Shakka’s debut album was a long time coming. “I’m an old man, that’s what I am right now,” the London-born singer-songwriter and producer tells Apple Music. At the time of Road Trip to Venus’ release, he’s still only 32—and has collaborated with Jme, AlunaGeorge, Ghetts, and Wretch 32. But after a series of record deals that didn’t work out, Shakka decided to take a DIY approach to music-making. “Instead of me putting up music with a team that didn’t like the songs I wanted to put out, I decided, ‘Cool. Let’s just get to a point where I don’t have to ask anybody to push the green button for me,’” he says. “Let me just push the green button myself.”
What’s emerged is a record that Shakka describes as a “vision of what I think the future of music could look like.” With his soulful vocals laced over production that meshes a variety of influences, it’s a sound that feels unique but comfortable, forward-thinking yet nostalgic. “R&B is a cornerstone of my music, but I have reggae, dub, jungle, electronic, and alternative in there, too,” he says. “I love Sampha, Stevie Wonder, even Radiohead and Coldplay. The title came from the realization that life was a journey of love. It was me implying that Venus is the source to the answers of all my questions, a war cry for my demons who told me that it wasn’t possible to be able to put this project together.” Here, Shakka talks us through that journey, track by track.
“Trust Yourself (Introduction)”
“‘Trust Yourself’ sets the scene for the album in a simple, understated way. The interlude is intended to challenge the age-old phrase ‘can’t trust these hoes.’ This statement implies that all men are perfect, which is laughable, logically and grammatically. I like how it sets the tone. Love is the focus of this project.”
“Take It There”
“The song is a snapshot of a relationship on the edge. And in this space, the memory of what happened is still vivid, and all someone has to do is take it there, and the drama starts again. Al Shux, the producer, made ‘Empire State of Mind’ for JAY-Z and Alicia Keys and ‘All the Stars’ for Kendrick and SZA. Shux and I would tweak this song, over and over and over, whilst I would occasionally stare at a panoramic view of downtown Los Angeles. The blocks were either one story high or 30 stories high. Like concrete mountains. And in one of these blocks, I imagined a movie where the camera zooms in to a window in the distance, showing a past relationship between myself and a girl (disclaimer: nobody cheated). Conversations are a minefield, and we try to dodge triggers to trauma, living in a censored, unfulfilling situation. And then, it just bangs.”
“When You Pull Up”
“The thing I loved about R&B was that the artists had the same confidence and swag as rappers, but had the sensitivity and emotional articulation of Shakespeare. ‘When You Pull Up’ was the birth-child of that thought process. The guitar provided the base for a chill, dream-like bop. The drums, influenced by drill, brought the boast-y, almost arrogant energy. Craig David’s music is something I channel every now and then—Born to Do It was one of the few distillations of British R&B that I identified with. The inclusion of the ‘Fill Me In’ sample was not only for the lyrical context, but also to symbolize a connection going back in time: myself as a 10-year-old fan, waving to a Craig David in the future, or myself today waving to a Craig David of the past, trying to say, ‘Your music was one of the things that brought me here.’”
“Solo”
“‘Solo’ is about the feeling you get when you know you’re doing something wrong, but you continue to do it anyway. Like excitement, anxiety, willful ignorance, and escapism, rolled into one. ‘Solo’ was based on a few real situations of my own, as well as some situations that my friends had. But all of us shared this experience, of falling in love or lust with a close friend, where we block out the consequences and see where the fantasy takes us.”
“Don’t Mind Waiting/Do Better”
“I produced this initially for [London singer-songwriter] Bobii Lewis. But after we wrote it, it stayed on my hard disk for years, ’til my manager flagged it and reminded me how beautiful it was. It came about from wanting to understand the burdens that women hold, having to be an entire support system for either their partner or their family. I was channeling Bob Marley, but I was definitely also in my Daft Punk bag with the production. This is a low-key riddim for the cookouts.”
“Hold Me Back”
“A lot of the songs were written, produced, and recorded in LA. It’s a song about that little moment that happens when you and your girl have just made up after an argument, and all do you wanna do is have intense makeup sex to make up for lost time. The time that I wrote this song was at a point in my life where I felt like I had been neglecting my passion for harmonies, for riffs, for that sexy slow jam. I did hella research: Boyz II Men, Michael Jackson, Jodeci. It was a good space to be in.”
“Scuba Deep/A Pipe Dream” (feat. Tiana Major9)
“I’ve definitely fallen hard for women in the past. This is a soundtrack to that mental state. A space where you know that this girl or this situation probably isn’t good for you, or she ain’t giving you anything in return for the love you have for her. Yet you are so deep in love, you’re practically scuba diving. It was a blessing to have Tiana Major9 on the record. She needs absolutely no assistance to sing the way she does. No warm-ups, no incense, no lyrical stimulus. Just play the record and see greatness.”
“Doin’ Time” (feat. Imani Williams)
“I felt almost obsessed with the thought of wanting to tell the story about someone who was conflicted internally between the person they’re currently interested in and their official partner. I had a writing session with Imani Williams, and she instantly fell in love with the song. A month later, she wrote the verse. She and I have great chemistry in the studio. Melodies, harmonies, subject topics—they all just flow from her. Production was handled by my good friends Banx & Ranx. We’ve created songs for Sean Paul, Ty Dolla $ign, Ella Eyre, among many others. They’re the homies.”
