Scoop B Interview: Afrikan Kartel’s Image I Schools On Health & Wellness Musical Treatment
Meet Image I of Afrikan Kartel. Image I has a unique gift of mixing music with medicine with a 360 degrees remedy for a healthy lifestyle. In fact, Krishner has been a certified dialysis technician working in renal care for over twelve years. He therefore knows importance of taking care of ones self can lead to longivity and a healthy body. His music is a message of peace and unity while spreading the gospel of caring for the body, soul and mind as an integral part of the human survival.
Fresh off performing at The People’s Film Festival at the Magic Johnson theater in Harlem, Image I, the Bridgeport, Connecticut native is part of Afrikan Kartel ,a hybrid-fusion of Reggae & Hip-Hop music which incorporates Jazz, Gospel, and, R&B that energizes, enlightens, and expresses the experiences and struggles of life.
Image I and Afrikan Kartel’s message is clearly distinct as they sing about overcoming obstacles through their internationally diverse message.
Check Em Out
In between work and travel, Image I caught up with me and discussed among other things, his interests in music and what makes him tick. While you’re reading, make sure to visit WWW.AFRIKANKARTEL.COM to check out the movement.
Check out our Image I and Scoop B.
Scoop B: You’ve infused health and music together. Can you explain the correlation?
Image I: The infusion of music and health have a strong correlation because in every culture, religion or society, music has been used as a medium to convey a message that speaks healing to our body, organs, mind and cells. I use music, a social conscious therapeutic message that liberates our sense of heritage, our freedom, our destiny, our experiences and unites us regardless of color, religion or cultural background. Music also reduces stress, eases anxiety, elevates your mood, and helps people who are sick get back to wellness. Music is an organic, spiritual medicine that I strongly believe in because unlike traditional medicine it can be used as alternative and less invasive form of treatment to heal many human conditions. For example, music like Yoga and meditation is also used in the medical field as various forms of healing including: mental and physical rehabilitation, cancer treatment, brain injury, and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.
Scoop B: Who were some of your musical influences while growing up?
Image I: Coming from a West Indian Background, music has always been a part of my culture. Music was always playing on the radio in my home. I grew up listening to soft rock, reggae, classic music, country and western, Latin and Italian. I grew up around Bridgeport, Connecticut where I had a mecca of diversity through my friends, school and neighborhood. I soaked up music like a sponge because my friends were Irish, Italian, Jewish, Hispanic, African, Caribbean and from everywhere in the world. Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, The Righteous Brothers, Michael Jackson, Prince, Lou Vega, Carlos Santana, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Belafonte, Dionne Warwick, Patti Labelle, Public Enemy, Busta Rhymes, Heavy D, DJ Kool Herc, and Whitney Houston.
Scoop B: What motivates you to be the best?
Image I: Life motivates me based on life experiences whether negative or positive. Both challenges you to be your better self and to give back some of what you have been given.
Scoop B: In the movie, Brown Sugar, they asked the question: ‘when did you fall in love with hip hop?’ Tell me about when you fell in love with music and got you into the business?
Image I: The vibrations of music are all around us. I believe I felt those vibrations and fell in love with hip-hop the minute I heard it. Although I am a child of the 80’s, my Jamaican heritage paved the way for me to hear those sounds when my mother kept the radio on and I heard. In fact, I heard the mixture of the originator of Hip-Hop, DJ Kool Herc and fell in love.
Scoop B: When you’re not performing, what do you like to do for fun to unwind and relax?
Image I: I like to spend time with my son because I know the importance of a father figure brings to the home and with a strong foundation core presence.