hiː wʌz ɪnspˈaɪɚd æɾ ɐn ˈɜːli ˈeɪdʒ baɪ kælˈɪpsoʊ ˈɑːɹɾɪsts ænd sˈoʊl mjuːzˈɪʃənz sˈʌtʃ ɐz kˈɜːɾɪs mˈeɪfiːld, sˈæm kˈʊk, ænd mˈɑːɹvɪn ɡˈeɪ.
He was inspired at an early age by calypso artists and soul musicians such as Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye.