A true citizen of the world, Iakopo’s feel ties his vast influences together to create a hypnotic reggae sound. His upcoming single release “In the Back” gives listeners a dubby and sweet vibe to move to. The track starts out by painting a picture of Iakopo shopping and asking about different strains and types of herbs in a marijuana shop. Next thing we know, Iakopo’s navigating through a stoner’s paranoid thought come to life, being pulled over by a policeman. Iakopo sings heartfelt and true,“Officer him wan pull me over sirens pull off on the shoulder my friend don’t blow my cover I got weed in the back so please just relax .”
Reflecting on how the track came into existence, Iakopo says “In the Back” was created “by talking about an experience I had being pulled over by the police with a bunch of weed in the car. I was talking to my friend Bo Napoleon, he started singing a line and we both started laughing. At first we were just talking about the story, then my producer Chaz actually started humming the bass line melody. We all started vibing and the beat was created. Then it turned in to a song, I brought my bro Yaccahmoe over to show him what we were working on. We ended up writing the verses to it the next day and the rest is history.”
Iakopo currently resides between Jamaica, Tokyoand Miami. He was born in California, the son of a music teacher, who trained him to play piano at the tender age of 3. After a difficult childhood, Iakopo was eventually adopted and raised by a Samoan family on the South Pacific island of Upolu Samoa, where he lived an island lifestyle in a small village. Iakopo remembers life there as being tribal and close to nature. There were no refrigerators, beds, TVs, or modern amenities. He did not have the noise of pop culture buzzing in his ear and distracting him, which allowed him to connect with, to see, to feel, to understand, and to process the world in an organic, filter-free way.
Iakopo has also made Billboard-charting records with his Japanese singles “Break Free,” “Love Like This,” “When I See You Smile,” and “I Believe,” (the latter of which was a top downloaded song on Hawaiian iTunes). He’s worked with superstar musician Shaggy on their charismatic and charming song “Touch Down.” And most of all, Iakopo’s newest material is truly combustible.
Follow/Links
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Iakopo on iTunes
