Lyrikal comes full circle in Times Square, New York

Devon “Lyrikal” Martin remembers when he and some friends would hand out CDs in New York City, going to barbershops and hair salons, promoting soca music.

So his recent performance at Times Square, New York – described as electrifying by many on social media – was a full-circle moment for him.

On August 25, videos on social media showed Lyrikal on stage performing songs including his latest release Hotspot and 2020’s Rukshun.

In a phone interview with Newsday, Lyrikal spoke about how he got to perform at Times Square, saying that the organisers, Tropical Fete, contacted his manager last year.

Tropical Fete had first hosted pan in Times Square without performers. This year, they wanted the event to be bigger and so contacted his manager, he said.

“It was a great opportunity for me. Personally, it was a free event and I always wanted to do something for the people in New York City, because my career started there.

“That was an opportunity in itself. Just to take that opportunity to say, ‘Hey, I'm putting on a free performance for the people.”

He is often referred to as the New York King of Soca, a moniker given to him by the people for his work over the years.

“From walking down on Flatbush to Utica, to handing out CDs in the barbershop, hair salons etc, they saw my growth in front of their eyes to make it on the biggest stages in soca music throughout the world and then to make it in Times Square.

“It definitely was a full-circle moment for me.”

He was personally unaware of any other soca artiste performing in Times Square. Some of this year’s performers include LL Cool J, Megan Thee Stallion and Tyla.

When he first migrated to the US at 13, he would often visit the square, taking photos and videos like a tourist.

“So for me, performing in Times Square and thinking, ‘This is the first soca artiste to perform in Times Square,’ it was a big moment.”

While performing, he lived in that moment, but it was only after the performance did he realise the magnitude of his accomplishment.

It was important not only to him but the country and region as well, he said. Soca was now in spaces that it had never been before, Lyrikal added.

“Artistes winning different awards for soca music and representing the soca – you can see the growth. I see it for myself by just performing in different spaces.”

His personal accomplishments microcosmically show this.

The recently released single Oideyo (The Island), with Japanese soca singer Ann G, DJ Private Ryan and Jus Now, for the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Trinidad and Tobago and Japan, is an example. The song was released on August 30.

Other examples like Machel Montano hosting calypso shows at New York’s Apollo Theater demonstrate soca’s growing global influence.

Lyrikal believes it is going to follow in Afrobeats’ footsteps and become the next big genre on the world’s music scene.

This is also evident from the number of collaborations he and other soca artistes are doing with other global musicians.

A project with Nigerian singer/songwriter Wizkid’s DJ, DJ Tunez, is also one of Lyrikal’s soon-to-be released projects. DJ Tunez has worked with other soca artistes before, including Erphaan Alves and Montano.

“They are actually seeing it, reaching out and doing work with us here. I think it is definitely on that path of being the next genre of music to hit worldwide with a bang.”

He's also working on a number of collaborations with artistes that people might not expect, he added. Dancehall artistes and musicians from the Spanish- and French-speaking Caribbean have contacted him about possible collaborations.

“Every pocket, in every region, reaching out to say, ‘Hey.’”

He was also very eager to work with these artistes, he said.

He is currently working on another album, is touring and will have lots of new music for his fans, especially as Carnival 2025 nears.

The recent Caribbean Music Awards was yet another example of soca’s growing influence. He believes that is a significant step to winning other, globally-recognised awards.

“I think this is very important because the other awards will see how big this music is and how influential these artistes are,” he said.

This might lead to soca finally being recognised as its own category at the Grammys.

The work of soca artistes in the diaspora has played a seminal role in this development, he said, and personally, he has opened doors for a lot of other artistes in the US.

“It was a kind of cloud over the whole industry. Years ago people would say to really make it big in soca music, you had to come back to Trinidad and live.

“I always had it in my head and saying, ‘Not necessarily come back to Trinidad and live, come back and promote, because that is the mecca, and we need to touch the soil and make sure the thing confirm.

“As they say, ‘You have to be bad at home before you can be bad abroad.’”

Many artistes acknowledge and salute this, he said.

For artistes in the Diaspora thinking of becoming soca artistes, he said TT welcomes everyone and all that was needed to make it in the mecca was to work a little harder.

There were many outlets where they could promote themselves, he said.

“We are the only island, in terms of soca music, that has an International Soca Monarch.”

Other countries in the region had soca competitions but for their citizens.

“Mr Killa win Soca Monarch in TT already, Biggie Irie win Soca Monarch in TT.

“When it come to welcoming, we welcome everyone, you just have to come and put in the work.”

Soca’s many ambassadors have done the work of introducing the music to new audiences, who simply love it, he said.

“Everybody loves soca. Even people who don’t even know it – when we were in Times Square, the bystanders, some of them didn’t know about soca but were asking for pics. They were so interested in the sound and how people were reacting.

“Soca is a music that brings strangers together. Soca is on the rise in a big, big way.”