Aquakultre Explained
Aquakultre is a Canadian soul and R&B[1] musical project from Halifax, Nova Scotia, whose core member is singer and rapper Lance Sampson.[2] They are most noted for their album Legacy, which was a longlisted nominee for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize.[3]
Sampson's ancestors are from Africville, and he grew up in the Uniacke Square neighbourhood of Halifax.[4] [5] He was a troubled teenager, who spent some time trafficking drugs and received a five-year prison sentence as a teenager. After being exposed to the music of Common and Erykah Badu, he taught himself to play guitar, and was released from prison after just 19 months for good behaviour.[6] He began performing as a rapper and singer in 2015, and in 2018 he won CBC Music's annual Searchlight competition with "Sure", a song he had written in prison.[7]
He recorded Legacy in just seven days at the National Music Centre in Calgary, Alberta, with a band that included Nathan Doucet, Jeremy Costello and Nick Dourado.[8] Following the release of preview singles "Pay It Forward", "I Doubt It" and "Wife Tonight",[9] the album was released in May 2020 on Black Buffalo Records.[10]
In August 2020, he announced that his second album Bleeding Gums Murphy, a collaboration with DJ and producer Uncle Fester, would be released on October 9.[11]
His video for "Pay It Forward", directed by Sampson and Evan Elliot, won the Audience Award at the 2021 Prism Prize.[12]
Aquakultre performed on the 2021 FreeUp! The Emancipation Day Special.[13] He contributed vocals for "Summer Night Songs", the title song of the 2021 documentary .[14]
His third album, Don't Trip, was released in July 2022,[15] and was longlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize.[16]
Notes and References
- Web site: Beedham . Tom . Aquakultre Is More Than Just Halifax's Hottest R&B Star — He's a Community . exclaim.com . . 17 September 2022 . 20 July 2022.
- Stephen Cooke, "Aquakultre’s Legacy spreads message of compassion, heritage". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, June 17, 2020.
- Tom Skinner, "The Weeknd and Caribou lead 2020 Polaris Music Prize longlist". NME, June 16, 2020.
- Web site: Aquakultre . EVERYSEEKER . 12 July 2021.
- Web site: Mullin . Morgan . Aquakultre's feast of a lifetime . The Coast Halifax . 12 July 2021 . en.
- Justin Chandler and Grant Lawrence, "Searchlight 2018 winner: aquakultre". CBC Music, March 19, 2018.
- Tara Thorne, "Aquakultre wins CBC Searchlight". The Coast, March 19, 2018.
- Morgan Mullin, " Aquakultre's feast of a lifetime: How the band's debut LP Legacy sets the table for excellence". The Coast, May 7, 2020.
- Calum Slingerland, "Aquakultre Detail New Album 'Legacy,' Share 'Wife Tonight'". Exclaim!, April 16, 2020.
- Oliver Crook, "Aquakultre Cement Their 'Legacy' as Canadian Neo-Soul Breakouts". Exclaim!, May 5, 2020.
- Matt Bobkin, "Aquakultre and Uncle Fester Announce New Album 'Bleeding Gums Murphy'". Exclaim!, August 12, 2020.
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/prism-prize-thirteen-theo-kapidistrias-haviah-mighty-1.6118145 "Haviah Mighty's Thirteen wins 2021 Prism Prize for top Canadian music video"
- https://www.cbc.ca/arts/freeup-this-sunday-join-artists-across-canada-to-celebrate-emancipation-day-2021-1.6114917 "FreeUp!: This Sunday, join artists across Canada to celebrate Emancipation Day 2021"
- Web site: Documentary about Chatham-Kent’s Black communities available online . chathamthisweek . 11 November 2021 . en-CA.
- https://www.cbc.ca/music/summer-2022-guide-14-albums-you-need-to-hear-1.6489772 "Summer 2022 guide: 14 albums you need to hear"
- https://www.cbc.ca/music/2023-polaris-music-prize-long-list-feist-jessie-reyez-and-more-1.6871592 "2023 Polaris Music Prize long list: Feist, Jessie Reyez and more"