Choklate: Seattle's Soulful Powerhouse Blending Jazz, R&B, and Hip-Hop on Stages Coast to Coast
Photos provided by Choklate
By Lorcan Stokes
Since starting her career, Seattle-born, San Diego-raised Soul artist Choklate has established herself as a prominent figure in the local music scene. Her work blends everything from Jazz, R&B, dance, and Hip-Hop, featuring collaborations with Seattle producers and notable artists like De La Soul, Jake One, Vitamin D, Chali 2na, and more. She's commanded famous Seattle stages like The Showbox and Chop Suey and performed in venues across California, establishing herself as one of the Northwest's most prominent soul artists.
Converge Music recently spoke with Choklate to discuss her journey through the music industry, sources of inspiration, and what upcoming shows and projects she has in the works.
How has the Seattle music scene shaped you as an artist?
Common Sense Studios, Jambalaya, finding out I had a voice next to Reggie Watts, KEXP, Beyond Reality, Kuddie, Vitamin D, Jake One, The Triple Door, and my absolute favorite musicians under the sun that live here and run the scene to name a few insanely impactful eras, experiences and connections in my creative life... and all those people and moments have raised me…creatively.
J Moore, my brother & lots of both great and really, really crappy music business experiences that were the best folks could do with what they had and knew is what taught me to be who I am in the boardroom as an artist and my entire community taught me and continues to demonstrate artivism…Seattle is really home creatively… it's where I was birthedartistically...
You've worked with diverse artists, from Boom Bap Project to Moby to Drake to Vitamin D. How have these collaborations influenced your music and growth?
Well, some influenced, and some were just collabs. Vitamin D helped me to strengthen my ear and helped me master the art of the stack. I got to really explore harmonies and use my voice in different ways. He also exposed me to my musical lineage which was really cool and helped me understand my creative inclinations more so....collabing w/ Phonte from Lil Brother was the first time someone ever wrote a song for me...I helped put foam on my brother's first studio and Kuddie Fresh gave me my first beat to ruin and was the first person I ever created with in my life. He and I wrote my first song when we were both not too far gone from diapers, on the floor in the kitchen, on the pots and pans while our moms were at church...I think we got a spanking for having those dishes on the floor, but I still remember the song like the back of my hand...those experiences stretched me in ways that helped me expand as an artist. Sometimes, I just recorded my part, or my part was hijacked by someone who wanted it after I created it, lol, and so...those influenced me to stand a lil more firm as it pertains to business but ...I think all the different collabs influenced me to really acknowledge my pen because I can genuinely do anything...for a long while I would say except hard rock but I've wielded my pen in every genre and I reallydo rock with it all...
Have any collaborations really stuck with you?
Ummmmm.... I would say my favorite collab would have to have been w/ Phonte from Little Brother. Having someone write for you and having input or say so on the construction of a song was a new concept when I went to work with/ him, but he made me feel hella safe and comfortable, and all his ideas and guidance and such were fire, so I loved that experience. We broke bread, talked life, laughed a lot cause he's just a wise ass in the best ways but that would be the one that stuck w/ me. It taught me, be straight no chaser about art, tell the truth, trust your gut but don't be an asshole, and be open-minded so you can learn new layers of your artistic self. The vibes were super foundational to what we created and I enjoyed that collab more than any other that I've ever done. It felt real, we created together from top to bottom. Yeah, I dug that one most.
Your debut album received a massive response that did significant numbers. How did it feel to release your first full-length album and see it resonate with listeners worldwide?
I was very flippant. I didn't fully grasp what was happening. I didn't trust all the attention and accolades either cause, you know, trauma, imposter syndrome, triggers, and insecurity blah blah blah, but honestly, I didn't even take it seriously. All I could think was, "Harriette made me a hustler, and this is another stream of income..." so I just got to work. I loved the process of the music, but once it came out, I was sorta in an alternate reality and not really believing what people were telling me about the art cause I didn't believe in myself. I faked it really good but if you knew me well, you knew I never felt like anything special as it pertained to the music. I thought I was getting away w/ murder. lol
What upcoming projects, shows, collaborations, or performances are in the works?
New music will drop by year's end. I have collabs w/ some of my best friends who are some of yalls favorite artists and some that I hope to put you on to cause they are fire.
Shows are coming too...ones in LA and the East Coast are already in the works... can't wait to come home playing new tunes...maybe tour again, but that's easily 2025...other than that, I'm just riding the wave cause everytime I make plans God be like "Aht Aht! I don't need help ma'am..." so you'll know when I know ya know? But Godspeed.
What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from your music?
Something to hold onto...something to get you to the next moment, or just beyond the anxiety or sadness...just something that maybe can take a lil bit of the edge off and remind folks who tf they really are. I wrote these songs that you'll start to hear and see soon cause I needed to hear them while trying to execute a new record a lot of other life happenings simultaneously and then boom...the record was done. I just hope it gets folks through like it got me through.
As someone who has worked with many renowned artists, what advice would you give to emerging musicians trying to find their own voice in a crowded industry?
Don't follow the template, kill your ego, work w/ people who want to work w/ you, don't be an asshole, communicate, be honest and authentic, and get a job cause regular paychecks and healthcare will really pull you through while chasing your dreams. Don't be afraid to be told the truth. Accountability is not a loaded weapon. It's freedom. Serve others instead of always looking to get something from someone. And remember no matter if you actually help someone, give them money, talk them off the edge, share your resources with you, they'll still talk shit when you don't do exactly what you want the way you want them too. Fuck those people. They're lost. Look for your karma beyond the dirt you sow the seed into...it wont grow there... it's always somewhere out there...pinky swear...
Find Choklate on Instagram @choklate.
