Whaddat?Com v.2 :: Top Shotta >> Rayvon

to advertise e-mail advertise@whaddat.com

Rayvon

After a year and a half enormously engulfed in Shaggy mania, MCA recording artist and label mate, Bruce Brewster, a.k.a. Rayvon, is afforded his own his chance to shine. The release of his sophomore album, My Bad (MCA 2002), allows him to do just that.

On an album he describes as one conveying many emotions, the singer has no single favourite song. " I can't just pick one," he says convincingly "I have thought that I liked a particular song but I always have a new favourite every time I listen to the album. Like…I enjoy performing Story of my Life [as well as] English Pound...it's difficult because this album has different moods." Moods Rayvon is sure that listeners will appreciate. My Bad sells Rayvon's versatility and his ability to dominate any track. Much like his own life, moving from the beautiful isle of Barbados, to the brownstone, sky scraper laden city of Brooklyn this deejay has a knack for adapting. He was always a lover of music and recalls pounding pots and pans as a young child, a beginning to his pre - adulthood years of deejaying, when he would always be " scratching records, cutting up turn tables and doing all kinds of crazy stuff" he recalls fondly. His involvement in music was constant but it was something he would never consider a career. To gain popularity in high school he sang at parties and deejayed at talent shows where he described the crowd's response as, "Wicked", he realized he had a voice and this helped to build his confidence to later on take it to another level.

On his latest album the listener is treated to a little bit of everything. A serving of today's popular genres, hip-hop, R&B, dancehall, and a little soul are all infused to make My Bad far from ordinary. The artist appropriately describes his sound as a fusion of all types of music. "It's reggae based…but it goes beyond that…even before with Nice & Lovely (a popular Rayvon cut) that was reggae mixed with a little bit of jazz. You never know where it's going to go, you have to expect something out of the ordinary when you listen to [my music]." To those who aren't aware, Rayvon hasn't just popped up on the music radar. He was always seen collaborating with Shaggy on several of the artist's renowned tracks, but was never highly publicized for his own efforts. In the early nineties, New York dancehall music gained major attention. Labels were signing acts left and right. A new sound with a distinct hip hop flavour spread by acts like Red Foxx, Shaggy, and Rayvon, (members of the now defunct Rough Entry Crew), Patra, and Little Vicious, ruled the air waves from Bricks to Kingston. In that era he and Shaggy made a name for themselves with the single Big Up. But this new sound would soon lose popularity. An ending he blames on Virgin's marketing brass, who would go on to drop Shaggy because of their unwillingness and inability to properly market his Pop-Dancehall sound.

Record companies often use people that have no concept or understanding of dancehall reggae to market the music. " If you put that [responsibility] in the wrong hands…a lot of people don't know what to do with it. " It's a business and a lot of the times if you don't produce those numbers then it's just- CUT!" Says Rayvon, animatedly. His departure from Virgin soon after was inevitable due to changes in management leading further to shifts in focus. "With Virgin…it fell by the wayside, there were a lot of artists and a lot of albums coming out at that time…they were pushing big guns like Janet Jackson, Rolling Stones, Spice Girls …It was in my best interest to split."

After leaving Virgin the artist was not without a gig for very long. Performing internationally with his long time friend, Shaggy kept him in an optimistic frame of mind. "It wasn't a very desperate time, but it was like a [time for] reconditioning, a picking up of the pieces, finding out where you need to go again. From you have the love for the music…[whether] I'm singing for ten thousand people or for two, Mi all right. I love it! It's an acceptance for what you do…if you have the talent you are going to get recognized."

Now in Summer 2002, after inking a deal with MCA and endless touring for Shaggy's Hot Shot, Rayvon embarks on his quest to blow up. Using the performance of his first album and past experiences as benchmarks he chose to play a more "hands on" role in the production of My Bad. "It was a big learning experience. The whole first album thing and how I approached it as opposed to how I am approaching this one…[knowing] the ins and outs…timing…It's up to you to learn from your experience… every artist goes through it." The massive success of the track Angel (Hot Shot, MCA) featuring both Shaggy and the singer led to his decision to embark on a solo project. "After Angel, which was a world wide smash I decided to do my own album. I knew it was a good song but I didn't know how far it would go."

With production handled by Sting International, Dave Kelly, Christopher Birch, Shaggy, and Shane Brown, Rayvon kept it strictly in the family for My Bad using only musicians and producers closely linked to the Big Yard label fronted by Robert Livingston. In five months he completed the 14-track disc. "At that time we were on tour with the Backstreet Boys, so I didn't have that much time in the studio. I'd have to fly in, do one or two tunes and fly back out," the singer explained.

My Bad displays more than Brewster's vocal talent, Rayvon also co-wrote most of the songs on his album, a task he considered more of an opportunity than anything else. "Mi full a argument. So I have a lot to throw out there- whether it's being funny, serious, [even] romantic." A self- professed romantic, Rayvon never abandons the fairer sex. " Of course I'm a romantic. You have to be"; he says smiling. When asked to divulge the most romantic thing he's ever done for a woman he tells of a romantic getaway he planned for his honey. "When you're alone that's the best time. No interruptions. Just focus." Spoken like a true Casanova.

With the title track earning the No.1 selling single in the reggae category and the album itself climbing steadily on Billboard's Reggae Charts, [at publishing time it had reached the No.3 spot], My Bad may just be the remedy for a season with very few musical standouts. Based on the performance of Hot Shot, the reigning leader in reggae album sales, it could very well be a case of MCA striking gold, dare we say platinum, twice. We doubt that Rayvon is even worried about the numerous comparisons that will be drawn between himself and Shaggy especially when it boils down to a case of units sold. He also shows no trepidation for performing on his own. Admittedly performing with your friends does have its perks but at the end of the day each artist wants to be given the chance to go it alone, to prove more to themselves and to a lesser extent their adoring public that they have the ability to fly solo. " When I did No Guns, No Murder [his first album], I did a whole lotta shows without Shaggy…When you have your friends around you it is much more comfort[ing]…but at the same time you are still doing two solo careers. I still have to do my own shows if…when things take off with [my album] and Shaggy has to do his thing so you can't always be in the same place at the same time. But we're still going to be like that", he states, clasping his hands together, "People are used to the team and they want to hear it so there is nothing wrong with giving the people what they want. Our real dream is to have the whole Big Yard on tour, I do my segment and he does his and we jus mash up tings. We just want to make this thing bigger!"

For more info on Rayvon check out www.rayvon.net

Back to Mic Check

:: enter your e-mail address below to join our mailing list or fill out the entire form here ::

disclaimer : copyright : advertising