As I began to write this post i was thinking of appropriate words to begin this interview and the one that jumps to me within a heartbeat is the quote by Martin Luther King Jr. Here’s the quote:
‘If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted…or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, “here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well..” Martin Luther King.
Peter Lloyd is no street sweeper. He is no philosopher, neither is he a politician or even a great scholar. Peter is only a soft spoken singer, actor, director and producer who has allowed his work to do all the shouting and from the mountain top they shout, shouting out to the world echoing the words of Martin Luther…
“here lives a great singer, actor, director and producer who is doing his job well, very very well”.
To say that Peter has talent is probably the greatest understatement to be written. From an early age Peter took the gifts granted to him by his creator and exposed it to the world and the world was pleased. Peter has remained true to his gift, honing and nurturing his talent , always listening and learning. Bundled in this immense treasure cove of talent is the one trait that so many artists similar to him fail to master and fail the ultimate test and that is humility. Humility is the engine that drives success and Peter owns this. He is supremely humble and that is the secret to his success.
…”the act of kindness does not have to be extravagant, but can be something like helping a blind man cross the road. “It’s simple, nothing elaborate … getting us back to the Jamaica that still exists at the core. I want to genuinely contribute to my country. I thought this would be a way to inspire people. I want to do this every birthday,” Peter Lloyd.
A prophet is never accepted in his homeland, a phrase used so often it is a fervent trusim. Bob Marley is proof of this and in a way so too is Peter. Peter like Bob has a good share of local fans but say the word Peter Lloyd anywhere in Europe and their face lights up like a candle. Say the same two words to a group of youngsters in Jamaica and they give you that look of who or what are you talking about? His recent single ‘Blood on your Hands” has over 1 million views on YouTube and has attained the number one spot in JAMAICA, NEW YORK, ATLANTA, GERMANY, FRANCE, CANADA and RUSSIA.
Peter’s acting talent makes him the best live performer in the music industry, bar none. He is so good with a live audience he is often brought back for encores repeatedly and incessantly.
He remains true to his culture. He writes and performs Jamaican culture and his live performances are a lesson on Jamaican heritage and history of reggae music, often giving his audience facts and information that leaves them in awe. Tourists are unusual creatures believing that reggae started and ended with Bob Marley. Peter Lloyd’s showcase proves that fallacy unfounded and unsound. He gives his audience a lesson of reggae musicality and origins they scream for more. How do I know this? I was there. I am always at his shows, especially when he performs on the North coast hotel circuit. He finds his greatest happiness when he is on stage, not just pleasing the listening ear with his melodies, but engaging and creating the idyllic scene of his homeland Jamaica where he is from and where his music is king. He is a brand, Brand Jamaica.
,….”I am a positivist. I believe that an artiste should make people feel better. That’s what I believe, my personality. I strive to improve the world in any way I can to make people feel a little better.” Peter Lloyd on his performance.
A positivist he is. With his knowledge and music he leaves his audience, locally and internationally with information derived from musical treatments, creating a deep sensory experience, one that drives them to want more, learn more, feel more, do more and hopefully visit the land of reggae. What more can you ask of an artiste? What more can you ask of a Jamaican living his existence through his music and expressing it with love?
On his blog I want to share a quote he said on love…
“…knowing you are loved and giving love for me creates a state of emotional security that is needed by all of us to attain our true greatness. Love is the key ingredient in achieving success….success must be multidimensional in its scope if success is to be both attained and enjoyed..” Peter Lloyd.
Love is the fertiliser of all possibilities. Peter has found it and he is living it. His music, through love, fertilises all of his life’s work amounting to untethered success, a success that not only shines as glittering gold, but one that screams on the mountain top “…Here is a good and faithful servant of Jamaica. Listen to him when he speaks.” This is Peter Lloyd.
The interview:
1. Model, actor, dancer, singer, artist , chef, television personality. Is there anything I have left off?
Yes you neglected the most important things to me. These are Father ; Positivist ; Vegan ; Lover and respecter of ALL life ; Humanitarian ; Proud Jamaican & Rastafarian. Those other titles are important but they are informed by my core personality. The above titles are who I am. They are what defines me as person.
2. You have done every artistic discipline, worked with major actors and singers and yet you are as humble as they come. Why is that?
The truth is I don’t believe I am humble enough. I think the ego can destroy us if we feed it. I am obsessed with wisdom. Wisdom informs us of our limitations. It teaches us that we never stop learning so humility I think is a natural byproduct of this pursuit. Also you quickly learn what both my mother and father taught me “no man is an island, no man stands alone”. Success in any pursuit cannot be obtained without the kindness and assistance of others.
3. Many people in the business do not have the resume you possess and you are still writing it as we speak. When do you stop?
I have too much left to learn and hopefully so much knowledge to share that I don’t think you stop. If that happens it is when Jah Jah calls me home. I don’t believe I have achieved very much. I am humbled by the accomplishments I have attained but I have a need to challenge myself to push the boundaries and at times to break the rules. I have this amazing team of persons around me who keeps pushing me onward and upward, and I also must demonstrate to others that you must never be afraid of striving for your dreams regardless of your situation or the opinions of others. So I will never stop.
