Immersed in music since the womb, Zachary Singleton, aka Cultivation, found his true calling at the somewhat older (in terms of musical proficiency) age of 18. Before this, he was an avid listener. His mother was born in St. Ann, Jamaica, the same parish as many old school reggae artists, such as Bob Marley and Winston Rodney (Burning Spear). She fed him a few good musical fruits, including artists like Bob Marley, Sade, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Prince, Seal, Maxwell and D'Angelo. His father, born in Chicago, was fond of old school soul & R&B. He would play pretty much anything Motown, as well as the great Chicago artists, such as Jackie Wilson, The Impressions and Earth, Wind and Fire. They both had a great love for Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, and you could see a young Cultivation trying to match Michael move for move. These were the sounds that started Cultivation down his musical path.

Though he wasn't too interested in playing music for awhile (he picked up the piano, oboe, as well as the tenor sax, then promptly put them back down in the space of a few years), Cultivation's knowledge of music grew exponentially during his teenage years. He was exposed to hip-hop as young as eleven years old, when he first heard "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems" by the Notorious BIG. He was exposed to metal even earlier than that when his friend showed him Metallica and Sevendust for the first time. And just a little while after his first introduction to hip-hop, Cultivation's mind was opened yet again when he heard the likes of Rage Against the Machine, Tool and Incubus. 

Later on, in high school, Cultivation's good friend exposed him to a myriad of worldly artists and genres. This is where he first entered the worlds of trip-hop and drum n bass, listening to artists such as Portishead, Statik Sound System, Thievery Corporation, and Kruder and Dorfmeister, artists who would soak his mind with even more positive influence. The next few years would yield many more musical discoveries. Old school jazz with the likes of John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis (Bitches Brew is Cultivation's all time favorite jazz album), more underground hip-hop with DJ Shadow and Madlib, a massive influx of reggae and dub with Burning Spear, Black Uhuru, Lee "Scratch" Perry and King Tubby, and even more knowledge from his mother in the form of classic rock (Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd). Only after all of this did he finally pick up and stick to a musical instrument. 

At the age of eighteen, Cultivation's mother bought him his own bass guitar. Seeking guidance from his friend and teacher, he was taught an even more stripped down version of the basics. Cultivation didn't read music for another seven years. Instead, he would just ear train, to the point where he'd hear notes and his hands would just search until he found the notes that matched or blended. 

After high school, Cultivation was still questioning what he wanted to do in terms of a career, trying his hand at culinary and hospitality. He finally asked himself the question. "What's something you could do every day for the rest of your life without fatiguing?" Music was the answer to that question. After a small stint in The Illinois Institute of Art, Cultivation found Dubspot, a small NYC school with a very hands on approach to musical creation. There, Cultivation practiced, focusing exclusively on the music. Here, he'd learn musical theory, the musical programs Ableton Live and Reason, and have his first introduction to DJing and turntablism. 

Cultivation is now back in his hometown, creating and collaborating with the musical community around him, taking every opportunity to better and progress himself. Love, unity and growth will always be the creed he lives by, and you will hear it loud and clear in his diverse musical output.

Yvol is following