Originally from London, UK, LTtheMonk had an eclectic musical upbringing that set him off on a journey to becoming a musician himself. Dance is also an intrinsic part of LT‘s toolkit, with bantamweight Gene Kelly-meets-James Brown footwork and immaculate sport socks both indelible signatures of his persona as an entertainer. Melding all of his influences, LT aims to fuse dance music with hip-hop and pop, to create his own unique sound.

The focus track “Reminder” from new album Uptown Intern #333 is inspired by childhood love, a first crush that no matter where you go in life, you can’t leave behind. Physically, LT describes seeing beautiful Canadian and American women that remind him of his first love back in South London, England, but metaphorically, the concept is all about that first love being the key to one’s childhood, maybe a true self that one left behind when entering adulthood. Remembering that love is meant to be a reminder of one’s true self, of keeping that childhood spirit and purity alive, no matter where you go.

Uptown Intern #333 is musically inspired by the Uptown Sound, a sound defined by the New Jack Swing style that blended hip-hop, R&B and pop music, and was invented and popularized by Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell at Uptown Records in the late 80s and early 90s. Lyrically, the album tells the story of “The Intern,” the child with a love of music so pure he’ll do anything to see that love realized. Uptown Intern #333 tells the story of The Intern as he embarks on his journey Uptown, traveling through the sounds and the eras, to find his own New Monk Swing.

What can you share with readers about your new project?

My new project tells the story of The Intern, the child with a love of music so pure he will do anything to see that love realized. He takes an internship at Uptown, the record label most famous for the New Jack Swing sound of the late 80s and early 90s, that blended dance music, hip-hop, R&B and pop. The Intern travels through the Uptown halls, the eras, the sounds, and finds his own New Monk Swing.

How does this release compare with your other projects you had in the past?

I used to be a lot more underground hip-hop, heavy dense lyrics that I’m really proud of, but now I have new things I would like to explore. This release explores my singing more, the ability to rap over dance music, still giving you deep lyrics that have a lot of meaning behind them, but with instrumentals that you can groove to.

What about this single makes you most proud?

I love a few songs that explore similar subject matter to ‘Reminder’; ‘Remember The Time’ by Michael Jackson, ‘You Remind Me’ by Mary J. Blige, and I feel really proud to have delved into the same topics and given my own perspective on them, with a sound that I believe can stand up with those classic songs. I love the way those tracks talk about childhood love and the purity of youth, and I like how I personally explored it as well.

Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?

I was trying to really tell the story of The Intern character. It’s something I have truly internalized since I first thought of the concept years ago, and I wanted to tell the character’s story, from the interview to try and get the internship, to the happy beginnings, the submission of the demo when our hero believes he can graduate from his internship to being signed to Uptown, the dark middle, and finally the happy ending. Each song stands up by itself as a good song, but if you listen to the full album, I want the listener to be able to get lost in a cinematic story. 

What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?

I am inspired by my desire to create great music that can compete with the greatest music of all time, made by my favourite artists. The legendary albums I listen to fuel me with a desire to make albums that will live next to them in the canon of great popular music, and any time the journey gets tough (as it often does for an intern), I remember that goal to keep me going. 

If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? If it’s an indie/DIY artist, please include a link so readers can check them out.

Bruno Mars. Michael Jackson needed Quincy, Janet Jackson needed Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and I believe that as a producer, Bruno Mars would understand the sound that I’m going for, and be able to take it to the highest level of funk, dance and hip-hop-based pop music.

What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands/artists?

I’m listening to Jazz FM as I write this, I call it my ‘anxiety jazz’ as it calms me down when I need to get going in the morning, and any time the day gets a little intense. And as for favorite all time bands & artists, it has to be Michael & Janet Jackson, Prince, Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, and Steely Dan.

Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?

Find me @LTtheMonk on Instagram & TikTok, and if you type in my name anywhere online you’ll be able to find me and my music!

I really appreciate your time. Is there anything you’d like to share before we sign off?

Thank you for having me! To finish, I would like to say that I’m really proud of my ‘Uptown Intern #333’ album, I would love for everybody reading to take a listen to it, and I want to hear people’s thoughts! If you listen and want to give a review, please message me on social media; I’d love to hear what you thought of the project. Love, LTtheMonk