4. You have referred to yourself as the ‘love messenger’ exactly what does that mean?
Well first of all I never referred to myself as such. A writer in Germany, Karsten Frehe, doing a piece on me for Riddim Magazine was the first to use the phrase to describe me, my fans across the world very quickly adopted the phrase hence the origins of the phrase. Love Messenger simply means my purpose is to improve the human condition, to make us happier, to reinforce our self esteem with a microphone in my hand. When you hear my music, read my blogs or attend my shows you must feel better for doing so. Life has enough challenges. My aim is to make people happy.
5. Do you consider yourself a Reggae Artiste first or an Actor turned reggae performer?
I am an artist, multidimensional with the drive and work ethic to be the best I can be. I love the freedom of writing my own material as a songwriter ( I have even written for others including the late Gregory The Cool Ruler Isaac song title Mr Sweetness ). As a recording artist you have greater autonomy, much more artistic freedom. Actors are mouthpieces, limited freedom but I love both forms of expression equally. For me, actors must be employed, recording artist create their own employment.
6. You are very good at everything you do. What’s your secret?
That’s a great thought, but I really am NOT very good at everything. My goal is earn that mantra some day. I think the secret is the willingness to work both hard and smart, to be relentless in your pursuits, to ignore and avoid the negative as well as negative persons, inform yourself of the industry you are in, have a clearly defined idea of your path, never forget the importance of acknowledging the help of others in your journey to your personal greatness, avoid your own ego and above all else LOVE WHAT YOU DO. Also embrace your weaknesses in your craft and work at self improvement.
7. You have 2 daughters are they like you in any way?
I avoid discussing them primarily because they need the space to evolve freely and without interference. So next question please.
8. Fair enough. You are dedicated to the culture of Jamaica in that when you perform its Jamaica you sell, its music and culture. It makes your performance different and appreciated. Was this a personal choice just to be different in the crowd?
Not really a personal choice. It is really simply who I am. I am VERY different as a man, and as a artist. You are at your best when you know who you are, when you embrace that person and allow your art form to be informed by your core personality. Look, I LOVE BEING JAMAICAN, I love sharing this rich resilient culture and people with the world. Being Jamaican has assisted in the creation of who I am plus it’s cool as ” r..s” lol. Brand Jamaica is NOT being exploited in a really way. Our brand can make us a truly wealthy nation. I am merely a man unable to affect the decisions of our illustrious industry leaders and politicians, so I elevate our amazing brand proudly in the hope that it makes a positive difference.
9. You have faced challenges in the industry, which one has had a lasting impression on you so far?
Both my Mom and Dad told me growing up, ” opinions are like assholes, everyone has one”, so the challenges I faced only served to inform me, others were either, misinformed about me, intimidated by me, had my best interest at heart and that I definitely was on the right path to success and happiness. I believe in our freedom of self expression but have never much cared about the opinions of others particularly if those opinions were uninformed and if my gut told me that person or those persons did not wish me well. Like any muscle resistance makes you stronger. My journey has been awesome. I do not believe any particular challenge was enough to leave a lasting impression.
10. Did you see yourself where you are today 20 years ago?
Yes, I literally did. Our mind has the ability to create the “self fulfilling prophecy”. What we think and say we give it life. In essence we are the sum total of our thoughts. My parents, teachers and mentors all taught me this from my formative years. I have and continue to visualize my accomplishments daily and when in doubt , I turn to the many positive remarkable persons in my support group.
11. You are from a generation where making a living in the entertainment industry was far from a reality especially someone from Jamaica. What happened to you to make it possible?
I took the time and patience to learn not just my craft but the “business” of the industry. Also I listened to the advice of the veterans and icons. I read voraciously and try to be practical in my approach. Less “hype” and more information. Less talking and more action. Also I live BELOW my means.
12. Where do you get the inspiration from to write your music?
I try to tell stories. I tell my own stories or those of the persons I interact with. Occasionally I just get a hook and then construct the entire song from that.
13. What movie you did that changed your life the most?
Walt Disney’s Return To Treasure Island which was a Twenty ( 20 ) part mini series in which I starred as a lead character Abel. It was my very first film role. It introduced me to the world of film making and gave me my first real taste of international stardom. It also informed me that I could earn a living from the arts. Finally it catapulted me into the spotlight as an actor and led to many major film roles.
14. Actors sometimes speak about how tough it is to leave certain roles behind after they’ve played them. How do you experience jumping from character to character?
Yes I have heard that but honestly never experienced it. Very early on my mentor Leonie Forbes taught me how to become immersed into the character but she also taught me how to emerge from the character without losing my essence. Every character you play however must be infused with aspects of who you are as a person and therefore each character remains with you for always, creating a internal library to draw on for future parts.
15. What do you look for in a role to accept it ?
If I can’t empathize with the character on a personal level then it makes little or no sense to play him.
16. Is it fair to say you are more popular in Europe than in Jamaica and if yes why is that?
It’s not. My fans are everywhere including Jamaica.
17. People change. You have changed. How do you affect change in other people?
You inform and allow them the opportunity to choose that change. Truth is, as living beings we have no choice but to evolve. What is relevant is affecting POSITIVE change. But positive change needs patience love and understanding. The many layers to this starts with information, expanding that persons view to that of a world view. Knowledge is one of the fundamental pillars for affecting lasting positive change in any person nation or company.
18. Will it be your music or your acting that you think will have the most impact on your fans?
My music.
19. If you could leave a parting word, phrase or sentence to be used on your headstone what would it be?
Never let anyone tell you that you are not special. Never let anyone tell you that your dreams can never be achieved.
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