scene crowding into a newly built private studio on the city’s west side. The sound system is blaring, but Pluto is heard hitting every note, all the peaks, just like he does so angelically on all his hit tracks. When the music quiets and Pluto takes a breath, a voice in the crowd is heard whispering to an affiliate of the singer’s Matic Music team, “You guys have got something right here!” Many who witness this young man’s talent agree that he is the next to make big waves in Toronto. A few hours before Pluto performed a few crowd favourites like, “Heart Speak” and “Breathe”, for the re-release party of his EP, Jessica, he shared a little about the passion behind his music, who Jessica is and what soul means.

YOUR MUSIC IS VERY EMOTIONALLY CHARGED. WHERE DOES ALL THIS PASSION COME FROM? Passion comes from personal experience… So I like to embrace that in my music. It all comes from personal experience and the reason why it would be touching to someone is because somebody else in the world might have felt the exact same way as I did.

YOUR EP IS CALLED JESSICA, IS JESSICA A REAL PERSON? Jessica is a real person; she is an ex of mine. She was very important to me. The way I love is a bit different from everyone else. Everyone else might just want to hook up with someone. I’m not so into that, I just wanted the one. But you don’t always get it right the first time, it was emotionally damaging so I put it on an EP.

WERE THOSE TRACKS INSPIRED BY JESSICA, THE FIRST TRACKS THAT YOU WROTE AND WANTED TO RECORD? Yeah. It’s a body of work. With each stage it’s kind of like a break up EP, but not so much breaking up with each other, but breaking up with yourself. There are different stages of it; for example “Triangles” is like you’re constantly going in a triangle of it’s okay, then I’m in denial and then I’m not upset… It’s all just different stages of psychological thinking.

WHAT WAS THE PROCESS LIKE IN THE STUDIO? WHO WERE YOU WORKING WITH? Kaz Matic, the leader of Matic Music. He is like my best friend so I can connect with him on a level higher than just an artist and a producer… He’ll be producing it and I’ll be singing it and we’ll both give it emotions and you’ll have something beautiful.

HOW FAR ARE YOU LOOKING TO GO WITH YOUR MUSIC? I’m trying to make it as big as possible, as far as the world will let me.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IT TAKES TO CROSS OVER THAT BRIDGE? Be unique and have something different… Like someone who’s poppin right now, Lorde. Nobody does shit like her so that’s why she’s popping. Just having something different and making sense with it.

WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES YOU DIFFERENT? The fact that everyone that listens to my music thinks I’m black, but then they come out to my show and find out that I’m white, I mean that’s kind of different.

SO YOU HAVE THAT SOUL SOUND. WHERE DOES THE INSPIRATION FOR THAT SOUND COME FROM? A lot of Frank Ocean. I bump him every day. You can have a good track and pour all of your emotion onto it. If you’re pouring all of your soul into it you’re technically giving it soul.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR UPCOMING PROJECTS? My team is pushing [Jessica] and we’re just talking about new ideas right now like what’s the next step… We gotta plan and take time with it and be patient about it; I’m only 19.

Interview By. Emma Kombora + Photos By. Janelle Scott-Johnson

Emma Kombora first found her interest for writing after graduating a journalism program in which she was Entertainment Editor for a youth-led magazine called Say Word through East Metro Youth Services in Scarborough. Through the same program at East Metro and other art/music initiatives in Toronto, she got a taste of everything that goes into journalism from writing and editing to photography. She hopes through Urbanology she can take her experience and knowledge to the next level and bring a new narrative to the world of entertainment and arts.

Comments are closed.