Karl Wolf: From Lone Wolf to Wolf Pack

Youthink catches up with Karl Wolf to talk about his upcoming self-titled album.

Montreal-based R&B/pop star Karl Wolf isn’t new to the spotlight. From hit songs such as Africa, Carrera and Yalla Habibi, Wolf has achieved fame not just in North America, but worldwide as well in countries like Japan, Lebanon, Egypt, Czech Republic and Dubai. Currently on his Ghetto Love tour across Canada, Youthink recently caught up with Karl Wolf to talk about his upcoming self-titled album, his future reality TV show and how he stays grounded.

YT: Your last record, Nightlife, was a mix of R&B, hip-hop and dance. What can we expect from your new album?
KW: Everything’s starting to be a bit more dance-y, a little more house-y, but I think my hip-hop and my dance hall vibes [are still] in this so it’s a signature Karl Wolf sound.

YT: What was it like to work with producers like Kardinal Offishall and Three 6 Mafia for your new album?
KW: Amazing! Kardi is a good friend of mine now. We’ve been trying to work together for at least a couple of years, but he’s been so busy with Akon and all his touring stuff. Finally he was available and we were like, “Let’s do this.” With Three 6 Mafia, we had a friend in common in Dubai. I grew up in Dubai a long time ago. He is a DJ and he hooked me up with Three 6 Mafia.

YT: In your previous songs, such as Jealous and Hurting, you show us your vulnerable side. Were you always comfortable with letting the public see that side of you?
KW: Music is a form of expression, so sometimes I’m feeling hurt and vulnerable. So I like those songs and I produce them and I record them… so I don’t really mind showing that side as long as it’s true.

YT: And now you’re on the Ghetto Love tour. How’s that going?
KW: It’s going incredible so far – just the fans are crazy. You get to meet new people, see new places.

YT: Travelling from city to city can be stressful. How do you keep life on the road enjoyable?
KW: Yeah, it can be, especially if you’re going like 10-hour drives and whatnot. But we’re like a family. I’m here travelling with the wolf pack. I call them the wolf pack. And we’re also shooting a reality TV show called The Wolf Pack. And it’s gonna be out next year or the end of this year. So look out for that as well. It’s just fun. The guys are funny. They’re all characters so it never gets boring. I got comedians on here. I’ve got like just a bunch of entertainments so I’m good.

YT: So you’ve got a reality TV show in the works? Tell me more about that.
KW: Yeah… we’re getting some interest from different networks. We shot the pilot already. We travel with about seven, eight, guys and we travel the world. [The show will feature] some of the adventures, we go to Egypt… and everything that goes on backstage, sometimes the fighting that goes on – sometimes me being on the phone with promoters, my manager, the girls backstage, the groupies, this and that. It’s gonna be a really, really interesting show and it’s definitely gonna change the way people see me.

YT: Your music is known worldwide. Did you always have the goal of being an international star?
KW: Yeah, as a musician and an artist, you wanna spread your music to as many people as possible. It’s amazing when people around the world who you’ve never met, you’ve never been to that country, they understand your music and they get you and they put their hands up at the same time as Canadians do or Americans do at the shows. It’s just really cool to see that – that music is so universal and beyond language. It’s really truly, a universal language.

YT: And, how do you manage to stay grounded and not let fame get to your head?
KW: I just try to stay in touch with my family and the guys on the road. Even though I’m the singer and they’re my band, we treat each other like friends at the end of the day. I’d rather be humble about my career and what I do. I’m a musician. I’m an artist. This is what I do. This is my job. I don’t look at it like I’m better than anyone. Even though the fans are like, “Ah, Karl Wolf! Whaddup?” At the end of the day, I get it. I’m out there. I’m being marketed. So that means people tend to say hey and whatnot. But it doesn’t bother me. To me it’s nothing. I’m doing my job and I love making people smile and making people happy at the end of the day.

YT: What is the best career advice you’ve ever received?
KW: I was in the U.S. at Island Def Jam with Jeff Fenster, the head of A&R [artists and repertoire] who signed Maxi Priest and the Backstreet Boys back in the day. He told me one thing one day. I was maybe 18 at the time. He said, “Karl, you seem like you’re having so much fun with what you’re doing. Never ever change. This is what it’s all about.”

YT: What’s coming up for you after the Ghetto Love tour?
KW: After the Ghetto Love tour, I’ve got my album to finish up – self-titled album coming out on November 1. Hopefully, I can get all the songs in on time ‘cause you gotta submit it to the label at least a month before and I’m on tour so I don’t know how I’m gonna do that. It just gets crazier every single year! But that’s all good. I’ve got my album. I’ve got a movie or two… doing some acting. I just love touring… I love music… for now it’s just gonna continue.

Karl Wolf's Ghetto Love video