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Meet Kapoo. A Hip-hop artist, born in London, raised in Hartford Connecticut, he's an experimenter, a pioneer, a world traveller across genres and a man curious to find new forms of expression through music and spoken word. Indeed, some may call Kapoo an urban poet, his lyrics pushing beyond rap, embracing riddles and rhymes, performing verbal gymnastics, touching the random, the obtuse and the profound. Often all at the same time. Always with message and a meaning. That's what attracted him to 'Edek' when he was approached to add his unique vocal stylism to the piece - meeting and collaborating with Janine, someone who might not usually enter into his usual working and recording environment.

Kapoo: From Hip-hop to Holocaust

“A lot of it was relatable, you know, being a little bit of an outcast myself, although from an entirely different strand of life”

Says Kapoo, "A lot of it was relatable, you know, being a little bit of an outcast myself, although from an entirely different strand of life. In Hartford, I came up on Hip-hop. My first influence was the band De La Soul. You know, it now seems like a freaky coincidence when I think back to some of the tracks I was into and how that relates to the story of Janine and Edek. My main all-time favourite song was 'Potholes in my Lawn' which speaks of evil-doers and barbed wire fences and the like. Then there's obviously the song GHETTO that was on the same tape. That whole set really spoke to me about the environment I knew, but now, meeting Janine and exploring her history adds a whole new dimension.

Musically, I've always been keen to develop my own style. Being from both the US and the UK, with roots in Jamaica, I've tried to break down the borders and cross-reference my own tastes. Reggae. Jazz. Add that to the Puerto Rican sounds my Hartford crew were including, along with the fact that we were a collection of Black, White, whatever... a melting pot of sound. Maybe that's why we called ourselves SUP - Some Unknown Peoples. You know, I guess that term alone is something Janine can identify with."

“You know, I think it's crucial that we teach kids the big issues in life”

Kapoo modestly underplays his own significant contribution to Hip-hop culture and music. He's played some of the top venues in the world, including Glastonbury, and has recorded or appeared with major artists. Creative and studious, as a youngster Kapoo embraced education, achieving good grades in his studies, something he encourages in his own children. That's been another important factor behind his involvement in Edek.

"You know, I think it's crucial that we teach kids the big issues in life, but in a way they can get into and appreciate. Times change, so do tastes in the music we listen to and the way we absorb knowledge. To me, Janine is like a rock star - she has the power to inspire and move audiences much the same way as a musical artist. That's powerful. When we met, we chatted about Martin Luther King and Anita Davis. You know, Janine taught me stuff about the Civil Rights movement that I didn't even know. When I think about what she has been through in her life, and I see the shining light in her eyes, I am uplifted. That, my friends, is Soul..."

Kapoo is currently writing and recording his new project 'Cooperville', working alongside the Musical Director and Producer of the Edek soundtrack, Kevin Pollard.