Blueprint: One of dancehall's newest megastars, Popcaan, is continuing to make his mark on the international scene. After recently appearing on the enviable Complex magazine's website, the artiste's hit, Only Man She Want, was this week added to New York's HOT 97 playlist.
The artiste whose correct name is Andrae Sutherland, and who hails from St. Thomas before relocating to Portmore, St. Catherine first came to the musical fore with the international hit single, Clarks, alongside mentor, Vybz Kartel. Since then he has created a string of hits including, Ravin' and more recently, Party Shot.
One of the main forces behind Only Man She Want's inclusion in HOT 97's playlist, Johnny Wonder, says he is extremely proud of the young deejay's snowballing success. Wonder, executive vice-president of the digital distribution company, 21st-Hapilos, has also had a hand in other reggae and dancehall tracks being added to the station's playlist under the 21st-Hapilos' watch. They include, Rum and Redbull by Beenie Man and Future Fambo, Khago's Nah Sell Out and more.
"First of all I have to thank Bobby Konders and Mister Cee of HOT 97 for their support; they are always behind us 100 percent and we are thankful. I am also happy with Popcaan's growing success, both locally and in the international market. The fact is that, the more artistes we can get showcased internationally, the better it will be for our music and the easier it will become for international record labels to invest in our music because they see that there is a market for it," says Wonder.
He continued, "But it all starts with the proper marketing of the songs and this is what we have been doing at 21st-Hapilos and will continue to do. Our aim is to help reggae and dancehall artistes achieve the visibility they need on the international airwaves in addition to helping producers and musicians gain some amount of profit from the sale of their music."
Among the recent singles and riddim marketed by 21st-Hapilos are I-Octane & Chan Dizzy's Till Kingdom Come produced by Russian of Head Concussion Records, the TJ Records-produced Party Shot (Ravin' Part 2)by Popcaan, Buju Banton's Set Up The Mic, produced by Young Blood / 21st-Hapilos, Boomshots Volume 1 by 21st-Hapilos. While some of their upcoming projects include the Vybz Kartel, Stronger We Get EP, produced by Zj Chrome and more.
