I am a 90s R&B/Hip Hop era kid, and when I first heard Kärma sing, I was transported back to my era. Kärma performs a lot with local band (one of my faves) Conundrum and I saw them perform together at the Central Ave car show a few months ago. I was completely mesmerized by her performance, her style, and her confidence. I knew we would be getting to know each other soon.

Kärma released her new EP i95 & Wifi not too long ago and it gives me major Aaliyah and Timbaland vibes. It’s a must listen! I invited her to come by the office and had a blast getting to know her. Kärma is so chill and down to earth, she is an old soul.

A few weeks later, Kärma, Conundrum, and Petey performed for us at ChicpeaJC HQ for my birthday, which was themed “Drake Day.” They did all Drake covers for me and the team. BEST DAY EVER.

Now, Kärma is not just a singer… she is also a songwriter and an audio engineer. Talent is not the word.

Meet Kärma.

What’s your name?

My name is Candace, but my artist name is Kärma.

Why?

I feel like, with the way I treat people, karma is reflected. If you’re nice to me, I’m ten times nicer to you.

Right. You get what you deserve.

To me, yes. That’s why I chose Kärma. To everyone that meets me, if I don’t tell them my real name, they think Kärma suits me.

It does. So what do you do?

I’m a singer, songwriter, and audio engineer.

Very cool! That’s badass.

Right? A lot of girls don’t engineer, so it’s weird when I meet people who are in the industry. I’ve been doing this for about four years or so, but I just started taking it seriously a year ago.

So you also work with other artists, engineering their music?

Yes.

Did you go to school for it?

I didn’t. I’m self-taught by YouTube videos, and trial and error.

What attracted you to it? Most girls want to be in the limelight, be the singer-songwriter.

No one knows your sound like you do. I would rather be self-sufficient because there are other expenses to pay for when you’re doing music and trying to be an artist. It’s best to take the time out and learn to do it yourself, and it’s not hard at all. It just takes patience, and I’m the type of person who wants to do as much as possible. It’s cool because guys respect me for it.

How long have you been singing and writing?

I’ve been singing since I was a small child, around four or five. My grandparents were involved with music, and my grandfather was in a band. He passed away when my mom was six, so I never got to meet him, but he was in a band. My grandfather on my dad’s side of the family, still alive, is a singer-songwriter. My dad was into music; my mom used to sing. I grew up around artists, musicians, people that were really into music.

Awesome. So what is your genre?

I’m old school 90s R&B. I experiment with a lot of different styles, but that’s mainly my style.

I definitely get 90s R&B from you, your style and everything. That’s my era. Honestly, my dream is that we both perform Whatta Man by Salt N Pepa. I’m not a singer, but you can do the hook, and I’ll rap!

It’s about having fun! A majority of the times that I’m performing, my vocals are not always on-point, but as long as I’m having fun, I’m fine.

You’re good! I met you for the first time at the Central Avenue car show, and I was with Andy. He was like, “That’s my girl Kärma.” Then you sang Controlla, and I was like, “I have to write about her!” That’s when I was put on to you. I didn’t know about you.

A lot of people don’t. Regardless of the fact that I want to be an artist and successful, I’m not a “look at me” type of person. I just do what I do and meet people.

So how did you start working with Conundrum?

Twitter. I found them on my timeline, watched a clip of them performing, and was like, “Who are they? I need them right now.” I messaged them, “You guys want to perform together? Just have a jam session.” They were up for it, so we met up one day and practiced a couple of my songs. They performed for me at one of WolfJuice’s showcases in Newark back in March. That was the first time. After that, we just kept meeting up. We clicked. They’re beautiful.

They are such beautiful people! You guys work well together. With Conundrum, I interviewed them a few months ago when I was at a point in my career where it was all about business. I used to love just going to meet people with my camera, but this was all about business and growing the business. I felt empty. When I got in touch with them, we met up in the Heights, and there was the most beautiful view of Jersey City at Riverview Park. We sat at the gazebo, talked, and they performed for me. I fell in love with what I did again. Since then, I’ve been taking more interviews. It’s more work, but it’s what I love. This is fun for me. They changed my perspective on what I do.

They did the same for me. I was pretty much just doing engineering and worked on my own music, trying to make money and contacts. Once I met them, it was like we could all have fun.

So where are you from?

Jersey City. Not born and raised, but I was born here. I moved around. I’ve lived in Ohio, Dallas, and all over New Jersey. I always end up coming back to Jersey City.

What area are you from?

I live mid-town, close to Café Sole.

How do you feel Jersey City has changed?

From when I was young, it’s a lot more violent, but the culture is evolving, especially with the arts and people doing things on their own instead of just working nine to five. A lot of people are coming out and giving to the culture. When I was younger, around high school, people weren’t doing that as much as they are now.

What’s your favorite Jersey City hangout spot?

I have to say the waterfront. Exchange Place. There’s always something happening down there, and I love the view.

So what’s next for you?

I’m glad you asked. SoULFULL, a rapper from Somerset, and I finished up a collaborative project. It’s titled i95 and WiFi. It’s out as of August 1^st, and I’m so excited. I did all the engineering. It’s just shown how much I’ve grown since the last time I’ve dropped a project. With my first project, I hate it, but this new project is like my baby. It was so great working with SoULFULL. We did a photoshoot for the project, and there’s a video that came out.

So cool. Anything else you’d like people to know about Kärma?

I don’t want females to be afraid to do something that’s not normal for them, like engineering. It’s probably not a big deal to a lot of people, but it’s a big deal to me. In a business full of men that dominate almost everything, I want girls not to be afraid to go the extra mile. And you don’t have to shake your ass on stage to get people to respect you or like your music. That’s what I stand for.

Follow Kärma on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to check out her latest collaborative project i95 and WiFi, now available on Soundcloud, Tidal, and Apple Music. Give it a listen:

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