Ottawa musician Maurice Moore was one of five musicians who won a 2021 SOCAN Foundation Black Canadian Music Award last month.
The award recognizes the extraordinary merit Moore exhibits in his music as a Black Canadian.
Moore began his career in 2015 by releasing tracks such as “Ready” and “Sex U Back 2 Sleep” and released his latest single “Juice” last year. His song “The Loudest Silence” reached 29,265,656 streams on Spotify.
The Charlatan spoke with Moore about getting his start in music, his rise in popularity and what winning this award means to him.
The Charlatan (TC): What first got you into music and what made you want to pursue this career?
Maurice Moore (MM): I was always drawn to the musical spirit, but it was when I got into middle school when my love for hip hop specifically started to grow. I started writing raps and poetry and I used to participate in a lot of rap battles in Ottawa. It wasn’t until high school that I actually started singing. My sisters were trying to convince me to sing with them and I thought singing was soft or too vulnerable for where I was at that time, so I wanted to keep rapping explicitly. But I listened to my sisters and I’m glad I did because we did our first song together and that’s when I started realizing that I actually might want to do this for a career.
TC: What does your workflow for writing and singing your songs look like?
MM: When I start creating, I usually start from nothing. I might be walking down the street one day and have an idea pop into my head or hear everyday sounds. It could be the pace of someone walking that tickles my ear and I think, “That would be a cool tempo for a song.” Then, I would get back to the studio, start creating a track and that would be the bed of whatever I end up writing. I am kind of a freestyle guy so I could use a beat and start speaking gibberish, spitting melodies and flowing into the microphone. That’s usually how I create what the song is going to sound like.
TC: What is one message you would give to your fans?
MM: I am finishing up my newest project—it’s called “I Need Space.” It’s my most eclectic, personal and refined body of work that I have put together. I think a lot of people are going to relate to it, so I am really excited for my fans to hear it. Also, it’s an interesting time in the world right now where I feel like a lot of the status quo is being shifted to a new kind of place and I think this is a time where people can really start to explore themselves, what makes them happy and what makes them inspired. I would just encourage everybody reading this to listen to your inner child telling you to do something that you love.
TC: What does winning the Black Canadian Music Award mean to you?
MM: It’s unheard of for people to break out of the shadows of Ottawa, so not only is it flattering to be acknowledged by my fellow musicians, but it’s also exciting because I know there’s tons of kids in Ottawa right now that are going to see stuff like this and be encouraged to go pursue a career of their own. It is really exciting.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Featured graphic by Sara Mizannojehdehi.
