Babajoe Babajoe has brought from his native North Africa not only his singular personality but also his equally distinctive talent for creating music. I love hip-hop and R&B, he says. He injects his signature style with sparks of electronica, aiding in the creation of an original interpretation of the genres, instantly recognizable as the work of none other than Babajoe. Parallel Universe Music has been a lifelong passion for Babajoe. His first instrument came along at the age of 9 (a harmonica), his first keyboard at the age of 15. For Babajoe, writing a song is like walking next to the earth and he the listener is his walking companion. Music for me is a portal to a parallel universe, my own universe.â Music takes him and his fans to a world alongside our own, in connection with it, but with a profundity all its own. Music literally uplifts me. It takes me to another place where my dreams come true. Sad, Happy Events Stuff happens. Music happens. Often, always, maybe? There is a correlation between the two. Occurrences equal inspiration equals formation of music. What inspires Babajoe? âœSad, happy events,â he laughingly proclaims, marking the whole world and all its good and bad as a pool of material from which he draws, offering real life as seen from his parallel universe. But sometimes, the inspiration simply is. âœIdeas for a good beat may come out of nowhere â Ideas for a melody or a rhythm come to me I don't put an effort to come up with one. And his influences are diverse from jazz and blues to Asian and Middle Eastern, an explosion of flavors color his music. âœI try to marry different styles and adapt them to the hip-hop vibe. The Artist at Work As soon as I have a minute, I sit in front of my keyboard and let my fingers lead me, as if they have a life of their own, shares Babajoe. Free time: Some run for recreation, some for a nap. But Babajoe never naps. An empty moment is a moment waiting to be filled. By writing, by recording, by making new music. Babajoe, in fact, does his own producing. With his musical equipment, he tackles not just the writing, but also the recording and mixing. He enjoys creating new instrument sounds, as well, adding to his originality. To help promote his music, he is currently working with A&R Select, the world's leading independent artist development firm, based out of Los Angeles, CA.