Koromantyns Official Blog Jamaican Music and Entertainment News and Reviews by Jamaican Rapper Dj Ace Koromantyn

About

This is the story of my life as a musician. I tried my best to make it short for those fans who hate to read so I skipped over a lot of stuff. I guess I'll write a book for those who want the juicy details later. Hope you find it interesting...

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The Early Years (1996-1999)

I started rapping in 1996 while attending the Montego Bay Community College in St. James, Jamaica. My early influences were Tupac Shakur, Tha Dogg Pound, Mobb Deep, etc. So back then I wasn't really writing my own songs, I was just doing the songs of the rappers I liked, or who were popular. I specifically remember doing songs like "I get Around", "Shook ones" and Cradle to the Grave". A few people at school thought it was cool and I sounded ok so I should pursue it. This motivated me because the guys I hung out with in my community thought I was totally crazy to try something that no one they knew had done before. I remember the first time I told my friends I wanted to write and perform my own songs, they laughed so hard they were actually rolling on the ground with tears in their eyes.

I moved to Kingston after graduating and the following year (1997) to pursue a career in Graphic Design. I was working as a Digital Technician for Colour Solutions (an affiliate of National Outdoor Advertising, one of Jamaica's premier outdoor advertising companies). I wasted no time in acquainting myself with the locations of popular studios and places where entertainers hung out. Using the telephone directory to get the addresses and trying to find them after work in the evenings. It was really tough as I had to walk for many hours asking for directions to these locations.

After a few weeks I found the Mixing Lab Recording Studio which was pretty near to where I worked, especially if I took the direct route instead of walking all the way around like I did on the first day. This was the beginning of my professional career as I never turned back since then. After introducing myself to a few upcoming acts and telling them I was interested in doing rap music, they in turn introduced me to Tappa Zoukie Sinclair (producer) and Daddy Fresh (rapper) who were actually recording a new single at the time. I don't even remember the name of the song or if it was ever released but that was my first recording. I really appreciated the fact that even though my friends thought I was a flop, the professionals took me seriously.

Paying My Dues

During those early years, I spent most of my evenings at the Mixing Lab as it was like a hang out spot for all the popular entertainers. I remember popular artist and musicians like Anthony Red Rose (Red Rose)  Scare Dem (Harry Toddler, Elephant Man, etc.), Bounty Killa and the guys from Monster Shack (Round Head & General B) would always come through and spend hours chatting and stuff. This interaction was good for me as I learnt a lot about the music business and established friendships with the people who were actually making things happen. This was important, as access to the studio not only depended on who you knew but who knew you. The security guards at the studios could be really tough on us upcoming acts but people like Red Rose would always look out for me, so whenever he was around I'd get inside the gates for sure.

My career really started moving when I relocated to Molynes Road in October 1997, as I met Clayon "Beje" Doyll (my sidekick) and started recording with Sly and Robbie.  Red Rose told me that if I was serious about doing rap music I should be working with Sly and Robbie as they were the premier producers of that genre of music in Jamaica. I took his advice and prepared a demo for them on my home stereo. I think it was that tune with the Fugees from Nas' album, "If I ruled the world". I walked around with this demo for like two weeks until I saw Sly Dunbar at the studio one evening and approached him while he was waiting outside with Lloyd "Gitsy" Willis, a guitarist who worked closely with us until he parted ways with Sly and Robbie in 2000.

They were very impressed with what they heard and invited my to join them on the inside where they were about to start a recording session. So contrary to what came out later in the newspapers,  I actually met Sly Dunbar at the Mixing Lab, not in a supermarket. Who do you believe?

If its one thing I respect about working with these guys its the fact that they waste no time, as long as your talent is good they put you behind a mike and give you a chance. So said , so done... I recorded and released my first single, a remix of Sade's classic "Hang on to Your Love" on their new record label Rag Town before the year was finished. The song featured Karen Smith a renowned Jamaican cabaret singer who did an excellent job with the vocals. I don't have a copy right now but I'll upload it as soon as I get it. In the meantime you can check out Sade's original video for reference.

Not too long ago a friend of mine asked what was my "..most memorable moment?" I told her that it would have to be the first time I heard one of my songs on the radio. I think it was the last week in December 1997, I was on my way home from work when I heard the song. I started looking around to see where it was coming from and realized that it was on the radio in the bus I was traveling on. I was surprised as Sly didn't tell me he was gonna release the song before the new year. I was totally flattened, if that describes how I felt. To me it was exactly what I wanted to convince me to take my career seriously and forget all the negative stuff my friends said. I smiled all the way home.

1998 was like a dream come true, we were in the studios for at least three days per week recording songs and chilling out with other artists who worked with or came to visit Sly and Robbie. The experience was awesome! It seemed like we met everybody who was somebody in the music business, especially as it relates to the production side of things. If I'm not mistaken we released at least five (5) singles that year alone. However, things slowed down a bit with the new focus on completing Innocent Kru's new album Innocent. I did have the opportunity to work on a single with them called Weed Belly which was released on Taxi in 2000, however it never made it to the version of the album distributed by VP Records in 2001.

Moving On

I'm not sure what happened or exactly what contributed to it, but after 2001 I was at point where I thought I should be focusing on organizing myself around doing an album instead of releasing so many remixes and remakes. I started contemplating establishing my own record label and using it as a vehicle to get demo albums out, however my resources were limited and the little support provided by my peers was inadequate. I decided to take a break, so I could focus on developing my career as an independent Graphic Artist--effectively putting my music on the back page, not realizing that it wasn't possible.

A number of years passed and I went from working as a Digital Technician to Graphic Artist at one of Jamaica's leading advertising agencies, The Marketing Counselors. It was while I was working here I realized that I couldn't deal with feeling as if I wasn't moving. I now felt the same way I did a few years before when I decided to give music a break. So after two and a half years I looked around me and started to think of my plans and what I wanted for the future. There was no prospect for growth as far as I was concerned and I surely didn't want to be a no-name Graphic Artist forever.

Working the graveyard shift almost every night while not being paid overtime (as is customary here in Jamaican media houses), made it easy for me to decide that I had to do something different. So I started acting up... coming in a little late, leaving on time, not having lunch in the cafeteria etc. You know, antisocial stuff, and things finally came to an end when Adrian Robinson called me to a meeting and asked me to make up my mind on the matter. I decided that I wanted out, so I cleaned out my cubicle and that was it.

I moved back to Montego Bay with my family as I wanted to take up an offer with VistaPrint (Montego Bay, Jamaica). I went on to work with several small firms after that and eventually set up my own creative studio Advanced Design Services in 2004. In 2006, I took up an offer to work with Blue Cross of Jamaica as their Graphic Designer so we moved back to Kingston and eventually settled in Portmore. After a year and a half of "hard labour" I put in a request for change of employment status, effectively resigning so I could go back and focus on my business again.

Working for myself has been good in that I have got more time to do what I want and I also dictate the pace at which I work. Two very important things for a creative person to have, time and control. I'm finally back in the studios and for those who think I'm washed up, you got another thing coming. I'm like a good bottle of wine baby, and I'm coming for what's mine! I've been on the court and I spent the last few years watching the game from the sidelines but I'm ready to play again. Last game was about getting to know my team, this time I'm in it to win!

Shout outs to all the people who made this possible!

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