We were lucky to catch up with Lascelles Gonsalves recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lascelles thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

Growing up in the islands with Caribbean parents prepared me for a lot I would say. If you know anything about Caribbean parents, you know they are tough on you from birth. They expect the best from you, they push you to be the best in whatever your passion is or whatever they see for your future. I remember times going to piano classes as a kid and the teacher would be tough on me and I would complain to my father but he would just double down on that toughness because he wanted me to be great. At the time, just being a kid, I never understood, but now looking back I understand the work ethic he was trying to instill in me for a tough world. This would be the same in anything I decided to pursue but more so with music because my father is a big music fan and always wanted me to be an Artist.

Lascelles, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

LJ Smooth grew up in a musical family in the Virgin Islands. He started in piano classes and played drums in church, whilst his father would play Bob Marley and Peter Tosh records at home.

LJ cites Michael Jackson, Maxwell, Prince, Trey Songz, Neo and Alicia Keys as well as Vybez Cartel, Beenie Man, WizKid, and Burna Boy as some of his influences, which we can feel come through in the record, although there is no doubt that LJ Smooth is creating a universe unto his own.

The star leaves us with the motto, “Work Hard, Play Hard. Life is meant to be lived, not survived”, whilst add All In to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and continue to stream his wider discography including The Feeling, and No Games!

He is most proud about how far he as came, starting out in a small island and now living in a big state like Miami where he is making waves doing his music. Having his music play in different clubs and Caribbean parties is always a great expense for him.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

In my journey, I’ve always keep a strong mind because nothing in life worth having comes easy and I always understood the philosophy of thinking positive. However, I would say that my positive thinking philosophy has increased tremendously over the past year once I started discovering books like, the magic of thinking big, ask and it is given, the secret, physco cybernetics and much more of the kind. These books have opened my eyes and have unlocked another level within me that I have already began to see the positive benefits from. I have a list of other similar books that I need to read and I do so everyday whether in the car or in the gym.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Being an artist is so exhilarating because I get to create something magical from my raw feelings and thoughts. It feels even better when people can relate to whatever message the song has at the time. It always feels rewarding when people reach out to me and say they really connect with my art. I always like hearing feedback and I always like knowing that my message is reaching people in a positive way. It also feels good when you have folks reaching out to have you songs play on TV or in movies. It just lets me know that my art is being heard across the globe and is being received in a positive light.

Contact Info:

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