INTERVIEW: Isaiah Walker (Poet)

Expressing yourself with words is always a special talent no matter what form of art you choose, whether it be rapping, singing, being a author, etc. Spoken word artist, I. Walker, took some time out his day to take you inside the mind of a up and coming poet. Check out his interview it MHHB below.

Can you tell our readers a little about you? Who is Trey?

I’ma Spoken Word Artist (Poet) from St. Louis Missouri, I started writing in in the 7th grade when my mamma got diagnosed with breast cancer and it was my get away ya know. Trey is my middle name and my close friends and family call me by that name. I actually get that question a lot, I chose to make Trey’s Vision sort of my brand because I feel like “Trey” holds much of my personal value, background, and thoughts in which I expose to my audience in my writing. It’s getting to know the real me pass I. Walker.

Most people decide to be a rapper or singer, what made you decide to be a poet?

The expression of poetry is deep and personal, not to say rap or singing isn’t but to me it sets me apart and allows me to express my thoughts and tell my story in a different way different sound. I don’t have to follow a flow or pattern to correspond to the beat, yet I can be myself beyond the instrumental and then go and give that same feel acapella to a crowd. It’s kind of like remaining yourself beyond a crowd of people who are doing similar things, it sets me apart and I’ve fallen in love with the art.

As a poet, what are some of the challenges you have getting exposure?

Most people embrace fast pace music and a great beat regardless of what story is being told between the lines. We live in an era where long duration attention spans are scarce. Folk want a quick and easy dosage of music that they don’t have to dissect. Poetry makes you think and dissect. When you read a book it drives you to analyze meaning and I feel the barrier is getting people to give me as a poet an honest 4 minutes to listen and evaluate a full piece and then appreciate the work and thought process behind it. It turns people off when you see poetry or spoken word as opposed to a provocative titled hip hop/rap/R&B track.

Whats your creative process when writing a piece? How do you go about it?

My creative process when writing a piece is truly a feeling based process. I’m a sensitive person, highly sensitive in the sense that I over think a lot and take the lightest things to heart but which is also what I feel makes me a great writer. I typically don’t try to force a piece, but it comes to me based off of what I feel at that time. So if you hear a piece from me that sounds angry, sad, etc., then that’s where I was at in that point in life. When it comes to the audio aspect of my art it is a tad different because I don’t write to an instrumental, but I choose an instrumental based on the mood of what I wrote. That makes me very particular about producers because the sound has to be just right and I was fortunate to run into some people that I believe captured my sound.

What type of music inspires you the most?

I think my generation has no choice, but to be influenced by old school music. Our parents grew up on it, that’s all you hear at cookouts, in the car, anywhere really. So that’s a huge influence and I think sampling is just dope, it lets listeners get the feel of the music that your interested in while listening to your own artistic input on it. I also take influence from great writers be it lyricist such as Wale or Cole to even gospel music because the layers behind a choir and the musicians is amazing. I actually played saxophone when I was a bit younger and was fortunate to play on a gospel album.

Do you have a favorite piece that you've wrote?

My favorite pieces are always the current piece I am writing or the last full piece I put together, but right now it has to be Melanin Wave. The meaning behind it is what makes it so relevant. It lifts up black women and if your black male or female you understand the depth and importance in the role that black women play in our life. I think it was powerful and has aspects to it that anyone listening to it can take away from.

Are you currently working on any new pieces or projects? 

I write every day, some days maybe not as extensive as other but I’m always creating and exploring. I am currently working on a new piece and it is a direct reflection at the stage in life that I am so it tells the audience a little more about me instead of a narrative of someone else. I do want to put a audio spoken word project out, but I'm still pondering on different ways to go about it as well as building up enough following to push it and make sure enough ears can actually hear my content. I want to reach and touch as many people as I can.

What message are you trying to communicate with your art?

I want to relay a positive message about being human directly from the lenses of Trey, if I give people my honest perspective on life as a whole then you never know who relates or needed to hear what you had to say. I don’t use profanity for the sole purpose that I want my art to appropriate for anyone to listen to but appeal to everyone at the same time. You could play my pieces for your parents, grandparents, kids, whomever. I want to for sure work with different artist and add that poetry aspect into someone else’s music or add different genres into my art as well, but it has to fall in line with that same positive factor.

What does success as a poet look like to you?

I just want to be able to reach and touch people. I don’t have to be the most well known person in the world but I want a respectable following of like-minded people who want to be innovative and make a positive difference in this world. If I can draw that type of energy alone I’m good. If people can connect with you as a poet and yearn for you to speak hoping to catch a glimpse of relief or therapy, then that’s where I think success is measured.

Anything else you want to add? Any shoutouts? How can we find you on social media?
Yea shoutout to anyone who is supporting me thus far or even giving me that respectable 4 to 5 minutes to hear what I have to say. If your're even hip or tuned into this interview then I rock with you for even being interested enough because I’m really here to try to make a difference. Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and FaceBook @TreysVision and I’m trying to snap more as well so hit me up on the snap @iwalker25.