Kinnie Starr’s latest album will soon be released. And while her eager fans are chomping at the bit to hear the latest sounds from the musical pioneer, there is one person in particular that should take some of the credit — Starr’s 10-year-old niece.
“Actually the whole record was made basically for my niece,” says Starr, currently in Calgary taking part in a workshop at the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts. “She really likes pop music, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and it seemed critical for me to make something for her and for her age group where they can see women in music who don’t have hair extensions, five-hour makeup sessions, corseted waists and lingerie.”
Starr has been a groundbreaking force in Canadian music, from hip hop to rock, since she literally burst onto the scene with her debut album, Tidy, back in 1996.
There has been a well-documented major label dust-up, a stint as a singer in an X-rated Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas in addition to her steady stream of stellar studio albums. She’s also worked as a producer for groups such as Juno Award–winning Digging Roots, as well as working in other artistic disciplines and youth outreach, and she’s practising and teaching yoga and much more.
She’s had a successful career as an underground artist, a rarity. But, now she wants more. And she has good reason.
“I want to be considered more pop because of young kids,” she explains. “I want to reach more people, and I’ve never felt that way before. But it is because of the way society is turning out, this over-sexualization of women we see. It is everywhere and it has given me new intention.”
Working with youth across the country, speaking at schools, has given Starr certain insight into what makes kids “jump out of their seats.”
“I teach literacy through hip hop, basically, to stimulate kids to write instead of just watch videos,” says Starr. “That has fed into the creation of this record, for sure. I can really see the difference in what kids like.”
Never one to shy away from expressing her opinions, Starr’s days of raging at the machine may be over. Instead, the Calgary native, who now calls Toronto home, is concentrating on the bigger picture.
“I am slowly working toward an activism through kindness,” says Starr. “My intentions with this record, once I get it out, is to be able to generate a conversation that needs to be had about sovereignty and human rights in terms of people, not just native people or women — to be able to express themselves in an authentic manner.”
Starr’s last album, which marked a return to guitar-based tunes after a number of hip hop–based releases, reflects her focus on positivity. It is a pop gem showcasing Starr’s enchanting voice and delicate, moving songwriting: definitely not the angry performer of the ’90s.
“Absolutely. I guess what happened was I’ve been making records for a while now and I realized that it is hard on me to put out angry material,” she explains. “So, in the beginning, my intention with music was largely rebellion, because I come from a background of visual art, street art, and when I moved into music, I carried that sentiment. But I found that it was too hard to tour stuff not full of love and compassion, you know.”
The new album sees a return to Starr’s hip hop roots, with the talented musician producing the album herself, playing all the instruments, writing the beats and freestyling the vocals. She’s too good.
And you can check her out on Aug. 11 as part of the Planet IndigenUS Festival at Harbourfront Centre (www.kinniestarr.ca).