By Joanna Khan
Singer/songwriter Quincy Lacon known as ‘Ego’ created history on February 28 when he won the first ever Linden Soca Monarch title.
But Ego is much more than a soca singer and in an interview with The Scene, it also emerged that his stage name hardly represents who he really is.
Ego also sings R&B, pop and reggae genres and has already produced an album ‘Upgraded’. He is signed with SSignal Records.
Ego revealed that his winning song “Party Hard”, was written by Producer Bonny Alves of SSignal originally for the Carib Soca Monarch competition but it had been rejected, shockingly so, he added.
Ego beat out Kimmy Garnett “Static”, who was first runner-up and second runner-up, Colwin Blair. He said he was surprised, overwhelmed and eventually overjoyed at winning the Linden Soca Monarch crown. The presentation is set for this weekend, after it was postponed from last week.
Ego boasted about his “hard-working designer and mother, Andrea Croal, who tries to keep it fresh and original” for him and his dancers. He works tirelessly along with her so that don’t have to wear the same costume twice.
He admires his mother for the strong woman she is and said she ranks right up there with some of his favourite icons: Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and our very own, Charmaine Blackman. He embraces the “uniqueness of Lady Gaga and Charmaine Blackman” and hopes that like them, he too would one day make his mark internationally.
Since joining SSignal Productions in 2013, he said, he has seen great progress in his career so far. Apart from his album, he has done 7 videos: 2 Soca, 4 R&B and 1 reggae, which was written by Alves and launched worldwide by International Distributer, Fox Fuse.
He said that while today radio stations are doing a lot better compared to 3 years ago in terms of pushing local music, he still believes there’s much room for improvement. DJs should have more of a local conscience, he said, adding that he and other artistes would have worked hard burning the midnight oil.
People sometimes say that he shouldn’t sing or that he’s with the wrong group. Quincy said he “lost sleep paying attention to negative criticism” but because of his encouraging fans he moved forward. Today he lives only for what motivates him and instead of being defeated by negative criticism he uses it as building blocks to construct his career.
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This July, Ego is expected to be featured in VP Records’ magazine along with artistes Glenn Washington, Tarrus Riley, Cecile and Charmaine Blackman.
The reigning Linden Soca Monarch would have in the past shared the stage with popular artistes such as Charmaine Blackman, Chinee Man, Genesis, Big Red, Jackie Jaxx and Kwasi Ace. He was the officiating artiste at the Mr and Miss Guyana Talented Teen pageant last year, which was held at the National Cultural Centre. He performed John Legend’s “Save Room” and his own song “Bedroom Blast.”
Meanwhile, a pop version of his song “Take The Spot” has been released already in Linden while another song “Beauty Queen” will be released before the Linden Town Week, which is scheduled to start April 25. Quincy is currently working on a pop album which is set to be released in August. The talented artiste will also be playing a major role in in an upcoming Caribbean movie.
But the singer admits that it wasn’t always this way. According to him, he “wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth.”
He recalled that as a little boy growing up in Berbice, he would walk from Stanleytown to Shoe Lane at midnight in search of his dad in order to get a meal for the following day. His mother, he said, worked two jobs to provide for him and his sisters.
Dubbing himself a “song critic”, Quincy said he always thought he could sing a song better than he heard it sung. His first stage performance was at the tender age of 8 when he sang a Whitney Houston favourite at an Old Year’s Night concert.
At the Secondary School Entrance Examination he gained a place at the Bishops’ High but because of financial difficulties could not attend. Instead he went to Berbice High School. After his family moved to Linden, he attended the Linden Business College and soon after he did a pharmaceutical course.
Today, Quincy Lacon is well-respected in both Berbice and Linden. Discipline, he said, and understanding are what brought him this far.
“There’s a saying, ‘If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough,’” Ego said, when asked where he sees himself in another 5 to 10 years.
Some of the big plans he has for his future include taking his music international with R&B and pop. He also sees himself having a family and becoming a General Surgeon someday.
He is currently a full-time pharmacist at the Rite Care Private Medical Centre in Linden, where he has been for over 4 years now
To aspiring artistes he admonishes them to stay disciplined and focused and to practice writing their songs. He encourages them that having an educational background means being wise; one should always have a ‘Plan B’.
Ego took the opportunity to first thank the Almighty for the recognition he has today; his mother, sisters Candra and Sadana Lacon, cousin Denzel Chapman, aunt Divena Chapman and his girlfriend Jasmine Wong, all of whom are his biggest fans and would never miss a photo shoot, performance, recording session or video shoot.
He also thanked other family and friends especially his fans for their tremendous support. He acknowledged his seamstress Ms Mitchell and her team and his very dedicated dancers. He’s also grateful to his sponsors Colours Boutique and Charmaine Blackman and her team.
