What do "Moonlight", the winner of the Best Motion Picture (Drama) Award at the 74th Annual Golden Globes, and Bahamian Travis (Travie) Bowe have in common? Bowe is featured on a song from the soundtrack of the award-winning Barry Jenkins film. Hollywood's 2017 awards season got underway last week.
Bowe is featured on the movie's soundtrack in the song "Play That Funk" by Prez P. The song was written by Hemsley F. Turenne Jr. and Travis Bowe, and performed by Prez P and Bowe.
"Play That Funk" was not recorded specifically for the film. Prez P and Bowe had pre-recorded the single and released the visual approximately seven months before "Moonlight's" production team reached out to them to pick it up for the film. And the rest, as they say, is history. The song was included on the soundtrack of the film that is set in a rough neighborhood and chronicles one man's lifetime.
"It still hasn't hit me yet," said Bowe of the accomplishment. "A lot of people have been messaging me, congratulating me... I'm grateful for the opportunity, but for me, I guess, I'm never satisfied with certain things. I want more for myself, so I'm never satisfied. Even though this is a big accomplishment, and I'm so grateful, I just want more. So I'm not stuck on this, but I'm happy for it," said the rapper, who resides in Toronto, Canada.
Recording "Play That Funk" provided Bowe with a number of firsts. It was his first time in Miami with Prez P; his first time in studio with Prez P; and the song was recorded on the first beat they played.
"We were just vibing out, and he came up with the hook, and we were like 'Let's do it'. I wrote my verse in the studio, I recorded it that same night, and when it was done we really liked it. And so we decided to make it a single for his upcoming album," said Bowe.
According to Bowe, the inspiration for the song's title, "Play That Funk", which is also the name of the album, was the song's beat.
"That was pretty much it once he [Prez P] had laid the hook down. We wrote our verses separated and came together and it just became 'Play That Funk'."
And now the film featuring "Play That Funk" has received another nomination. As awards season ramps up, "Moonlight's" director, Barry Jenkins, has also received a Directors Guild of America (DGA) nomination, along with Damien Chazelle ("La La Land"), Garth Davis ("Lion"), Kenneth Lonergan ("Manchester by the Sea") and Denis Villeneuve ("Arrival") for the Top Feature Film Award. The winners will be announced at the 69th Annual DGA Awards on February 4.
Bowe, in his 20s, got his start rapping on home soil after his sister gave him a CD by a Bahamian rapper.
"When I heard how good he was, I decided I could do it too. So from that day on I started rapping."
Then a high school student, he said a number of his schoolmates (Romero Stubbs and Jared Albury) were rapping at the time, while his friend Rashad McPhee produced. He said they pushed him to continue rapping, and that's what he has done. But he admits that realizing his dream has not been easy. As he pursues his music dreams, he continues to work a 9 to 5 job.
As for where he sees himself in the next five years, Bowe said it's a question he often asks himself, and owns up to sometimes getting stuck. But he says he wants to be known for the things he loves to do, and what he loves to do is make music.
"I want to be known for being a rapper. I want to definitely be known for rap coming from The Bahamas. I used to say that I want to fight for the crown in The Bahamas. I'm a Bahamian, and at the end of the day, what's better than that -- being known as the best from where you are and to make an impact internationally? At the end of the day that's what I want to be known for, whether it's creating music or producing, or writing songs, because I like to write songs too, so whatever at the end of the day that brings me, then that's what I'm down for."
Bowe says he is gearing up to drop an EP (elongated play), which is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single, titled "Here We Go". He said it's going to be his first project in a year and he's excited.
"I'm also dropping a few other things that I'm going to start rolling out in a matter of days," he said.

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