Multi-talented and divinely motivated, Mississauga’s Blake McGrath is moving through a multimedia crossroad at light speed.
Words by Bryan Cairns
Blake McGrath is a force to be reckoned with. At 27, the former Mississauga resident is already an accomplished dancer, choreographer, So You Think You Can Dance Canada Judge and in 2010 released his debut album, “Time to Move”. With such an impressive r?sum?, it’s no surprise that McGrath’s creative spark ignited at an early age.
“I’ve been a dancer from the earliest stages, since I was 5, so it’s always been a part of who I am,” says the ambitious McGrath. “I knew I wanted to do it professionally since I was 16 years old and caught Britney Spears perform “I’m a Slave 4 You” at the Video Music Awards. I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I guess my main break was going on tour with Britney. That’s how I got into it professionally.”
The road to stardom wasn’t quite so simple though. After an appearance on the original American version of So You Think You Can Dance, McGrath seized the momentum and relocated to the entertainment capital of the world, Hollywood.
“God, there was a lot of layers to living there,” he chuckles. “It was kind of hard, it sucks you in party-wise, and the people surrounding you aren’t always the best influences. It had a very dark side so it was hard being young. You really have to keep your head screwed on straight. I did most of the time, fell up and down a little, but it made me the person I am today.”
Along that journey, McGrath was lucky enough to work alongside such iconic divas as Madonna, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Spears.
“I learned to stay humble from Janet because that’s how you really remain joyful through the whole experience with whatever fame comes your way,” offers McGrath. “Janet has really kept her feet on the ground and managed to stay really happy. She taught me the most.”
However, it was during Michael Jackson’s touching memorial that McGrath truly gained some clarity. “I just had a life changing day,” he admits. “Spiritually, it was just a big day where I almost had an out of body experience. I just knew I needed to start living for God and just get out of the driver’s seat. I know there’s a very big calling on my life and I wanted to be right with God to be able to make the right choices for me.”
Evidently, that meant cannonballing onto the music scene. McGrath has already gained some serious attention with his first two catchy tunes, Relax and The Night. Now at the time of this interview, he was gearing up for his latest single, Stage Fright.
“I’m about to start shooting the video,” reveals McGrath. “The treatment is amazing and I’m excited to shoot it. It’s going to show a lighter and happier side of me. It’s very different than the first two videos which were kind of dark and edgy. It’s a nice leeway to show where I’m going next. It’s just much more positive and light.”
“And music and dance fit into each other perfectly,” he continues. “They are the perfect marriage. For me, I can have a voice through my body and I can say something through that, but I can have a voice through music as well. I can actually speak or sing and put that together with my body. That makes it 100 times bigger. And this was very personal. Every record I wrote says something different about where I was in my life. I always want to be able to relate to my fans through that and inspire them in amazing ways. I definitely tried to co-write everything or wrote it myself.”
Obviously, McGrath knows how to make a statement which means the numerous tattoos covering his chiselled physique aren’t just to amp up his cool factor.
“Everything represents something on my body,” notes McGrath. “Before I started singing, before I signed my contract with Universal, I got ‘I will sing to the Lord for he has been good to me’ tattooed to my arm which is Psalm 13:6. I wanted to remember why I was singing in the first place. I have a cross on my ankle which is the lowest place on my body, but it’s like ‘Feed me from the ground up.’ I have a star on the back of my neck because I want to be a star and affect other people’s lives. I love them. I’m working on a whole sleeve now that I’m designing with this amazing artist.”
With such a crazy schedule, McGrath shouldn’t even have a spare second to breathe, let alone ponder other media avenues he’d like to conquer, but it’s hard not to point out his slick fashion sense.
“Yeah, I’d like to do something in clothing, just not right now,” he concludes. “I definitely want to get involved in acting too. I love doing comedy stuff, I like acting like a goof and having a good time. But definitely getting out to inspire and do God’s work is the most important thing. That’s what I really want to excel at. I want to change people’s lives”