A WOMAN FOR THE PEOPLE
" I need to listen to my own songs because I need them too . I get wrapped up in what my next project is , or worried about something that didnt go well the last time , or whatever it is . You know , all we really have is now "
A
ntonique Smith is a force to be reckoned with . She is caring , considerate , kind , and tremendously passionate in her creative work and in her work to help the world around her . Not only is she an enormously talented Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter , she is also an amazingly attentive social and environmental activist . She stresses that climate change is not just an environmental issue , but also a civil rights issue . With smash hit songs such as “ Hold Up Wait a Minute ” and “ All We Have Is Now ”, and her upcoming roles in Season Two of Marvel ’ s Luke Cage and Chicago P . D ., her work ethic and passions show no signs of stopping . BY WILLIAM DUGGAN / PHOTOGRAPHED BY ROWAN DALY
Cliché : Was your first passion film , music , or Broadway ? Antonique Smith : I would definitely say my first passion was music . I heard Whitney Houston ’ s voice as a little girl and her tone and voice made me want to sound like her . I became obsessed with singing and sounding like her , that ’ s how I learned to sing . It wasn ’ t very long after that , though , that my grandparents or somebody got me a tape recorder and I would create characters and put different voices onto it . I would do radio shows where I was the host and all the guests and I created all these little universes onto the tape . That was close to around the time that I became obsessed with Whitney Houston , but I still think that music was my first passion and I don ’ t know if I would have pursued any of it if it weren ’ t for her . You know that spark that lights the flame ? That was the spark and without Whitney I don ’ t know if I would have gotten that spark , but thank God for her . She definitely was that spark for me .
You are such an amazing singer and songwriter ; what type of message or story do you reflect in your music ? My main message is love . I think love is the most powerful force in the universe . Everybody thinks of love in a romantic sense and only within a romantic relationship . However , love is really what could heal all of the crazy things that are going on in the world . The awful things that are happening wouldn ’ t exist if there was more love . That ’ s how you know that there is a straight up love deficit going on . That ’ s why I call my EP “ Love Is Everything ” because I believe that and I think that ’ s the cure all . So I have been trying to spread and promote more love . My first single , the one that got nominated for a Grammy , “ Hold Up Wait A Minute ,” is a liberation song stemming from something that wasn ’ t quite love and a relationship that wasn ’ t loving . I have had my fair share of those , some which were serious , unfortunately . When I really started to perform that song a lot , I discovered that it wasn ’ t just relationships , it ’ s everything that ’ s just bad . It ’ s just “ hold up wait a minute .” What we ’ re going through with # MeToo and the fact that these predators and monsters have been allowed to treat us this way for all these years , that ’ s “ hold up wait a minute .” We have people trying to give teachers guns when we already have a big enough gun problem with people killing sweet and innocent children in schools , that ’ s “ hold up wait a minute .” There are so many things , everything bad . And you know , it ’ s our time to come together and it ’ s a liberation unity song for those who are going through the same issues .