“We Are Not the Same (Interlude)”
“I wanted to have a part of this project that felt like the traditional, classic introductions to Disney movies of the 20th century: Peter Pan, The Jungle Book, The Aristocats. To create elaborate, close harmonies created by the full choir. I wanted a healthy balance between classical and gospel. It’s also a moment to update listeners on where my head’s at and how I feel. I normally get bored of the narrative where the artist talks about when they were once looked down upon, and continues to say, ‘Those same people wanna check for me now.’ I used to think that song’s been done a million times. But if you do it right, like Kanye’s ‘Can’t Tell Me Nothing,’ you can really channel the underdog in everyone.”
“Temptation”
“This is the first record I wrote with Banx & Ranx. It felt like a perfect hybrid of soca, Afro, and house to a degree. Escapism and exploration are running themes throughout the album, and this song was a symbolic expression of that. I’ve always loved how Chris Martin can write songs whose lyrics may not tell a traditional story that would have a beginning-middle-end type flow to it. It’s about the mood more than the message. I was definitely in that space here.”
“No Problem, Fam”
“Growing up, I didn’t have the money for style, or role models that had the composure of André 3000. I was a romantic, then and now. So, I would always find myself in a scenario where a group of my friends would egg me on to make a move on the hottest chick at the club. What would always end up happening is that the girl would have more style than substance, and they wouldn’t seem to be concerned with anything more than a great night. This song is about that part.”
“A Rasclart Fistbump (Interlude)”
“Where I grew up, the fist bump was a symbol of unity and togetherness for Black people. The message of the fist-bump greeting was vital for the prosperity of people who looked like us and lived where we lived. It was encouragement, a pep-talk, a reboost of faith, and above all, it was love between people we may not have known but who shared the same challenges and the same journey. A culture clash is inevitable in a place like London. The past few years, for many reasons, have felt like we've been able to unpack these clashes and underlying issues out in the open. I guess my interlude is to empathize with people who have encountered that moment before—a small moment that says a thousand words.”
“Price”
“I think MC Bin Laden was one of the first baile funk pieces of music that I was introduced to. The bounce and drums, most times, are made up of human yells and voices. The bounce is similar to soca and Afrobeats; it’s a mix that inspired me to really experiment with the production. And lyrically, I just wanted to say some slick shit and make people bounce. A moment where I can get into my grime bag for a sec.”
“One for the Road”
“This came from a time where the girl I was dating cared less about conversations with depth and more about partying and how well I poured her Courvoisier. Despite the fact that she had all the sauce and passions deep down to be larger than life, she preferred living a simple and fast life. Mojam were the producers of this record—a mood that was sinister yet with chords that were highly emotive.”
“Take a Chance”
“I was listening to a lot of SBTRKT for years after his first album. Songs with Sampha, in particular, gave me music I could sing to, with a beat I would rave to. ‘Take a Chance,’ produced by Crada, feels like the evolved form of this. I wrote this not too long after The Lost Boys EP, where I felt like my label expected me to make clones of my successful songs or copies of what was on the radio at that time. So, in a way, the song is like a love letter to my city as well as a war cry to my demons—to ignore the doubts and make the best shit I can make.”
“Huntin’”
“I guess one point of difference I have from other artists is my honest expression about wanting to have a life partner, a teammate—someone who sees us as larger than life. Not just a good time, but a long time. The term ‘Huntin’’ has primal connotations. Almost says that our partnership keeps us alive. Prince and MJ were influences for this song. The band Haim were, too. I took a trip to each of their worlds, and I got familiar with the sounds, the use of space, the way they morphed their voices, too.”
“When You Grow Up”
“At its core, the song is a letter to my five-year-old self. I ask him if the life I have now is the life he pictures in his dreams. I ask him whether or not he’s impressed with what I’ve made. I try to help him see that whatever stresses he’s currently involved in are not that deep in the grand scheme of things.”
“Help for What (Interlude)”
“It’s the pep talk of the century, from a dear family member. I don’t know the character I was trying to portray when I wrote this. I just know that it had to sound like the assertive mum whose tone of voice alone tells you to shake it off and get back in the zone. I listen to this every now and then and get choked up by everything. ’Cause I hear my elders, who come from very humble beginnings, given an elevated status provided by the free-jazz piano accompaniment. It feels like seeking counsel from the gods.”
“Thank You”
“‘Thank You’ is an ode to the family who raised me—my mother, father, brother, and sister. It didn’t take long for me to realize how different I was from a lot of kids in school, but also how different I was to a lot of the other kids who were Black. On a Saturday, most guys jumped on a coach and played football. I carried a violin, a satchel with a manuscript, and learned classical music. I brought friends round who knew songs by Lauryn Hill and also songs by Slipknot. Most guys didn’t wanna be seen hangin’ around with people who liked that. But my parents made it so easy for me to at least find out who I wanted to be. They were strict enough and instilled the importance of hard work, but also gave me the freedom to discover things, with little judgment on the friends I kept. They also had the tenacity and foresight to go and look for these opportunities for me. The same skills I learned then put me in the house I have now.”